Skip to main content

LeEco breaks into U.S. brick-and-mortar stores with Target sales

LeEco Le S3 Hands On
Christian de Looper/Digital Trends
It looks like LeEco is going to try and make 2017 the year it finally makes a serious impact in the U.S. We already knew that the company had resolved to break into U.S. brick-and-mortar stores in the new year, and now it looks like it has completed that resolution in a matter of weeks — the LeEco Le Pro 3 and Le S3 are now available at Target.

The news is an important step for LeEco. It’s phones haven’t exactly taken off in the U.S. as the company would have hoped, even though phones like the Le Pro 3 are a great choice for users who want high-spec phones at an affordable price. Still, there are issues with LeEco’s phones, especially when it comes to things like software — the company seems to have bet on U.S. customers being fine joining a totally new ecosystem, a bet that doesn’t seem to be paying off.

Recommended Videos

It’s also expected that LeEco will launch a few new phones in the U.S. this year, although it’s not known exactly when. If the company really wants to make a dent in the market, it will require a pretty huge operation spanning multiple handsets across all price points.

Of course, LeEco has an uphill battle ahead of it. The smartphone market in the U.S. is pretty saturated, and customers are quite loyal to the brands they’ve been using. Still, LeEco has made a pretty good case for itself based on the specs you get at an affordable price with the Le Pro 3. Breaking into brick-and-mortar stores will help, too.

If you’re interested in getting a LeEco phone for yourself and don’t want to do it through the LeMall, LeEco’s online store, then you can head to the Target website.

Christian de Looper
Christian’s interest in technology began as a child in Australia, when he stumbled upon a computer at a garage sale that he…
I record interviews for work. These are my favorite free recorder apps
The iPhone 14 Pro and Google Pixel 7 Pro's voice recording apps running together.

The Voice Recorder app on a phone (left) and the Voice Memos on another phone Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Before you head to the app store on your phone to buy a voice-recording app, take a moment to consider the apps that may already be installed on your phone. Why? In my experience, they're likely all you really need. I’ve recorded interviews and voice-overs for work for years, and I’ve found the two best examples come preinstalled on your phone already, so they’re entirely free to use.

Read more
The best Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 cases: 10 best ones so far
Two Galaxy Z Fold 5 phones next to each other -- one is open and one is closed.

Samsung’s next-generation foldable is here with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5. This iteration has some notable improvements, including a new hinge design that eliminates the gap from previous generations when the device was folded. You also get a 6.2-inch HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display on the outside while having a 6.7-inch QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display on the inside, with both screens having a 120Hz refresh rate. In other words, they're about as nice as you could ask for.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is made with premium materials, and the triple-lens camera system packs in a 50MP main shooter, 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, and a 12MP ultrawide lens. There’s a 10MP selfie camera on the front cover, and a 4MP camera on the inner display. You also get a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip inside for the best performance and power efficiency.

Read more
Google Pixel Tablet just got its first big discount and it’s worth a look
Google Pixel Tablet on its charging dock.

Tablets are a dime-a-dozen these days, with offerings from all the great brands including Apple, Samsung, Lenovo, and more. So, if you really want to stand out in a sea of similar tech, you need to do things a little differently. That's what Google's Pixel Tablet offers. How? It comes with a unique speaker dock that can be used to both charge the device and offer room-filling sound -- almost like a smart speaker add-on. Better yet, when your Pixel Tablet is docked it benefits from the Hub Mode, turning the device into a smart display, with digital photo frame support, smart home controls, and hands-free Google functionality. Of course, it could set you back at full price, normally $499 unless you find it included in a roundup of the best Google Pixel deals. Well, guess what? Thanks to a Best Buy Google Pixel Tablet deal, you can get it today for $439 and save $60. Hurry, though, it's part of Best Buy's recent 48-hour sale so it won't stick around for long.

Why you should buy the Google Pixel Tablet
Okay, okay, so in our Google Pixel Tablet review, Joe Maring did give it less than stellar remarks, but he called out its reliable fingerprint sensor, comfortability during use and excellent speaker dock. Honestly, how many tablets come with a matching speaker dock that transforms the entire experience? This tablet also marks a "lot of firsts" for Google, as it's the first tablet from the company in nearly five years, the first Android tablet in eight years, and can be converted into a smart home display with the speaker dock. All of which are notable milestones.

Read more