BLU Life Pure XL arrives, offers Snapdragon 800 CPU and starts at $349

With devices like the Moto G, OnePlus One and Motorola’s rumored low-cost handset, we are seeing a growing number of devices (outside of the Nexus camp) that prove that good specs don’t always make for high prices.

Now BLU is hoping to join this growing category of affordable-yet-still-solid devices with the introduction of the BLU Life Pure XL. While BLU is no stranger to low-cost devices, most of the time their products sacrifice SoC, RAM, display resolution or other specs to get there. The Pure XL seems to be a game-changer in that regard, offering reasonably affordable pricing while still offering near-best-in-class specs.

See also: Best BLU pure life cases

Although most BLU devices tend to favor MediaTek CPUs, the BLU Life Pure XL is powered by a 2.2Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (MSM8274) with an Adreno 330 GPU. Other specs include a 5.5-inch 1080p IPS LCD display, a 16MP rear camera with a 1/2.3” sensor, 8MP front cam, an FM tuner, A-GPS, HSDPA 850/1900/2100, GSM 850/1800/1900, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, and a 2500 mAh battery. The phone will come in two versions, one with 16GB storage and 2GB of RAM with the other offering 32GB storage and 3GB RAM. Update: The Blue Life Pure XL actually offers HSPA+ 42, not the +21 seen in the image below. Additionally, there is NFC support for the device.

Overall, the specs sound pretty good, but there are some downsides as well. First, the handset will only offer Android 4.2 Jelly Bean out of the box, though they plan to offer a KitKat update “sometime in the future”. Also missing is LTE and NFC (there is NFC after all), all of which could prove to be deal breakers for many folks.

For those that can look past some of the Pure XL’s deficiencies, the handset has a decent processor, more than enough RAM and should provide a fairly solid Android experience. Best of all, the handset is priced at just $349 for the base model, with the 32GB/3GB-RAM model coming in at $399. You can grab the handset starting today from Best Buy, with more retailers to follow shortly.

From what we can see so far, the Pure XL is a step in the right direction for BLU, and hopefully a sign of more good things to come. What do you think of the BLU Life Pure XL, interested or does the lack of LTE and its other downsides turn you off?