BLU, an American smartphone brand, based in Miami, was once a rising star in the US market.

Bold like Us (BLU) emerged as a force in the mid-2010s and grabbed as much as 5% share of the US smartphone market by 2016. Its affordable prepaid 4G models were popular among price-sensitive consumers.

The US shift to 5G has not been quite so kind to BLU. It struggled with premium models to premium consumers, and its US share slumped as low as 2% in 2021.

This year, 2022, however, has seen something of a revival for BLU, as 5G handset prices have come down and partner MediaTek has upped its chipset game. BLU today has 4% US smartphone share in Q2 2022 and it has recovered much of what it lost 5+ years ago.

Can BLU continue its upswing in 2023?