Lava introduced its Virat V1 series in India last month with the launch of 4G and 5G models. The Pro 5G variant is set to join the lineup later this month. The base 5G model is powered by the Unisoc T8200 octa-core processor and packs a massive 6,000mAh battery pack. A 6.75-inch IPS LCD panel is on display duty. The entry-level phone is priced at Rs 12,999 (4GB RAM + 64GB storage), which is a tad higher than usual due to the global RAM shortage. We used it for a week to find out if it makes a reliable daily driver. Here is our review of the Lava Virat V1 5G.
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In This Article
Lava Virat V1 5G Review: Design and Display
Box Contents
- Smartphone
- 10W power adapter
- Type-A to Type-C cable
- Clear plastic cover
- SIM ejector
- Warranty card
The Virat V1 5G has one of the finest back panels in its segment. The geometric matte blocks are divided by thin glossy lines. Not only does it look appealing, but it also offers an amazing in-hand feel. There are 2 colour options on offer – Arya Blue and Sonar Gold. Both shades complement the design nicely. We used the Arya Blue variant for this review.
The square camera island is positioned in the top-left corner of the back panel. It has a see-through plastic trim with a glossy finish. The island does not protrude significantly out of the back panel. This eliminates any bumpiness when the phone is placed on a flat surface. The plastic rails house the volume rocker and the side button on the right, and the hybrid SIM tray on the left edge. At the bottom lie the 3.5mm headphone jack, microphone, USB-C port, and speaker. The device is rated IP64 for dust and water resistance.
The 6.75-inch IPS LCD panel has a 120Hz refresh rate and a 720 x 1,600p resolution. The bezels surrounding the screen get thicker around the chin. Up top, there’s a waterdrop notch to house the selfie camera. The touch response offered by the display is fine for an entry-level phone. The scrolling experience is smooth for the most part. The brightness is optimal for indoor usage. However, in outdoor conditions, the display struggles to maintain legibility under harsh sunlight. There is no under-display optical fingerprint scanner on this phone. The side button steps in for biometric recognition.
We used the Lava Virat V1 5G to stream movies and TV shows across platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, and JioHotstar during the review period. The LCD panel produces decent visuals with good colours and dynamic range. The contrast isn’t as punchy as we’re used to on AMOLED displays, but it isn’t a dealbreaker. The single bottom-firing speaker produces surprisingly good audio output. It is able to reach a loud volume level without sounding as boxy as its other budget counterparts.
Lava Virat V1 5G Review: Performance and Cameras
At the heart of this phone lies the Unisoc T8200 octa-core processor. It comes in a single 4GB RAM and 64GB storage variant. The good news is that it offers expandable storage up to 1TGB via a microSD card.
We ran a couple of benchmark tests on the device. Here is how it performed.
- AnTuTu 3D Lite: 513,818
- Geekbench 6: 686 (single-core) | 1,715 (multi-core)
As you can probably tell by looking at the benchmark numbers, the Virat V1 is no tireless workhorse. This is something you will have to contend with while buying phones in this price bracket. The good news is that the V1 holds up quite well in daily usage. It handles routine tasks like calling, texting, media streaming, and web browsing without any issues. The overall usage is a bit sluggish, but not to the point that it’s rage-inducing. Casual users looking for a reliable daily driver won’t have any problems with this phone.
You can play first-person shooter games like BGMI and Call of Duty Mobile on this phone, but don’t expect any ordinary stuff. The internal settings of these games limit you to medium graphics due to the nature of the platform. The gameplay is fine for the most part, but lag and frame drops are a bit too common. You can feel the back panel warming up after crossing the 15-minute mark.
Virat V1 5G runs Android 16 out of the box. The software is mostly stock Android with sprinklings of Lava’s custom UI on top of it. The presence of the latter is felt the most in the settings interface. It looks inspired by ColorOS/OxygenOS. The good thing about the software experience is that it doesn’t come with any bloatware. There are good customisation options for the lock screen and home screen. Google Gemini is on digital assistant duty, but sadly the phone does not ship with Circle to Search.
The 6,000mAh battery pack on this phone can last an entire day with ease. If you’re a heavy user who racks up over 5 hours of screen time per day, you will be reaching for your charger in the middle of the day. More conservative users can push the battery life beyond the 1-day mark. The 10W power adapter takes up to 3 hours to fully charge this phone, which is an atrociously slow pace.
The rear camera panel houses a 13MP primary shooter, while the waterdrop notch on the display has a 5MP front-facing camera within it. The rear camera captures good pictures in outdoor lighting conditions. While a lot of budget phones have the tendency to overprocess their images, Lava’s decision to stick with a more natural vibe is admirable. The pictures have a bit of softness to them, but they are usable. In limited lighting conditions, Night Mode takes over to light up the shot, but the results are still pretty grainy.
Portraits taken by the Virat V1 5G are clear, well-focused, and colourful, but the background blur in the shots leaves more to be desired. This isn’t a complaint so much as an observation, as entry-level phones aren’t known for their portrait photography. On the bright side, the 5MP front-facing camera captures clear selfies without messing the subject’s skin tone and texture too much. It can also record 1,080p videos at 30fps. Meanwhile, the main camera can shoot 4K footage at 30fps.
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Verdict
The biggest compliment we can give to Lava Virat V1 5G is that it doesn’t look like an entry-level phone from the back. The design of the plastic back panel is unique without being too gaudy. At a time when tech outfits aren’t able to conjure up something exciting for their budget offerings, the Virat V1 feels like a breath of fresh air.
When it comes to performance, the Unisoc T8200 SoC takes care of daily tasks, but don’t expect it to shine under pressure. You will encounter the odd lag and jitter while multitasking, but that’s something that’s bound to happen on any other entry-level device.
The most underrated aspect of this device is its bloatware-free software. There are a few third-party games hidden away in the ‘Game Centre’ app, but there is no visible bloatware on the main page. The overall software experience is intuitive, clean, and satisfying.
The 6,000mAh battery pack gets you through a day of rough use without demanding to be plugged into a charger midway. The 13MP main camera doesn’t let you down in natural lighting and delivers a solid shot every time. The 5MP selfie camera doesn’t leave any room for big complaints either.
Pros
- Nice design
- Big display
- Good battery life
- No bloatware
Cons
- Lacks Circle to Search
- Slow charging
