Lava Storm 5G: In a time when flagship phones hog the limelight, Indian brands such as Lava are doing well to target exactly what the average user actually needs — performance, connectivity, and value. Take the Lava Storm 5G, for example.
There’s no Fold-style wow factor here, but if you want 5G connectivity at a sensible price, this phone has everything you need.
The Lava Storm 5G falls under the ₹15,000 bracket and will compete with phones such as the Redmi 13C 5G, iQOO Z6 Lite and Poco M6 Pro, but does so with a bit of an Indian approach — clean Android, pesky specifications and sturdiness.
Design and Build Quality
At least at a glance, the Lava Storm 5G doesn’t call out “budget.” It has a matte-finished plastic back with a mild dual-camera bump, making for a clean, modern look. The back doesn’t attract fingerprints too much, and the phone feels sturdy in hand.
It covers the bases, with a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, USB Type-C port and 3.5mm headphone jack. It’s not the thinnest or the lightest in its class, but the design is cohesive and workable.
To the front, a 6.78-inch Full HD+ IPS LCD screen with 120Hz refresh rate is present, providing slick scrolling and a reasonably immersive viewing experience.
It’s not an AMOLED display, but colors and brightness are decent enough for everyday use, particularly at this price.
Performance and Hardware
The Lava Storm 5G is fueled by the MediaTek Dimensity 6020 SoC, with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal UFS 2.2 storage. The processing power is strong enough to multitask without a hitch, for casual gaming and browsing.
There’s also up to 8GB of virtual RAM expansion, ensuring things run smooth when multi-tasking on the device.
For gamers, titles such as BGMI or Call of Duty Mobile can run on medium settings, which is not a bad considering the price of this phone. The device supports 5G across various bands which will ensure the phone is future-proof as 5G networks in India are growing.
Software Experience
The highlight of the Lava Storm 5G is its non-existent bloatware and near stock Android 13 implementation. It has no annoying ads, no unwanted apps or heavy skins weighing down the phone.
One benefit of this clean software approach is that not only does it guarantee better performance, but it also creates greater user trust, something that is in short supply when it comes to budget Chinese phones.
Lava has also committed to regular security updates and a big Android version upgrade, which adds long-term value.
Camera Setup
On the camera department, it comes with a 50MP + VGA rear camera, and 8MP front camera. In sufficient light, the primary sensor clicks sharp and detailed images with natural colours. Night performance is about as you’d expect for this price range, which is to say merely okay, but Night Mode gives things a slight lift.
The selfie camera is serviceable, but it slightly softens facial details when you’re indoors. Once the sun goes down your photo quality will drop significantly, and forget about taking video under low light — it looks like it was recorded under a strobe light.
Video tops out at 1080p and isn’t stabilized, but it’s fine for your basic social media needs.
Battery and Charging
The Lava Storm 5G is powered by a 5000mAh battery to keep the lights on all-day under average use. The phone’s battery life is great, whether you’re watching, browsing or playing lightly.
It has 18W fast charging through USB-C, meaning the battery can go from 0 to 100% in about two hours. It’s not the fastest, but it is reliable and safe.
Pros:
No bloatware for you with Android 13 experience
Smooth animations on the big 120Hz screen
5G support with multiple bands
Next, the performance is really good, thanks to the solid Dimensity 6020 chip.
Reasonably priced with solid specs
Cons:
No AMOLED display
No ultra-wide or macro lens in the camera setup
Average low-light photography
Faster charging would be nice
Some users may still feel that it’s a little too bulky
Lava Storm 5G Final Thoughts
The Lava Storm 5G isn’t made to wow people with sexy branding and overhyped features. Instead, it hits where it counts: speedy performance, a smooth screen, clean software and reliable 5G support.
For those in the market for a no-nonsense, Indian-made smartphone that gets all the basics just right without emptying your wallet, the Storm 5G is a sensible choice.
