GIV Mobile: BLU Advance 4.0 Android Smartphone with Everything Unlimited Plan

Disclosure: Products mentioned in this post were provided for review purposes only. Opinions are completely honest.

Giv Mobile announced they are giving away an Android Smartphone when an unlimited everything plan is purchased. The phone is the BLU Advance 4.0 Android Smartphone, which is an awesome entry level Android Smartphone with a multitude of features.

Design: The Advance 4.0 has a vibrantly dynamic 4” touch display. The phone displays images very nice and bright. Images are easily seen, except when tilted at an up/down angle. When it’s slightly tilted the screen looks washed out. It doesn’t do this when tilted sideways, so I don’t know what causes it.

The phone comes with a clear case and screen protector. There is 4 GB of internal memory; 1.27GB of space for apps (the other 2.72GB is for the Android OS). That isn’t much but space can definitely be upgraded with an inserted SD card. When you pair it with an SD card (which most people do), internal memory doesn’t really matter. Take the back off and under the battery there are three slots; two for SIM cards, the other for a mini-SD memory card.

Performance: The MediaTek chip and 512mb of RAM doesn’t have the same get-up-and-go as a flagship phone, but for daily use this performs quickly and efficiently. The phone is loaded with what is basically stock Jelly Bean, which is great. Multitasking is a breeze; I can check my email, update my twitter, and listen to music all at the same time.

I listen to a lot of music on my phone, continuously read emails, and occasionally watch videos on Youtube- and this phone hasn’t failed me once. The phone is downloaded with all the apps that I needed, with no extra junk to have to remove. I appreciated that very much. Usually I have to go through and delete a few, but I didn’t this time. The Play Store is all ready so you can download extra apps such as Facebook or games.

Every game that I downloaded from the Play Store worked very well. There was absolutely no freezing or re-loading. The Gmail app that came downloaded with the phone is a lifesaver. You can make the setting so that it dings when new emails pop-up. The emails came through as soon as they were sent, even when the Gmail app on my Samsung S4 would not.

Connectivity: Reception for cell and data are, of course, entirely dictated by location. The closer you are to towers, the stronger the signal is. The Advance 4.0’s Wi-Fi signal is very strong, even better than my Nokia Lumia Icon. I can get the Advance 4.0 to connect in places that the Lumia wouldn’t even think about connecting.

It will even let me connect to my neighbors wi-fi through two houses and about 45 feet. Data connectivity is flawless - both on wifi and 3g (the phone is compatible with HSPA+) and ping was good per Speedtest.

Battery: The Advance 4.0 comes with a 1600mah battery. With the MediaTek chip, the battery should last a very long time. To test the batteries life-span I streamed music via iHeartRadio via WiFi to my Sol Republic Bluetooth Wireless Speaker (which is a double battery drainer). I also watched some videos, checked my email, downloaded apps, and browsed the web.

I was on the phone ALL day then left it on all night without charging. It was also streaming music while I slept, and when I woke up there was still a 23% battery life. For a cheaper Smartphone, this one is phenomenal.  Of course, I wouldn’t NORMALLY be on the phone ALL day streaming music and downloading stuff. There’s no way the battery is going to completely die unless you forget to charge it for long periods of time.

To be eligible for the offer- sign up for either a $40 or a $50 two-month Everything Unlimited plan. The plan comes with unlimited text (which includes global texts), voice and data. The $40 plan includes 250MB 4G/3G data, while the $50 plan gives you 2 gigs monthly at 4G/3G speeds.

Paired with GIV Mobile’s “Unlimited Everything” service that starts at only $29/month plan, it is not only an affordable gift, but the receiver can choose up to three charities such as the Alzheimer's Association, Kids in Need Foundation, American Forests and more to receive 8% of their bill every month.

 

Tech Specs

Height
4-9/10"

Width
2-5/8"

Depth
1/2"

Weight
3.2 ounces

Phone Style
Bar phone

Band and Mode
GSM|HSDPA|3G
Number/type of bands and modes the phone can use, which affects coverage and capabilities.

Technology Details
3G|HSDPA
Wireless network technology the phone uses. Common technologies include GSM, CDMA and TDMA (including iDEN).

Bluetooth-Enabled
Yes

Talk Time
Up to 15 hours
Amount of time you can spend talking on the phone before the battery is depleted.

Standby Time
Up to 25 days
Amount of time the phone can be left on (waiting for a call) before the battery is depleted.

Battery Type
Lithium-ion

Vibrate Mode
Yes
Silently alerts you to incoming calls when ringing is not desirable.

Customizable Ring Tones
Yes
Feature that allows you to download additional ringtones and/or create your own.

Voice Activated
Yes
Lets you dial a preset phone number by saying a word (e.g., "home").

Downloadable Games
Yes
Indicates that a phone is capable of downloading games from the Internet.

Speed Dialing
Yes

Color Display
Yes
Color LCD screen for displaying call information, navigating menu options and viewing photos and video (as capable).

Internet/Email Capable
Yes
These devices offer wireless Internet, which can be used to access email at specific sites. Some devices also offer a full e-mail client that can connect directly to a standard POP or IMAP e-mail server over a wireless Internet connection.

Built-in Digital Camera
Yes
Lets you take digital photos and send them to other phones or e-mail accounts.

MMS
Yes
Multimedia Messaging Service enables cell phone users to send text messages, graphics, photos and audio and video clips to other MMS users or to e-mail accounts.

Text Messaging/Instant Messaging
Yes
Text messaging is the ability to exchange short text messages with other cell phone users. Instant messaging enables text conversations with computer users through programs such as AIM or Yahoo! Messenger.

Touch Screen
Yes

QWERTY Keyboard
No

Camera Resolution
5.0MP

MP3 Playback Capability
Yes

Vibration Alert
Yes
Silently alerts you to incoming calls when ringing is not desirable.

Speakerphone
Yes
Lets you talk and listen to calls without holding the phone. Ideal for making conference calls with others in the room.

Graphics
Yes
Type of graphics (video) adapter (usually built into the motherboard), identified by manufacturer and model.

Downloadable Ringtones
Yes
Indicates that a phone is capable of downloading additional ringtones from the Internet.

External Caller ID
Yes
Small screen that displays the name and number of the person calling.

Device Manufacturer
Blu

Product Line
Advance

Product Model
4.0

Handset Type
Smartphone

Mobile Operating System
Android

UPC
848958008286

 

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