Lava Agni 3 review: A unique mid-ranger with some trade-offs

tech.hindustantimes.com:

Lava Agni 3 review: Lava Agni 3 made its debut in the mid-range smartphone market with some bold claims and features such as iPhone 16-like Action Control, dual AMOLED display, ad-free software, MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chipset, and more. All these exciting features made me wonder if the smartphone actually lives up to the hype or is a gimmick to attract customers.

Lava is one such Indian brand which has gained much popularity among the youth for budget-friendly smartphone series such as Blaze, AGNI, and others. After using the Blaze series this year, it's my first time testing Lava's mid-range series smartphone and to my surprise, the Lava Agni 3 comes with some big promises. But, does it really live up to the hype? I have been using the Lava Agni 3 for over 2 weeks to examine its key areas and the new addition to the smartphones. While the performance and software were decent, the smartphone lacked camera quality. Check out the in-depth review to know more about Lava Agni 3.

If we look at the design, the Lava Agni 3 has undergone major design changes. The smartphone features a glass back which gives it a premium look, but it is very similar to Lava's budget smartphone, the Blaze X. On the rear panel, it features a rectangle-shaped camera island that also features a 1.74-inch display, making it unique from the competitors. However, in my opinion, the design is quite average and the dual display concept is not new as we have also seen it in Xiaomi 11 Ultra.

While the looks are decent, the smartphone is quite bulky to my taste, but it is quite strong and sturdy. The Agni 3 has received an IP64 rating for dust and water resistance, however, the smartphone compromises on display protection, which could affect buyers' decisions, since several competitor devices.

One of the major highlights of Agni 3 is the iPhone 16-like Action Key which can be customised to access camera, flash, silent mode, and other functions. The key works as a shortcut to reduce the hassle of accessing