BLU announces the unlocked Studio 7.0 LTE 7-inch phablet available for $199

BLU has just unveiled the 7-inch BLU Studio 7.0 LTE unlocked phablet available at $199. It is an improvement over last year’s model and is available today on Amazon. The device is an oversized unlocked smartphone with fairly low specs and a compact design. According to BLU Products’ press release, the device is still compact enough to make one hand operation possible, despite the massive 7-inch display. The market trend shows that the demand for larger screen smartphones is increasing, and smartphones with 5.5-inches screen and higher are no longer called phablets as they have set a new smartphone display standard. If you would like an unlocked smartphone with the form factor of a compact tablet, and you are on a tight budget then the BLU Studio 7.0 LTE might be a great fit for you.

The specs of the device include a 7-inch HD (1280×720 pixels) display with Infinite View Technology. A 64-bit 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 410 processor coupled with 1 GB of RAM running on Android 5.1.1. The BLU Studio 7.0 LTE has an 8MP rear camera and a 2MP front shooter. 4G LTE and dual SIM capability, with 16GB of internal storage and a microSD card slot. The device comes with a 3,700 mAh battery, and is available in 4 different colors: Ceramic White, Midnight Gray, Rose Gold, and Navy Blue.

Here is the official press release:

MIAMI, Oct. 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — BLU Products, the market leader in unlocked devices in the United States, introduced today the new BLU Studio 7.0 LTE smartphone, connecting with the best of both worlds by blending a 7-inch screen with a compact design that lets you comfortably hold it one-handed for phone calls, or fitting into your jeans pocket. “The market trend shows that the demand in larger screen smartphones is rising, as a direct result to the standard in a smartphone now approaching 5.5 inches, meaning the term phablet no longer applies to a broad range of devices in the 5.5 inch to 6.0 inch category,” said Samuel Ohev-Zion, CEO of BLU Products. “What the consumer wants today is a single device that brings value with an awesome display size and convenience.”

The BLU Studio 7.0 LTE has several improvements from the previous model; including premium build quality and specs. Powered by a 64-Bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor that is designed to provide blazing fast 4G-LTE speeds, streamline multitasking performance and battery efficiency, the Studio 7.0 LTE also features a vivid 7.0″ 720p HD display. In addition, an 8.0 Mega Pixel auto focus main camera capable of recording HD video at 1080p and a front facing 2.0 Mega Pixel camera ensure vivid and clear video conferencing and awesome selfies. Storage Includes 16GB of internal memory and an expandable micro SD slot up to a 64GB, plus 1GB RAM running Android 5.1 Lollipop OS. The 4G LTE is supported nationwide on T-Mobile and AT&T network, which includes Metro PCS, Straight Talk, Simple Mobile, Cricket, and others. The BLU Studio 7.0 LTE is now available, Dual SIM, Unlocked on Amazon.com for $199.00 in Midnight Grey, Ceramic White, Rose Gold and Navy Blue.

You can get it now from Amazon, for just $199.

Via: AndroidPolice

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The coming smart-thing apocalypse

Bad Password is a hacking and security column by Violet Blue. Every week she’ll be exploring the trendy new cyberhysteria, the state of the infosec community and the ever-eroding thing that used to be called “privacy.” Bad Password cuts through the greed, fearmongering and jargon with expertise, a friendly voice and a little levelheaded perspective.

Like some people I know familiar with the ins and outs of digital surveillance (and startle like housecats when an app makes a geolocation request) I don’t own any “smart” home items. My 1913 flat is well-connected to the internet, and my living room is a hacker’s honeycomb hideout of entertainment playthings, but I’m far too pleased with my paranoia to own something from the class of spyware and advertising honeypottery known as the Internet of Things.

Getting started with Microsoft’s Arrow Launcher

This week saw Microsoft Garage bring its first Android launcher application, Arrow Launcher, out of beta and into the Google Play Store. It’s a no-frills alternative to the stuff you’ll find pre-loaded on your Android handset but it does allow for a moderate amount of customization. If you’re in the hunt for something that freshens up your smartphone’s home screen and app launcher, this might be worth a try. We spent some time playing with it and are happy to walk you through some of the basics of Arrow Launcher for Android.

First time through

Upon opening, the first thing that Arrow Launcher asks you to do is select your top applications and games. You are instructed to confirm at least five of your most used apps; these will be made readily accessible in the launcher experience. Once you’re set, it’s on to the new home screen.

Look around

Swiping to the left from your new home screen will bring up recent activity including applications used, pictures taken, call log, and more. Swipe to the right and it shows people that you are likely to call.

Generally speaking, Arrow Launcher is a rather straightforward layout with nothing too elaborate to worry about or configure. There are some nice animations to be found throughout, albeit they are subtle and won’t distract. While it does feel a little foreign foreign at first we can imagine that users will come to enjoy the simplistic design.

The bottom row of icons from left to right for us was emergency alerts, Chrome browser, the application tray, contacts, and general phone settings. Your results or settings may vary. The bottom five icons can be swiped up to display another five. It is possible, if you prefer, to pull out or swap icons for other applications.

The center home screen showed our top applications at the top followed by a number of others which looked to be arbitrarily picked. While some of these are used on a regular basis, some of them are not. We suspect these apps will change with time. After all, Arrow Launcher claims it will get smarter the more you use it.

If you’re the type of person who does not like a cluttered screen this one may take some getting use to, at least in the early setup.

Indeed, users can customize the home screens by rearranging them in any preferred order. One panel, which was turned off by default, can be use for widgets while another (also preset as off) offers up notes and reminders. This page can be helpful if you like to keep a running list of things to do or jot down ideas and tasks while you’re on the go. As for the standard three pages, they are specific to recent apps and activity, all applications, and contacts/ people.

Inside the app drawer

Tap the home button in the bottom row and your apps are delivered in an alphabetical manner that scrolls vertically. There is a search bar at the top of the app drawer so you can type in letters to more quickly pull up your apps. This will be helpful if you have a lot of applications or games loaded on your smartphone. Swiping to the right inside of the app drawer brings up your widget options with previews available for many of them.

Swiping up from the bottom row also results in some handy and useful settings: airplane mode, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, flashlight, and screen orientation. It is also here where you can adjust brightness and hop into additional settings within Arrow Launcher.

For those of you who like to tinker a bit and prefer a specific aesthetic, you’ll be at least somewhat pleased. As you’ll find with other app launchers, users can opt for icons from downloaded icon packs. 

As an intial public release, you’ll find enough here to make the launcher feel unique to you. Moreover, the app learns and adapts over time and gets more intuitive. It’s not as full customizable as, say, Nova Launcher, it’s easy to set up and still provides a one-of-a-kind experience.

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