My, my, color me surprised. Looks like Blu, the notorious "manufacturer" of budget Android phones in the U.S., is keeping to its word. Back in August, the company claimed that it was rethinking its product strategy — you know, the one where it spams the market with a lot of devices — and would be focusing on quality and software support going forward. This new philosophy would start with its latest flagship, the Vivo XI+.

And here we are, just barely in 2019 and Blu is already staying true to its word, sort of. Owners of the phone can now sign up for the Pie beta program on Blu's site; you just need to input your name, email, phone number, model, and IMEI number. Blu is hoping that users like you can help them test out the Pie goodness to make sure that the stable release is as refined as possible. It's a win-win scenario.

Since no one here at AP has a Vivo XI+, I can't tell you what waits beyond the initial registration page. Blu is not clear on whether this is an open or closed beta group, so it's probably best if you jump in on this soon. There isn't a mention on when accepted users can expect to get the update, either. A beta is a good step toward meeting an update timeline, so hopefully this program goes well.

Source: Blu