Letv's CEO Jia Yueting exhibits one of the company's three flagship smartphones at a launch ceremony in Beijing Tuesday. (Photo: Courtesy of Letv)
Beijing-based online video provider Leshi Internet Information and Technology Corp, commonly known as Letv, launched its self-branded smartphone series on Tuesday as a challenge to U.S. technology powerhouse Apple Inc.
Jia Yueting, CEO of the company, displayed three flagship smartphones, dubbed "Le Super Phones" - a 5.5-inch screen Le 1, 5.5-inch Le 1 Pro, and 6.33-inch Le Max - during the launch ceremony, saying the phones feature the most advanced chips in the industry.
Jia also showed off a series of pictures taken by Letv's phones, claiming their camera is better than the camera on Apple's iPhone 6 Plus.
Before the ceremony in Beijing and Silicon Valley, Letv rolled out a high-profile marketing campaign, including full-page advertisements in late March in three U.S. major newspapers - the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times and San Francisco Chronicle - and Jia even released a public letter on his Weibo account to challenge industry leader Apple.
"Apple is inhibiting innovation, walking away from users and can no longer serve the next generation mobile Internet. Letv wants to change this … We can make it happen together," Jia said on his Weibo post Monday.
Apple failed to respond to the Global Times' e-mailed request for comment by press time.
To challenge Apple's domination, Letv announced its own Android-based system EUI will be open to hardware manufacturers and application developers but will not compromise on users' experience.
Jia highlighted during the launch ceremony that EUI is China's first for-all-terminals intelligent system, which can connect Letv's smartphone, smart TV and even the smart cars that the company is working on.
Le 1 series will be available for booking on Letv's online shop letv.com from Wednesday at a price starting from 1,499 yuan ($241). The specific price tag for Le Max was not unveiled during the conference.
"It's less realistic for a new phone brand to ship any big numbers under the current market situation as consumers have already formed their attitudes about brands in the smartphone sphere," Wang Jun, a senior analyst with Beijing-based Analysys International, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
Li Yi, secretary-general of the China Mobile Internet Industry Alliance, also holds a pessimistic view about the Chinese tech firm's ambitious vision like Wang.
"There is almost no chance left in the smartphone manufacturing sector, which is full of mature competitors," Li said.
In 2014, Samsung led the global smartphone market by sales, seizing a 24.7 percent market share of the market while Apple was in second place with 15.4 percent, followed by Chinese phone makers Lenovo Group, Huawei Technologies Co and Xiaomi Inc, data from U.S. market consultancy Gartner showed.
It is hardly possible for a new player to beat Apple, Li said, noting most newcomers are not particularly different from each other since they are all based on the Android system.
It is more likely that Letv is betting on the new phones to create a viable home automation ecosystem, as the smartphone lies at the heart of any smart home platform, according to Wang.
According to Letv's annual report issued on February 28, Letv sold more than 1.5 million smart TVs in 2014, in comparison with sales of 300,000 units in 2013.
The Chinese firm is also moving beyond its home market. Reuters reported on Tuesday that it plans to introduce its phones and smart TVs to the U.S. market later in 2015, citing JD Howard, general manager of Letv's international mobile business.
On top of that, Letv aims to "launch a video streaming service for Chinese-speaking Americans," Howard said, revealing that his firm is seeking a partnership with "U.S. content providers and technology companies" for the new streaming service.
The company also plans to set up its U.S. headquarters in California and an office in Los Angeles, according to the Reuters report.
Wang, the analyst, noted that this is no easy task. He said the different legal framework in the U.S. market, along with other concerns, "add uncertainty to Letv's realization of its American dream."
