After initially not allowing users to post their reviews of Le 2, Flipkart has begun publishing customer feedback about LeEco’s latest mass market smartphone, and it’s a mixed bag.
Predictably, the Le 2 scores high in terms of performance, but feedback suggests two key weakpoints versus main rival Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 — display quality and battery. (Camera is also average, but so are the ones on rivals including Note 3.)
Broadly speaking, the LeEco model trounces the Redmi Note 3 in terms of processing power, but falls short in terms of battery and display quality.
While the battery aspect was expected — after all Redmi’s battery is 35% bigger and it’s got a lower power processor — what has come as a bit of a surprise is the display. LeEco had said that it has significantly upgraded its display as it moved from Le 1s to Le 2, but user reports suggest otherwise.
The display on the Le 1s was certainly not the brightest or the most vibrant. It looks like some of the brightness issues have made it to the Le 2, leading to user complaints about poor brightness, especially out of doors.
One of the most critical reviews was by Spandan Pujari, who gave the model only 3 stars out of 5.
“Display is the most disappointing part of the product.. Even though the 1080p is crisp the brightness is a total let down,” he said. “It’s just not bright enough, my old redmi 1s is brighter than this. Even indoors, the panel is reflective, outdoors, in the current rainy season it’s reflective — major irritation ensues. ”
UPDATE: We tested the display, which turned out to be sufficiently bright for regular use.
In side by side comparisons between the Le 2 and Redmi Note 3, the latter does come across clearly as the one with the brighter display. However, in other respects, the displays are comparable, with the Le 2 offering more realistic color reproduction.
It is not clear why the brightness levels are turned down for Le 1s and Le 2, but part of the reason may lie in the modest battery — the second area of concern according to customer feedback.
The battery part, however, was to be expected. The Le 2 has a processor that is almost 50% more powerful than the Redmi Note 3 and also a battery than is 27% smaller.
However, to overcome the extra power-draw of the processor, LeEco may have turned down the display brightness, thereby limiting the current drawn by the screen.
According to users, the 3 Ah battery is good enough for about 5 hours of continuous use with the screen on, compared to about 7 hours for the Redmi Note 3.
In practical situations, according to most users, the LeEco model is good enough for one day of regular use, while the Redmi Note 3 lasts for 1.5 days of regular use.
WHICH IS BETTER?
So, we come to the question of which is better – Redmi Note 3 or LeEco Le 2.
If you are someone who commutes for 2-3 hours a day, and you watch videos or read on your phone, then the Redmi Note 3 may be a better option due to its better battery life. Another thing to note is out-of-doors visibility, where again the Redmi Note 3 scores higher.
However, if daily commutes are not part of your life and most of your phone consumption happens at home or office, then you can consider the Le 2 for the faster experience and easier availability. Starting from yesterday, the phone is available on demand from Flipkart, while Xiaomi is yet to sort of supply issues that have plagued the phone since the beginning.
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