Reddit reviews BLU Life One X Unlocked 4G LTE GSM Smartphone (Black)

https://www.reddit.com/r/tmobile/comments/3u6520/a_breakdown_of_current_band_12_devices_by_size/

How cheap do you want to go?

The Obsidian is on sale at walmart for $40. It's a very impressive device for $40 or $60 though my key complaint about it is that my particular device's screen is fairly dim when it comes to its auto-brightness feature. At least it does auto-adjust its brightness, unlike the LG Leon. Its speaker also punches way above its weight.

Carrier aggregation is a flagship-level feature for the most part. I don't think it's enabled on the snapdragon 210 devices though I know the modem supports 2x10 carrier aggregation- not that it'd be all that useful for most markets. IMO carrier aggregation isn't a very useful feature for most people/locations on tmo... I wouldn't call this a must-have at all, especially if you want to go cheap.

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My recommendations:

1. Simple choice, best bang/buck with true midrange performance at $179: LG Stylo
   
   
2. Best flagship value: Nexus 5x @ $350.
   
   
3. Good value with a few tradeoffs while mostly retaining good performance: Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime, $150 @ Walmart.
   
   
4. Nice phone, good value, good look, front-facing speaker, far better screen + 'nicer experience' than the Samsung, lesser price, but less CPU performance: $130 HTC Desire 626s @ Walmart. This could possibly be a better buy than the Samsung but I wrote it first... oh well.
   
   Diminishing returns due to having less than 1.5 GB of RAM
   
   
5. Water resistant, good UI, decent performance, good quality, overall impressive... but 1 GB of RAM: $80 Kyocera Hydro Wave
   
   
6. The absolute cheapest band 12, T-Mobile phone available right now with VoLTE (Edit: no VoLTE and band 12 has to be manually enabled if so desired) and WiFi calling: $40 ZTE Obsidian. It might not be available much longer since ZTE is launching a very similar phone soon that occupies basically the same part of the market with similar specs.
   
   Honorable mention: the $150 Blu Life One X and similar 5.5" Blu Vivo XL (releasing in the next month-ish) perform better than all mentioned except the Nexus. The only real caveat is that these don't have VoLTE, otherwise I'd have purchased >4 already.
   
   Notes:
   
   

• I don't recommend any of the devices in the top link between the ZTE and the Kyocera.
  
  
• The ZTE is very low end but it is surprisingly decent. It performs somewhere around higher-end Snapdragon 210 devices like the HTC 626s.
  
  
• The ZTE Avid Plus is due to release next month week, Walmart retail options (same phone, discounted price) generally follow in a few weeks. Some features will be better but you'll still only have 1 GB of RAM :(
  
  
• One of the Blu links provided above shows both the Vivo 5 and Vivo XL. According to the specs list, only the XL is acceptable-ish since it has band 12- the 5 doesn't. Oddly, the 5 is supposed to have VoLTE but I'm skeptical. I'm cautious about what features these phones will actually launch with. The spec list is very appealing and the 5 is a sharp-looking phone... we'll have to see about that one later.
  
  
• Not having VoLTE for the Blu phones could lead to not having call service in some rare areas or areas within buildings that only band 12 penetrates. In one case, this led to a /r/tmobile subscriber to be unable to reach 911 with their Moto E... choose cautiously.
  
  
• The Nexus 6 is still an excellent phone and might still be available for $250. It's certainly worth consideration around the top of my list... just depends on your ability to find them at that price, the viability of purchasing them online in such a manner that's kosher with company expense reporting/etc, the manner in which warranty details would be handled, and it's a MASSIVE phone. The LG Stylo is big, but the N6 is huge.

All I see is that you can only get it in black for $99, white is $150, but it looks like that because the white one is out of stock. Nothing about storage/RAM here.

It's only $99 for the next few days, but this guy is insane for the price:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0189RMNTG?tag=slicinc-20&ascsubtag=ddd0d034a0f111e5bdd20265946b7e9a0000&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Hey OP, hope I can help you out. Here are some terrific options from Blu:

http://www.amazon.com/BLU-Vivo-Air-LTE-Smartphone/dp/B01513HSMS/ref=sr_1_1?s=wireless&ie=UTF8&qid=1442936588&sr=1-1&keywords=blu+vivo+air+lte

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0189RMNTG

I'm also a Moto Maker with Motorola and so I would be happy to give you a 10% discount on any Moto device if ordered through MotoMaker.com. If you designed and built a 3rd Gen Moto G (w/ 1 gb Ram, 8gb Storage), it will be receiving Marshmallow very soon and so buying a 32gb Micro SD card and formatting it as Internal Storage when Marshmallow drops on the G 3rd Gen will effectively boost the Memory to 40gbs.

Edit: That^ custom designed Moto G (with 10% discount) comes to $162+tax. I'm looking at the checkout screen right now to confirm.

Edit 2: The Moto G 3rd Gen is also Waterproof... :)

Let me know and hope I helped in any way! PM or comment if you have any concerns or questions!

While this one won't meet all your desired specifications, at a mere $149, consider the Blu Life One X (2016). It's compatible with T-Mobile and has Band 12. So unless they work with T-Mobile, HD Voice and VolTE and Wifi Calling won't make it in. Supposedly Marshmallow will come to the device around March 2016. It does have a MediaTek Octacore (roughly around the performance of the Snapdragon 801 often used last year), dual-sim slot, MicroSD card support, 2GB of RAM, 13MP and 5MP cameras, an aluminum frame, and 5.2" 1080P display. But reading some reviews, it lacks in some areas that some may find crucial

It's not an amazing device that'll blow your socks off. But at the price point (especially if you got it for $99 when it first launched 2 weeks ago), it's a great device–definitely better than a Galaxy S3.

I did manage to pick up a couple of ZTE ZMax's for $45 at Walmart (under Family Mobile) before they first stopped selling them. That's also a great low-mid end device (great battery life).

I also have used the Moto X Pure. Currently, no Wifi-calling (not sure about HD Voice and VoLTE, either. Does have Band 12 support on Marshmallow now.

The best device that meets your requirements is the Nexus 5X. For the price of $329, you get timely updates directly from Google, you get HD Voice, VoLTE, Band 12 and Wifi-Calling, fast charging, USB Type C, a great display, and more.

Realistically, it all depends on how much you want to spend and what features you want.

With some searching around, I was able to find a good phone.

1. Blue Life One X
   
   Pros:
   
   16 GB of memory
   
   2 GB of RAM
   13 MP camera
   
   Runs 5.1 lolipop
   
   1.3 GHZ Octacore processor
   
   Has Corning Gorilla Glass 2
   
   Has dual sims
   
   Cons:
   
   Cost 138 Euros, 38 over your budget - but you would have to be a fool to not get it
   
   *Has no modding community, although it runs Lolipop and has great specs, so I don't see how it would be an issue
   
   

> AMAZING at taking photos

yeah, not going to find that in anything ~$200
> one plus 2

looks like you're not shooting that high. this should do the trick, and only $150.

First one that comes to mind (that IIRC just got released) is the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3. Though I'm not a fan of MIUI (rather, it's slow and dubious update history), it'll be similarly sized and well priced in typical Xiaomi fashion.


Though it's not a "future" release, Blu just released their Life One X (2016) for a staggering $150. Despite the price, it has a 1080p 5.2" screen, 13mp camera, is on 5.1.1 and is confirmed to get Marshmallow in early 2016. It'll probably have significantly better band support in the US than Xiaomi's offerings - hell, it even has Band 12 support. That said, I don't know if it has NFC support or not.

Edit: Apparently Alcatel was planning a One Touch Idol 3X (with an AMOLED display and a more "premium" feel than the Idol 3), but it was cancelled. What a shame, I bet it would have been a marvelous phone for the price.

I'm sorry I meant the Blu Life "One" X. I was confused because it is the same price as the Moto G 2nd Gen. The only reason I would pick the Moto G is because of the unlockable bootloader. If you want to do VR I highly suggest picking the Blu because of the higher resolution.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0189RMNTG?ref=olp_product_details

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0189RMNTG/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1457895954&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=blu+life+one+x&dpPl=1&dpID=41YBLg94dIL&ref=plSrch

Blu Life One X seems to fit the bill. Great bang for your buck.

Contact prices definitely are cheaper right now with their new promotions. Some phones are really priced low for their commitment prices and the monthly plans are lower than they previously were ($70 vs $75).

However if you look outside of the phone offerings that Tbaytel has, you can definitely turn the table on those figures. OnePlus X for $329 CAD, Sony M4 Aqua $270 CAD, Moto G (2015) $245 CAD, BLU Life One X $206 CAD

Bringing the total cost over 2 years somewhere between $1406 and $1529 vs $1680 if one was to take a 'free' phone on a new contract at $70/month.

EDIT: There are some 'free' phones Tbaytel is currently offering that are way better than the above listed ones. HTC One M9 for example; $560 cheapest price online for new + $1200 ($50 24) = $1760 vs $1680 ($70 24). Other free phones, not so much. Moto X Play at $420 outright is cheaper to buy outright, Moto E at $200 outright is a rip off in the first place considering it's $160 from Motorola directly but even at $200 is still cheaper than on contract.

First of all, do not buy a T-mobile phone or an ATT phone company phone.

Tand A go out of their way to limit the phones by hiding bands and other crap.

Save yourself lots of headaches and get an UnLocked phone with both ATT and Tmobile
Unlocked phones just optimize your options for the future. Swithch between various Tmo and Att Options.

At this point, I'd say the $150 Blue Life One X is the best bang for the money.

the $150 Blue Life One X easily looks and performs like a $300 + phone.

Looks good, 5.2 beautiful screen, very slim, Full HD Screen, etc.
the $150 Blue Life One X is not perfect, but an overall good buy.

http://www.amazon.com/BLU-Life-Unlocked-Smartphone-Black/dp/B0189RMNTG/

I been using the BLU Life One X for a few months and I'm happy with it.

https://www.amazon.ca/BLU-Smartphone-GSM-Unlocked-Canada-Compatible/dp/B0189RMNTG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469555607&sr=8-1&keywords=blu+life+one+x

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0189RMNTG

Honestly, I would wait if you can. I bet at CES (early JAN) there will be some newer stuff announced by these two companies. Also, if you do need a phone the BLU Life ONE X is a great deal at 149 at amazon (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0189RMNTG/ref=nav_timeline_asin?ie=UTF8&psc=1

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0189RMNTG/ref=s9_al_bw_g107_i3

It's $150, but it's one hell of a budget phone. If you search for reviews, it's being very well received.

At $200, you can't beat the Honor X from Huawei.

I'd check out the BLU One Life X, only $150 so it's below your budget, it comes with a flipcase and a screen protector. It has 2GB ram unlike some other lower end phones, and 1080p 5.2" screen for great one handed use, also band 12 support and Ive been getting great battery life, but no removable battery.

Other wise I'd keep an eye open for used LG G4 if you want to spend more but get something more powerful, hopefully the price will drop now that the LG G5 is coming out.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0189RMNTG?keywords=BLU%20one%20life%20X&qid=1457198980&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

I can see that you don't like expensive phones, otherwise I would've recommended the Galaxy S7. I also uncommonly recommend to others any phone that is not made by a large manufacturer because I feel as they are the best. But, a brand named BLU has caught my eye recmently and I really like what I've seen of their phones.

Two that I'd recommend for you is the Life One X($150) or the Advance 5.0($60). I am unaware if a Advance 6.0 is coming soon, because I'm not as much of a phone geek as I used to be.

I'm not sure if it's available were you are, but as I said in another comment on this thread, the BLU Life One X kinda stomps the Moto G.

I'm probably going to buy it soon to replace my first gen Moto G. It's better than the current Moto G in almost every way and it's cheaper, too.

If 5.2" is acceptable it's easy, Blue Life One X 2016.

You might be interested in the Blu Life One X. This website will help you make sure that the phone you choose will fully work with a given carrier (so your not having to check what bands they support).

I'm really curious if this continues to work for you, I'm going through the same thing.

I put tape on the back of the daughterboard connector and that seemed to fix it for a few days, but it's gradually get worse again now. I'll probably try your fix soon, but I'm not very hopeful.

As a side note, I ordered a Blu Life One X to replace it since I doubt any fix I do is going to be permanent. It's $100 if you get it today (goes up to $150 tomorrow) and is pretty similar to the N5 in specs/etc. It's not a nexus device of course, but since the N5 isn't getting any more major updates this won't be much different in that department either.

Could you help me out with some links? I can't seem to find anything that is for the most recent Blu Life One X. Here's a link to the phone I'm talking about: Amazon Link

I guess there has been a Life One X Quad Core model and a Studio X that I can find cases for.

Thanks!

Just got one of these BLU life one x

Been pretty good so far

Staples had probably the biggest selection locally

I got fed up with paying for a $500+ dollar phone. I need a good screen size. Surf the web. Play music. Good camera. I ended up buying a BLU Life One X for $150. Android. Some complaints but very happy considering price.

Go buy a BLU Life One X:
http://smile.amazon.com/BLU-Life-One-Smartphone-Unlocked/dp/B0189RMNTG?sa-no-redirect=1

BLU Life One X (2016)

http://www.amazon.com/BLU-Life-Unlocked-Smartphone-Black/dp/B0189RMNTG

https://www.amazon.ca/BLU-Life-Smartphone-GSM-Unlocked-Black/dp/B0189RMNTG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466586747&sr=8-1&keywords=life+one+x

Not OP, but...Do you know much about the BLU phones? Specifically I was looking at this one to replace a broken Galaxy S5.

http://www.amazon.com/BLU-Life-One-Smartphone-Unlocked/dp/B0189RMNTG Have you thought about this one (10 bucks less than what you asked but still)? This phone is pretty insane for the price. 1080p screen, 13 mp camera, great processor, LTE support. Otherwise I might recommend the Moto G.