The slim, affordable, and unlocked Blu Life Play (pictures)

The Blu Life Play features a large 4.7-inch HD screen (1,280x720) that's bright and easy to read.

The back of the Blu Life Play sports an eye-catching electric-blue hue. The phone also comes in pink, grey, white, and yellow. Located on the back as well is the 8MP camera.

At just 0.31 inch thick, the Blu Life Play is almost as thin as the Samsung Galaxy S4.

Unlike most smartphones, the Blu Life Play has a Micro-USB port located on its top edge.

On the Blu Life Play's right side are the phone's only physical buttons -- volume and power.

One of the big perks of the Blu Life Play is its modern Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system.

You'll find that the Blu Life Play's camera app snaps pictures quickly, and it comes with plenty of features and settings.

Don't expect a slick keyboard on the Blu Life Play. Text entry is very basic without even Google gesture typing.

The Blu Life Play has a tiny speaker on its back left corner which is easily muffled when the phone is resting right-side-up on a flat surface.

Rare among U.S. smartphones, the Blu Life Play has two SIM card slots (a standard and mini). There's a microSD card slot as well, plus a removable battery.