Remember Blu Products? It announced the Life Series of smartphones back in March, a trio of affordable Android devices with better than average specifications and 4G LTE connectivity. It has now launched another set of phones in its Dash Series, the Dash Jr., Dash Music 4.0, and the Dash 5.0.
These three are considerably cheaper than even the Life Series, so as you’d expect, the specifications aren’t as impressive. The Dash 5.0 sits at the top of the pile, and as the name suggests, has a big 5-inch touchscreen. The resolution is a lowly 854 x 480 though, so don’t expect a pin sharp image, while the processor is a dual-core MediaTek with a clock speed of 1.3GHz, plus 512MB of RAM.
It will connect to 3G HSPA networks and runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, plus there is a 5-megapixel camera, a VGA video call cam, 4GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot, Wi-Fi, and a 2000mAh battery. So, hardly a powerhouse, but it’s hard to argue with the $130 price tag. That’s right, $130 unlocked for a 5-inch phone running Android 4.2.
Moving on to the Dash 4.0 Music, and you’ll find the same MediaTek processor, 3G HSPA connectivity, and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean OS, while the name is justified by the inclusion of dual, front mounted speakers. The screen measures 4-inches and has a 480 x 800 pixel resolution, and the camera has 3.2-megapixels. It’s yours for $100 unlocked.
But even that’s not the cheapest phone in Blu’s new line-up, as the Dash Jr. costs a mere $50. For that you get a 3.5-inch, 320 x 480 pixel screen, a 1GHz Spreadtrum processor, Android 2.3 Gingerbread (yes, really), a 2-megapixel camera, and 2G connectivity. Still, what else do you want for $50? That’s cheaper than the Firefox OS-powered ZTE Open.
All three phones come in six different colors, and will be on sale through various MVNO networks in America, along with Best Buy and Amazon, before the end of September.