14 DAY TRIAL // BLU Products is a US-based handset maker that aims emerging markets in Latin and Central America, as well as entry- and mid-range segment of the market in the United States.
The company is mostly known for its cheap but good quality Android smartphones that were released in the US in the last few years.
However, beginning this year, BLU Products has decided to jump into the Windows Phone wagon, as the company confirmed it would launch at least two smartphones powered by Microsoft’s mobile platform in the next couple of weeks.
The first of the two, BLU Dash 5.0 was announced back in April when Microsoft took the wraps off its Windows Phone 8.1 operating system. Last month Microsoft showcased several Windows Phones from other OEMs at Computex 2014, and one of them was made by BLU.
No details on the phone’s specs were shared at that time, but it was obvious that the mysterious device would be cheaper than the BLU Dash 5.0 when launched on the market.
Today, WPCentral reports the mysterious device is based on DASH 4.0’s reference design, which is an Android smartphone that’s already available on the market. Still, this version of BLU Dash 4.0 will be powered by Windows Phone 8.1 operating system out of the box.
Another piece of information provided by the cited source is the fact that both DASH 5.0 and DASH 4.0 Windows Phone 8.1 handsets will be available for purchase directly through Microsoft Store in the United States.
Customers would be able to grab the DASH 4.0 for only $99 (€73), while for the DASH 5.0 they would have to come up to $199 (€145) upfront. These are more than decent prices for Windows Phone 8.1 handsets, but let’s see what they will have to offer in terms of specs.
BLU Dash 4.0 should sport a 4-inch capacitive touchscreen display that supports 480 x 800 pixels resolution, a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera and 4GB of internal memory. The smartphone should be equipped with a 1.3GHz dual-core processor and a 1500 mAh battery.
Next in line, BLU Dash 5.0 has been confirmed to feature a larger 5-inch capacitive touchscreen display that supports 480 x 854 pixels resolution. The phone will be powered by a 1.3GHz dual-core processor and 512MB of RAM.
Both smartphones are expected to offer dual-SIM capability with dual standby support. They will be available in multiple color options, including black, white, red, pink and green.