Blu’s New G9 Pro Brings High-End Features with a Bargain Bin Price

Cameron Summerson

Back at the end of May, Blu Products released the G9—an affordable phone with decently high-end features. Today, it’s launching the G9 Pro, an upgraded G9 with some features that are often reserved for much more expensive devices.

At just $250 retail ($199 launch price), the G9 Pro offers a lot of bang for the buck—maybe more than any other phone I’ve seen even at double the price. Here’s what you get:

Display: 6.3-inch 19.5:9 FHD+ Infinity Display (1080×2340/409PPI) w/ teardrop notch
Processor: 2.0 GHz Octa-Core MediaTek Helio P60
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 128 GB, microSD card slot
Cameras: 16 MP main shooter, 5 MP depth sensor, 20 MP night mode camera; 24 MP front camera
Ports: USB-C, 3.5 mm headphone jack
Headphone Jack: Yessir
Battery: 4,000 mAh w/ Quick Charge and Wireless Charging
Fingerprint Sensor: Rear-mounted
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 2.4/5 GHz (a/b/g/n), 3G 850/900/1700/1900/2100, 4G LTE 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/17/28, dual-SIM
US Carrier compatibility: T-Mobile, AT&T, Metro, Cricket, Straight Talk
Android version: Android 9; June 2019 Security Patch (Promised updates to Android 10 and two years of security patches)
Price: $249 (Launch price of $199 “for a limited time)

Nicer Hardware Than You’d Expect for the Price

Okay, so there’s a lot to cover here, but I want to start with the most surprising feature: it has wireless charging. This is generally reserved for the highest of high-end gadgets, so I was pleasantly surprised to see it on the G9 Pro. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a $250 phone with wireless charging, so it’s super cool to see Blu incorporate it here. It’s also 10-watt wireless charging, which is among the fastest wireless charging rate currently available. Impressive.

The back of the Blu G9 Pro — Cameron Summerson

I’ve used a lot of different Blu phones over the years, and one thing has become clear to me: the phones keep getting nicer while the price points stay relatively the same. The G9 Pro is an exemplary device in this regard because it’s probably the classiest looking (and feeling!) Blu handset I’ve ever used. It’s a striking device—the “Nightfall” chameleon finish is hot.

The overall fit and finish of the phone is nothing to scoff at either. It feels decidedly more premium than the G9 (as it should), but also comes off has higher-end than the more costly Pixel 3a. It looks and feels better than Google’s affordable phone, with performance that is at least on par with that of the 3a, as well. All in all, it’s a great little package. Oh, and it has a headphone jack. A headphone jack!

The headphone jack and USB-C port on the Blu G9 Pro — Cameron Summerson

My biggest complaint about the standard G9 was the display, which has been noticeably upgraded on the G9 Pro. The panel in the Pro features the same 6.3-inch size, but a much more reasonable 1080×2340 resolution (409 PPI), making everything much crisper and defined. That said, it is a very cool display, which may be jarring for anyone coming from an OLED panel. Still, much like everything else on this handset, it’s great for the money. The biggest complaint I have about this phone is the haptic engine—it just feels sluggish and cheap.

The triple camera array on the back is also a nice touch, with sensors specifically for depth (5 MP) and night mode (20 MP) alongside the 16 MP primary camera. The 24 MP front camera is another decent addition for the selfie-loving crowd, though the phone’s software-based portrait mode is laughable at best when using the front camera. The rear shooter does a much better job with portrait photos since it has a separate depth sensor and doesn’t rely on software tricks to adjust the depth of field. But either way, keep your expectations in check for the camera—it takes very good photos for a $250 phone, but it won’t compete with the current crop of flagship smartphones.