BLU Life Pure XL: Unboxing and Hands-on

A device hit our doorsteps today, in addition to the Moto E, this time being the Life Pure XL from BLU. This device was announced at the beginning of May, instantly grabbing the attention of our community thanks to its great specifications and budget-minded price tag.

The Life Pure XL features a Snapdragon 800 processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of on-board storage, a 5.5″ Full HD (1080p) display, 16MP rear-facing camera, 8MP front-facing camera, HSPA+ connectivity, NFC, Bluetooth, 2,500mAh battery, Gorilla Glass 3, a ton of extra goodies inside of the box, and comes running Android 4.2.2.

It is certainly a good-sounding spec list, but with a lack of 4G LTE connectivity and no updated version of Android, it does have its downsides. BLU states that an Android update will come for the device, but there is no mention of exactly when.

The phone is currently on sale through Amazon, with the 32GB + 3GB of RAM model priced at $399. An additional model, with 16GB of storage and 2GB of RAM is also on sale for only $349. It’s not badly priced, and anyone looking for a phone with decent specs should definitely consider it. That is, if a lack of 4G LTE and Kit Kat has not already turned you off.

Impressions

After a few minutes with the device, I can say it does seem rather snappy and responsive with the Snapdragon 800 and 3GB of RAM. My only personal gripe so far would be the overall size, but that’s purely my preference alone. What can I say, some folks like a big phone.

BLU’s skin can be somewhat irritating, considering there does not seem to be an app drawer, but with a custom launcher, that can be fixed. I do give props to BLU for being consistent with their skin, as you never see any major fluctuations between devices and their UI offerings. The phone is usable, and you will never get lost in an abundance of settings, so I do like that.

After a few minutes with the 16MP rear-facing camera, I am pretty impressed, but it will take more time with a few different shooting environments to get a good feel for what it can bring to the table. Such large photos do not translate well over to Instagram or Facebook in most cases , so with device makers upping megapixels, it will be interesting to see if those services respond to better ways of maintaining photo quality once uploaded. As always, if you have any questions, feel free to ask away in the comments section.

Check out our off-the-cuff unboxing and hands-on video below.