Lava X81 review: Its all about style

Lava X81
PRICE Rs 11,500

Specifications: 5-inch IPS (1280 x 720 pixels), 1.3Ghz quad core Mediatek processor, 3GB RAM, 16GB storage, microSD slot, dual SIM, 4G, 13MP rear camera (f2.0), 5MP front camera, 2,700mAh battery, Android 6.0

Positive: Stylish design, great display with slim bezel, good day to day performance, above average camera performance

Negative: Battery tends to drop quickly on heavy usage, no fingerprint scanner, slippery finish

The key features of the X series from Lava are style and design. The latest device in the range is the X81 - a compact phone with slim design and powerful hardware. It is also one of the few devices from Lava that comes out of the box with Android 6.0. At first glance, it appears to be a unibody metal design thanks to the silver back panel and curved edges.

However, the back panel is removable and hides the SIM slots and a removable battery. While the phone feels balanced in terms of weight, it is fairly slippery. On more than one occasion, the phone would just slip out from the hand while picking it up from a table or while pulling it out of a pocket - a case is mandatory for this phone.

Up front is a 5-inch IPS display with 2.5D curved glass that gives the phone a premium look. Unlike other phones in this price range that have thick bezels, Lava has kept bezel size down which adds to the premium appeal. Under the screen are the usual capacitive Android buttons - they respond well but it's disappointing that they're not backlit.

Also, the inclusion of a fingerprint scanner would have been a welcome addition. Hardware is similar to many other devices in this price range - a 64-bit quad-core processor, 3GB RAM and 16GB storage. As expected, the phone breezes through apps, multi-tasking and has no issues playing a majority of the games. On any given occasion it had close to 1GB RAM free which resulted in smooth navigation without any sluggishness.

The 2,700mAh battery lasted one day on average use - with heavy usage, the battery drains out very quickly - the worst we did was a run from 9am to 5pm. Camera performance is above average - the phone manages to capture photos with good details in daylight as well as indoors. However, in low light, it struggled with excessive noise. Using the dual flash helps solve the issue but it tends to over expose nearby objects.

The front camera also has similar performance - visible noise indoors and in low light. While the Lava X81 scores in terms of looks and day to day performance, it faces stiff competition from so many competitors in this price range. The Panasonic Eluga A2 (reviewed on this page) offers better battery life in a compact design. The Coolpad Note 3 Lite offers similar specifications as well as a fingerprint scanner. Then there are better phablet options in this price range such as the Asus Zenfone Max and Redmi Note 3.