We have a lot of cheap smartphones from China and I just came across a cheap Bluboo Picasso 4G device that gets most of the basics right for the low price of just below $80. Learn more in the full review.
VIDEO REVIEW
UNBOXING
The phone ships with all the usual stuff. No extras included.
DESIGN
The Bluboo Picasso 4G does not sport exceptional looks but it is a quite well-made phone. However, it sports neither a metal trim nor metal buttons.
Speaking of the display, the 5” 720p panel is pretty sharp and bright for a cheap phone but we have those visible bezels on each side.
It’s great that we have a 5MP front facing camera but there is no LED notification light.
As for the main camera, there is a 13MP shooter.
The loudspeaker quality is kind of mediocre like on most of the cheap phones.
HARDWARE
The Bluboo Picasso 4G runs on a little outdated Mediatek 6735 chip with the clock speeds of 1.0GHz. Also, the phone has 2GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage.
Honestly, the spec sheet does not really impress and that translates to a mediocre gaming performance. You should expect quite a few skipped frames even if you play games like Asphalt 8 on medium graphics.
BENCHMARKS
USER INTERFACE
The phone ships with the Android 6.0 but we have a few added features by Bluboo. For example, the app tray has been removed. On a positive note, we have the NFC feature. Some of the extra features include a variety of gesture and motion controls. Some of them work well but others are very slow to respond.
In general, the UI performance is okay. I didn’t have any lag but if you have install a lot of apps like I did, you should expect a little bit of stutter from time to time.
IMAGE QUALITY
You should never expect any miracles from the cameras of budget phones and the Bluboo Picasso is no exception. Most of the images will do the trick for social media but they could definitely have more detail and sharpness.
Obviously, the quality decreases in lower-lit situations as on all cheap phones.
The selfies won’t look as sharp as you may expect but it may be enough for social media.
As for video, the quality of footage is kind of poor like on most of the cheap phones.
CONNECTIVITY
When it comes to connectivity, the phone does everything quite well. The GPS lock speeds are fast but it could be more accurate when you use it with navigation apps.
BATTERY LIFE
The 2800mAh battery performs quite well. I could get about a full day of moderate usage out of this phone, which is a good result.
CONCLUSIONS
Bluboo Picasso 4G is not going to be your next powerhouse device but it gets the basics right.
We don’t have any exceptional looks but the phone is well made, it is compact to carry around and the user interface has some cool extra features.
You can also take some okay looking photos and the battery life is pretty good thanks to quite a large capacity.
However, the processor is a little outdated if you are a spec head, the capacitive buttons are not backlit and the phone lacks premium materials in the construction.
At the end of the day, Bluboo Picasso 4G may not be the only cheap device out there but it gets all the basics right. However, you have to consider if the previously mentioned shortcomings are important to you or not.
