Le Pro 3: LeEco’s Entry to the Midrange Smartphone Race is a Must

Nowadays, it seems that Smartphone manufacturers are competing in two different divisions: the "Big Boys" market and the "Mid Range" market. While Apple, Samsung and Google are leading the "Big Boys", Chinese brand LeEco wants to penetrate the Western "Mid Range" market with its Le Pro 3.

On the outside, it has a 5.5 inch 1920x1080 screen; with a 16MP rear camera and a 6MP front clicker. Inside its smooth aluminum body is a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor, a 4GB RAM and a 64GB storage, stuff capable with competing against the big boys. It can also last a while with its 4070mah battery, and comes packed with Android's Marshmallow OS. According to Digital Trends, with a fast and responsive interface and quick load times for Apps, the device runs quite smoothly. 

Despite its sleek design and quite powerful hardware, one of the things it's missing is an earphone jack. Like the iPhone 7, it skips the 3.5mm port and instead has a USB-C port for wireless earphones. The package also has a USB-C to 3.5mm converter port, for those who still want to use a regular jack.

It also packs a finger scanner, located at the back of the phone, below the rear camera. Unfortunately, as Business Insider notes, it takes several tries for the scanner to pickup to fingerprint, unlike the Google Pixel that rarely gets a second try.

Another difference this device has from its competitor is that it skips the micro SD slot altogether. This means that while it packs a 64GB storage, it does not have the option to expand. And as Apps tend to become bigger and bigger, having no expandable storage could spell doom for the device.

Speaking of Apps, another big nitpick on this otherwise great device is its EUI, which most phones coming from China are seemingly using. There's no App Drawer, so apps tend to become cluttered and all over the place. Also, its icons have a flat and dull look. The biggest thorn, however, are the LeEco video apps that come pre-installed with the device.

The company, known as "Netflix of China", tries to offer its on-demand video service through its "Live" icon, which, unfortunately, the content has a lot to be desired. It does not match the content of major services like Netflix, Hulu and others. It also has the "LeView", an attempt to rival Google Now in providing updated news and calendar events. Sadly, it does not come close to the tried and tested Google service.  

All in all, the device itself has some impressive specs. And with a $400 price point, it is certainly a good option for budget-conscious folks. However, adding to the fact that the device is not available in US stores, and that importing one would require a not-so-preferred GSM carrier, it might take time for this Chinese company to take its foothold on the US market.