The Lava Agni series has carved out a reputation as the brand's premium offering in the mid-range smartphone segment. Designed to challenge Chinese competitors like Xiaomi, Realme, Oppo, and Vivo, the Agni series aims to carve out its own identity in a highly competitive segment. After the success of the Agni 1 and Agni 2, the spotlight now turns to the Lava Agni 3 to prove its worth. Packed with unique features like an Action button and a secondary display, the Agni 3 5G introduces innovations that set it apart from the competition.
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Lava Agni 3 Design
The design of the Lava Agni 3 5G stands out in its price segment, offering a touch of uniqueness. The Lava Agni 3 5G is available in two striking color variants: Pristine Glass and Heather Glass. These options reflect the device's focus on elegance and modernity, catering to users seeking a sophisticated design alongside performance. For this review, I used the Heather Glass variant, which delivers a premium feel. The rich purple matte finish exudes elegance while effectively masking fingerprints and smudges.
A large camera module dominates the upper half of the rear panel, housing the camera sensors and a secondary AMOLED display. The right side features a power button and a new Action Key that can be customized for various functions like single-click, double-click, or long-press actions. Volume rockers are also positioned on the right, while the top has a speaker grille. At the bottom, you'll find another speaker grille, a USB Type-C port, and the SIM tray.
The Agni 3’s Action Key offers customizable shortcuts for tasks like taking screenshots, activating the flashlight, triggering SOS, starting recordings, and switching between silent and ring modes.
These functions can be mapped to a single click, double click, or long press, making the device more user-friendly by enabling quick access to essential features. It would be exciting to see other OEMs integrate a similar action button into their designs.
Lava Agni 3 Display
On the front, the phone sports a curved AMOLED display with a punch-hole design and slim bezels. The 6.78-inch screen offers 1.5K resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and peak brightness of 1,200 nits. The display is sharp, vibrant, and sufficiently bright for outdoor use.
A highlight of the device is its 1.74-inch AMOLED secondary display, a unique feature rarely seen in the Indian smartphone market. Branded as the "Instascreen," it provides a variety of functions: acting as a rear camera viewfinder, displaying notifications, controlling music playback, tracking steps and calories, recording voice notes, and more. It even includes a cute animated character called Firey, which adds a playful touch with its fun animations.
While the InstaScreen allows users to apply filters, they need to switch to the primary 6.78-inch display to view the results, highlighting a significant limitation of the feature. Unlike flip or foldable smartphones, the Agni 3 lacks a continuity feature that would enable seamless transitions between screens, forcing users to unlock the device and manually access the gallery or photos app to view images—a process that can sometimes feel inconvenient. Additionally, the primary lock screen settings do not extend to the secondary screen, which has its own separate lock mechanism, further detracting from the overall user experience.
However, locking the secondary screen is generally unnecessary since it primarily provides at-a-glance information. This includes notifications, which require switching to the main display for interaction, as well as call and charging alerts. Lava has also introduced an animated virtual assistant named 'Firey,' a playful virtual puppy that performs a few actions on the secondary screen. Unfortunately, its capabilities are limited—you cannot interact with it or modify its actions.
At present, the secondary screen feels somewhat underutilized. If Lava expands its functionality by introducing additional widgets, continuity features, and enhanced interactivity for Firey, it could significantly elevate the smartphone's appeal and redefine its utility.
Lava Agni 3 Performance, Battery
The Lava Agni 3 is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7300X SoC, tailored for dual-screen smartphones. While its core specifications are similar to the standard Dimensity 7300, this chipset enables the unique functionality of the device's secondary display. The phone is available in two configurations: 8GB RAM + 128GB storage and 8GB RAM + 256GB storage. Although the RAM can be expanded virtually by up to 8GB using the internal storage, there is no option for external storage as the device lacks a microSD card slot.
In benchmark evaluations, the Lava Agni 3 holds its own against other smartphones powered by the Dimensity 7300 chipset. It scored 681,465 on AnTuTu, while its Geekbench results showed 1,041 for single-core and 3,239 for multi-core performance. In the Burnout CPU Throttle test, the phone maintained 74.6% of its peak performance, showcasing decent thermal management. These results aren't the best in the segment but are respectable for its price.
In day-to-day use, the Lava Agni 3 handles tasks smoothly, without any lag, freezes, or app crashes. It also manages graphically intensive games effectively. When playing BGMI on HDR graphics with an Ultra frame rate, the device maintained an average frame rate of 36.12 FPS and a temperature rise of 7.9°C after 30 minutes. With Call of Duty: Mobile, the performance was better, achieving 54.6 FPS at high graphics and max frame rate settings. Real Racing 3 demonstrated excellent optimization, delivering a consistent frame rate of 107.55 FPS with a temperature increase of 5.6°C after half an hour. The phone’s efficient thermal management ensures reliable performance across tasks and games.
In terms of software, the Lava Agni 3 comes pre-installed with Android 14. The interface is close to stock Android, with 31 pre-installed apps from Google and Lava. Importantly, there are no third-party apps or intrusive ads, making the user experience clean and straightforward. Lava has committed to three years of major software updates and four years of security patches, ensuring longevity for the device.
The Lava Agni 3 features a robust 5,000mAh battery paired with a 66W fast charging capability. The box includes a compatible charger that can power the device from 20% to 100% in approximately 43 minutes. On the PCMark battery test, the phone delivered an impressive 10 hours and 20 minutes of screen-on time, with 20% battery still remaining. During a 30-minute video streaming test, it used only 4% of the battery, showcasing its efficiency in everyday usage.
When it comes to gaming, the battery drained by 21% after a combined 30 minutes of BGMI, Call of Duty, and Real Racing 3, which is slightly more than some competing devices. While the gaming performance is solid, the slightly higher battery consumption may be a consideration for gamers who prioritize extended sessions. Overall, the Agni 3’s battery performance balances fast charging and endurance, making it a reliable choice for diverse use cases.
Lava Agni 3 Camera
The Lava Agni 3 features a triple-camera setup, comprising a 50MP primary sensor, an 8MP ultrawide lens, and an 8MP telephoto lens. While the first two are standard in this price segment, the inclusion of a telephoto lens is a standout addition, offering 3x optical zoom and 30x digital zoom. In well-lit conditions, the telephoto lens delivers acceptable results with reasonably accurate colors but struggles with finer details, shadow preservation, and highlight balance. These limitations are consistent across the camera system.
For a clearer perspective, the Lava Agni 3's camera performance was compared to key rivals: the Realme P2 Pro, Nothing Phone (2a), and Motorola Edge 50 Fusion. Interestingly, the Lava Agni 3 offers a 16MP front-facing camera, and thanks to its secondary display, users can also utilize the rear cameras for selfies.
Primary Camera Performance
The primary camera on the Lava Agni 3 falls short in sharpness and clarity when compared to its competitors. While its color saturation is on par with the Realme P2 Pro, the latter excels with sharper details and a broader dynamic range. The Motorola Edge 50 Fusion, however, leads the pack, producing vibrant but oversaturated images that are ideal for social media. By contrast, the Nothing Phone (2a) delivers a more balanced color output with less oversaturation.
Ultrawide Lens Performance
The ultrawide camera's output on the Lava Agni 3 is underwhelming, offering accurate color science but lacking fine details. Unlike competitors that often have edge distortion, the Agni 3 shows noticeable warping across the entire frame, detracting from overall image quality. The Nothing Phone (2a) stands out with superior detail and sharpness in landscapes, while the Motorola Edge 50 Fusion delivers eye-catching photos with enhanced colors, appealing to users who prefer vivid imagery.
Portrait Mode
Portrait shots on the Lava Agni 3 reveal issues with edge detection, as subjects often exhibit warping around their edges. The Realme P2 Pro performs significantly better, avoiding the oversaturated tones of the Motorola Edge 50 Fusion and the excessive smoothing seen in the Lava Agni 3 and Nothing Phone (2a). Its near-accurate skin tone reproduction ensures more natural-looking portraits.
Front Camera Performance
The 16MP front camera on the Lava Agni 3 often overexposes shots, especially in bright conditions, causing parts of the face to appear washed out. Competitors like the Nothing Phone (2a) manage lighting more effectively, delivering superior detail and realistic skin tones. For those seeking vibrant selfies with slight oversaturation, the Motorola Edge 50 Fusion is a better option.
Low-Light Photography
In low-light conditions, the Lava Agni 3 uses long-exposure settings by default, keeping the shutter open longer to gather more light. While this results in brighter images, they often appear grainy compared to its competitors. The Realme P2 Pro outshines others in controlling light flare and delivering realistic nighttime shots. The Motorola Edge 50 Fusion and Nothing Phone (2a) also perform better, with more balanced brightness and detail. Though the Agni 3 produces brighter low-light images, its higher noise levels detract from the overall quality.
While the Lava Agni 3 introduces a telephoto lens that sets it apart in this segment, its overall camera performance leaves room for improvement. Competitors like the Realme P2 Pro and Motorola Edge 50 Fusion not only provide better results in various conditions but also offer superior consistency. For those prioritizing photography, the Lava Agni 3 struggles to justify itself against the competition.
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Final Thoughts on Lava Agni 3
The Lava Agni 3 starts at ₹20,999 for the base model with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage, in this variant charger. include. The price goes up to ₹22,999. The top-tier variant, offering 8GB RAM and 256GB storage, is priced at ₹24,999. At these price points, competitors like the Realme P2 Pro, Motorola Edge 50 Fusion, and Nothing Phone (2a) provide superior camera performance. The Nothing Phone (2a) caters well to power users, while the Motorola Edge 50 Fusion stands out for photography enthusiasts.
However, the Lava Agni 3 carves its own niche with standout features like the InstaScreen secondary display and a customisable Action Key, which improve functionality and set it apart in the segment. Coupled with a clean, bloat-free UI and reliable everyday performance, the Agni 3 presents a strong case for users seeking innovation and practicality.
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