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.

Editors' Recommendations

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…
LeEco bolstering its lineup: Specs, photos of the LeX920 were just leaked online
leeco le pro 3

LeEco has launched a few devices this year, including the Le Pro 3 and the Le S3, both of which are part of the company's big push into the U.S. Now it looks as though we may soon be getting more LeEco devices.

A phone called the LeEco Le X920 was recently spotted in a post on Chinese social media website Weibo. It shows off off some pretty nice specs and a huge screen, suggesting that the company may be working on another flagship phone, or at least a phone with very high-end specs. A few images were also included as part of the leak.

Read more
LeEco low on cash following big expansion; co-founder apologizes to shareholders
LeEco Le Pro3

LeEco may have made its U.S. debut to much hoopla and fanfare, but the company will seriously cut back on its large-scale expansion, according to Bloomberg. The reason? LeEco is low on money.

Jia Yueting, the company's co-founder, broke the news in a letter to LeEco employees, saying he would reduce his annual salary to 1 yuan, or about 15 cents. The company's expansion to the U.S. and other countries will also slow down and become more moderate.

Read more
Le yea! LeEco’s new phones and TVs are finally on sale in the U.S.
LeEco Le Pro3

LeEco put on quite a show the other week. From smart bicycles to a new smart car, the company certainly had a lot to show off when it detailed just how it would take over North America. Its first real-world offerings, however, are a little more low-key, and they consist of products people are actually in the market to buy: phones and TVs.

Well folks, those phones and TVs are now on sale, and you can snag some for yourself from the LeEco online store, called LeMall. The store is now offering a "flash sale," which puts many of LeEco's devices on sale with "instant rebates" of $100 or more, which will go towards "LeRewards" points -- or points you can spend on other LeEco products.

Read more