The BLU Win HD LTE offers up LTE and Dual-SIM capabilities for $199
BLU generally doesn’t launch their smartphones with a lot of fanfare, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth your time. The company’s latest handset has just arrived in the Microsoft Store, and it’s called the BLU Win HD LTE.
The BLU Win HD LTE may not have the best moniker around, but we have to respect the fact that the name says it all. It’s a new Windows-based handset that is an updated and upgraded version of the BLU Win HD that dropped last year, and it’s LTE enabled to boot which is never a bad thing.
The horsepower running through the BLU Win HD LTE is provided by a new 64-bit Snapdragon 410 with a bit of help from 1GB of RAM. The storage capacity is listed at 8GB, but expandable up to 32GB. As for the cameras, you’ll get a reasonable 8MP snapper on the back to go along with a 2MP sensor on the front.
Connectivity options for the BLU Win HD LTE include the usual suspects like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth along with the aforementioned 4G LTE, and Dual-SIM capabilities. A 2,500mAh battery will keep the lights on while also powering the 5-inch 720p display. Last but not least is the OS, which is listed as Windows 8.1, but upgradable to Windows 10.
The BLU Win HD LTE may not be the fastest phone on the block, but it’s not bad looking by any means and the specs are respectable considering the price. The handset is currently listed at $199 unlocked from the Microsoft Store, and you can snag one in Gray, White, Yellow or Orange as soon as it arrives.
Are you interested in the BLU Win HD LTE?
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2 thoughts on “The BLU Win HD LTE offers up LTE and Dual-SIM capabilities for $199”
Does it support ac WiFi? If not, which does it support?
I took delivery of my BLU Win HD LTE almost a week ago. That is more than sufficient time to form an opinon of any Cell Phone, in my opinion…
I was one of the first to switch to an Android Tab (Samsung Galaxy Tab GTP1000), and also one of the first to switch away from Android and into Windows Phone, when I went in for the Flagship NOKIA Lumia 920. Now, the 920 was a wonderful Phone! I say that although it was real heavy and I had to replace it once and again, repair it – all within a month of purchase, since the Phone heated up just too much. Once it overheated, the Screen froze. This may be because Windows Phone OS was still new and NOKIA were manufacturing Phones under Microsoft Management… In any case, I simply fell in love with the Windows Phone interface, the Live Tiles, Screen Fluidity and the ease of use. Moreover, useful Apps were getting ported to the Windows Store too: I have no use for the heavy Games anyways. Sadly, I had to switch from the 920 to the sedate Lumia 535, when the 920 fell all the way to the cemented floor, from my 3rd Floor apartment… Surprisingly, the Phone was still 100% working after the fall – Wi-Fi, Camera, etc., but the Screen was shattered to dust…!
Instead of getting the 920 repaired, I got the Lumia 535 for a Thousand Rupees more (than the 920’s repair estimate). The 535 too turned out to be a nice Budget Smartphone. And though it heated up too, it never froze on me, unlike the 920, which cost me more than 3 times as much as the 535!
Now, at that time, I was previewing Windows 10 for the Computer and was greatly impressed by the new OS’s many new features. That prompted me to upgrade the Lumia 535 to Windows 10 Preview as well. But I realized that Windows 10 for the Phone was just not ready: Windows Store did not work, it left bits and pieces of the older Windows 8.1 OS all over the Phone (and none of the bits worked!), the Confirmatory Screens were wrongly sized (one had to hold the Phone in Landscape mode, for screens like the Message Delete Confirmation Screen to be visible), etc.
The Lumia 535 also proved to be extremely delicate, unlike the 920: a fall from a 3-foot Table opened up a small crack in the Rear Plastic Back, which soon became an end-to-end gash. With the gash running across the breadth of the Phone, I assume moisture found its way into the Phone too (Delhi was experiencing plenty of showers during those days) and soon, I had to re-start the Phone each time, to get it to do any meaningful work. And, despite the Phone still being just about 9 months old, I had dorked the Warranty by installing Windows 10 on it…
Back to scouting for a good Windows Phone, I honed in on the BLU Win HD LTE for the following reasons:
64-Bit Processor – something that even Flagship NOKIA/ Microsoft Devices do not yet have
TDD-LTE Support – working LTE in India – something that just the Lumia 638 has, in the Microsoft Stable, for now
Decent 5″ Screen size, with HD (720p) resolution
Reasonably good Front Camera (2 MP) and Back Camera (8 MP)
Upgradability to Windows Phone 10 (and I sure hope the shipping version clears up all the mess that I have experienced in the testing version!!)
Pricing under Rs. 8K!
Having used it now for about a week, I am greatly impressed with the BLU Win HD LTE! Despite just 1 GB RAM, the 64-Bit Processor makes everything you do on it so fast, it is a pleasure! The 720p Screen is real sharp and shows true colours as well. Where Text is concerned, I have not felt the need to change the default Font Size on the BLU – this was something I had to enhance on the 920 as well as the 535! So this is really a Plus for the BLU! Although I do not yet have 4G, I will soon be correcting that!
I like its looks too – there is Plastic, Glass (non-Gorilla Glass) and a Brushed Metallic finish as well, all packaged into a nice-looking product. It appears to be quite solid too, though I advise that you snap on the Silicone Back Guard that comes in the Box as soon as you can, since the Phone’s back isn’t exactly Premium Plastic. The Phone also ships with a Screen Guard – if you are like me, better get the Screen Guard stuck by people who do it for a living… I ended up wasting mine! And, the Navigation Keys are OUTSIDE the Touchscreen area, which means, you have a larger Screen! Again, the Phone is Dual SIM, which has its own advantages…
The BLU does not heat up – this is a relief, considering the fact that both the 920 and the 535 heated up so much, it was sometimes difficult to hold them! Call quality is definitely a notch better than the 535 too. I got decent pictures out of both the Front and Rear Cameras, as well as nice Videos. Well, not as good as the 920 (with its Carl Zeiss Lens, Low Light Setting and Image Stabilization features), but definitely lots better than the 535! Its Rear Flash is quite adequate as well.
BLU’s Sound Volume is rather disappointing though, partly because of the placement of the External Speaker at the BACK of the phone. This is not compensated by the fairly good Headphones that also come with the Smartphone, for I am one of those that hate wires going into my ears… Apart from the flimsy Plastic Back Case and the Speakers, I have nothing else to note as downsides to the BLU Win HD LTE!
The Phone scores very well on all other aspects. Even though it is proced at Rs. 7,999/- only (Snapdeal are exclusive distributors for the BLU in India), the BLU Win HD LTE actually looks, feels and performs like a Flagship Phone! Of course Microsoft have announced a slew of 4G Phones, and some of them may be fitted with the 64-Bit Snapdragon 810 Processor and 2/ 3 GB RAM. But now, for this moment, the BLU is a wonderful Phone to purchase – Wireless Charging and NFC would have been Icing on the Cake!!