Hands-on with BLU's latest smartphones (updated)

CES 2015 is finally over, and we saw tons of new products being announced throughout the week. BLU Products, the low-cost smartphone manufacturer, had a slew of newly-announced devices at the trade show and we went hands-on with all of them.

Each one of these 4G-capable devices will be available sometime in January (with the Life One & Life One XL available in March) and will be sold for under $300 off-contract. Note that each one of these devices are running Android 4.4 KitKat out of the box, but BLU assures us they’re all get the Lollipop update within the coming months. Without any further ado, let’s take a look!

BLU Life One (2nd Generation) & Life One XL

Aside from the size, the Life One (2nd Gen.) and Life One XL are very similar in terms of specifications. The devices bring 5-inch and 5.5-inch 720p displays, respectively. They’re both running on a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 410 processor with 1GB of RAM, and also come with only 8GB of on-board storage. To soften the blow, each device has a slot for microSD expansion up to 64GB. The devices also have 13MP rear-facing cameras, 5MP front-facing cameras, and are both available in Sandstone Gray, Ceramic White, Blue and Gold. The Life One (2nd Gen.) has a 2420mAh battery, while the Life One XL comes with a 2820mAh battery.

These devices will go on sale at the end of March on Amazon in dual-SIM unlocked variants for $179.00 and $199.00, respectively.

BLU vivo Air

Next up is the vivo Air, the thinnest out of the bunch. Coming in at only 5.1mm and weighing sub 100g, this is one of the thinnest and lightest handsets available on the market. The chassis is made of metal and glass, giving it a really premium feel in-hand. It has a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED 720p screen, 1.7GHz Octa-core MediaTek 6592 processor, 8MP rear cam, 5MP front cam, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage and a 2100mAh battery.

The device will be available on January 13th 16th in White/Gold or Black/Gun Metal variants, and will cost $199.00.

BLU Studio Energy

Out of BLU’s newest smartphones, the Studio Energy is one you should consider if you’re constantly running out of battery on your mobile device. It is a bit thicker than others, and that’s because it totes a 5000mAh battery. BLU is quoting that this device can last up to four days on a single charge. Whether or not the phone can last that long, we’d expect it to last at least two days or so. The Studio Energy also has a 5-inch 720p screen, a 8MP rear-facing shooter, 2MP front-facing shooter, 8GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot with expansion up to 64GB, and is powered by a 1.3GHz MediaTek 6582 processor on this device. This MediaTek chip is known for its battery saving properties which will help the device last even longer.

The Studio Energy handset will be available on January 13th on Amazon in Ceramic White, Sandstone Gray, Blue and Gold, and will cost only $179.00.

BLU Studio 6.0 LTE

The Studio 6.0 LTE is the biggest device out of the bunch, coming in with a 6-inch 1080p display. So far, the display has offered up great viewing angles and very vibrant colors. It has a 1.6GHz Snapdragon 400 processor with 2GB of RAM, 3200mAh battery, 13MP rear-facing camera, 5MP front-facing camera, 16GB of internal storage with microSD expansion up to 64GB. The Studio 6.0 LTE is available now in Black or White from Amazon for $275.

Are you interested in any of these new devices? Let us know if you’re planning on picking one up!