Blu: A new Android maker on the horizon
Blu who? This 2-year-old manufacturer has a squad of colorful handsets selling in Latin America, including three Android phones. Based in Miami, Blu hopes to crack the U.S. market.
ORLANDO, Fla.--Just when you thought you knew every cell phone maker there was to know, we stumbled across a relatively new entrant that seems to have materialized quite literally out of the blue.
Blu is a Miami-based spin-off of CT-Miami, which distributes phones in Latin America. This was the company's first technology conference, a spokesperson told CNET, and it was certainly our first time seeing the company's many wares.
First, a little background. Blu was born in 2009 with the goal of creating fun (read: colorful), interesting feature phones and Android devices for the Latin American market, although Blu is hoping to plant a foothold in the U.S. and grow its Android offerings, which currently include three low-end-to-midrange handsets (see gallery). Since then, the company has sold over a million phones made in the same factories as the LGs, Motorolas, and Huaweis.
Blu's phones are unlocked, GSM quad-band handsets, and many are single- or dual-SIM-card models. In Latin America, most Blu phones are sold on the prepaid model to carriers, wholesalers, and retailers.
Since we're promised more activity within U.S. borders, this is one company we'll be keeping a close eye on.
