American smartphone brand BLU has been trying to make a mark in the India markets for a few months now. Its latest is the Life Mark, which wants to be seen in the highly competitive sub Rs 10,000 price bracket. BLU Life Mark The BLU Life Mark is a package of all the good features quickly put in place for an exhibition, but is it any good for long-term use? Here is our review: Specs: 5-inch HD IPS Display (720px1280p) | 1.3 GHz; 64-bit quad-core processor | 2 GB RAM | 16 GB storage | 13 MP rear camera + 5 MP front cam | 2,300 mAh battery| Android 5.1 Lollipop | | SIM: GSM + GSM | Price: Rs 8,999 What is good? For shutterbugs this device wields a pretty decent camera with very fancy features. I personally found live photo and motion tracking modes interesting among other options. A quick six-second live photo or a three-frame object motion tracking is more than what you can get from phones in this price bracket. The fingerprint scanner is also unique in this price range. The small square sensor underneath the camera is a quick to reach and a secure unlocking mechanism to access the phone. Adding to that, the brand has gone a little creative by adding multiple waking gestures and smart motions. The phone aces in its multi-tasking capability and does pretty well even when multiple apps are open. Browsing the Internet on the device is a rich experience. Websites, even flash-heavy, load quite quickly with rapid touch response. It’s also pretty easy with the pinch-ins and outs where the sharpness of the text is retained way till the maximum zoom possible. What is not good? This phone isn’t particularly stylish. It is the output of an assembly line of round edged plastic-back devices where the only differentiator is brand label. The rear-panel has a glossy finish which tends to slip even in mildly damp palms and the volume rocker and power button are quite jagged and will be sharp on your fingers. But if you try holding the phone on its matte finish sides, you can manage the device without clumsily dropping it while typing. For audiophiles, the phone is a big turn off as it has shoddy earplugs (and sound system too) and a speaker which joins the chorus of other low-budget Chinese phone. In fact, the phone is on a high-treble-no-bass mode at all times. The camera doesn’t completely do justice to the 13MP+5MP equation. It has its downfalls when it comes to zooming. After a couple of pinch-outs, the picture gets quite grainy which seems to be not a big problem with phones in similar range (even with less MP cameras). Though there are multiples modes of capturing pictures, what good is it when you have to compromise on quality? I tried Dead Trigger 2 and Asphalt Airborne on the phone, though the loading of graphic content is fast and the responses quick, the touchscreen and the rear panel simultaneously heat up even with just 10-11 minutes into game play. Another huge disappointment is the battery. It has an underweight 2,300 mAh unit desperately trying to feed and train a heavyweight champ. The battery will die just in 4 to 6 hours if you are on 4G playing a multiplayer game online or if you are streaming HD videos on YouTube. The battery capacity is ideal for calling, messaging and browsing net and for social media, but then again who would buy a smartphone just for that! Should I buy it? I don’t think it’s wise to shell out Rs 9,000 for just a fingerprint sensor or multiple camera options. In a tight market where a slew of other brands are filling the space with mid-range phones like Acer liquid, Asus Zenfone, Micromax Canvas Xpress or Lenovo K3, this phone fails to leave a mark.
