When we last heard from the manufacturer BLU they were hawking and peddling a pair of new sub $200 smartphones called BLU Studio 5.3 II and the BLU Tank 4.5. In these dual-SIM handsets you were getting an unlocked device for very short money but not very heavy on features. In fact other than IP67 certification of the Tank, you would be hard pressed to find anything that stands out in those two phones.
Now the Miami, Florida manufacturer, who mainly sells their devices to Latin American countries, has new trio of smartphones earmarked for their home US market, The BLU Life One, The BLU Life View, and The BLU Life Play. This “Life” line of handsets will all be priced at under $300 and sold unlocked to a US user base that is slowly trending away from signing contracts in favor of prepaid service plans in an effort to maximize their savings.
The BLU Life One, presumably be the “flagship” smartphone of the three will retail for $299 and comes with the following specifications:
5″ IPS HD display (With Gorilla Glass 2)
MediaTek MT6589 1.2 GHz Quad-Core chipset (ARM Cortex-A7 with a PowerVR Series5 XT GPU)
13MP Rear camera
5MP Front Camera
1GB of RAM
16GB of storage expandable via microSD card
A 2200 mAh battery
HSPA+ 41Mbps modem
Aluminum body with 144 x 73 x 8.9mm (5.7 x 2.9 x 0.35″) measurements
Dual-SIM / Dual-Active functionality
Stock Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
The BLU Life View, which fits into the Phablet class of smartphones, will also have a $299 price tag and sport with it these stats:
5.7″ IPS HD display (With Gorilla Glass 2)
MediaTek MT6589 1.2 GHz Quad-Core chipset (ARM Cortex-A7 with a PowerVR Series5 XT GPU)
12MP Rear camera
5MP Front Camera
1GB of RAM
16GB of storage expandable via microSD card
A 2600 mAh battery
HSPA+ 41Mbps modem
161 x 82 x 8.9mm (6.3 x 3.2 x 0.35″) measurements
Dual-SIM / Dual-Active functionality
Stock Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
Finally there is the entry level handset The BLU Life Play. This smartphone will run consumers just $229 and of course with a budget price point comes budget specs:
4.7″ IPS HD display
8MP Rear camera
2MP Front Camera
1GB of RAM
4GB of storage expandable via microSD card
134 x 68 x 7.9mm measurements
Dual-SIM / Dual-Active functionality
Stock Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
If any of these devices pique your interest they should be available on mobile retail websites like Amazon and should start shipping in late April.
