Product ecosystems are powerful brand agents. Put more simply, you are hooked on Apple, Google, and Amazon because they provide a unified, productive experience that keeps improving.
Yet, as wildly successful as they are, each of these ecosystems lack a truly consistent interface that smoothly handshakes among home, car, and personal devices. Apple and Google are working on making cars part of their vision; Tesla is starting with cars and headed for Apple and Google territory on the way to building up its own unique ecosystem. Now a fresh disrupter has entered the scene. LeEco, a company that until recently was known only as China?s Netflix, is slated to introduce a connected network of phones, smart TVs, autonomous cars, and more. Its partnership with EV startup Faraday Future?and Aston Martin?means there may be something to that plan. It starts with the LeEco LeSee Pro concept, which made its U.S. debut in San Francisco this week. It is an evolution of the concept by the same name shown last year at the Auto China show in Beijing. LeEco chairman Jia Yueting’s presentation was sorely lacking any concrete details, and LeEco wouldn?t confirm any of this concept?s specs or the level of autonomous driving the company is anticipating to enable. However, this coupelike sedan has received some cosmetic nips and tucks in the months since the Beijing show, and some instrument-panel tweaks show that the interface is taking form.

Plans Include Faraday Future and Some Ver...