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The Bluboo S1 brings an all-screen design and powerful specs at an affordable price

By Plamen Dimitrov

Updated: Jun 20, 2017, 6:43 AM

19comments

Android

This story is sponsored by Bluboo. PhoneArena's opinions in this article have not been affected in any way!

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The no-bezel trend is taking the world of smartphones by storm. This approach was introduced a few years ago with the Sharp Aquos Crystal, but devices like the Xiaomi Mi Mix, LG G6, and Samsung Galaxy S8 popularized the concept with consumers around the globe.

The above handsets are undoubtedly great, but it's also true that the price tags they carry won't comply with everyone's budget. With its new S1 model, Bluboo is trying to prove that bezel-less smartphones don't necessarily have to be expensive.

The Bluboo S1 brings an all-screen design and powerful specs at an affordable price

Bluboo S1 comes with a 5.5-inch 1080p Sharp display that seems to run off the edge on three sides. There is a chin on the bottom, but the phone manages to achieve a large screen-to-body ratio nonetheless. It measures at 148.6 x 74.3 x 7.9 mm, which makes it both shorter and narrower, though, a bit thicker than the iPhone 7 Plus.

When it comes to hardware, the S1 doesn't disappoint. It's powered by an octa-core Mediatek Helio P25 clocked at 2.5 GHz, coupled with 4GB or 6GB of RAM, and respectively with 64 or 128GB of onboard storage. Both versions feature microSD support up to 256GB. The battery with 3,500 mAh capacity provides ample time between charges.

Another big highlight of this affordable mid-ranger is the dual-camera composition at the back. The 16MP Sony main camera is responsible for taking all the photos, while an assistive 3MP sensor is employed for depth perception. This combination allows for shallow depth-of-field and bokeh effects. As for the selfie cam, you will find the 8MP shooter situated on the chin of the S1, which also hosts the physical home button that doubles down as a fingerprint scanner.

On the software side, the S1 runs Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box. Bluboo strives to keep the Android experience as unaltered as possible, which usually translates to less bloatware and on-time updates.

So, how much will the phone cost and when will it become available? Well, Bluboo has set a $150 price tag for the S1 and it is expected that the handset will hit the shelves in July. Keep in mind that additional shipping and tax fees may apply.

However, the manufacturer is also doing a “Global Reserve” pre-sale event that kicks off today and ends on June 30th, 2017. Depending on the number of subscribers, up to 2,000 S1 units will be given up for free, while there's also a “share & win” Facebook contest running in parallel with the bigger promo. For more information about the event and the phone itself, check out the two links below.