BLU Vivo 5 Review

Introduction

By nature, phones under the $200 price point are expected to cut corners not only with the hardware on the inside, but especially in how they’re designed on the outside. Miami-based BLU has been trying dearly to change this perception with its line of affordable smartphones, boasting slick aesthetics that were once isolated to devices in the high end. The BLU Vivo 5, in particular, serves as a testament since it’s the first in the company’s history to feature a full metal body. But as we’ve seen already, there’s a lot of competition even in the sub-$200 segment. Let's see how well the Vivo 5 stands its ground.

The package contains:

• BLU Vivo 5
• Wall Charger
• USB Type-C to USB Type-A cable
• Stereo headphones
• Silicone case
• Screen protector
• User guide

Design

Premium construction without the premium cost.

To be frank, the BLU Vivo 5 reminds us of the iPhone 5 with its metal body, chamfered edges, and mostly flat surfaces. While it’s not an original design per se, it’s remarkable to know that BLU is able to achieve such a premium build for a phone that’s priced affordably. Best of all, there’s no hollowness, no cheap feel or flimsiness with its construction. BLU definitely establishes a new benchmark with this one, so we have high expectations going forward!

Although it’s still a rare find amongst smartphones, the USB Type-C port on the Vivo 5 is a welcome addition for its convenience of being reversible. Indeed, its presence is a surprising gesture for a phone of this caliber. There's no fingerprint scanner, on the other hand, but we weren't expecting to find one on a sub-$200 phone.

Display

Overblown colors and super saturation, that’s what is on tap here.

For the price and all, it’s fitting that the Vivo 5 is accompanied by a 5.5-inch 720 x 1280 AMOLED screen. It’s the same display we saw in the Vivo XL, so it’s no surprise to us that the characteristics here are no different. Details, of course, are plentiful from a normal viewing distance, but we still need to point out that another comparably priced smartphone, the Honor 5X, features 1080p resolution.

Much like AMOLED panels of old, this one lacks the luminance, color accuracy, and strict calibration that Samsung’s AMOLED panels have become renowned for. In particular, its peak 320 nit luminance, colder ~8000K color temperature, and overblown color reproduction all indicate a poor quality screen. Yes, it has the iridescence to garner attention in the dark, but throw it outside in the high afternoon, and you’ll soon find it frustrating to use.

Interface and Functionality

Power users won’t find much here, but at least BLU’s interpretation isn’t overbearing.

BLU employs its own interpretation of Android here with the Vivo 5, which is currently running on top of Android 5.1 Lollipop. Yes, we're kind of disappointed that it's launching without the latest version of the platform, and unacceptable at the same time, but it's mentioned as being upgradeable to Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Although that might be regarded as a comforting idea, we're curious to see if BLU will follow through with that pledge – knowing fully that the software in its phones rarely sees upgrades.

The experience itself follows the implementation used by many Chinese makers, as in eliminating the apps panel entirely and placing everything on the homescreen. Functionally, BLU provides some useful tricks to deepen the experience, like its various smart gestures (double tap to turn on the screen) and “super screen shot” feature. It's not trying to be a mega-Android experience, so the features that are in its arsenal don't come off as overpowering or redundant.

Comparing it to other prized Android experiences, BLU's interpretation is a tepid one at best, combining the core fundamental features of the platform, while sprinkling on a few of its own. Needless to say, it suffices for basic things, but work is still needed to entice power users.

System Performance

Good for the basic stuff, choppy with the graphics.

Nowadays, every phone is capable of handling basic tasks to some delightful degree. Such is the case for the BLU Vivo 5, which is powered by an octa-core 1.3GHz MediaTek 6753 processor based on 64-bit architecture, accompanied by 3GB of RAM and the MALI-T720 GPU. Sufficing for the mundane is one thing, but the arsenal here is ill-equipped for graphics processing. Choppiness – that’s what we get, so don’t expect the Vivo 5 to be a gaming machine.

Hey, for a $200 smartphone, there’s nothing wrong with it being outfitted with 32GB of internal storage – more so when there’s expansion available courtesy of its microSD slot.

Camera

Good enough considering the price, but hardly class-leading.

On the back, there’s a 13-megapixel sensor that features 5-element sapphire blue lenses, f/2.0 aperture, Phase Detection Auto Focus (PDAF), and an LED flash. For the front, it chimes in with a reasonable wide-angle 5-megapixel camera.

BLU, thankfully, offers a meaningful shooting experience by cramming a ton of camera modes inside the Vivo 5, and a manual one as well. There’s plenty for causal shutterbugs to tinker with.

Image Quality

Since it shares the same camera that’s used by the Vivo XL, the Vivo 5 shows no difference in quality whatsoever. Like many smartphones nowadays, it captures some decent looking images when lighting is plentiful. Still, we notice a few subpar qualities, like splotchy details and noticeably colder color tones, that soften its overall quality. The more pressing matter, however, relates to its low light performance, which is accompanied with the typical set of degradations, but made worse because of its inability to focus properly.

Video Quality

Likewise, the Vivo 5 fails to command our attention with its video recording quality. While there’s a decent level of sharpness and detail in it, footage is shaky and contains visible artifacting elements when panning, which don't help its cause. And there's no continuous autofocus, on top of all that. Interestingly, there's an anti-shaking setting that attempts to stabilize the footage by cropping the video and using software tricks to guise its usual shakiness – albeit, the end result still appears a bit artificial.

Multimedia

Just like what you’d expect, it gets the job done at the very least.

BLU's media gallery works in the same capacity as others, so photos are arranged in a grid-like layout. We do, however, enjoy the expansive editing tools that are at our disposal.

While there's generally little bloatware baked in with this, BLU does happen to throw in its own music player. It's not fanciful or ornate by any capacity, but the core functions are intact. The speaker on the back of the phone produces an output of 73.7 dB, making it sound a bit underpowered. That assertion is confirmed by how it sounds thin and light to the ear, lacking any sort of substance to deepen its range.

Thankfully, the phone's processing power is effective in playing videos smoothly and without any glitches. Combine that with the iridescent Super AMOLED display, we have no qualms with the overall experience. It even features a useful multi-tasking mode that plays a video in its own, separate window.

Call Quality

It suffices enough for the occasion.

Aside from the robotic toned voices our callers mentioning hearing on their end of the line, the calling experience is otherwise tolerable with its strong volume and audible voices through the earpiece – enough to handle conversations in loud situations. We gladly accept its quality, even though there are still some minor nuances that sometimes get in the way.

Battery

You’ll be pleased by its better-than-average performance.

By looking at the Vivo 5's mostly uniform, streamlined chassis, most people would be surprised to know there's a 3150 mAh battery in there. The sleekness by itself is remarkable, and we're pleased to report that the phone achieves better-than-average battery life.

In its battery, the Vivo 5 holds enough charge to get us through an entire work day. Bettering its sibling, too, the Vivo 5 reaches an on-screen time of 8 hours and 3 minutes in our custom battery benchmark test – while the 107 minutes it requires to recharge fully is a speedy time as well.

Conclusion

Slowly but surely, BLU has been gaining traction on the entry-level side of the US smartphone market, and the BLU Vivo 5, along with the Vivo XL, is a testament to how far the company's products have come. A year or so ago, BLU’s phones hardly drew much attention, but fast forward to the present, we have a premium designed phone in the BLU Vivo 5. Seriously, it is a bit hard to believe that a phone looking like this could cost just $200 outright.

To sum it all up, this unlocked dual-SIM GSM smartphone is sure to attract those who would appreciate a good-looking, beautifully designed smartphone, yet aren't willing to pay an exorbitant price for one. The large display, spacious internal storage, and decent battery life are also worth pointing out. Sure, it’s not a hit in all categories – the camera and gaming performance being two of the phone's weak spots – but with all taken into account, the Vivo 5 is worth a look.