These days, a few hundred dollars can get you a surprising amount of phones. BLU VIVO X6 is a case in point.
The BLU VIVO X6 phone is Blu’s latest contender in the budget category, offering a dual-lens rear camera, a knurled infinity-curved glass display with thin top and side bezels, and a memory card slot microSD so you can store more than 128GB of photos, apps, and more on your device.
In theory, that’s probably not too much, the Vivo X6 performs well for its price, and the phone’s good battery life and the pretty impressive camera and display make it to the top of our list as one of the best smartphones. Best for buyers on a tight budget.
For a phone under $200, the Blu Vivo X6 has some things going for it. Value hunters will generally be pleased with the phone’s performance and build quality, the slick curved screen, and the camera that takes better photos than you’d expect (though the camera app itself will make a difference in edit number).
Slim and light design
Holding the Blu Vivo X6 in your hand makes you appreciate the design used here. It’s a thin sheet and nothing special in the way that most budget phones come, though at least it’s very thin and light.
The phone has a curved back, makes it a lot easier to grip in your hand, and that noticeable raised section plus the power and volume buttons… they give Blu’s otherwise refined vibe a small punch, you know?
That said, the glossy plastic that Blu went with on the Vivo X6 doesn’t feel like the best material we’ve handled. At the same time, the curved glass on the front does bring that pricier kind of touch to the whole experience, kind of echoing Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S10 style, even if it’s not as crisp and bright as what you get on the Galaxy. It’s not really that unusual once you look at the sub-$200 range though, and overall this handset just feels sturdy throughout.
On the back, the fingerprint sensor is mounted a little off to my taste. Still, because it’s sunk in pretty deeply, it’s pretty simple to find with your index finger. It would have been smarter if Blu had tucked the scanner into the bottom bezel of the X6, since there’s a bit of unused space under the display on the front, if you’re wondering.
Check the 3.5mm jack sitting on that top edge. it looks a bit awkward for headphones, and, with how tall the phone is, i feel like it wouldve made more sense to slide that jack down to the bottom. That’s basically where you’ll find Vivo’s handset too, because the earpiece above the front-facing camera is mostly for calls and the single speaker on the rear lower edge is the one that handles your media.
Good performance for a cheap phone
Blu moved over to the Spreadtrum UniSoC SC9863A chipset (4×1.6 GHz Cortex-A55 plus 4×1.2 GHz Cortex-A55 CPUs) to run the X6. With 3GB of RAM backing it up, the whole thing keeps most daily tasks quite stable and smooth, though really heavy games can stutter or feel a bit off. Still, the battery situation is genuinely good , because you get a 4,000mAH cell and 10W fast charging, and it works well with Android 9 Pie , which is kinda a relief for compatibility.
In practice, these specifications show up as quick switching between apps, smooth launches for Google Maps, responsive web browsing, and easy scrolling on social media feeds. But yeah, photography is where the story changes.
Triple-camera phones, like the iPhone XR and Samsung S9+ are kind of the big deal right now in the smartphone scene , while dual cameras still stay pretty normal in the budget tier. Even so , it’s not that simple to just run into multiple-camera setups under the $200 line. So that’s why the Blu Vivo X6 (main 13-megapixel + 2-megapixel main camera) shows up a bit differently from the usual lineup.
You also get a 5-megapixel camera on the front, which makes for a solid selfie option for a cheaper device. The photos look nice for the price, but if you’re used to a higher-resolution shooter , the results might not feel mind-blowing at all.
What We Don’t Like BLU VIVO X6
Aside from the good camera, the camera quality and design are in line with a budget smartphone, but another thing that you shouldn’t overlook is the slightly dim display. Not that the display is the worst, but with many 1,920 x 1,530-pixel budget phones floating around, the V6’s 720 x 1,520 (~276 PPI) density is a bit underwhelming. That means when watching a movie trailer, you’ll have to turn up the brightness to perfectly select the screen’s maximum brightness.
Conclusion
For anyone in the market buying a new smartphone on a budget, with the BLU VIVO X6, you’ll get a ton of phones without compromise. For everything Blu’s phone is a match – good performance and good battery life, first of all – it hangs in other areas like the screen is quite dim, but not hard to see outdoors.
However, the BLU VIVO X6 isn’t a bad phone, and for under $200 you can get worse. The unlocked version is a solid choice for those looking for a cheap one. The device does not need a contract with a large screen to carry without committing to a carrier at a discount.
For my money id spend a bit more ,and get the power of the Moto G7, for a battery that lasts like twice as long on one charge, and you get a brighter display too. But if you are on a tight budget then the BLU VIVO X6 becomes the most affordable, unlocked hand set you can get.
BLU VIVO X6-6.1” HD+ Display, 64GB+3GB RAM – Gradient Blue: Buy it now
Tech Reviewer & Product Analyst
Định Bia has spent over 10 years testing consumer electronics with a focus on smart technology. He work as a product advisor at Biareview where he helped customers find the right devices for their needs. He personally tests every product featured on this site using a consistent evaluation framework covering quality, durability, and value. All reviews are based on experience, not influenced by the manufacturer.