BLU Studio 5.0 review
This phone is a relic and should not be purchased today. If you live somewhere 3G HSPA networks are still operational and you need an absolutely minimal dual-SIM device purely for voice and SMS, the removable battery is a niche plus. Everyone else should spend the equivalent amount on a 2020-era mid-range phone, which will have 4G, current Android, and usable performance. The Studio 5.0 has outlived its era."
This review is written with AI assistance from BLU’s published specifications and public benchmark data for the BLU Studio 5.0, 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 Studio 5.0 is a 2015 budget phone that feels ancient by modern standards: HSPA-only connectivity (no 4G), 1GB RAM, and Android 5.0 make it barely functional today. Unless you need a cheap dual-SIM device purely for 2G/3G calls and texts on a legacy network, this phone has no reason to exist in 2024 or beyond.
Design & build
At 172g and 9.4mm thick, the Studio 5.0 is genuinely pocket-friendly by any standard. The 5.0-inch screen fits comfortably in one hand, and the proportions feel balanced. The dual mini-SIM slots are a practical touch for those juggling work and personal numbers. What kills it is age: this is a 2015 phone with 2015 materials and no water resistance, so it will not survive a drop or a rainstorm the way modern budget phones routinely do.
Display
The 5.0-inch IPS LCD runs 720 x 1280 pixels, which is 294 ppi—a number that looks reasonable on paper but feels cramped in person after a decade of density progress. Text is readable, and colors are adequate for a 2015 budget panel, but brightness and viewing angles lag behind what you get even in entry-level phones today. For browsing, email, and calls, it works; for anything graphically intense or prolonged, the screen becomes noticeable friction.
Performance
A 1.3 GHz quad-core Cortex-A7 and 1GB of RAM were never going to set records, and a decade later they are obsolete. Android 5.0 runs on it, but not smoothly. Switching between apps, launching the camera, or loading web pages all involve visible lag. Games are pointless, video streaming buffers, and any app from the last five years either refuses to install or crawls. The Mali-400MP2 GPU is weak even for 2015 standards. This is a phone for calls, texts, and very basic web browsing on 2G fallback networks, nothing more.
Software
Android 5.0 Lollipop shipped in 2014 and reached end-of-life nearly a decade ago. Google Play Store now blocks installation of many modern apps on Android 5, and security patches stopped arriving in 2016. Running this phone on a public Wi-Fi network or entering a credit card is unwise. BLU's software skin is lightweight, which helps a little, but it cannot paper over the fact that the OS itself is a museum piece.
Camera
The 8MP main sensor with autofocus and LED flash shot 1080p video—respectable specs for 2015. In practice, photos are soft and color-shifted, low-light shots are grainy, and autofocus hunts noticeably before locking. The 2MP selfie camera is a joke by any era's standard. Camera apps that rely on newer Android APIs simply will not run. For casual snapshots on a bright day, it functions; expect nothing more.
Battery & charging
A 3000 mAh removable battery was a selling point in 2015, and it remains the Studio 5.0's best defensive argument today. Swapping a depleted battery for a charged one beats waiting for a slow charger, and buying spare batteries is cheap. Battery life itself is decent on 2G/3G because these radios sip power compared to 4G, but you will spend a lot of time idle waiting for anything to load. The micro-USB 2.0 port is now ancient, and charging speed data is not listed—assume slow.
Connectivity & verdict
Here is the death blow: the BLU Studio 5.0 has no 4G LTE or 5G. It maxes out at HSPA 3G with theoretical speeds of 21.1 Mbps down, but real-world HSPA is often 1–4 Mbps and dropping. In 2015 this was livable. By 2024, 3G networks are sunset or repurposed; many carriers no longer support it. If your market still runs functional 3G, this phone can make calls and send texts. If not, it is a very expensive paperweight. Dual SIM and a removable battery are admirable holdovers, but they cannot redeem a device that cannot connect to the modern internet.
Verdict
This phone is a relic and should not be purchased today. If you live somewhere 3G HSPA networks are still operational and you need an absolutely minimal dual-SIM device purely for voice and SMS, the removable battery is a niche plus. Everyone else should spend the equivalent amount on a 2020-era mid-range phone, which will have 4G, current Android, and usable performance. The Studio 5.0 has outlived its era."
- Removable battery and microSDXC card slot—features most phones abandoned years ago, valuable if you need them
- Dual SIM support lets you run two phone numbers on the same device
- Light and thin at 172g and 9.4mm, easy to carry
- Modest 5-inch 720p display is adequate for text and basic browsing on its own terms
- No 4G or 5G—only HSPA 3G, which is painfully slow and often unavailable in developed markets, severely limiting practical usefulness
- 1GB RAM with a 1.3 GHz quad-core processor struggles with even basic Android 5.0 apps; multitasking is sluggish
- Android 5.0 from 2015 is deeply outdated and unsupported, leaving you exposed to years of unpatched security holes
BLU Studio 5.0 Key Specifications
The essentials at a glance. See the full spec sheet.
| Released | 2015, May. Released 2015, May |
|---|---|
| Display | 5.0 inches, 68.9 cm2 (~66.1% screen-to-body ratio), IPS LCD |
| Resolution | 720 x 1280 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~294 ppi density) |
| Chipset | Mediatek MT6582 (28 nm) |
| RAM & storage | 8GB 1GB RAM |
| Main camera | 8 MP, AF |
| Selfie camera | 2 MP |
| Battery | 3000 mAh |
| Software | Android 5.0 (Lollipop) |
| Dimensions | 144 x 72.4 x 9.4 mm (5.67 x 2.85 x 0.37 in) |
| Weight | 172 g (6.07 oz) |
| Network | GSM / HSPA |
| NFC | No |
| USB | microUSB 2.0 |
BLU Studio 5.0 FAQ
Common questions, answered from the spec sheet.
Does the Studio 5.0 support 5G?
No. The Studio 5.0 tops out at GSM / HSPA, without 5G.
What chipset does the Studio 5.0 use?
The Studio 5.0 runs on the Mediatek MT6582 (28 nm).
What display does the Studio 5.0 have?
A 5.0 inches, 68.9 cm2 (~66.1% screen-to-body ratio) IPS LCD, 720 x 1280 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~294 ppi density).
How big is the Studio 5.0 battery?
The Studio 5.0 has a 3000 mAh battery.
Does the Studio 5.0 have NFC?
No, the Studio 5.0 does not list NFC support.
Does the Studio 5.0 support a microSD card?
Yes, the Studio 5.0 supports expandable storage (microSDXC).