Lava V5 #ExpressReview: Decent performer with a good camera

Lava V5 comes with a great design and large 5.5-inch display which is crisp and sharp

The Lava V5 is a 4G smartphone and comes with 13 MP rear camera with Samsung ISOCELL image sensor. The camera is the USP of the Lava V5. Also, the smartphone comes with a great design and large 5.5-inch display. But does the V5 deliver on the performance front? We put it to the test.

Specs: 5.5-inch HD Display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | 64-bit quad-core processor | 3GB RAM | 16GB storage (expandable via microSD to 32 GB) | 13 MP Samsung ISOCELL image sensor + 8 MP front camera | 3000 mAh battery| Android 5.1 LollipopPrice: Rs 11,499

Price: Rs 11,499

What is good?

Lava V5 comes with a 13MP ISOCELL image sensor from Samsung and it is the USP of this product

The camera is the Lava V5’s real strength. The 13MP Samsung ISOCELL image sensor shows its prowess on this one and I was impressed. Lava V5’s ability to reproduce almost exact colour of the subject is really noteworthy. It manages to do a decent job in low light settings, but this aspect could have been better.

The focus is pretty fast and that should be one of the key reasons to buy this one. Plus, it gives you various modes like GIF, HDR, Sound Picture, Intelligent Focus etc to try your hands on. It also comes with a QR Code scanner. Lava has managed a great camera smartphone at last.

Lava V5 packs an equally good selfie camera. It may not perform well in low-light but it is not what we expect in this price range. The front camera too brings out close to real life pictures except for the Beauty-Fi Mode, which I personally didn’t like. The Night Pro mode is equally bad and makes your face look grainy in places where the light falls.

A sample picture shot with Lava V5 (Click on the image to see full resolution)

Lava V5 comes with a great design, a 5.5-inch HD display and with thin bezels on top and bottom, which I really appreciate. Lava V5 is a stunner with rounded edges, metal frames on the side and an Icy White plastic back. The rear camera unit is small and just like Lava X10, it is neatly placed on one side. The best part, however, is that the smartphone is extremely lightweight and gives a good grip, thanks to the metal frames.

The HD display in Lava V5 is sharp and vivid. Playing games on the smartphone is a delight, mainly because of the large screen, and an almost bezel-less design with a crisp display. Lava V5 has a display that works well in sunlight.

Lava V5’s sample images show nice balanced colours and its focusing system is quick too (Click to see full resolution picture)

Lava V5 does not give you reasons to complain when it comes to multi-tasking. The smartphone can handle multiple tabs pretty well without lags or crashes. The smartphone will not heat up easily, nor will it whimper while shifting between tabs.

Battery optimisation in the 4G-enabled Lava V5 is really good. It packs a 3,000 mAh battery that will easily last a day on moderate to heavy use.

What is not good?

There isn’t particularly wrong with the Lava V5 given the price bracket. While it promises a decent package at Rs 11,499. There are other smartphones like Le 1s and Lenovo K4 Note, which also come with a fingerprint scanner and even a Full HD screen.

Lava V5 is more of a balancing act from the company. It tries to deliver good performance and a stellar camera

The Lava V5’s Icy White colour variant is nice but it might get dirty easily. A transparent protective case or anything similar is a must buy here.

Verdict

The competition for Lava V5 is tough, especially with companies offering same or higher specs at low price-point. The Le 1s, for instance, packs a good camera, full HD display, a great design and a fingerprint scanner at the back. Lava V5 makes for a good option if you want a stylish, good-looking smartphone that sports a good camera and comes with a battery that can last for more than a day.