OnePlus 3 vs LeEco Le Max2: Battle of flagship killers

Kickstarter-funded Chinese manufacturer OnePlus has undeniably produced some of the most interesting smartphones in the past couple of years. Their devices were termed as flagship killers, featuring high-end specs at a very attractive price point.

The company’s latest flagship, the OnePlus 3, however, gets the highest price tag seen on any OnePlus smartphone. Priced at Rs. 27,999 it comes at a similar price point as the LeEco Le Max2.

So we decided to put them in the ring in as there are bound to be comparisons between the two. Let’s take a quick look at how the OnePlus 3 stacks against the Le Max, and what are the major differences between the two?

Design

Both smartphones rock a metal chassis giving them a premium look and feel. The OnePlus measures 152.7 x 74.7 x 7.4 mm and weighs a 158 grams, whereas the Le Max2 measures 156.8 x 77.6 x 8 mm and it weighs 185 grams.

The OnePlus features better design aesthetics compared to the Le Max 2.  It’s rather sleek at 7.4mm and also lighter at 158 grams compared to the Le Max 2 which is 8mm in thickness and feels rather hefty at 185 grams.

Display

[ps_prices] The OnePlus 3 gets a 5.5-inch screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, though gets the more advanced AMOLED display with technology the company calls ‘Optic AMOLED.’

The Le Max2 gets a slightly larger 5.7-inch LTPS IPS display and also features a higher 2560 x 1440 pixels QHD resolution.

Specifications, Features, and OS

Both smartphones get the new Snapdragon 820 chipset. Memory-wise, the OnePlus comes equipped with 6GB of RAM along with 64GB of internal storage. The Le Max 2 gets two variants – one featuring 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage while the higher end variant gets 6GB of RAM and 64GB of built-in storage. Hence, both smartphones come equipped with some real firepower.

The Le Max2 has a fingerprint sensor on the back, whereas the OnePlus 3 has its fingerprint sensor below the front display.

The LeEco Le Max 2 ditches the classic 3.5mm headphone jack for the new USB-Type-C standard; however, it does come bundled with an adapter inside the box. Now, Type-C won’t really raise the bar for Le Max 2, at least not at this point as the standard is still in its nascent stage.

The smartphone also comes with LeEco’s proprietary audio transmission technology called Continual Digital Lossless Audio (CDLA), which significantly enhances sound quality.

The OnePlus 3 has kept things simple as it retains the standard 3.5mm headphone jack.

As far as connectivity goes, the OnePlus 3 supports dual-SIM, 4G LTE, 3G, GPRS/EDGE, Wi-Fi 802.11, NFC, GPS/A-GPS, GLONASS, USB Type C for charging and data transfer and Bluetooth 4.2. The Le Max 2 also gets the same connectivity features, however, is deprived of NFC.

Regarding OS, both devices run Android 6.0 Marshmallow out-of-the-box with their custom Android skins on top.

Camera

The Le Max2 features a 21MP primary camera with OIS, 6P Lens, f/2.0 aperture, PDAF and Quick Focus. While the OnePlus 3 gets a 16MP main camera with a Sony sensor, OIS, PDAF and a f/2.0 aperture. Both devices are capable of shooting 4k videos at 30fps.

For selfies, both smartphones come with a  similar 8MP front-facing shooter

Battery

On the battery front, the OnePlus 3 gets fueled by a 3,000mAh battery while the Le Max2 features a slightly larger 3100mAh battery.  Both devices have their proprietary quick charge technology. The Le Max2 gets LeCharge fast-charging technology while the OnePlus 3 comes with DashCharge, both offering similar charging speeds.

Pricing

The OnePlus 3 is available for a price of Rs. 27,999, while the LeEco Le Max 2 gets two variants – one featuring  4GB of RAM and 32 GB storage for Rs. 22,999  while the one featuring 6GB of RAM and 64 GB storage gets a higher price tag of Rs. 29,999.

Wrap-Up

[ps_prices] The Le Max2 gives you a higher QHD  resolution as opposed to the full HD found on the OnePlus 3. It also gets a 21MP rear camera compared to the 16MP camera found on the OnePlus. The Le Max2 also comes with the new CDLA audio technology.

Besides, both smartphones rock high-end innards with 6GB of RAM churning out impressive real-time performance. However, the OnePlus 3 is slightly cheaper at Rs. 27,999 compared to the 6GB RAM variant of the Le Max2, which gets a price tag of Rs. 29,999. The OnePlus 3 also features better design aesthetics. At 7.4mm, it looks and feels excellent in the palm of your hand. It’s a smartphone that ticks all the right boxes.

That said, the Le Max2 is no slouch either and is one beast of a performer. Its 4GB RAM variant is a great bargain for just Rs. 22,999, and is a sensible option for those who are a little cash-strapped.

About the author

Abhinav Mishra

Abhinav is technology enthusiast who loves gaming and collecting old-school gadgets. He is awestruck by the amazing impact technology has on our daily lives. At PCT, he is the go-to man for anything gaming or related to smartphones. You can usually find him on PSN blabbering about his MKX skills.