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699 yuan, can you buy an "iPhone"? If someone says this to you on the street, my advice is to run quickly and don't look back, because this burly guy might jump out and block your way. However, if it's online, it might be possible. Of course, you can forget about the real iPhone, but a "fake" iPhone is fine.

Some time ago, a new LeTV mobile phone was quietly exposed. The appearance of this model, LeTV S3 Pro, will remind you of an "old friend", because the design of this phone is like this:

Image source: JD.com

And the iPhone 15 Pro is like this:

Image source: Apple

Apple: Please speak on the microphone.

We cannot say they are exactly the same, we can only say they are completely consistent.Of course, as a superstar in the mobile phone industry, the iPhone has been plagiarized by others in terms of appearance more than once or twice. Even if Cook knew about it, he would probably be very calm inside, and might even praise it for looking good.

Unfortunately, the front of the LeEco S3Pro does not replicate the iPhone's "pill" design (probably because the pill screen needs to be customized, which is too expensive), but instead uses a standard hole-punch screen, but it does use a full-depth micro-curve design.This makes the phone look more like a hybrid of an Android flagship and an iPhone.

Image source: JD.com

If the two phones were similar in appearance, the discussion about LeTV S3 Pro would end here. However, as this phone was put on sale, the price of 699 yuan made me quite interested in it. After all, LeTV's Y1 Pro released last year was also priced at this price, and even without any publicity, it won the first place in JD.com's 400-700 yuan hot selling list.

LeTV has come up with another mobile phone of similar price this time. Is it planning to replicate the performance of LeTV Y1 Pro?

A hundred-yuan phone, can you still play like this?

The 100-yuan phone is a price point that is often overlooked, but its market share is not low.According to past data, shipments of mobile phones priced below RMB 1,000 account for about 10% of the entire mobile phone market share.Therefore, in addition to a number of unknown brand mobile phones, Redmi, Honor, and OPPO all have corresponding product lines that are specifically designed for the market below 1,000 yuan.

After searching on JD.com, you can see many 600-700 yuan mobile phones such as Redmi 13C, OPPO A36, vivo Y36T, Honor Play 30M and Nokia C31. You will find that there is no lack of competition here. Even if the price is lowered to 300-400 yuan, you can still see Redmi and Honor competing, but the design and parameters of the products are getting closer to elderly phones.

Image source: JD.com

What’s interesting is that after carefully browsing the parameters of several mobile phones, I suddenly found that LeTV S3 Pro is actually quite powerful.

First, let’s take a look at the screen. In this price range, basically all of them are water drop screens. Only OPPO A36 uses a side hole design. Thinking back, the last time Xiao Lei used a mobile phone with a water drop screen was the Xiaomi 9 he bought in 2019.

Although there is not much difference between water drop and hole punch in the low-end market, the hole punch screen does look better. LeEco S3 Pro has chosen a centered hole punch design, which is basically the same as the current mainstream mobile phones. This alone makes the LeEco S3 Pro look much more expensive.

Image source: JD.com

Moreover, the LeEco S3 Pro is also designed with full-depth micro-curves. Doesn’t this directly kill all the straight-screen phones (although Xiao Lei is a straight-screen party doge)? Wait, full-depth micro-curves? Isn’t this the technology on Xiaomi 14 Pro? Yes, but the full-depth micro-curves of the LeEco S3 Pro are still a little different from those of the Xiaomi 14 Pro.

Image source: JD.com

On the introduction page, LeEco S3 Pro says "full-depth micro-curved glass cover", while Xiaomi 14 Pro says "full-depth micro-curved screen". The difference of a few words means that the actual hardware is completely different. In simple terms, LeEco S3 Pro only has a four-sided micro-curved screen outer cover, and the main body is actually a straight screen, while the screen of Xiaomi 14 Pro, if you look closely, you will find that it extends slightly to the edge and is slightly curved.

Of course, even if it is just a fully curved screen cover, the actual feel will be better than the ordinary straight screen design, andLeTV S3 Pro also removed the screen bracket, making the connection between the frame and the screen more natural.In terms of design alone, it is not much inferior to the thousand-yuan phones of mainstream brands. What's more, LeTV S3 Pro has a metal frame instead of the mainstream plastic frame of the hundred-yuan phones, so the overall feel is obviously better.

Image source: LeTV

LeEco S3 Pro does not introduce the material of the back cover, so according to experience, it is most likely made of plastic. After all, if it is made of glass, it must be promoted as a selling point on the product page. However, I found that the back cover in the product picture also has a curved design, which I also want to give a thumbs up.Hyperbolic back cover + full-depth micro-curved glass. As long as the edges of the metal frame are processed properly, the grip feel is estimated to be comparable to that of a 2,000 yuan phone.

As for the most eye-catching imaging module, although the official parameter is 50 million pixels, there is no need to have too much expectation for the photography level of a hundred-yuan phone. The remaining two are most likely to be make-up lenses, and the official is too lazy to even mention the parameters.

In terms of appearance design alone, LeEco S3 Pro is indeed very competitive in the 100-yuan phone market, although judging from the promotional pictures,It also has problems such as a running chin and thick bezels, but in terms of the crucial grip feel, it is likely to be better than most of its competitors.

Now that we have looked at the outside, let’s take a look at the inside.

The processor chosen is MediaTek G95, which is also a classic entry-level chip.The AnTuTu score is around 350,000, which is on par with the Dimensity 6100+ of Redmi 13C and the Snapdragon 480 Plus of Honor Play 30M.However, MediaTek G95 does not support 5G network, which is not as good as Redmi 13C and Honor Play 30M, which is a pity.

Image source: AnTuTu

Although Xiao Lei really wants to talk to you about which chip is more powerful, after checking the information, I can only say that they are all about the same. They are enough for daily use. As for mobile games, at best you can play low-configuration games like Honor of Kings. Apart from that, don't have too much expectations.

Apart from the processor, the LeEco S3 Pro doesn't have many highlights in terms of hardware configuration. It has dual stereo speakers and an infrared remote control function, and that's it. The 5000 mAh battery and 18W fast charging are only considered to be below average among 100 yuan phones.However, considering the configuration of LCD screen + low-power 4G chip, the battery life performance should be good.

Overall, most of the cost of LeEco S3 Pro is actually spent on the appearance design. It has both the recognition of iPhone and the design of Android flagship. It can attract many buyers' attention just by its appearance. Although the hardware parameters are not superior,However, compared with other mobile phones of the same price, it can also be ranked in the top three. Taking into account the added points of appearance, it is indeed a mobile phone worth recommending in the 700 yuan range.

However, it may be a bit difficult for LeTV S3 Pro to replicate the performance of LeTV Y1 Pro, because in the past two years, Redmi has once again turned its attention to the 100-yuan phone market.

LeEco smartphones are unlikely to return to their peak

Although many people may not remember it, LeEco's mobile phone sales and reputation were once among the best in China. In digital enthusiasts forums such as Cool An, many people still miss the LeEco mobile phones of the past. However, after Jia Yueting left and LeEco was caught in financial disputes, LeEco mobile phones became a thing of the past, and only in the past two years have they begun to return to everyone's attention.

Compared with the mobile phone market in 2015, the players in the mobile phone market in 2024 remain unchanged, but the intensity of competition changes.The mobile phone manufacturers that once expanded from the low-end to the high-end are now starting to return to the low-end entry market.If LeTV wants to use the 100-yuan phone market as a place to make a comeback, it will probably be difficult to achieve its goal.

Starting from the second half of 2023, mainstream manufacturers such as vivo, Xiaomi, and OPPO have accelerated their layout in the thousand-yuan mobile phone market. For example, in the past three months, vivo has launched a number of products priced at thousand yuan, covering different user groups. Although the war has not yet spread to the market below thousand yuan, my intuition tells me that this is something that will happen sooner or later.

Image source: JD.com

For example, Redmi has been repositioning the 100-yuan phone market since last year and launched the Redmi Note12. Compared with the previous generation, although the performance of the Note12 has hardly improved, it has made obvious upgrades in the screen and imaging, giving it a new generation of 48-megapixel camera and 1200-nit brightness OLED screen.

Moreover, although the Note12 is a product of 2023, it is still considered a "flagship phone" in the 100-yuan phone market, and its price has now dropped to 799 yuan.Compared with the starting price of LeTV S3Pro, it is only 100 yuan different. Moreover, the 799 Redmi Note12 is an 8+256GB version, while the 699 LeTV S3Pro is a 6+128GB version.By the way, the 6+256GB version is 799 yuan.

Image source: JD.com

After comprehensive comparison, you will find that LeTV S3 Pro may still have an advantage in appearance design, but the other parameters are basically inferior to Note12. Considering Xiaomi's after-sales service and MIUI system, for most users, Note12 is obviously a better choice.

Although it is a bit unfair to compare a phone that is close to being discontinued with a new phone, this is the current situation in the 100-yuan phone market. In fact, most products have not changed much compared to the phones of the previous two years. Cost constraints have forced engineers to make more trade-offs. If the performance is good, the appearance and screen will have to be cut. If the appearance and screen are good, the performance will have to be upgraded.

It can be said,What the 100-yuan phone actually tests is the manufacturer's supply chain integration capabilities. Large-scale procurement and independent production lines will significantly reduce product costs and make product pricing more competitive.At the same time, this also means that it is very difficult for ordinary manufacturers to launch products that beat large manufacturers.

Today's mobile phone market has long been a red ocean market, rather than the blue ocean it was when LeTV first entered the market in 2015. Mainstream manufacturers such as Xiaomi, OPPO, vivo, etc. not only have mature supply chains, but also have wide market awareness and reliable after-sales services, which are things LeTV cannot easily match.

In addition, consumers in the 100-yuan phone market pay more attention to cost-effectiveness and practicality. Although LeTV S3 Pro has made some innovations in appearance, its hardware configuration and overall performance are still difficult to compete with products from mainstream brands.Especially in the key aspects of battery life, photography and system experience, LeTV S3 Pro does not have a clear advantage. Even though its excellent appearance can get more attention offline, LeTV's offline channels are far from comparable to those of Xiaomi, OPPO and Vivo.

Whether online or offline, I don't think LeEco S3 Pro can attract market attention again, and it is even more difficult to revive LeEco mobile phones. However, considering the current situation of the LeEco team, it is probably returning to the market with the mentality of making a lot of money, after all, if you really want to say, the only thing left between LeEco mobile phones and LeEco is a licensing relationship.

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In the hottest month of July, Lei Technology's mid-year review is launched, summarizing the brands, technologies and products worth recording in the first half of 2024 in the technology industry, recording the past and looking forward to the future. Please pay attention.