Another $350 Flagship Killer: BLU Pure XL Smartphone Boasts 24MP Camera, 64 GB Storage, Fingerprint Sensor
BLU, an American smartphone company founded in 2009, announced its next-generation flagship device called the Pure XL, which aims to compete against other large-screen smartphones on the market for a significantly lower price point of only $350.
The device brings a Mediatek Helio X10 SoC (MT6795), which contains eight Cortex-A53 cores with clock speeds up to 2.2 GHz. The chip also supports video playback for the open source VP9 codec, as well as recording and playback support for HEVC.
The BLU Pure XL has a large 6" Super AMOLED screen that comes with a 2560x1440 resolution and Gorilla Glass 3 protection. It also comes with 3 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage by default, making it one of the few devices with a baseline 64 GB model, and it even has a microSD, too, if for some reason you need more capacity for your 4k videos and apps.
Its camera promises to be quite impressive as well, with a 24MP resolution, 1/2.3" sensor, 6-layer custom lens, sapphire lens cover, real-time HDR and of course a dual-LED flash (which most of the new smartphones being launched these days seem to have).
The Pure XL's camera even comes with phase detection autofocus (PDAF) with an autofocus speed of between 0.02s-0.2s, essentially promising to match Sony's recently announced 23MP smartphone, the Xperia Z5.
It also has a dedicated hardware button for the camera, showing just how much focus BLU has put on the photography capabilities of its flagship. In the front, the device has an 8MP camera as well, with a wide-angle lens, optimized for taking better selfies.
The BLU Pure XL brings 24-bit/192 KHz audio support, dual-stereo speakers and DTS sound, becoming part of a trend to significantly improve audio quality in smartphones.
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The device comes with a 3,500 mAh battery, which is a reasonable size for a 6" smartphone. It brings a 9V/2A quick charger as well, which can give you four hours of phone call talk time with a 10 minute charge.
The Pure XL also has a fingerprint sensor that can help unlock the device in less than 10 ms, or help you lock files on your phone more quickly.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | BLU Pure XL |
|---|---|
| SoC | Mediatek Helio X10 (MT6795) |
| Screen | 6" Super AMOLED |
| Resolution | 2560x1440 |
| RAM | 3 GB |
| Storage | 64 GB |
| microSD support | Yes |
| Camera | 24MP, 0.02-0.2s PDAF, OIS, f/2.0 |
| Front-camera | 8MP, wide-angle |
| Fingerprint sensor | Yes |
| LTE support | Yes |
| Dual-SIM | Yes |
| Networks (U.S.) | T-Mobile, AT&T |
| Battery | 3,500 mAh |
| Dimensions | 164 x 82.2 x 9.3 mm |
| OS | Android 5.1 |
The device will be available in grey and gold color options and will retail for only $350 on Amazon starting on September 29.
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Lucian Armasu is a Contributing Writer for Tom's Hardware US. He covers software news and the issues surrounding privacy and security.
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thundervore This phone was almost perfect, almost.Reply
The only thing that would have made it perfect is front facing stereo speakers and perhaps make the home button the fingerprint sensor.
Trust me, once you used a phone with front facing stereo speakers you will understand. -
MarioMan1337 OLED screen? 9-volt charger? More battery capacity than the Galaxy Note 5? 64GB LTE phone with MicroSD slot for only $350? Now THIS is the phone to save up for!Reply -
canadianvice Akh! Looks good in virtually every way, but damn that MediaTek processor!Reply
I refuse to buy anything incorporating one due to their violation of the GPL licensing surrounding the Linux kernel and consistently anti-FOSS attitudes.
Plus, it means absolutely no ROMs and a high likelihood the phone will be frozen on that OS, neither of which are worth a low price for me. -
ldogg1981 The main problem with blu phones is their Android skin. Why can't they just keep it as stock Android?Reply -
scolaner ReplyThe main problem with blu phones is their Android skin. Why can't they just keep it as stock Android?
Not disagreeing with you at all, but isn't that something one could easily overlook in light of the compelling specs, features and price? -
scolaner ReplyThe only thing that would have made it perfect is front facing stereo speakers and perhaps make the home button the fingerprint sensor.
Funny you should say that. Some in the industry (meaning biometric sensor makers) posit that a fingerprint sensor on the back of the phone makes more sense than the front. -
jimmysmitty Reply16601284 said:OLED screen? 9-volt charger? More battery capacity than the Galaxy Note 5? 64GB LTE phone with MicroSD slot for only $350? Now THIS is the phone to save up for!
If the specs are correct the battery life might not be that great. 8 of the exact same CPUs will drain faster than how the Note 5 or say any big.LITTLE setup will.
The other interesting thing is the article is boasting the 24MP camera but it has a much worse sensor than the Note 5, LG G4 or iPhone 6. -
vajoiner ReplyAkh! Looks good in virtually every way, but damn that MediaTek processor!
I refuse to buy anything incorporating one due to their violation of the GPL licensing surrounding the Linux kernel and consistently anti-FOSS attitudes.
Plus, it means absolutely no ROMs and a high likelihood the phone will be frozen on that OS, neither of which are worth a low price for me.
wow. thanks for that bit of information. that is definitely a deal breaker. i suppose its nexus 6 atw then.
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eriko ReplyThis phone was almost perfect, almost.
The only thing that would have made it perfect is front facing stereo speakers and perhaps make the home button the fingerprint sensor.
Trust me, once you used a phone with front facing stereo speakers you will understand.
Ya beat me to it. Front speakers or bust.