BLU A5L Review: Budget 4-Inch Smartphone with Android Go

BLU A5L (2021): Ultra-Compact Budget Entry-Level Smartphone | Full English Details & Specs

Brand: BLU Products (U.S.-based mobile device manufacturer focused on affordable unlocked devices for global markets).

Category: Entry-level compact 4-inch smartphone, optimized for basic communication, light media use, and first-time smartphone users; positioned as an ultra-affordable unlocked option with 4G LTE and Android 10 (Go Edition) efficiencyBLU Produc….

Core Value: 4-inch WVGA display, 1.4GHz quad-core processor, 5MP rear camera with LED flash, 2MP selfie camera, 16GB storage expandable to 64GB, 1400mAh battery, and dual Nano-SIM support—all at a budget price pointBLU Produc….

Launch Timeline: Announced & released February 9, 2021 (global unlocked market); colors: Black, Blue, Red; discontinued (no longer in production).

Core Specifications

1. Display & Design

Form Factor: Bar-style (candybar), compact single-body design with physical capacitive keys (Back, Home, Multitask).
Display: 4.0-inch TFT LCD, 480×800 pixels (WVGA, 5:3 aspect ratio), ~233 ppi, 262K colors, ~56.7% screen-to-body ratio; no touch protection (non-Gorilla Glass).
Body: 124.5×64.5×10.6mm, 118g; plastic chassis; rear-mounted 5MP camera with LED flash; no water/dust resistance rating.

2. Performance & Software

Chipset: Quad-core 1.4GHz Cortex-A53 (unspecified SoC model); GPU: Mali-T820 MP1; optimized for basic apps and Android Go Edition efficiencyBLU Produc….
OS: Android 10 (Go Edition); lightweight OS for low-RAM devices, preloaded with Google Go apps (Search, Maps, YouTube Go); no official OS upgrades beyond Android 10.
RAM/Storage: 1GB LPDDR3 RAM; 16GB eMMC 5.1 internal storage; microSDXC slot (supports up to 64GB expansion, hot-swappable)BLU Produc….

3. Cameras

Rear Camera: 5MP single, f/2.2 aperture, LED flash, fixed focus; video recording up to 720p@30fps; basic photo editing (crop, rotate)BLU Produc….
Front Camera: 2MP single, f/2.4 aperture, fixed focus; 720p@30fps video; features: face detection, basic beauty modeBLU Produc….

4. Battery & Charging

Battery: Removable Li-Polymer 1400mAh; standby time up to 200h (4G); talk time up to 4h (4G); music playback up to 8hBLU Produc….
Charging: 5V/1A micro-USB 2.0 (wired); no fast/wireless charging support.

5. Connectivity & Extras

Network: 4G LTE (bands 2/3/4/5/7/28), 3G HSPA+ (850/900/1900/2100 MHz), 2G GSM (850/900/1800/1900 MHz); VoLTE supportBLU Produc….
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (2.4GHz only), Bluetooth 4.1 (A2DP), micro-USB 2.0, 3.5mm audio jack, GPS (A-GPS)BLU Produc….
Sensors: Accelerometer, proximity; no gyroscope, compass, NFC, or fingerprint scanner.
Launch Price: ~$45 USD (unlocked, global market).