Lava Z10

Launched in 2017, the Lava Z10 is the predecessor to the Lava Z25 as the former comes with a right combination of design and performance at a much lesser price range. The Z10 comes with a 5-inch HD, 2.5D Curved Color IPS screen with 720 x 1280 resolution and capacitive multi-touch. It also hosts a set of front and rear cameras (5MP+8MP) with Flash LED for low light photography. Like Lava’s other models, this device is also powered by a quad-core MediaTek processor with 2GB RAM and 16GB internal storage which can be expanded up to 128GB. The Z10 is run on Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) and has a battery capacity of 2,620mAh that features better battery longevity.

This device also supports multiple connectivity options like 4G, WiFi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS and a micro USB 2.0 port. However, missing out on a fast fingerprint sensor which is present in the Lava Z25 – this phone might feel a bit overpriced. 

When it comes to hardware, the Lava Z10 secures few good points on its sleek design, metal body and good-to-hold features having the dimensions of 143.2x71x8.4 mm and weighing 148 grams. Then again, the on-screen buttons and the bezels below the display has been left out entirely that feels more like a lack of proper utilization of space. On the top, this phone has a 3.5mm audio jack, and on the right, the power button and volume keys hold the line. At the bottom, there’s the MicroUSB port, primary microphone and a small opening to help you remove the back cover.

Though the design doesn’t look appealing in front of the pearl notched, bezel-less designs of the much recent smartphones by Samsung, Xiaomi, Realme, Oppo – it is still a vast improvement than the previous Lava phones.

Sporting a 5-inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen with 16M colours and multi-touch capacitive display with 1280 x 720p resolution and 294ppi, the Z10 has a warm colour saturation making games and video experiences enjoyable. However, this phone struggles with the display when you move out in the sun and put the maximum brightness on the screen.

The MediaTek MT6735 64-bit Quad Core processor with 1.3GHz and Mali-T720 GPU may not be as quick as the Snapdragon but is snappy when it comes to everyday usage including multi-tasking between apps and games. The 2GB RAM and expandable 16GB internal storage do a pretty decent job of making things lag-free unless you’re using some graphics-rich 3D games or video making apps which may seem somewhat challenging to work on this device.

With an 8MP rear and 5MP front cameras along with accompanying LED Flash, having 1.4 um pixel size, f/2.0 aperture the Largan lens yields decent images. The neat UI and multiple cameras function like Bokeh, Filter, GIF mode, Panorama, etc. this camera can shoot good HDR shots. However, as it lacks several high-end sensors and high-resolution, the selfies are acceptable, and rear camera images lapped with noise and grains. The photos shoot fine in the daytime and the indoors, but in the low-light, the images lack focus and clarity.

The Z10 has a battery capacity of 2650mAh Li-ion and is removable which lasts like 10 hours for 4G calls, internet, watching videos, etc. However, this device provides the Power Saving and Superpower saving mode with predefined features like reduction in screen brightness, sleep time to make the CPU not getting worked up. For a full-charge expect a straight 2 hours charging time. So, no fast charging at all!

The Lava Z10 has been an overall good attempt by Lava to produce premium smartphones and is even passable when it comes to the look and feel. However, there needs to be more sophistication in software, UI and cameras to qualify for the price range. Especially when the flagship brands like Xiaomi, Realme, Samsung, etc. provide multiple times better design and performance at the same price range. The Z10 can be a good purchase for a not-so-avid smartphone user.