Blu Vivo 6 review

There are a lot of manufacturers looking toward the low priced yet premium phone space, but Blu is one of the only companies trying to do that from within the US.

Founded in 2009, Blu has been impressing Americans with its range of devices - which are designed in the country but manufactured in China - over the last few years.

The Blu Vivo 6 marks the very first time the brand has come to the UK, and this phone is exclusively available on this side of the pond.

It packs some high-end specs, but comes with a lower price than you may expect from looking at it.

Blu Vivo 6 price and release date 

• Out now in the UK
• Originally cost £184.99, but the price went up to £239.99
• Now cheaper on Amazon at £179.99

You can buy the Vivo 6 right now, but only in the UK currently. Blu listed the phone on Amazon at £184.99 on Black Friday, but the price then went back up to £239.99.

Since then, the price has dropped down again and at the time of updating this review we have seen it listed at £179.99.

Blu dropping the price is a big deal and makes this a much more attractive option in a market of fantastic cheap phones.

Key features

• Fast fingerprint sensor that's not always on cheaper phones
• Premium feel design makes it something to behold

We'll talk about the design of the Blu Vivo 6 in-depth in a moment, but it's a big feature of the phone and is worth highlighting.

This feels like a premium phone, it has a good weight in the hand but is also easy to hold and doesn't feel fragile to the touch. 

There's also a fingerprint sensor on the front of the phone below the screen - that's something you won't always get at this price point. This is slicker than on other affordable phones like the Moto G4 Plus, and sits flush with the rest of the body.

It's speedy too - usually fingerprint sensors on phones at this price point take a touch longer than pricier options, but this is a good choice if you want a phone that will unlock very quickly at the literal touch of a button.

Another big headline feature of the Vivo 6 is the 4GB of RAM under the hood. That's the same amount as you'd find on much more expensive devices including the Huawei Mate 9 and Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.

Design and display

• Impressive metal design considering price point
• Full HD display is also a big highlight
• Limited colour choices is a big disappointment

When you first pick up the Vivo 6 it’s notable how premium the device feels. It’s large, but still light and sits in the hand comfortably considering this is a big phablet device.

On the front of the phone there's a 5.5-inch 1080p display. The picture quality and viewing angles look good and if you fiddle with the settings you'll be able to get it quite bright.

The auto-brightness mode isn't that impressive though, and made the screen come across a little more dull than it should have been. You'll want to manually tweak the brightness, but that's simple to do.

Full HD resolution is appreciated on the Blu Vivo 6, especially as at this end of the market the phone could have just about got away with a 720p screen.

But by opting for a higher resolution the Vivo 6 has an ideal size and quality screen for watching short bursts of video and browsing through apps.

The rest of the device has a full aluminium unibody that feels soft on the palm of your hand, while the Blu logo is indented into the back of the phone and looks slick.

The Vivo 6 also has chamfered edges, which give it a particularly high-end look that's not usually found on devices at this price point.

You especially notice how good it appears when looking at the all-metal back of the phone. There are certainly elements of the iPhone design at play here, but Blu is also trying to do its own thing with the look of the Vivo 6.

You’re going to have to like bright colours to buy the Vivo 6 though – you can only get it in either gold or rose gold. 

Both are bold choices and it's a shame there's not a grey, white or black version as well, because not everybody wants a vibrantly coloured phone.

On the bottom of the phone sits a USB-C port alongside the stereo DTS speakers. The volume rocker and power button sit at the top on the right hand side of the phone, making them easy to tap for right-handed users.

On the top edge there's a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is appreciated considering not all phones include the tech anymore.

Below the screen there's a fingerprint scanner - something you won't always get at this price point - which is easy to set up and doubles as a home button.

All in all, the Vivo 6 is a good looking smartphone and you won't be disappointed when you take it out of the box.