An old friend is better than two new ones.
Today we got to review the LETV LeEco 2 X526, announced by the manufacturer at the turn of 2016-2017. What's the point of writing about such an old device?
Price. The capture of the smartphone market by LeEco, which is the largest Chinese video content supplier, did not work out. And the monthly audience coverage of about 1 billion users did not help, and more than a thousand cinemas. Therefore, prices fell twice - due to old age and because the brand left the market.
Meanwhile, for its price, the smartphone is still very relevant.
Technical characteristics of LeEco 2 X520
Display: 5.5″, LCD IPS, 1080 x 1920, 401 ppi
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 MSM8976, 4x 1.8 GHz ARM Cortex-A72 + 4x 1.4 GHz ARM Cortex-A53, Octa-Core
Video core: Qualcomm Adreno 510
RAM/built-in memory (GB): 3/32
Main camera: 16 MP, Autofocus, Flash, Optical and digital image stabilization, HDR shooting,
Front camera: 8 MP
Battery: 3,000 mAh. Fast charging, Non-removable
Connectors: Type-C, USB host/OTG
Mobile communications: 2G 2, 3.5G (HSDPA, HSDPA+, HSUPA, HSPA, HSPA+), 3G UMTS/WCDMA, GPS, IrDA, GLONASS, Supports 2 SIM cards
Wireless technologies: Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, b, g, n
Dimensions: 74.1 x 151.1 x 7.7
Weight (g): 152
Appearance and equipment
The supply of even budget LeEco smartphones differs for the better from its competitors: the black box made of matte cardboard is beautiful, feels like rubberized; minimum inscriptions and logo. Stylish.
Inside, in addition to the smartphone, there is a silicone case, a charger with support for Quick Charge 3.0, a USB Type-C cable, a paper clip and an adapter from USB-C to 3.5 connector.
Externally, the device resembles the older Le Eco Max 2: a metal monoblock with flat, wide sides. The difference is minimal - the flagship is all-metal, while the budget version has two plastic inserts at the top and bottom, behind which wireless modules are hidden.
Despite the metal construction, the device is very light, does not collect fingerprints and generally looks more expensive than even the starting price. For 100 dollars it’s absolutely lovely. There are 3 colors available to choose from: grey, gold and pink.
Like other smartphones from the company, the front panel of the LeEco 2 X520 is protected by ordinary flat glass and large frames around the display: 3 mm on the side, 15.5 mm on the bottom, 14 mm on the top.
At the top there is an event indicator, a set of sensors and a front camera. The top end carries only an infrared transmitter - Le Eco smartphones lost the 3.5 connector even before the iPhone.
The back panel is decorated with camera modules, dual flash, and a fingerprint scanner. The latter is recessed, and the camera does not stick out, so you can easily put it on the table. The decision to make the scanner polished looks strange: this is the only part that collects dirt.
On the left side there is a tray in which you can place 2 Nano-SIM cards. And only them - memory expansion is not available. On the right side there is a standard volume rocker and power button.
The bottom end is decorated with a USB Type-C connector and a pair of iPhone-style slots for a speaker and microphone. There is only one speaker, be careful.
Screen LeEco 2 X520
The smartphone has a 5.5-inch IPS screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 and a pixel density of 401 PPI and a 10-touch touchscreen. The manufacturer promises that there is a protective coating, but what exactly it is silent on is an oleophobic coating.
Color display is correct, brightness is high. Four adjustment profiles are available for correction. The picture does not fade in the sun. But auto-brightness does not work too quickly.
For a budget smartphone, the screen is simply gorgeous.
LeEco 2 X520 hardware platform and performance
Here, even by modern standards, it’s difficult to call a smartphone a weakling. Powered by SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 (MSM8976), 8 cores: 4 ARM Cortex-A72 @1.8 GHz + 4 ARM Cortex-A53 @1.4 GHz.
The platform is not inferior to MediaTek X20 and newer versions of Quallcomm processors. The memory is fast enough, but not up to the level of the Mi5, but the GPU Adreno 510 @600 MHz graphics accelerator can handle all modern toys.
Of the smartphone’s own 32 GB memory, only 22 GB is available to the user. Let me remind you that there is no possibility of expansion with a memory card.
Asphalt 8 at maximum settings I did not notice any problems.
One of the big advantages of Le Eco is the fingerprint scanner. It is accurate, fast and works even with wet hands.
Neither I nor my interlocutors had any complaints about the connection, audibility is excellent. GPS quick start takes no more than 5 seconds.
Operating system LeEco 2 X520
Android 6.0 with EUI 5.9 visual shell was selected as the operating system of the smartphone. This is Le Eco's own add-on, similar to Lenovo's - and rather iOS's - ones.
The main unusual difference is the expanded menu under the “list of running applications” button, where the lion’s share of various settings is hidden. But there are exactly 0 unnecessary applications.
Another feature is the Phone Manager utility (Super Manager), which combines a power manager, resource and traffic monitor and complete system configuration. And you don't need root.
Camera
The main camera of LeEco Le 2 of any modification is equipped with a 16 megapixel camera with a standard f/2.0 aperture and phase detection autofocus. Alas, there is no stabilization – both in photography and when recording video at a maximum frequency of 4K/30 fps. Well, at least there’s a double flash.
The camera application is quite advanced; it can be launched using the volume rocker or the power button (double-click when the screen is off).
It is logical that with good lighting in the daytime, the photographs turn out excellent. Twilight or artificial light becomes a problem for a smartphone. Well, night shots completely turn into daub – like any budget Xiaomi, for example.
Sound
The mono sound of Le Eco 2 does not require lengthy comments: the smartphone is loud, the sound is intelligible and bassy. But music through an external speaker is bad manners, so the quality will not be processed.
Headphones are another matter. Although the smartphone does not have the usual mini-jack, the developers did their best. In addition to the usual Dolby Atmos for surround sound, Le Eco 2 supports Continual Digital Lossless Audio technology, which allows you to send uncompressed sound with minimal loss directly to your headphones. And it's worth it, believe me!
LeEco 2 X520 battery life
Compared to popular budget Xiaomi devices, the Le Eco device does not shine with autonomy. OB is largely due to the small 3000 mAh battery. In a real usage scenario, this is enough for no more than a day.
Fast charging Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 is a real help, as it allows you to charge your gadget from zero to 100% in just an hour and a half. But when disconnected from the outlet, the battery can be drained within 4 hours of the screen being on.
conclusions
Although the LETV LeEco 2 X526 smartphone will soon turn 2 years old, thanks to its price of only $90, it remains one of the most logical purchases.
Why? The answer is simple: for this money you can only buy Redmi 5a in a plastic case without a fingerprint scanner, with nondescript sound, an HD screen and a so-so camera. Le Eco 2 outperforms other analogues on all fronts.
Still thinking? I recommend stocking up while stocks last.
