Skip to main content

LeEco, the 'Netflix of China,' ramps up U.S. push by offering products at retailers

LeEco Le Pro3
Christian de Looper/Digital Trends
Earlier this month, LeEco — known as the “Netflix of China” — finally made its latest phones and TVs available in the U.S. — but there was a catch: They were only available via the company’s LeMall website. After a month of flash sales, the company’s products will finally be available on LeMall at any time, but that’s not the biggest news — the company also announced on Tuesday that beginning December 1, its phones and TVs will also be available from a number of U.S. retailers.

“We continue to bring to life our vision of a connected ecosystem that puts content at the center of the experience. With [Tuesday’s] announcements, we are making our premium products and the best content even more accessible,” Danny Bowman, LeEco North America chief revenue officer, said in a statement.  “We’ve had tremendous success with our direct-to-consumer ecommerce site, LeMall.com, but we’re thrilled to be working with the top retailers to make our products more accessible.”

Specifically, LeEco phones and TVs will be available at Best Buy locations, as well as at wireless dealers for carriers that offer LeEco phones. In addition to physical locations, LeEco products will also be available via online retailers like Amazon and the Best Buy and Target websites.

The December 1 launch date comes one day after the launch of the new DirecTV Now live TV streaming service, and that’s not a coincidence. The two companies have teamed up to offer DirecTV Now subscriptions to customers purchasing select LeEco products.

Customers buying the Le S3 or Le Pro3 smartphones or Super4 X3 Pro ecotv will receive access to DirecTV Now for three months, while those buying a Super4 X55 or Super4 X65 TV will get six months of service. Customers buying the company’s flagship uMax85 TV will receive a full year of DirecTV Now service for free.

While LeEco may be making its products more easily available, it is still trying to draw customers to its LeMall online store by offering rebates ranging from $80 to $200, depending on the product.

Kris Wouk
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…
AT&T just made it a lot easier to upgrade your phone
AT&T Storefront with logo.

Do you want to upgrade your phone more than once a year? What about three times a year? Are you on AT&T? If you answered yes to those questions, then AT&T’s new “Next Up Anytime” early upgrade program is made for you. With this add-on, you’ll be able to upgrade your phone three times a year for just $10 extra every month. It will be available starting July 16.

Currently, AT&T has its “Next Up” add-on, which has been available for the past several years. This program costs $6 extra per month and lets you upgrade by trading in your existing phone after at least half of it is paid off. But the new Next Up Anytime option gives you some more flexibility.

Read more
Motorola is selling unlocked smartphones for just $150 today
Someone holding the Moto G Stylus 5G (2024).

Have you been looking for phone deals but don’t want to spend a ton of money on flagship devices from Apple and Samsung? Have you ever considered investing in an unlocked Motorola? For a limited time, the company is offering a $100 markdown on the Motorola Moto G 5G. It can be yours for just $150, and your days and nights of phone-shopping will finally be over!

Why you should buy the Motorola Moto G 5G
Powered by the Snapdragon 480+ 5G CPU and 4GB of RAM, the Moto G delivers exceptional performance across the board. From UI navigation to apps, games, and camera functions, you can expect fast load times, next to no buffering, and smooth animations. You’ll also get up to 128GB of internal storage that you’ll be able to use for photos, videos, music, and any other mobile content you can store locally. 

Read more
The Nokia 3210 is the worst phone I’ve used in 2024
A person holding the Nokia 3210, showing the screen.

Where do I even start with the Nokia 3210? Not the original, which was one of the coolest phones to own back in a time when Star Wars: Episode 1 -- The Phantom Menace wasn’t even a thing, but the latest 2024 reissue that has come along to save us all from digital overload, the horror of social media, and the endless distraction that is the modern smartphone.

Except behind this facade of marketing-friendly do-goodery hides a weapon of torture, a device so foul that I’d rather sit through multiple showings of Jar Jar Binks and the gang hopelessly trying to bring back the magic of A New Hope than use it.
The Nokia 3210 really is that bad

Read more