Lava Agni 2 5G review: Finally, a competitive smartphone from Indian brand

The Lava Agni 2 5G is not perfect, yet it makes a worthy option in midrange smartphone segment because the phone does not cut corners on core areas such as design, display, software, and performance

Lava is one of the home-grown smartphone brands that has faced competition from Chinese players in the price-conscious Indian market. While many have succumbed in the face of tough competition, Lava survived. It now seems to be on a mission to deliver specs-rich smartphones at competitive prices to match, and in some cases undercut, those from peers from neighbouring country. Case in point is the Lava Agni 2 5G, its maiden smartphone in the midrange category that offers the best of design and specifications at a competitive price of Rs 21,999.

Design

The Lava Agni 2 5G has a premium stance with a frosted glass back cover that provides a secure in-hand experience. The matte finish on the surface prevents fingerprint smudges. The phone has a curvature on the sides, giving it a thinner appearance. The overall look and feel of the phone is premium, but certain elements like the circular camera island on the rear give away its midrange roots. The phone features a plastic frame sandwiched between two-side curved glasses on the front and back. The front glass is a double reinforced German engineered Schott Xensation Alpha Glass, providing good protection against scratches.

 

Display and audio

The Lava Agni 2 5G is the most affordable smartphone with a two-sided curved display. It is a 10-bit fullHD+ AMOLED panel of 120Hz refresh rate with support for HDR, HDR10, and HDR10+ content. The display has limited brightness, which hampers sunlight legibility, but it is colour-rich and responsive. Like other smartphones with two-side curved displays, the bezels here on the top and bottom sides are minimal, and there is none on the sides. The curved display allows for natural use with gesture navigation but may be prone to accidental touches.

The phone features an in-display fingerprint sensor that is fast and accurate. It also supports an always-on display mode with limited customization options and an edge lighting feature for notifications.

In terms of audio, there is a bottom-firing mono speaker that provides loud and clear sound but falls short of the stereo speaker experience. There is no 3.5mm audio jack available.

Camera

The Lava Agni 2 5G sports a quad-camera setup on the back, consisting of a 50-megapixel primary sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle sensor, a 2MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth sensor. On the front, there is a 16MP camera sensor. The camera performance is a mix of hits and misses. The primary camera performs well in daylight photography, capturing decent details and dynamic range. However, it struggles in low-light conditions, resulting in blurry images. The ultra-wide-angle camera also performs well in good lighting but struggles in low-light situations. The macro and depth lenses are more for novelty purposes. The camera interface is loaded with features such as a document scanner, filters, beauty mode, manual mode, and a GIF tool. However, there are some usability issues, like the inability to move from one zoom range to another by tapping directly on the range.

Performance

The Lava Agni 2 5G is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7050 system-on-chip, providing snappy performance in everyday use. It runs on the Android 13 operating system, which is free from clutter and bloatware. Lava has added a few tools and features to enhance the user experience, while keeping most of the interface close to the stock version.

Battery

The phone is powered by a 4,700 mAh battery, which can last a full day on a single charge. However, the standby time is not as good, with about 15 per cent battery drain overnight when the always-on display mode is enabled. The Lava Agni 2 5G supports 66W fast charging, and the supplied adapter and cable can charge the phone in about an hour.

Verdict

The Lava Agni 2 5G is not perfect, but it offers a strong option in the midrange smartphone segment. It prioritises core areas such as design, display, software, and performance. Lava provides a one-year on-site warranty with free phone replacement commitment for hardware issues within the warranty period. Additionally, the company has committed to providing software updates up to Android 15 and quarterly security updates for three years, making it an attractive proposition in the midrange segment.