Lava Blaze Curve 5G Review: It can be purchased from Lava E-store, Amazon and retail stores.
Highlights
Lava Blaze Curve 5G has 8GB of RAM.
It has a 6.67-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display.
The phone is powered by MediaTek's Dimensity 7050 processor.
Indian brand Lava launched the Blaze Curve 5G smartphone earlier this month. After using it for about a month, I have no hesitation in writing that Lava is trying hard to regain its lost shine and it seems that the company has the potential to do so. In the under Rs 20,000 category, elements like curved AMOLED display and premium design make the Blaze Curve 5G stand out from the crowd. But the real challenge for Lava is Chinese brands like Xiaomi, Realme, Vivo, Oppo. Can the Lava Blaze Curve 5G win people's hearts? Let's find out in this review.
Lava Blaze Curve 5G : Price in India
The Lava Blaze Curve 5G smartphone has been launched in two variants. The 8GB+128GB model is priced at ₹17,999. The 8GB+256GB model is priced at ₹18,999. The phone went on sale on March 11th. It is available for purchase from the Lava e-store, Amazon, and retail stores. The phone comes in Viridian and Iron Glass colors.
Lava Blaze Curve 5G : Design and Display
We reviewed the Iron Glass model of the Lava Blaze Curve 5G. The phone's design is heart-warming, giving the device a premium and attractive look. The back features a toughened glass with a matte finish and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. The company claims that the phone can resist drops. We didn't drop the phone, but it felt solid. The matte finish resists fingerprints, reducing the chance of the phone getting dirty without a cover.
As I mentioned in my first impression, the back finish is similar to the Vivo X50 Pro . That phone was launched three years ago in the ₹50,000 price category, and the Lava Blaze Curve 5G offers a similar premium finish for ₹17,999.
I didn't notice any vulgarity in the Blaze Curve 5G's design. The bottom features a decent LAVA 5G branding. The top features a triangular camera bump, housing the three rear cameras and a separate LED flash.
The right side of the phone houses the power button and volume rocker. Their positioning was perfect for me. During use, I never found myself hitting the volume rocker instead of the power button. The left side of the phone is empty. The bottom houses the Type-C port, SIM tray, and microphone. There are two stereo speakers, one at the top and the other at the bottom, which support Dolby Atmos. This combination produces good sound, but the sound can become a bit distorted at full volume.
The phone lacks a 3.5mm headphone jack. To compensate, a USB Type-C connector is included in the box. Another missing feature is the option to add an SD card. This is likely to be lacking in the 128GB variant. The box also includes a 33-watt charger, a C-type data cable, a SIM ejector tool, and a TPU cover.
The Blaze Curve 5G has curved corners, making it a curved-edge device. The phone is grippy and doesn't slip easily. Its weight of 189 grams puts it in the lightweight category. One-handed use isn't a problem. The phone's frame is glossy and complements the design.
The Blaze Curve 5G's curved display makes it look sleek. The punch hole at the top is small. The display chin is thin, allowing the screen to cover the entire phone.
The Blaze Curve 5G's design sends a direct message to Chinese companies that Indian brands can now offer premium designs in the mid-range, and Lava is no slouch in this regard.
Regarding the phone's display, the Blaze Curve 5G features a 6.67-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080x2400 pixels and a refresh rate of 120Hz. By offering a curved display, Lava has positioned the Blaze Curve 5G as a trendy device. The screen delivers sharp and punchy colors. However, the peak brightness could have been higher than 800 nits. Visuals were sometimes difficult to see when used in sunlight. Indoor use was smooth. The 120Hz refresh rate makes scrolling feel smooth to the eyes. According to me, it would be better to keep the refresh rate in auto mode, this saves battery.
For about a month, I read e-papers and watched YouTube videos on this device. The experience was good. The Blaze Curve 5G also has Widevine L1 certification, which means online content can be viewed in the best resolution on OTT apps like Netflix. I watched two episodes of "Lootere" on Disney Hotstar, and the Blaze Curve 5G's display satisfied me.
Its in-display fingerprint sensor unlocks the device quickly. It would have been better if it were placed a little higher in the display. Smartphones with curved displays under 20,000 rupees are rare, and Lava could take the lead on this basis.
Lava Blaze Curve 5G : Specifications and Software
The Lava Blaze Curve 5G is powered by MediaTek's Dimensity 7050 processor. The review unit I received had 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB of storage. The RAM can be expanded up to 8GB using the phone's free storage. Connectivity options include 5G, 4G, Bluetooth 5.2, FM radio, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Wi-Fi 6, OTG support, and sensors like an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, magnetometer, and proximity sensor.
The Lava Blaze Curve 5G smartphone runs on a UI based on the Android 13 operating system. While it's a bit outdated in the era of Android 14, it offers a stock Android experience. You can also understand this in this way that other smartphones run their custom OS on top of Android, whereas the Blaze Curve 5G runs Google's pure Android. Because of this, there are no unnecessary ads and push notifications. There is no hassle of bloatwaller. Lava's apps were also installed very rarely, and the phone felt like home. The company has promised two Android upgrades and three years of security updates. This means that Android 14 and later OS will also be available in this phone.
The biggest advantage of pure Android is that it's easy to understand and operate. Numerous shortcuts are available, making tasks quick to complete. I liked the Always On Display feature. It allowed me to see notifications, including the time, date, and battery percentage, without unlocking the phone.
The phone also offers dual-app support for WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger, meaning the Lava Blaze Curve 5G allows you to run two WhatsApp apps simultaneously.
Lava Blaze Curve 5G : Performance, Battery
The Lava Blaze Curve 5G is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7050 processor. The review unit we received had 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. Before discussing performance, it's important to note that devices like the Realme 12 , Realme Narzo 70 Pro , OPPO F25 Pro , OPPO Reno11 , and Lava Agni 2 5G are available in the market with this MediaTek processor. In terms of price, the Lava Blaze Curve 5G and Lava Agni 2 5G are the most affordable. This means this Lava phone competes with smartphones priced between 20,000 and 30,000 rupees.
The Blaze Curve 5G delivered decent performance during everyday tasks. From medium to heavy usage, the Blaze Curve 5G did not disappoint. Although this isn't a gaming-centric device, I was able to play my favorite game, "Bus Simulator," at high settings. There were some frame drops, but the overall gaming experience was good. Besides "Bus Simulator," I also played Asphalt 9, which also experienced some frame drops. The phone did get a little warm after 20 to 25 minutes of continuous gaming, but that heating can be ignored.
The phone performed smoothly during everyday use. I watched OTT content while running several social media apps in the background, and didn't experience any lag. Apps opened and closed quickly. The phone handled a load of 8 to 10 tabs on Google Chrome. In
terms of benchmark scores, the Lava Blaze Curve 5G scored 1077 and 2587 points in Geekbench 6's single-core and multi-core tests, respectively. The single-core result was comparable to the Honor 90. In AnTuTu (v10), it scored 577751.
Considering the processor, I also ran some GPU-based tests on the Lava Blaze Curve 5G. It achieved 60fps, 41fps, and 23fps in GFXBench's T-rex, Manhattan 3.1, and Car Chase tests, respectively. The device scored 2338 in the 3D Mark Wild Life test.
The Lava Blaze Curve 5G's battery performance is also strong. The 5000mAh battery lasted a day with heavy usage. By heavy usage, I mean about 40 minutes of gaming, a few hours of social media use, about an hour of reading news websites on Chrome, and two episodes of an OTT web series. If you're gaming and using the internet a lot, you might need to charge your phone before the end of the day. In our HD video loop test, the Blaze Curve 5G's battery lasted 19 hours and 30 minutes, which is impressive.
The company includes a 33W charger in the box. A slightly higher output would have taken the smartphone one step closer to becoming an all-rounder. However, even the 33W charger charges this phone from 0 to 100% in about one and a half hours.
Lava Blaze Curve 5G: Cameras
Cameras are a key feature of any smartphone, and I found the Lava Blaze Curve 5G's camera results to be average. The phone has three cameras on the back. The main sensor is 64MP, along with an 8MP ultrawide camera and a 2MP macro camera with LED flash.
The main camera doesn't capture photos in 64MP resolution by default. This option is available under the "More" option in the camera app. A shortcut for this on the main screen could have saved some steps. I found photos taken with both options to be average. Daytime photos looked good at first glance, but details were lacking. Photos taken at 64MP resolution can be zoomed in far, but pixels tend to blur. However, the colors in the images were well-received. The 8MP ultrawide camera covers a 120-degree field of view, but images lack sharpness and colors are somewhat faded. I struggled with macro shots. Results were blurred with even slightly moving objects, such as flowers, but macro shots taken with still objects captured details.
Portrait photos were captured well in daylight. The phone also has a Night Mode option for nighttime photos, but it falls short in terms of detail. The rear camera can shoot videos in 4K 30fps. This sounds good, but the results were average, especially with the lack of stabilization.
The Lava Blaze Curve 5G features a 32MP selfie camera, which could be a key selling point for this phone. Compared to the rear cameras, it impressed me. Best of all, it doesn't add any artificiality to your face and captures skin tones that match your actual appearance. However, for those who want to look beautiful, there's a Beauty Mode option, which can brighten and smooth your face.
Speaking of other camera options, HDR and AI are also available in the camera app. AI is worth mentioning. Taking photos with this option will notice a difference in the results, resulting in slightly better images. The rear camera offers up to 10X digital zoom. Choosing the 64MP option also provides 2X zoom. Along with the rear cameras, the camera app also includes a Face Beauty option, which can enhance users' appearance.
Lava Blaze Curve 5G Verdict
The specifications provided by Lava in the Blaze Curve 5G make it a good value-for-money option. Priced under ₹18,000, the curved AMOLED display, decent design, good performance, and long battery life are the best parts of this phone. The cameras could have been better, but the photography needs of a typical user will be easily met. In the era of 5G, this Lava smartphone proves to be a perfect challenge for Chinese companies. For those on a tight budget, needing a good-looking phone with a curved display, and who also want to do some gaming, the Blaze Curve 5G could be a good option.
