BLU Vivo 8L packs 20MP selfie camera, 5.3" display, and metal body

Maker of generic unlocked Android smartphones BLU has just launched a new 'premium' smartphone option called the BLU Vivo 8L. This particular phone, which is being sold unlocked on Amazon, features a metal body alongside a 5.3-inch HD display, big battery and, most notably, a 20-megapixel front-facing selfie camera. The front-facing camera has a higher resolution than the rear camera, oddly enough.

Whether the BLU Vivo 8L is appealing depends on what you're looking for in a smartphone. If you're most interested in taking high-quality selfies, then the 8L will no doubt appeal thanks to its 20-megapixel "Super Selfie" camera. That camera has a 1/2.8-inch sensor as well as an f/2.0 aperture and 5P lens. This is compared to the rear camera, which clocks in at a much more modest 13-megapixels.

The rear camera does sport a Sony IMX258 sensor, though, with a 1/3-inch size and a 5P f/2.0 aperture. Important to note is the inclusion of Phase Detection Autofocus, the key difference between this and some of the cameras found on cheaper budget phones. The related software supports HDR, slow-motion recording, panoramas, and 'beautification' for selfies.

The cameras are the BLU Vivo 8L's big selling point, but there are other aspects of the phone worth paying attention to. The screen, for example, is protected by Gorilla Glass 3 (but has a paltry 720p resolution). The phone measures only 8mm thick, and despite that there's a 4000mAh battery. That battery delivers more than a full day of talk time if the phone's power saving mode is turned on.

Under the hood, meanwhile, lies a 64-bit MediaTek 6753 1.3GHz octa-core processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, and an 'ultra-quick' fingerprint sensor that can read prints in 0.2 seconds. There's support for smart gestures, split-screen multitasking, and fast charging. The phone is available on Amazon now for $199 USD. The phone can only be used on GSM carriers.

SOURCE: PRNewswire