In case you’re living in the U.S. and looking to get your hands on a super-affordable smartphone, you’re in luck. The BLU R1 HD, which is an entry-level device available exclusively on Amazon, is once again up for sale in the country. The online retailer had stopped selling the device in October because a pre-installed app was apparently sending potentially-sensitive data to a server in China without consent from users. However, the phone has now once again been listed on Amazon, and by all accounts, is currently available for purchase at the same old prices, now that BLU has released updates to remove the offending piece of software from its phone.
The smartphone, although originally available exclusively to Amazon Prime members, has since been made available to one and all. Prime members, however, still get some added discounts on what is already an ultra-affordable smartphone that’s more than capable enough for general everyday usage. The smartphone comes in two different models, with the base version sporting just 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. While that particular option costs $99.99, the better-equipped model with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage costs just $10 extra. However, what really made the little gadget into an overnight sensation is a $50 model that’s available exclusively to Amazon Prime members. This particular model, however, comes with a caveat. It ships with a number of pre-loaded Amazon apps, and also shows ads on the lock-screen unlike the full-priced variants.
Taking a quick look at the tech specs of the BLU R1 HD, the device features a 5-inch 720p display panel and is powered by the MediaTek 6735 SoC, which comes with a 64-bit quad-core CPU and the Mali-T720 GPU. The device comes with 4G LTE connectivity on a number of different bands, making it compatible with a number of different carriers in the country. Imaging options on the handset include an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash, while a 5-megapixel front-facing shooter with wide-angle lens takes care of the selfies and video chats. The device carries a 2,500 mAh battery and runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box. While this isn’t the most spec heavy and feature packed device, it’s hard to argue with the cost especially if you’re an Amazon Prime member.
Buy The BLU R1 HD
