Blu Studio 5.5 (Unlocked)

The Blu Studio 5.5 is a large, unlocked Android smartphone that rings up for less than $200. But in the bargain, you get a low-resolution display and mediocre performance. Better options are available.

Display

The Studio's display is disappointing. The 5.5-inch TFT LCD has a mediocre 480-by-854 resolution that amounts to about 178 pixels per inch. It looked grainy and visibly low-resolution compared to other current phones.

Camera

The rear 5-megapixel camera takes photos almost instantly, which makes capturing things quickly a breeze. Unfortunately, the image quality makes it less-suited for being your preferred camera. There's a lot of noise in low light shots, and outdoor shots are often overexposed, destroying detail.

SIM Slots

Pop off the back to see the microSD memory card slot, large 2,250mAh battery, and two mini-SIM cards (inaccessible without removing the battery), ideal for prepaid SIM cards, but not for swapping out micro SIMs from recent smartphones.

Connectivity

The Studio 5.5 lacks both LTE and the next step down, HSPA+ 42. It does support HSPA+ 21 on the 850/1900 bands, giving it pretty good AT&T coverage and limited T-Mobile coverage. Expect download speeds of 2-5Mbps.

Conclusions

If you're looking for a quality device at the sub-$200 price point, the Blu Studio 5.5 is not the one. Sure, it has a physically large display, but the low resolution and poor viewing angles simply ruin the media-consuming experience. It doesn't do anything particularly well.