With Chinese smartphone makers having captured 49% of the market in the first quarter of 2017 and threatening to wipe out domestic players, Lava has just launched what can be described as a truly mid-segment premium device from an Indian player.
Priced at Rs 18,000, the Z25 is a design-oriented device and aims to give Xiaomi Redmi Note 4, Lenovo Z2 Plus and Honor 8 Lite decent competition in the same price category.
What works for the device?
Encased in a unibody metal design, the Z25 boasts of premium looks. Its curved design and slim body will appeal to youngsters.
The fingerprint sensor at the back is ergonomically placed and opens the device in a jiffy -- holding true the company's claim of unlocking the device in a mere 0.16 seconds.
Sporting a 5.5-inch, 2.5D-curved HD IPS display, the dual-sim device is powered by an octa-core processor, supported by 4GB RAM and 32GB on-board memory that can be expanded up to 128GB.
Running on the Android Marshmallow 6.0 operating system, the device handled multi-tasking well with no signs of slowing down.
Users will not be discomfited by any sudden jamming of the device while shuffling between multiple apps or heavy gaming.
The device has a 13MP rear camera with "Sony Exmor RS" feature. The rear camera supports the "Bokeh Mode" feature that claims to make objects stand out from the background and gives photos a DSLR-like effect.
The 8MP front shooter is equipped with spotlight flash.
The 3020mAh battery with two power saver modes -- "Power Saver mode" and "Super Power Saver mode" -- extended the battery backup by five hours and 20 mins and 18 hours, respectively.
What does not work for the device?
The HD display is not very sharp and produces average colours while playing games or streaming videos.
Though it features a 13MP rear camera, the photos lacked detail and appeared dull. The "bokeh effect" did not achieve its fullest potential.
Conclusion: Z25 has a tough competition in Chinese devices in the same price band and needs to improve itself. However, the device is still a good effort from an Indian smartphone player and users can give it a chance if the price doesn't bother them.
(Qadri Inzamam can be reached at inzamam.a@ians.in)