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Blu G90 Smartphone Review – USA Cell Phone with Triple Camera

American newcomer. Blu phones are now also available in Europe. Reason enough for us to take a closer look at the middle class smartphone Blu G90. Will the Florida-designed phone with triple camera and narrow display edges convince us?
Android ARM Smartphone
Blu G90
Blu G90 (G Series)
Processor
Mediatek Helio A25 8 x 1.8 GHz, Cortex-A53
Graphics adapter
PowerVR GE8320
Memory
4 GB 
Display
6.50 inch 20:9, 1600 x 720 pixel 270 PPI, Capacitive, IPS, 60 Hz
Storage
64 GB eMMC Flash, 64 GB 
, 55 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: 3.5mm, Card Reader: microSD up to 128GB, 1 Fingerprint Reader, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: Acceleration, approach, gyroscope, compass
Networking
802.11a/b/g/n (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.1, GSM/GPRS/Edge (850, 900, 1800 and 1900 MHz) UMTS/HSPA+ (850, 900, 1900 and 2100 MHz), LTE Cat. 4 (Band 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28 and 40), Dual SIM, LTE
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 8.8 x 164.6 x 76.5 ( = 0.35 x 6.48 x 3.01 in)
Battery
4000 mAh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Android 10
Camera
Primary Camera: 16 MPix LED flash (main camera), 8 MP 120° (wide angle camera), 2 MP (depth sensor), Video@ 1080p/30fps
Secondary Camera: 13 MPix Video@ 1080p/30fps
Additional features
Speakers: Mono loudspeaker at the lower edge, Keyboard: Virtual, Charger, USB cable, SIM tool, silicone bumper, headset, 24 Months Warranty, LTE speed: 150 MBit/s (download) / 50 MBit/s (upload); SAR value: 0.67 W/kg (head), 1.10 W/kg (body), fanless
Weight
185 g ( = 6.53 oz / 0.41 pounds), Power Supply: 53 g ( = 1.87 oz / 0.12 pounds)
Price
199 Euro
Links
Blu homepage
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Comparison devices

Bewertung
Rating Version
Datum
Modell
Gewicht
Laufwerk
Groesse
Aufloesung
Preis ab
74.6 %7
09/2020
Blu G90
Helio A25, PowerVR GE8320		185 g64 GB eMMC Flash6.50"1600x720
79.7 %7
09/2020
Samsung Galaxy M21
Exynos 9611, Mali-G72 MP3		188 g64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash6.40"2340x1080
75.1 %7
10/2020
Sony Xperia L4
Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320		178 g64 GB eMMC Flash6.20"1680x720
77 %7
08/2020
Honor 9X Lite
Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4		188 g128 GB eMMC Flash6.50"2340x1080

Case, equipment and operation - Fast WLAN

Smartphones for around 200 euros are a dime a dozen. With the Blu G90, a new challenger from the USA has now been added to the list, coinciding with the market entry of Blu Products in Europe. Blu's smartphones are designed in the USA, but are manufactured in China. 

The smartphone is available in the four colors magenta, blue, black and white. Our white test device comes with a silver frame and fits well in the hand due to rounded corners. The weight is on the usual level, the backside, which iridesces slightly under the incidence of light, looks high-quality, the Smartphone is processed fairly stable, but gives in some places slightly under pressure.

The phone has been available in the USA for quite some time, and you can see that on the smartphone: Faster memory or higher-resolution screens can be found in some comparable devices. The Blu G90 can still keep up, but you have to be satisfied with older Bluetooth 4.1 and quite few LTE frequencies. The LTE speed is also limited. 

With WLAN we achieve quite high transfer rates in the 5 GHz band for a smartphone with WiFi 4. The modem in the MediaTek Helio A25 can theoretically also handle WiFi 5.

Android 10 is on board, but the security patches are a bit older. It remains to be seen how regular Blu Phones updates will be.

On the back of the smartphone there is a physical fingerprint sensor. With a short delay, the smartphone can be unlocked reliably. The general operation works well, but is delayed at high load by the low performance of the SoC.

Size comparison

❌
164.6 mm / 6.48 inch 76.5 mm / 3.01 inch 8.8 mm / 0.3465 inch 185 g0.4079 lbs160.4 mm / 6.31 inch 76.6 mm / 3.02 inch 7.8 mm / 0.3071 inch 188 g0.4145 lbs159 mm / 6.26 inch 75.1 mm / 2.96 inch 8.9 mm / 0.3504 inch 188 g0.4145 lbs159 mm / 6.26 inch 71 mm / 2.8 inch 8.7 mm / 0.3425 inch 178 g0.3924 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Blu G90
802.11a/b/g/n
347 (331min - 351max) MBit/s ∼100%
Samsung Galaxy M21
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
304 (285min - 323max) MBit/s ∼88% -12%
Honor 9X Lite
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
196 (47min - 258max) MBit/s ∼56% -44%
Sony Xperia L4
802.11 b/g/n
109 (103min - 114max) MBit/s ∼31% -69%
iperf3 receive AX12
Samsung Galaxy M21
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
332 (231min - 352max) MBit/s ∼100% +4%
Blu G90
802.11a/b/g/n
319 (278min - 336max) MBit/s ∼96%
Honor 9X Lite
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
153 (106min - 195max) MBit/s ∼46% -52%
Sony Xperia L4
802.11 b/g/n
120 (106min - 124max) MBit/s ∼36% -62%
020406080100120140160180200220240260280300320340Tooltip
Blu G90; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø319 (278-336)
Blu G90; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø347 (331-351)

Cameras - Not so flexible

Recording front camera
Recording front camera

A modern pixel binning camera, which increases the light sensitivity of the individual pixels, is not yet available in the Blu G90, instead a normal 16 megapixel lens is used. It is supplemented by a wide-angle camera with 8 megapixels and a depth sensor, which is supposed to improve blur effects in portraits. 

The main camera generally takes somewhat pale photos, but the details are surprisingly sharp from time to time. In low light, however, the performance of the camera is much weaker. Here, you can still see image content, but in detail the image is very grainy and the brightening is clearly limited. The wide-angle camera is OK for snapshots, but has problems with high contrast. 

Videos can be recorded in 1080p and 30 fps at most. 

The front camera has a resolution of 13 megapixels and makes good selfies, but you should not enlarge them too much.

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Main Lens FlowerMain Lens EnvironmentMain Lens Low LightUltra Wide Angle
click to load images
ColorChecker
8.8 ∆E
9.1 ∆E
10.4 ∆E
11.8 ∆E
10.5 ∆E
8.1 ∆E
11.6 ∆E
5.6 ∆E
7.3 ∆E
6.4 ∆E
8.4 ∆E
10 ∆E
4.5 ∆E
9.2 ∆E
7 ∆E
5.5 ∆E
7.1 ∆E
9.5 ∆E
4.5 ∆E
6 ∆E
7.6 ∆E
7.2 ∆E
4.6 ∆E
5.3 ∆E
ColorChecker Blu G90: 7.76 ∆E min: 4.5 - max: 11.78 ∆E
ColorChecker
28.2 ∆E
52.4 ∆E
39.1 ∆E
36.9 ∆E
43.3 ∆E
62.9 ∆E
52.6 ∆E
35.1 ∆E
40.8 ∆E
27.3 ∆E
65.2 ∆E
63.4 ∆E
30.6 ∆E
49.3 ∆E
35.2 ∆E
75.2 ∆E
41.4 ∆E
44.4 ∆E
84 ∆E
69.1 ∆E
50.7 ∆E
36 ∆E
23.5 ∆E
13.7 ∆E
ColorChecker Blu G90: 45.85 ∆E min: 13.67 - max: 84 ∆E

Display - Bright screen in Blu G90

Sub-pixel Array
Sub-pixel Array

Blu uses a 720p-IPS display. In terms of resolution, there are higher quality screens in this price class, but this is less important in view of the size. It's nice that the average brightness of 498 cd/m² is on a high level and can also be reached manually. However, we noticed that the minimum brightness is quite high, which can be annoying when you look at your smartphone in bed in the evening.

The black level of the smartphone and thus the contrast are at a decent level, but we notice a slight blue cast in our measurements with the spectrophotometer and the CalMAN software. The color deviations from the optimum are on a medium level.

PWM flickering is not observed.

496
cd/m²		492
cd/m²		494
cd/m²
487
cd/m²		511
cd/m²		540
cd/m²
475
cd/m²		474
cd/m²		516
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 540 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 498.3 cd/m² Minimum: 20.5 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 88 %
Center on Battery: 511 cd/m²
Contrast: 1648:1 (Black: 0.31 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.76 | 0.55-29.43 Ø5.1
ΔE Greyscale 6.3 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
97.5% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.275
Blu G90
IPS, 1600x720, 6.50		Samsung Galaxy M21
Super AMOLED, 2340x1080, 6.40		Sony Xperia L4
IPS, 1680x720, 6.20		Honor 9X Lite
IPS, 2340x1080, 6.50
Response Times
71%
-42%
19%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
45 ?(22, 23)
10 ?(5, 5)
78%
58 ?(33, 25)
-29%
36 ?(17, 19)
20%
Response Time Black / White *
22 ?(11, 11)
8 ?(5, 3)
64%
34 ?(19, 15)
-55%
18 ?(7, 11)
18%
PWM Frequency
215.5
100 ?(15)
Screen
38%
-8%
-17%
Brightness middle
511
617
21%
429
-16%
435
-15%
Brightness
498
614
23%
404
-19%
422
-15%
Brightness Distribution
88
95
8%
92
5%
93
6%
Black Level *
0.31
0.26
16%
0.77
-148%
Contrast
1648
1650
0%
565
-66%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.76
2.11
56%
6.14
-29%
3.31
30%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
9.01
3.41
62%
10.51
-17%
6.8
25%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
6.3
2.6
59%
6.6
-5%
3.2
49%
Gamma
2.275 97%
2.073 106%
2.23 99%
2.3 96%
CCT
7969 82%
6921 94%
8346 78%
6894 94%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
55% / 46%
-25% / -15%
1% / -10%

* ... smaller is better

Display Response Times

ℹ
Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
   ↔    Response Time Black to White
22 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 11 ms rise
↘ 11 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 40 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (21.9 ms).
   ↔    Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
45 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 22 ms rise
↘ 23 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.25 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 73 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (34.5 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

ℹ
To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM not detected

In comparison: 54 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18982 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.


CalMAN Grayscale
CalMAN Grayscale
CalMAN Color accuracy
CalMAN Color accuracy
CalMAN Color space sRGB
CalMAN Color space sRGB
CalMAN Saturation
CalMAN Saturation

Performance, emissions and battery life - More power would be good

The MediaTek Helio A25 is a SoC that is actually used in even cheaper smartphones. So it is not surprising that smartphones like the Galaxy M21 from Samsung offer significantly more performance. If you just move around the Blu G90 menu or perform simple tasks, you will notice the difference less. But as soon as it gets a bit more demanding, there can be a lot of jerking and delays, for example when adjusting the volume or opening the DeepL access menu from Android.

If you want to play on your cell phone, you should rather limit yourself to very simple casual games.

The Blu G90 heats up only slightly and therefore there should be no problems even in warm environments. The loudspeaker sounds very high pitched and brings almost no deep midrange into the sound. At maximum volume, the highs sound unpleasant to the ears and voices seem quite distant. Via 3.5mm connection and Bluetooth the transmission of the sound signals is clean.

The 4,000-mAh battery brings the smartphone to almost 15 hours of battery life in our WLAN test. This is a good value, but the American smartphone can't keep up with the Samsung Galaxy M21. The battery is charged with a maximum of 10 watts, which takes over 2 hours for a full charge.

Geekbench 5.2 - 5.5 | PCMark for Android | 3DMark | GFXBench
Geekbench 5.2 - 5.5
Single-Core (sort by value)
Blu G90
Mediatek Helio A25, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
141 Points ∼17%
Samsung Galaxy M21
Samsung Exynos 9611, Mali-G72 MP3, 4096
349 Points ∼42% +148%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
150 Points ∼18% +6%
Honor 9X Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
331 Points ∼40% +135%
Average Mediatek Helio A25
  (124 - 141, n=4)
135.5 Points ∼16% -4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (119 - 1885, n=234, last 2 years)
837 Points ∼100% +494%
Multi-Core (sort by value)
Blu G90
Mediatek Helio A25, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
855 Points ∼32%
Samsung Galaxy M21
Samsung Exynos 9611, Mali-G72 MP3, 4096
1322 Points ∼49% +55%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
883 Points ∼33% +3%
Honor 9X Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
1320 Points ∼49% +54%
Average Mediatek Helio A25
  (445 - 867, n=4)
758 Points ∼28% -11%
Average of class Smartphone
  (473 - 5538, n=234, last 2 years)
2687 Points ∼100% +214%
PCMark for Android
Work performance score (sort by value)
Blu G90
Mediatek Helio A25, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
6426 Points ∼47%
Samsung Galaxy M21
Samsung Exynos 9611, Mali-G72 MP3, 4096
6043 Points ∼44% -6%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
6909 Points ∼51% +8%
Honor 9X Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
9322 Points ∼69% +45%
Average Mediatek Helio A25
  (6032 - 7655, n=3)
6704 Points ∼49% +4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (10619 - 19297, n=3, last 2 years)
13600 Points ∼100% +112%
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
Blu G90
Mediatek Helio A25, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
5027 Points ∼48%
Samsung Galaxy M21
Samsung Exynos 9611, Mali-G72 MP3, 4096
5892 Points ∼56% +17%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
5251 Points ∼50% +4%
Honor 9X Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
6887 Points ∼65% +37%
Average Mediatek Helio A25
  (4302 - 5364, n=5)
4871 Points ∼46% -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (7100 - 12871, n=13, last 2 years)
10515 Points ∼100% +109%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy M21
Samsung Exynos 9611, Mali-G72 MP3, 4096
23670 Points ∼39%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
12161 Points ∼20%
Honor 9X Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
21504 Points ∼35%
Average Mediatek Helio A25
  (11943 - 13274, n=3)
12421 Points ∼20%
Average of class Smartphone
  (53961 - 68549, n=2, last 2 years)
61255 Points ∼100%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy M21
Samsung Exynos 9611, Mali-G72 MP3, 4096
25024 Points ∼28%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
11549 Points ∼13%
Honor 9X Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
21470 Points ∼24%
Average Mediatek Helio A25
  (12185 - 13006, n=3)
12531 Points ∼14%
Average of class Smartphone
  (88482 - 90133, n=2, last 2 years)
89308 Points ∼100%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy M21
Samsung Exynos 9611, Mali-G72 MP3, 4096
19902 Points ∼65%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
14930 Points ∼49%
Honor 9X Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
21625 Points ∼71%
Average Mediatek Helio A25
  (11166 - 14306, n=3)
12236 Points ∼40%
Average of class Smartphone
  (22441 - 38328, n=2, last 2 years)
30385 Points ∼100%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
Blu G90
Mediatek Helio A25, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
715 Points ∼21%
Samsung Galaxy M21
Samsung Exynos 9611, Mali-G72 MP3, 4096
2110 Points ∼63% +195%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
741 Points ∼22% +4%
Honor 9X Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
1503 Points ∼45% +110%
Average Mediatek Helio A25
  (712 - 814, n=5)
742 Points ∼22% +4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (712 - 7285, n=79, last 2 years)
3328 Points ∼100% +365%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
Blu G90
Mediatek Helio A25, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
656 Points ∼18%
Samsung Galaxy M21
Samsung Exynos 9611, Mali-G72 MP3, 4096
2092 Points ∼58% +219%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
680 Points ∼19% +4%
Honor 9X Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
1355 Points ∼38% +107%
Average Mediatek Helio A25
  (656 - 752, n=5)
683 Points ∼19% +4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (618 - 9025, n=79, last 2 years)
3588 Points ∼100% +447%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
Blu G90
Mediatek Helio A25, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
1045 Points ∼35%
Samsung Galaxy M21
Samsung Exynos 9611, Mali-G72 MP3, 4096
2176 Points ∼73% +108%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
1084 Points ∼36% +4%
Honor 9X Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
2429 Points ∼81% +132%
Average Mediatek Helio A25
  (1033 - 1146, n=5)
1072 Points ∼36% +3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (1093 - 4535, n=79, last 2 years)
2996 Points ∼100% +187%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited (sort by value)
Blu G90
Mediatek Helio A25, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
747 Points ∼10%
Samsung Galaxy M21
Samsung Exynos 9611, Mali-G72 MP3, 4096
1662 Points ∼23% +122%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
836 Points ∼11% +12%
Honor 9X Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
1518 Points ∼21% +103%
Average Mediatek Helio A25
  (731 - 882, n=5)
787 Points ∼11% +5%
Average of class Smartphone
  (704 - 18846, n=147, last 2 years)
7348 Points ∼100% +884%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Blu G90
Mediatek Helio A25, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
717 Points ∼6%
Samsung Galaxy M21
Samsung Exynos 9611, Mali-G72 MP3, 4096
1601 Points ∼13% +123%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
782 Points ∼6% +9%
Honor 9X Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
1369 Points ∼11% +91%
Average Mediatek Helio A25
  (712 - 825, n=5)
747 Points ∼6% +4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (607 - 38087, n=146, last 2 years)
12173 Points ∼100% +1598%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Blu G90
Mediatek Helio A25, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
878 Points ∼21%
Samsung Galaxy M21
Samsung Exynos 9611, Mali-G72 MP3, 4096
1917 Points ∼46% +118%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
1106 Points ∼26% +26%
Honor 9X Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
2456 Points ∼59% +180%
Average Mediatek Helio A25
  (795 - 1165, n=5)
970 Points ∼23% +10%
Average of class Smartphone
  (1075 - 43985, n=146, last 2 years)
4177 Points ∼100% +376%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
Blu G90
Mediatek Helio A25, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
387 Points ∼15%
Samsung Galaxy M21
Samsung Exynos 9611, Mali-G72 MP3, 4096
1563 Points ∼61% +304%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
470 Points ∼18% +21%
Honor 9X Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
1002 Points ∼39% +159%
Average Mediatek Helio A25
  (372 - 442, n=5)
396 Points ∼16% +2%
Average of class Smartphone
  (286 - 7890, n=123, last 2 years)
2548 Points ∼100% +558%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
Blu G90
Mediatek Helio A25, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
329 Points ∼13%
Samsung Galaxy M21
Samsung Exynos 9611, Mali-G72 MP3, 4096
1445 Points ∼57% +339%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
405 Points ∼16% +23%
Honor 9X Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
857 Points ∼34% +160%
Average Mediatek Helio A25
  (315 - 376, n=5)
336 Points ∼13% +2%
Average of class Smartphone
  (240 - 9814, n=123, last 2 years)
2547 Points ∼100% +674%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
Blu G90
Mediatek Helio A25, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
1016 Points ∼33%
Samsung Galaxy M21
Samsung Exynos 9611, Mali-G72 MP3, 4096
2186 Points ∼72% +115%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
1078 Points ∼35% +6%
Honor 9X Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
2459 Points ∼81% +142%
Average Mediatek Helio A25
  (1016 - 1138, n=5)
1060 Points ∼35% +4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (858 - 4679, n=123, last 2 years)
3051 Points ∼100% +200%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited (sort by value)
Blu G90
Mediatek Helio A25, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
429 Points ∼8%
Samsung Galaxy M21
Samsung Exynos 9611, Mali-G72 MP3, 4096
1650 Points ∼30% +285%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
536 Points ∼10% +25%
Honor 9X Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
992 Points ∼18% +131%
Average Mediatek Helio A25
  (424 - 497, n=5)
449 Points ∼8% +5%
Average of class Smartphone
  (317 - 16291, n=199, last 2 years)
5574 Points ∼100% +1199%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Blu G90
Mediatek Helio A25, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
377 Points ∼5%
Samsung Galaxy M21
Samsung Exynos 9611, Mali-G72 MP3, 4096
1532 Points ∼20% +306%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
467 Points ∼6% +24%
Honor 9X Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
847 Points ∼11% +125%
Average Mediatek Helio A25
  (377 - 427, n=5)
393 Points ∼5% +4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (267 - 26802, n=198, last 2 years)
7802 Points ∼100% +1969%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Blu G90
Mediatek Helio A25, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
825 Points ∼22%
Samsung Galaxy M21
Samsung Exynos 9611, Mali-G72 MP3, 4096
2260 Points ∼60% +174%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
1102 Points ∼29% +34%
Honor 9X Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
2479 Points ∼65% +200%
Average Mediatek Helio A25
  (744 - 1160, n=5)
944 Points ∼25% +14%
Average of class Smartphone
  (938 - 7042, n=198, last 2 years)
3796 Points ∼100% +360%
GFXBench
on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Blu G90
Mediatek Helio A25, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
6.8 fps ∼17%
Samsung Galaxy M21
Samsung Exynos 9611, Mali-G72 MP3, 4096
9.2 fps ∼24% +35%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
6.4 fps ∼16% -6%
Honor 9X Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
6.4 fps ∼16% -6%
Average Mediatek Helio A25
  (6.7 - 7.2, n=5)
6.88 fps ∼18% +1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (3.6 - 123, n=240, last 2 years)
39 fps ∼100% +474%
1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Blu G90
Mediatek Helio A25, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
3.7 fps ∼7%
Samsung Galaxy M21
Samsung Exynos 9611, Mali-G72 MP3, 4096
10 fps ∼19% +170%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
3.8 fps ∼7% +3%
Honor 9X Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
7 fps ∼13% +89%
Average Mediatek Helio A25
  (3.5 - 4, n=5)
3.72 fps ∼7% +1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (1.9 - 175, n=241, last 2 years)
52 fps ∼100% +1305%
on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Blu G90
Mediatek Helio A25, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
4.3 fps ∼15%
Samsung Galaxy M21
Samsung Exynos 9611, Mali-G72 MP3, 4096
5.6 fps ∼20% +30%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
4.1 fps ∼14% -5%
Honor 9X Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
4.2 fps ∼15% -2%
Average Mediatek Helio A25
  (4.2 - 4.5, n=5)
4.32 fps ∼15% 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.8 - 100, n=241, last 2 years)
28.5 fps ∼100% +563%
2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Blu G90
Mediatek Helio A25, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
1.3 fps ∼6%
Samsung Galaxy M21
Samsung Exynos 9611, Mali-G72 MP3, 4096
3.5 fps ∼17% +169%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
1.4 fps ∼7% +8%
Honor 9X Lite
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
2.6 fps ∼13% +100%
Average Mediatek Helio A25
  (1.2 - 1.4, n=5)
1.3 fps ∼6% 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (0.85 - 72, n=241, last 2 years)
20.4 fps ∼100% +1469%
Blu G90Samsung Galaxy M21Sony Xperia L4Honor 9X LiteAverage 64 GB eMMC FlashAverage of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5
163%
14%
64%
21%
612%
Sequential Read 256KB
287.1
487.8
70%
293.4
2%
286.8
0%
273 ?(95.6 - 704, n=200)
-5%
1240 ?(215 - 4512, n=232, last 2 years)
332%
Sequential Write 256KB
214.3
192.7
-10%
165
-23%
200.9
-6%
176.6 ?(40 - 274, n=200)
-18%
830 ?(57.5 - 3062, n=232, last 2 years)
287%
Random Read 4KB
38.4
126
228%
61.2
59%
44.8
17%
59.1 ?(9.58 - 148.5, n=200)
54%
217 ?(22.2 - 543, n=232, last 2 years)
465%
Random Write 4KB
15.6
124.2
696%
22.5
44%
72.4
364%
31.7 ?(2.34 - 146.9, n=200)
103%
228 ?(13 - 572, n=233, last 2 years)
1362%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard
82 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
77.9 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-5%
83.5 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
2%
76 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-7%
77.4 ?(21.1 - 107.6, n=144)
-6%
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard
61.5 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
62.2 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
1%
62.5 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
2%
69.2 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
13%
58.3 ?(11.2 - 83.3, n=144)
-5%

Temperature

Max. Load
 39.1 °C
102 F		36.6 °C
98 F		33.6 °C
92 F		 
 39.2 °C
103 F		35.5 °C
96 F		33.9 °C
93 F		 
 38.5 °C
101 F		35.6 °C
96 F		33.9 °C
93 F		 
Maximum: 39.2 °C = 103 F
Average: 36.2 °C = 97 F
31.9 °C
89 F		33.9 °C
93 F		38.1 °C
101 F
31.5 °C
89 F		33.6 °C
92 F		38.8 °C
102 F
31.9 °C
89 F		33.6 °C
92 F		37.2 °C
99 F
Maximum: 38.8 °C = 102 F
Average: 34.5 °C = 94 F
Power Supply (max.)  39.6 °C = 103 F | Room Temperature 21.4 °C = 71 F | Fluke t3000FC (calibrated), Voltcraft IR-260
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 36.2 °C / 97 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 39.2 °C / 103 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 38.8 °C / 102 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.6 °C / 80 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.


Heatmap Back side
Heatmap Back side
Heatmap Front side
Heatmap Front side

Speakers

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2038.941.22536.837.43133.136.84032.9355035.334.86328.729.78019.120.710020.42112520.521.116017.219.720014.221.425014.529.431514.53640012.843.450013.448.463013.65280018.956.9100018.667.2125021.269.1160014.969.9200014.170.7250014.669.7315014.770.5400015.572.9500016.263.263001763.380001865.31000018.861.81250019.656.71600020.547.6SPL58.42980.3N10.61.141.5median 16.2median 56.7median 60.9Delta3.119.719.438.941.436.838.333.135.132.935.235.337.328.728.119.121.820.421.620.519.317.227.314.237.314.545.814.550.812.85413.456.813.661.718.966.218.672.621.273.714.975.214.174.414.672.614.769.415.566.616.263.11766.81875.518.876.619.663.220.549.562.158.42983.814.110.61.154.2median 16.2median 63.1median 15.1median 693.113.41414.8hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseBlu G90Samsung Galaxy M21
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Blu G90 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (80.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 60.9% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(-) | nearly no mids - on average 60.9% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(-) | nearly no highs - on average 60.9% lower than median
(+) | highs are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (128.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 97% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 0% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 39%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 99% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 0% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 26%, worst was 134%

Samsung Galaxy M21 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 69% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(-) | nearly no mids - on average 69% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(-) | nearly no highs - on average 69% lower than median
(+) | highs are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (119.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 86% of all tested devices in this class were better, 11% similar, 4% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 39%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 96% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 1% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 26%, worst was 134%

Battery life

Blu G90
4000 mAh		Samsung Galaxy M21
6000 mAh		Sony Xperia L4
3580 mAh		Honor 9X Lite
3750 mAh		Average of class Smartphone
 
Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
897
1298
45%
783
-13%
793
-12%
882 ?(424 - 1205, n=239, last 2 years)
-2%
Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
14h 57min

Pros

+ fast WLAN
+ chic case
+ bright screen
+ tidy camera pictures in good light
+ good battery life
+ no PWM

Cons

- little power
- slow LTE
- little flexible cameras

Verdict - Affordable luxury?

In Review: Blu G90. Test device provided by Blu Phones Europe.
In Review: Blu G90. Test device provided by Blu Phones Europe.

The Blu G90 is certainly not a revolution in the low-cost smartphone market and offers a little less performance for 200 euros. A modern and faster SoC would have been good for the smartphone, but at least it offers decent WLAN speed and lasts quite long.

We are pleased that the screen can be bright, but at the same time, as a manufacturer, you should also consider the other end: The minimum brightness is quite high. The camera is surprisingly sharp in some scenarios, but in low light it can only show a few details. You get a lens on a class level here, but it is not as flexible as on even more modern smartphones.

The Blu G90 is a good, affordable mid-range smartphone, but not for performance-hungry users.

The "luxury" that the manufacturer advertises may be found in the chicly designed back of our white test model, otherwise we would rather call the smartphone solid. Besides, it is only interesting for users who don't need a lot of power.

Blu G90 - 09/29/2020 v7
Florian Schmitt

Chassis
77%
Keyboard
65%
Pointing Device
89%
Connectivity
40%
Weight
89%
Battery
91 / 86 → 100%
Display
83%
Games Performance
5%
Application Performance
53 / 90 → 59%
Temperature
91%
Noise
100%
Audio
48%
Camera
54%
Average
68%
75%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

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> Notebook / Laptop Reviews and News > Reviews > Blu G90 Smartphone Review – USA Cell Phone with Triple Camera
Florian Schmitt, 2020-09-30 (Update: 2020-09-30)