By Anuj Sharma
San Francisco, Oct 20 (IANS): Chinese internet and technology conglomerate LeEco has officially launched its US operations, announcing a slew of new products that include smartphones, TVs, smart bikes, virtual reality headsets and electric self-driving vehicles.
Taking on giants like Apple, Netflix and Google at the "Ignite the Eco World" event here on Wednesday, LeEco unveiled open, integrated internet ecosystem that involves platform, content, apps and connected smart devices.
"We are disrupting several categories and changing the paradigm by breaking down barriers and boundaries between industries and screens to create a better experience and more value for both individuals and industries," YT Jia, founder, chairman and CEO of LeEco, told the media here.
LeEco has partnered with top content providers including Lionsgate, MGM, Showtime, Vice Media, Awesomeness TV and A+E in the US to bring its intuitive Ecosystem User Interface (eui) content platform to life.
The interface provides seamless interconnectivity across all LeEco devices by removing the barriers between software, hardware, platform content and apps.
The newly-launched Le Pro3 (priced at $399) is LeEco's flagship smartphone that features 5.5-inch screen with Corning Gorilla Glass and comes with 2.5D curved edges.
Le Pro3 is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor, sports 16MP rear camera, 8MP front camera and houses 4,070 mAh battery.
The device has surround-sound powered by Dolby Atmos and Continual Digital Lossless Audio (CDLA) technology.
Le S3 smartphone (priced at $249) features 5.5-inch screen, Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor, 16MP rear camera and 8MP selfie camera.
The Le S3 combines the power of CDLA and Dolby Atmos with in-box Type-C CDLA earphones for the rich audio experience.
Both the smartphones come with three-month EcoPass membership.
LeEco also launched flagship uMax85 4K TV that has a 85-inch display and features full array, 448 active local dimming zones, HDR, Dolby Vision, Fluid Motion 1920 Display Technology and Harmon Kardon Audio.
The uMax85 will cost $4,999 and will carry a 12-month free EcoPass membership.
Available in a range of screen sizes including 43, 55 and 65-inches, the Super4 X Series TV's feature HDR, Harman Kardon speakers and 3GB RAM and 32GB of storage.
The 43-inch TV is priced at $649 with 3-month free EcoPass membership, 55-inch TV costs $899 with 12-month free EcoPass membership and 65-inch TV costs $1,399 with 12-month free EcoPass membership.
The smartphones and TVs will be available on LeMall.com through a flash sale from November 2.
LeEco also previewed its vision of connected screens that includes smart bikes, virtual reality and self-driving electric vehicles.
The LeEco Super Bike is an Android smart bike that offers security, connectivity and a smart riding system. The ExploreVR provides a virtual reality experience for games, apps, movies and TV shows.
The company also showcased LeSEE Pro, its self-driving electric vehicle with features such as machine-learning of facial, emotion, system and path recognition.
LeEco's ecosystem of advanced smart devices runs on its internet and Cloud platform, LeCloud, which is one of the world's largest video cloud networks, the company said.
To provide greater value for users, LeEco has created the EcoPass that brings together high-value benefits including-a two-year warranty for LeEco smartphones and three-years for TVs, 5TB of cloud storage on LeCloud and unlimited storage for photos and videos and unlimited movie viewing on Fandor.
Other benefits include exclusive sale days on LeMall.com and priority customer service and discounted prices for many add-on content partners featured in LeApp.
With the User Planning to User (UP2U) programme, LeEco gives users a voice in how the ecosystem evolves and the opportunity to co-create the experience and the next-generation of LeEco products.