Lava Shark 5G review: Value for money
This year
Lava
has been focusing on introducing affordable 5G-enabled smartphones. With this thought in mind, Lava recently launched the Shark 5G smartphone in India under Rs 10,000.
Lava Shark 5G
features an impressive design and specifications. The smartphone comes with a big battery and is powered by an octa-core processor. The smartphone retails at Rs 7,999 and promises to deliver a smooth and lag free performance. We used the Lava Shark 5G for some time and here's the review of our smartphone.
Design
The affordable Lava Shark 5G smartphone scores well in the design department. The smartphone comes in two colour options — Stellar Gold and Stellar Blue. We got the Stellar Gold version which looks quite nice.
The smartphone features a plastic design but the finish gives it a more premium feel. However, the rear panel of the Lava Shark 5G is prone to fingerprint smudges, so you will need to keep a cloth handy. The phone feels comfortable in hand, with rounded edges that aid in more secure grip.
The rear panel of the smartphone houses the dual camera setup which is placed on the top left corner in a square-shaped module. The bottom part houses the USB Type C charging port, speaker grill and the 3.5mm audio jack. The right side of the smartphone has the volume rocker and the power button which also doubles up as a fingerprint sensor. The SIM card tray is placed on the upper left side of the 5G smartphone. The Lava Shark 5G also comes with IP54 rating which makes the smartphone resistant to dust and splashes.
Display
Lava Shark 5G smartphone features a 6.75-inch HD+ display with 720x1612 pixel resolution. The display offers up to 90Hz refresh rate. .The resolution provides sufficient sharpness for text and images, and the refresh rate ensures smooth scrolling and a fluid user interface. The display is surrounded by slightly thick bezels and chin which makes the design feel a bit dated. Other than that, the screen is decent for casual use, offering good touch response and acceptable indoor brightness.
However, it struggles under direct sunlight and lacks the punch of AMOLED panels. The smartphone also offers some basic customisation options for the display and the luminous eye protection mode which reduces the blue light from the screen and prevents eye strain.
Performance
Lava Shark 5G is powered by an octa-core Unison T765 chipset paired with 4GB of RAM. The smartphone offers 64GB internal storage which can be expanded up to 512GB by adding a microSD card. The affordable 5G smartphone can easily handle routine tasks. App launching is generally quick, and navigating through the interface feels responsive. For casual gaming and light multitasking, the phone holds its own without significant stutters. However, demanding games or heavy multitasking can be a problem. The audio quality of the smartphone was also satisfactory on both loudspeaker and with the earphones on.
Coming to software, Lava Shark 5G runs Android 15 operating system. The smartphone does not come with any UI skin and offers a relatively clean user interface as compared to the other affordable 5G smartphones available in the market. The user interface is easy to navigate and is also quite intuitive. It offers all the standard Android 15 features along with some additions made by the company. The software experience is generally stable and the near-stock Android approach is a major plus.
Camera
Lava Shark 5G features a dual rear camera setup which comprises a 13MP main camera and an auxiliary secondary camera. Front is home to a 5MP front camera. During our testing the Lava Shark 5G performed adequately in the camera segment. The image quality is decent and pictures have sharp colour reproduction. The main sensor produces images with fair detail and natural colors, suitable for social media sharing. However, in challenging lighting, such as low-light environments, image quality tends to drop, exhibiting more noise and reduced detail.
The secondary camera also offers satisfactory images but you should not expect the same amount of detailing which you got using the primary sensor. The front-facing camera is adequate for video calls and selfies in well-lit settings.
Battery
Lava Shark 5G smartphone delivers a pretty decent battery performance. The smartphone houses a 5,000 mAh battery with 18W fast charging support. The smartphone manages to last for a full day of moderate use on a single charge. The smartphone supports 10W charging, which is relatively slow by modern standards—taking over two hours to reach a full charge. The smartphone also features an Adaptive Battery mode which helps in detecting the apps that are draining battery and will offer you the option to restrict them. Overall, the smartphone delivers a satisfactory battery performance.
Verdict
Lava Shark 5G is a pretty good smartphone if you are looking for something under Rs 10,000. It comes with HD+ display, octa-core processor and dual-rear camera. Along with this, the smartphone also packs a 5000mAh battery. The smartphone is also a good buy for users who are graduating from a feature phone and are looking for a 5G smartphone under budget. At Rs 7,999, the smartphone offers decent value for money and can be a good option for those looking to buy an affordable smartphone that's easy on pocket.
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