Category: Android Phone

I’ll start this post with both a confession and admission for the sake of full disclosure.  I’m a big fan of OnePlus.  I have been carrying the OnePlus One now as my primary phone for over a month and it is without question one of the best smartphones I have ever used or reviewed in my 15 years of writing such pieces.  The design works. The OS works.  The camera is awesome.  It is overall just a great device.  So I write this from a slight fanboy perspective but I also write it from a business professional.  My day job has me continually reviewing business plans, product roadmaps and talking to companies who what to have an alliance with mine.  It’s a full time job, trust me.

So it is with this dual vision that I write this post about the critical need by OnePlus of having their follow up device, the OnePlus 2, be a success.  The Chinese company can’t simply have a “similar success” nor can they have some of the distractions they had with the release of the OnePlus One – namely the much maligned invitation system. No, to be considered a top player in the Android phone space, the OnePlus 2 has to be a critical and public success with a capital BIG. It’s easier said that done and clearly the OnePlus team is very much focused on making sure their second release is does not suffer from a Sophomore Jinx.

There are three reasons in my view why the OnePlus 2 has to be a big winner for the company: Proving the success of the OnePlus One was not a “one-hit wonder”, long term financial viability of the company and third, to be considered a major and serious player in an already crowded Android market.  Can they pull it off?  If the OnePlus One is any indicator then the answer is a resounding yes.  But history does not always repeat – in fact, rarely does it.

BLU is running another sale today over at the Amazon store front and the BLU Studio 6.0 HD LTE is one of the highlights.  Today you can pick up the 6″ Android phablet with its 13MP camera, 16GB of storage and 2GB of RAM for only $206.84.  That’s a savings of just over 26% off the regular price of $279.  This is the full blown LTE version too which will work here in the United States on T-Mobile and while it will work with AT&T, you will likely only get HSDPA+.  It’s a great price for a device that is loaded with the specifications of this phone and certainly one to consider if you are looking for a big screen, budget minded phone.

The BLU Studio 6.0 LTE will come with KitKat installed but the Lollipop update for this device has already been released by BLU so you can get the latest-and-greatest Android pretty much out of the box.

BLU Studio 6.0 HD LTE on Amazon – $206.84

If however you are looking for something a little less on the screen size, BLU has several other of their phones on sale today too.

Along with the new Life One 2015 Edition, BLU announced the new 5.5″ display Life One 8 XL today.  This dual-SIM, 8-core powered phone features 8GB of on-board storage which you can expand an additional 64GB with a Micro-SD card, 1GB of RAM, a 8MP rear facing camera and will be upgradable to Lollipop in the July time frame.  This new phone will be available starting July 1 and is available for pre-order for only $129.

Built inside the Life 8 XL is a 5.5-inch HD display with 268 ppi, utilizing full lamination, IPS, and OGS technologies with an incredible color reproduction, brightness and quality for a perfect viewing experience. Camera options include an 8.0 mega pixel main camera plus 2 mega pixel front facing camera. The LIFE 8 XL’s memory configuration includes 8GB built in storage plus 1GB RAM, with an expandable Micro SD slot of up to 64GB. Additional features include Dual SIM Dual Active technology for multiple SIM card support.

BLU Life One 8 XL – Pre-Order for $129 from Amazon

Today, US-based BLU announced the updated Life One for 2015 which will be available on June 19th and are offering an amazing pre-sale price of only $99 for this dual-SIM Android phone.  The updated version of the Life One for this year sports improved specifications and features and certainly makes a splash on the mid-range of devices that are out there.

The Life One has also improved in every way when it comes to performance. Powered by a 64-Bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 Processor that is designed to provide blazing 4G-LTE speeds, high performance capability, and long lasting battery efficiency. There is also improved performance and quality on cameras, including faster autofocus and clearer images, with a front facing 5.0 mega pixel front camera, and 13 mega pixel autofocus on the back with a Sony IMX135 sensor, 8GB expandable memory and 1GB RAM.

The Display includes a brighter than before 5-inch HD display for the New Life One, protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3, shipping at launch with Android v4.4 KitKat and upgradable to v5.0 Lollipop in July.

That last bit is important:  Lollipop will be available for this device and likely on nor near the release date.

BLU Life One 2015 Edition – $99 through June 19th on Amazon

Last week I posted that OnePlus, the Chinese manufacture who produces the OnePlus One, announced a sale at specific times all of last week.  Now the company has made those price drops permanent for everyone.  Starting today you can get the 16GB model of only $249 while the 64GB model is $299.  For the quality of the OnePlus One and the specifications, this is absolutely a steal and I personally cannot recommend this phone highly enough.  It has become my daily driver since my review of it and while I’m anxious to see what the anticipated OnePlus Two will offer, I’m quite pleased with the One and its performance.

Google has released an update to Google Calendar for Android tablets and phones which brings several improvements, especially for those who use the app on their phone.  The update, version 5.2.1-94626333-release for those keeping score at home, has mainly focused on improvements around the month views on Android phones but also has moved some of the navigation elements in the app to improve and streamline it.  Although the name suggests it is for Google’s online calendar service only, Google Calendar can be your single calendar app on your phone or tablet as it allows you to pull in data from other account types including Exchange and Outlook.com.

Google Calendar – Free – Download Now