BLU is continuing its tradition of launching affordable, but well-specced smartphones with the new range of Vivo smartphones at CES 2016. The BLU Vivo 5 and BLU Vivo XL share many of the same features and specifications, albeit in two different forms…
Looking at the spec-sheets, both phones are virtually identical in terms of performance. Both feature the same screen, the same processors, camera and battery. Both also feature USB Type-C connectors, although they’re USB 2.0 standard, not the more modern USB 3.0 or USB 3.1 technology.
Technologically speaking, the only advantages the Vivo 5 has over the XL are that it’s equipped with VoLTE (Voice over LTE) support, has more RAM and internal storage, and is slightly thinner. In short, they’re practically the same phone, wearing different clothing.
BLU Vivo 5 key specs:
- 5.5-inch 720 x 1280 Super AMOLED display
- 1.3GHz MediaTek 6753 octa-core processor
- 13MP rear camera with f/2.0 aperture, PDAF and LED flash
- 1080p video recording
- 5MP front camera
- 3GB RAM and 32GB storage
- 3,150mAh battery
- USB Type C 2.0
- Bluetooth 4.0
- VoLTE support
- Runs Android 5.1 Lollipop (upgradeable to 6.0 Marshmallow)
- 151.9 x 74.6 x 6.9 mm
BLU Vivo XL key specs:
- 5.5-inch 720 x 1280 Super AMOLED display
- 1.3GHz MediaTek 6753 octa-core processor
- 13MP rear camera with f/2.0 aperture, PDAF and LED flash
- 1080p video recording
- 5MP front camera
- 2GB RAM and 16GB storage
- 3,150mAh battery
- USB Type C 2.0
- Bluetooth 4.0
- Runs Android 5.1 Lollipop (upgradeable to 6.0 Marshmallow)
- 155.2 x 76.6 x 7.5 mm
Design-wise, the Vivo 5 is clearly the more premium of the two. It has a design reminiscent of the iPhone 5/5s or the HTC One series. It’s a slim, flat unibody metal chasis with the bright and saturated AMOLED panel sat on the front. Whether you think that (plus the extra RAM and storage) makes it worth $50 more than the XL is another matter.
The Vivo XL appears to have a plastic back, finished with what BLU calls a ‘liquid metal’ effect, which is gently rounded towards the edges.
Looking at the spec list, the one thing that jumps out to me is the battery capacity. 3,150mAh may not seem like a jaw-dropping amount of power, but, when you take in to consideration that the phone only has a 720p resolution display, this battery could last for well over a single day, perhaps even more than two. It’ll be even more than that once Android Marshmallow and its ‘doze’ mode land on the devices.
BLU will offer the both phones for sale on Amazon and at BestBuy.com. The Vivo 5 will launch in February and cost $199, while the Vivo XL launches later this month for $149. Both are compatible with all GSM network operators in the States.
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