We are back from LeTV’s Delhi fan meet where we got to interact with LeTV’s India team, ‘Super Fans’ and of course Le Max, the first smartphone LeTV will bring to India (though rumors have it that this might not be the only one).
This isn’t a first-impression piece, as the hands on prototype we experienced wasn’t running the final software. It is and did feel like work in progress, and the thing with first impressions is that they are freaking sensitive. You only get one chance to cast a solid first impression and Le Max deserves a fair chance. But we did get a whiff of what’s coming. Let’s first get done with specifications.
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Key Specifications and Features of Le Max:
| Model | Le Max |
| Display | 6.33-inch, QHD (2560 x 1440) IPS LCD, (No Gorilla Glass, but the phone does include a scratch resistant coating) |
| Processor | 2.0GHz octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor with Adreno 430 |
| RAM | 4GB LPDDR4 |
| Internal Storage | 64GB / 128GB internal memory. No MicroSD card support |
| Software | Android Lollipop based EUI |
| Primary Camera | 21MP rear camera with dual-tone LED flash, Sony IMX230 Sensor, OIS, f/2.0 aperture, dual ISP support |
| Secondary Camera | 4MP front-facing camera with OmniVision OV4688 sensor, 81.6-degree wide-angle lens |
| Dimensions and weight | 167.1 × 83.5 × 8.95 mm and 204 grams |
| Battery | 3400 mAh |
| Others | USB 2.0 based Type C port, Dual SIM, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.1 with AptX, Fingeprint sensor, NFC |
| Price | To be announced |
How big is LeTV?
I am sure most of you were unaware of LeTV till a couple of month’s back, i.e. before the company started its aggressive India marketing. I professionally track technology, and have to admit, I didn’t care much either till the company got in a verbal spat with Xiaomi.
Anyways, LeTV is a leading content provider and pretty huge in China, and is not primarily appreciated as a smartphone manufacturer. LeTV has the biggest video streaming service in China with over 400 million monthly users. You will often hear LeTV officials chiming the word ‘ecosystem’ which is what they intend to create and that is precisely where mobile phones come in.
I didn’t expect to meet many (or any) die-hard fan at LeMe community meet in India, but I was wrong. There were more than a few people very enthusiastic about LeTVs arrival in India. How the hell do you become a super Fan of a company which is yet to launch a single product and which is relatively new to smartphone space? I was intrigued and talked to a few superfans for answers. I didn’t get any convincing answser. “They give very good specs” was what I got.
But we digress. Coming back to Le Max. In China, LeTV sales shot up when the company launched LeMax in July. According to a report from Sino Market Research, in the online high-end phone market (over USD $472 per device) in China, Le Max was the top seller ahead of Apple and Samsung. Point being, LeTV brings their best to India.
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And How big is Le Max?
With a display size of 6.33 inches, the LeTV goes beyond phablets. It’s a huge phone, but edge to edge display and very narrow vertical bezels brings it at par with other 6 Inch display devices, which is still huge. LeTV believes once you experience it, you won’t be able to go back using smaller phones.
Premium Aluminum build quality and good quality display makes it clear that this isn’t a half-baked effort. The handset isn’t aiming for a slim title tag either, but the waist is reasonable considering the large form factor.
Power button and fingerprint sensor are ergonomically placed, and a hardware mute slider has also been included on the top-left edge. Fingerprint sensor seemed fast and accurate to us and besides, LeTV is still working on improving the accuracy.
If you like big phones, there is a lot to like in Le Max. Even the EUI software seemed very intriguing ( No app drawer though). It is still work in progress so there is no point detailing what works and what doesn’t.
Le Max Photo Gallery
And let’s throw in some camera samples for the heck of it…
Price will matter
The price will determine how well LeTV will be received in India. For an early entrant trying to sell its product online, without proper after sales support infrastructure, people won’t be willing to spend a premium. Anything more than OnePlus 2 price (25K) could be a problem. We will have to wait and watch to know if LeTV treads the Xiaomi/OnePlus path or the OPPO/ Vivo one.
