BLU G5 Plus review
The BLU G5 Plus suits only buyers in markets where cost is the only concern and better alternatives are truly unavailable. Anyone with a choice—even a small increase in budget—should look at the Realmi, Redmi, or Samsung J-series phones of the same era, which offer faster chips, better screens, and longer battery life for similar money. As a 2019 phone with no updates, it is obsolete today and unworthy of purchase.
This review is written with AI assistance from BLU’s published specifications and public benchmark data for the BLU G5 Plus, and the rating is spec-based. GoSolo does not physically test devices; where we estimate real-world behaviour such as battery life or charge time, we say so. How we rate phones.
Overview
The BLU G5 Plus is a 2019 budget phone with a 6-inch display and 2GB RAM that struggles to justify itself even at low cost: the 720p screen is dim and soft, the 1.6 GHz processor lags on everyday tasks, and a 3000 mAh battery barely carries you through a day. It's the kind of device that works only for someone in a region where it costs almost nothing and there are no better alternatives.
Design & build
The G5 Plus is a straightforward slab at 181 grams and 9.6 mm thick, sized reasonably for a 6-inch phone at the time. The dual SIM flexibility and removable battery were welcome on budget phones in 2019, though the plastic construction and minimal styling offer nothing distinctive. Build quality feels inert rather than durable; there's no water resistance, no gorilla glass, and no real durability story. For a 2019 phone, it lands exactly where budget BLU devices always did: tolerable but unmemorable.
Display
A 720 x 1440 LCD panel on a 6-inch screen means just 268 ppi, which was tight even in 2019. The result is visible pixelation on text and icons, and IPS panels of this era do not hold brightness well outdoors. The 18:9 aspect ratio felt normal at the time but does not compensate for the low resolution. Rivals in the same budget tier—even in 2019—offered 1080p or better. This display is passable indoors on low brightness, but feels dated and strains the eyes during extended use.
Performance
An octa-core Cortex-A55 at 1.6 GHz with 2 GB RAM is entry-level even judged by 2019 standards. Apps load sluggishly, multitasking means constant app reloads, and any moderately demanding task stalls noticeably. Android 9 Pie comes with bloat that the 32 GB storage can barely accommodate after system overhead. The IMG8322 GPU is not adequate for gaming or smooth scrolling. For a phone aimed at WhatsApp, calls, and basic web browsing in emerging markets, it works, but only just. Heavier tasks reveal how underpowered the silicon is.
Battery & charging
A removable 3000 mAh battery is a genuine advantage on a budget phone, letting you carry a spare or swap quickly if it degrades. On the downside, that same small capacity struggles to sustain the phone for a full day under moderate use, and there is no fast charging to mitigate the loss. Charging times are long via microUSB 2.0. The advertised 20 hours talk time on 2G and 575 hours standby are optimistic figures that assume minimal data use. In practice, expect around 12-14 hours of mixed use.
Camera
The 13 MP rear camera and 8 MP front unit record 1080p video and include LED flash, which is baseline. Photo quality is flat and loses detail in shadows; the autofocus is unreliable indoors. Low light is a weakness, as budget sensors and modest optics cannot pull in enough light. The selfie camera is usable for video calls but produces noisy, blown-out images in bright conditions. For a phone at this price in 2019, the camera was competent enough for casual snapshots but nothing more.
Software & connectivity
Android 9 Pie arrives without promised updates—the phone is discontinued and no upgrade path to Android 10 or later exists. Security patches are nonexistent, making this unsafe for sensitive tasks or financial apps. LTE Cat 4 tops out at 150 Mbps theoretical download, which is adequate for browsing and streaming in areas with good coverage. Wi-Fi is limited to 802.11n, and microUSB 2.0 is slow and fragile. FM radio and dual SIM are appreciated in markets where they matter, but the overall connectivity story is backward-looking and insecure.
Value & verdict
The BLU G5 Plus was always a low-end device, sold primarily in emerging markets where budget constraints are real. By 2019 it was already outclassed by phones costing only slightly more; Chinese brands like Redmi and Realme offered faster chips, brighter screens, and larger batteries at comparable or lower prices. Today, as a discontinued 2019 model with no updates, it is unfit for purchase. Even in 2019, it was a phone you bought only if other options were unavailable or if the price had dropped so low that nothing else mattered.
Verdict
The BLU G5 Plus suits only buyers in markets where cost is the only concern and better alternatives are truly unavailable. Anyone with a choice—even a small increase in budget—should look at the Realmi, Redmi, or Samsung J-series phones of the same era, which offer faster chips, better screens, and longer battery life for similar money. As a 2019 phone with no updates, it is obsolete today and unworthy of purchase.
- Removable battery lets you swap or carry spares, a rarity even then
- Dual SIM support useful in regions requiring multiple carriers or data plans
- Compact and light enough for one-handed use, reasonable 9.6 mm thickness
- 2 GB RAM and 1.6 GHz processor create lag and force constant app reloads, even for basic tasks
- 720p display at 6 inches is visibly pixelated and weak on brightness, behind rivals at the same price
- 3000 mAh battery lasts only 12–14 hours of mixed use, no fast charging to offset the loss
BLU G5 Plus Key Specifications
The essentials at a glance. See the full spec sheet.
| Released | 2019, July. Released 2019, July |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.0 inches, 92.9 cm2 (~73.8% screen-to-body ratio), IPS LCD |
| Resolution | 720 x 1440 pixels, 18:9 ratio (~268 ppi density) |
| Chipset | Processor clock: 1.60 GHz |
| RAM & storage | 32GB 2GB RAM |
| Main camera | 13 MP, AF |
| Selfie camera | 8 MP |
| Battery | 3000 mAh |
| Software | Android 9.0 (Pie) |
| Dimensions | 161.4 x 78 x 9.6 mm (6.35 x 3.07 x 0.38 in) |
| Weight | 181 g (6.38 oz) |
| Network | GSM / HSPA / LTE |
| NFC | No |
| USB | microUSB 2.0 |
BLU G5 Plus FAQ
Common questions, answered from the spec sheet.
Does the G5 Plus support 5G?
No. The G5 Plus tops out at GSM / HSPA / LTE, without 5G.
What chipset does the G5 Plus use?
The G5 Plus runs on the Processor clock: 1.60 GHz.
What display does the G5 Plus have?
A 6.0 inches, 92.9 cm2 (~73.8% screen-to-body ratio) IPS LCD, 720 x 1440 pixels, 18:9 ratio (~268 ppi density).
How big is the G5 Plus battery?
The G5 Plus has a 3000 mAh battery.
Does the G5 Plus have NFC?
No, the G5 Plus does not list NFC support.
Does the G5 Plus support a microSD card?
Yes, the G5 Plus supports expandable storage (microSDXC).
Alternatives to consider
If the G5 Plus isn’t quite right, these are the closest calls.
G5
G9 Pro
Vivo X5
Studio Mini
J2
