It may have taken almost three years, but BOLD is back with a new handset. In the year In the summer of 2022, Blu’s sub-brand introduced the N2, a $350 mid-range smartphone with hardware.
Editor’s note: The Flash launch sale is only $250 per phone. It’s a limited time but one you don’t want to miss.
As it did with its predecessor, the N1’s BOLD approach is a more premium experience than what Blue usually offers. While the first generation was made of steel and glass, this time around the highlights are a slim metal housing and Cyprus teal leather.
Design: first impressions
Just like the N1, I could tell from the moment I looked at the N2 that it was a more advanced and deliberate design. It’s thin, clean and curvy in all the right places.
The leather is a very interesting choice, and it is very appealing to me. How does it wear over time? Does it develop a patina or special feel because oils and dirt slowly go away? I love the color of dark tea and it is not in a hurry to cover it.
If it’s coming, I’d like to see a different color offered for the back of the phone. I mean, why not go “bold” and give us something bright and eye-catching? Tea is more sophisticated and business-like. Give me something on the other end like an electric mango.
The BOLD N2 frame seems to dance somewhere between silver and sea with a “cypress teal” dark sea feel. They complement each other well.
Speaking of these things, included in the box are the headphones, a USB Type-C charger, a silicone protective case, a sticker and a USB-C adapter for the headphones.
The screen has a curved glass that rests in the center of the phone’s side edges; The volume and power buttons are located on the right side of the display. The SIM card slot is located below the screen next to the charging port.
The front camera is actually two sensors, one is 16 megapixels and the other is a 2-megapixel depth sensor. The pair are placed side by side in the upper left corner of the screen. It’s not often you get two cameras on the front so that’s certainly an interesting choice.
The 64-megapixel main camera at the back is lined up with three others. There’s also a 2-megapixel depth sensor, a 5-megapixel wide-angle (115-degree) and a 2-megapixel macro lens.
Hardware and specifications
The BOLD N2 does a good job of balancing mid-range hardware with a sleek finish that’s usually reserved for higher-priced devices. The word “premium” is thrown around a lot and often means glass, metal, or heavy or unique materials.
As we often see with BLU mobile phones, the BOLD N2 looks like a very expensive phone. But here, it is a little more clear. It’s curvy and thin, and the leather goes a long way to class things up.
Internally, the N2 fits the specifications that a moderately sophisticated user might want in a device. It sits nicely between that “first time user” experience and the junior flagship position occupied by the Pixel 6a.
The Octa-Core MediaTek Dimensity 810 processor is coupled with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage capacity. In terms of performance, I’ve had plenty of opportunities with this kind of package in other devices so I don’t think it’s going to be a long-term issue for the N2.
The 4200mAh battery is pretty cool, but it surprised me as we’ve seen more and more phones around 5,000mAh. However, it’s more than enough to get regular users a day or so without worrying about paying.
Speaking of which, the battery supports 30W fast charging but does not allow wireless charging.
I’m torn when it comes to curved displays on phones. I hate it when the handset has a small screen and devices are closer to 7 inches. BOLD N2’s 6.6-inch (1080 x 2340 pixels) screen with Gorilla Glass 5 feels great in the hand. I didn’t experience any issues with unregistered swipes or phantom touches in the first week of the handset.
Main characteristics
- MediaTek Dimensity 810 ARM Cortex A76 Octa-Core 2.4GHz 6nm processor
- Antutu benchmark score 393,468
- 6.6 inch full HD+ AMOLED 1080×2340 Infinity Dot curved display
- Corning Gorilla Glass 5
- QUAD AI 64MP Camera + 2MP Depth Sensor + 5MP Wide Angle 115° + 2MP Macro Lens
- Dual 16MP + 2MP depth sensor selfie camera
- 256 GB internal memory / 8 GB RAM
- 5G speed connection
- 4200mAh battery with 30W fast-charge
- In-display fingerprint sensor with AI face ID
- Complete premium housing
- Android 11
- It is found in Cyprus tea.
Software and user experience
With Android 13 due to officially launch any day now, I’m a little disappointed to see the BOLD N2 running Android 11. I’m not sure how the decision was made, but I hope Android 12 arrives shortly. For one, it helps signal to the consumer that this is a more upscale brand.
To be honest, most people I know don’t know what software version their phone is running. Also, they don’t know the difference between different releases. And in fact, things are getting more and more beautiful.
I’m anxious to see how BOLD handles major software updates and security patches. Most phone makers are making promises in this area. I learned from BOLD that it provides “at least two years of Android security updates.” Does that mean we will get Android 12 or 13? Time will tell.
As far as user experience goes, it’s business as usual for BOLD (and BLU). That means the software is the most common Android build on the planet. There is no additional layer or skin to make the look different or shiny.
My review unit came with a few extra apps installed on it, some of which I suspect will be installed sooner or later. Titles include Pandora, Solitaire, TikTok, Dancing Road and Woodoku.
There is also an app installed called Newspop which is a news hub for various topics. It’s useful and customizable, but it’s also removable. You will also find a widget on the home screen when you swipe to the left panel. Additionally, you can change the widget for a smaller version.
Games app is more than a portal to get more games. If you’re a gamer, it’s a great way to discover new titles and serves as a sort of folder to find and launch games on your device. This can also be removed if it is not something you use.
I appreciate some of the additional settings available under Intelligent Assistance in the phone. If you want to personalize the phone a bit, check out the options here.
Camera
For me, the benchmark for the phone camera experience is the way Google handles it with Pixel phones. He is lean, intelligent and smart. And the devices take amazing shots effortlessly.
BOLD N2 does a great job of taking pictures with many options. Not only are there more cameras to work with, but also more settings like AI, HDR and filters.
If you want to play around with your camera by capturing fun and interesting images or videos, the N2 has a well-stocked toolbox. Look for panoramic, time-lapse, slow motion, macro, pro, beauty and other modes.
There is an option to take photos at 128 megapixels, but I don’t find it worth the effort. Since images are over 40MB per slice and the overall result is indistinguishable from other resolutions, it slows down the recording a bit.
It doesn’t take long to master the camera and get a feel for its capabilities. Nothing seems to get in the user’s way here. If you want to quickly open a camera and take photos, you’ll enjoy what’s on offer.
Image quality was as good as I expected, especially when viewed on mobile. They are eligible to share on social networks or send to friends without doing any post-processing or editing the pictures.
I’ve noticed that some results look a bit blurry when viewed on a computer. And, depending on how you back up your photos, you may want to keep the original quality intact. Some of my photos were noisier than I would have liked when backing up using “Storage Saver” under Google Photos.
Various shooting modes meet my needs with portraits and HDR where I go for many pictures. Depth of field and color, including the front-facing camera, treated me well. I don’t often take selfies but the portrait mode does an amazing job.
Performance
I’ve only had the BOLD N2 for about ten days so I can’t vouch for long-term performance. That being said, I liked adding more apps and games to the phone, which made it more “me”.
In the past, I hesitated to throw my original SIM card into the review room because I didn’t want to find out the hard way how underpowered an experience was. Or to find out that the camera doesn’t want to do what I want. That’s not much of a problem in 2022, especially when dealing with mid-range devices.
The BOLD N2 is everything I expect my handset to be. It’s quick to open, easy to navigate and interact with, and doesn’t aggravate me. Both the facial recognition and the optical fingerprint reader have performed well so far. In fact, it feels faster than what I get from the Google Pixel 6.
Battery is more than reasonable and besides I am around the charger most of the time. For me, 30W charging is still too fast. I love wireless charging but prefer to plug in whenever possible. But the inclusion of wireless charging in the N2 is icing on an already delicious cake.
I like the 120Hz (and higher) refresh rate for some of the games I play. Likewise, scrolling through articles and videos is also a bit better when you have something like this at work.
I learned there is a setting in the aforementioned Intelligent Assist that allows for “high refresh rate” at 90Hz (the default setting is 60Hz). So far I haven’t seen any significant impact on the battery. And before activating the image it was still very sharp, vibrant and accurate.
I was surprised to find that the phone is not unlocked for all GSM carriers in the US. Unlike its predecessor and other BLUs, you get compatibility with T-Mobile, Metro and other brands that use its towers. That’s a little tricky and unpredictable, and cuts out a lot of potential buyers.
Summary
I’m glad to see that BOLD is not affected by the pandemic and that the brand is ready to introduce a new phone. I enjoyed the N1 and am excited to get the N2 working for me.
Although I’ve only had the device for a little over a week, I’m in no rush to put it down. I feel more confident in my skills and have no worries about missing a candid moment with the camera.
I’d like to feel more confident in the Android versions, especially since the software gives us more control over personalization and UI customization. If this phone stays with Android 11, it looks like it will be out of date in the next year or two.
Processor and memory are more than enough for my needs and should last another year or so. I can’t imagine doing anything different on my phone in 2024 than I do today. And for that, the N2 still has to handle the tasks.
I love the price point for the N2 and I have no qualms about recommending the phone to most people in private circles. If you can get yours for less, you’re doing great.
Note, however, that the BOLD N2 is not compatible with AT&T, Cricket, or other carriers that use the AT&T network. What’s more, since it’s not a CDMA phone, the Verizon and Sprint networks are also out.
You can learn more about the BOLD brand on the phone maker’s website. To buy the N2, you’ll head over to Amazon where it retails for $350. BOLD, like BLU, also offers flash sales and launches deals on its devices. If you act fast, you can get the BOLD N2 for just $250.
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