Lava Shark 5G Review: A Budget Phone Made to Offer Convenience & Functionality

In the smartphone space, the only Indian brand that is most active nowadays is Lava. Homegrown Brand Lava has been actively targeting the budget segment in the country with a flurry of devices launching every few weeks. The brand has introduced the Lava Bold N1 series, Lava Shark 5G, and Lava Storm Play lineup in the last few weeks, and all these are super-affordable devices, priced under ₹ 10,000 or around it.

Honestly, I believe that regardless of the advancements in technology and the introduction of premium foldables or tri-foldable, there exists a significant portion of consumers in India who are either eager to enter the smartphone market or wish to upgrade their old, functional devices with new ones, all while adhering to a budget of 10k. Therefore, this market segment requires reliable smartphones that fulfill their requirements, and Lava’s products assert that they can meet these expectations.

In this review, we will focus on the Lava Shark 5G, which is touted as one of the most budget-friendly smartphones providing 5G connectivity. On paper, it features specifications such as a 6.75-inch 90Hz display, an octa-core processor, a 5000mAh battery, and more. However, let’s explore how it performs in real-world usage.

Lava Shark 5G Review: Design and Build

The Lava Shark 5G features a minimalist design, avoiding any flashy elements. It lacks curved glass, ornate frames, or colorful lighting. Instead, the company presents a clean and practical design with a glossy back that provides a secure grip. Available in stellar gold and stellar blue, I received the gold version, which looked appealing. However, I encountered a problem when removing the IMEI sticker from the back; it left a sticky residue that required a drop of ethanol to clean off.

The rear panel features a squircle-shaped camera module positioned in the top left corner, which contains two vertically aligned camera rings that slightly protrude. Additionally, there is a standard LED flash encased within a subtle glittery ring that may appear out of place to some users. At the bottom, the Lava branding is displayed.

The device is constructed from plastic and has a weight of 200 grams, with a thickness of 8.2mm, which can make it feel bulky when held for extended periods. Furthermore, the glossy back panel tends to attract smudges easily in the humid climate of India. Therefore, it is advisable to use the TPU case included in the box to maintain its cleanliness.

The device features a 6.75-inch display with prominent bezels, a common characteristic for smartphones in the sub-10k price range. Additionally, it has an IP54 rating, providing protection against water splashes, which adds a layer of reassurance. In terms of functionality, it includes-

• Right edge- volume rocker, power button
• Left Edge- SIM tray
• Bottom edge- USB Type-C port, 3.5mm headphone jack, speaker
• Top edge- idle

Lava Shark 5G Review: Display

The Lava Shark 5G features a 6.75-inch IPS LCD screen that includes a U-shaped notch for the front-facing camera, offering HD+ resolution and a brightness level of 600 nits. It is capable of supporting a refresh rate of up to 90Hz.

The IPS LCD panel provides vivid visuals that are both detailed and sufficiently sharp, though it does not reach the quality of AMOLED displays. Nevertheless, color accuracy does decrease when viewed from specific angles, which is a slight trade-off considering the price point. The elongated 20:9 aspect ratio enhances the experience for vertical content consumption. Additionally, it comes with Widevine L3 certification, allowing for a maximum playback resolution of SD 480P.

Regarding refresh rate, you have the choice of Standard, Dynamic, and High settings, and I selected the ‘High’ mode. Even though I chose the High option, it did drop to 60Hz when using different applications, yet the scrolling experience was more fluid compared to many of its rivals. Although it did experience some lags occasionally, this can be overlooked if you’re willing to spend just INR 7999.

When discussing brightness, it performs satisfactorily indoors, providing a pleasant experience; however, it significantly struggles outdoors in direct sunlight. In overcast conditions, it performs reasonably well, but once the sun shines, the screen becomes unreadable. Additionally, it would have been advantageous if the device had supported HD playback on streaming services.

All in all, the display is a mixed bag that has its share of pros and cons.

Lava Shark 5G Review: Speakers and Haptics

The audio system features a single bottom-firing speaker that can reach a satisfactory volume. However, when the volume exceeds 60%, the sound begins to crackle and distort. Additionally, there is a 3.5mm headphone jack available for users who prefer wired headphones.

Regarding haptics, the Lava Shark 5G lacks a high-end vibration or haptic motor, offering only basic and functional haptic feedback suitable for alerts and keyboard taps. The haptic sensations are more audible than tangible, which is acceptable for a smartphone priced below 10,000.

Lava Shark 5G Review: Software

Lava Shark 5G operates on Android 15 right from the start, featuring the company’s proprietary custom skin. While the software provides limited customization options, the standout feature is its clean user interface, which is nearly free of bloatware and advertisements. Lava has not included a plethora of unnecessary applications, instead opting for 30 essential ones such as YT Music, YouTube, Gemini, Lava Care, FM Radio, and Google Calendar. This is noteworthy, considering that many smartphones in this category typically come with approximately 40 pre-installed applications that occupy storage space.

While the Shark 5G is an affordable smartphone, Lava has ensured that users receive the full Android 15 experience rather than the GO version. The company has committed to providing quarterly security updates for the next two years, and even at this price point, it includes some AI features such as Object Eraser and Google Gemini, which are beneficial. The main drawback is the lack of information regarding the number of OS updates it will receive. Otherwise, the user interface is clean, intuitive, and user-friendly.

Lava Shark 5G Review: Biometrics

Like its rivals, the Lava Shark 5G provides two primary biometric features. One is a side-mounted fingerprint sensor that is built into the power button on the right edge, which proved to be quite responsive and conveniently located.

The second option is 2D Face Unlock, utilizing the 5MP front-facing camera. This feature performed quickly under normal lighting but may not be dependable in high-security scenarios. Additionally, users have the option to establish a pattern, PIN, or password for device protection.

Lava Shark 5G Review: Performance

Performance is a crucial factor in any smartphone, regardless of whether it is a budget model or a flagship device. The Lava Shark 5G is powered by an octa-core Unisoc T765 chipset, coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, which can be expanded to 512GB. Although it utilizes a budget processor, it offers 5G connectivity and supports sub-6GHz bands that are compatible with major networks such as Airtel, Vi, and Jio. Additionally, it features connectivity options like dual-band WiFi and Bluetooth.

Now, let’s discuss real-world performance. Everyday tasks such as browsing, scrolling through social media, utilizing GPS navigation, and composing emails can be executed smoothly. However, issues arose when I attempted to multitask and switch between applications. The transition between apps frequently exhibited delays, resulting in stuttering, although it still provides a slightly improved experience compared to several of its rivals.

When it comes to gaming, it is expected that the Shark 5G is not designed for demanding games such as BGMI, COD, Asphalt 9, Real Racing 3, and others. I attempted to play some of these titles at lower graphics and frame rate settings, but lag began to occur after about 10 minutes of gameplay. The thermal performance was commendable, as the device did not overheat significantly even when the CPU was throttled or during gaming sessions.

However, the presence of crashes and inconsistent frame rates suggests that this device is not intended for serious gamers. On the other hand, if you are a casual gamer like myself who enjoys lighter games such as Township, Goods Sort, Tile Match, Supermarket Mania, Ludo, and Solitaire for leisure, you should not encounter any issues with this device.

Lava Shark 5G Review: Cameras

The camera is certainly not a standout feature of the Lava Shark 5G. It features a dual-lens configuration on the rear, which includes a 13MP primary sensor along with a secondary auxiliary sensor, and a 5MP front-facing sensor. The camera application is very user-friendly, offering modes such as Portrait, Pro, Night, Panorama, and Slow Motion for users to explore. Additionally, the device is capable of recording 4K videos at 30fps. While the specifications appear impressive on paper, do they actually deliver in real-world usage? Let’s seek to address this question.

Daylight photography

The 13MP primary camera delivers bright, clear, and vibrant images in daylight. The photos are also detailed, although the colors and dynamic range are merely average. The shutter speeds are fast, and the captured images possess a level of sharpness that is uncommon in this price range. While there is no in-sensor zoom feature, you can manually zoom in on any specific object up to 4x. However, this results in a decrease in photo quality.

Portrait

The portrait mode utilizes the same color science as the primary camera, resulting in occasional overexposure of photos, which diminishes detail and causes colors to appear washed out. Additionally, the background separation is not particularly precise; however, if you are looking for simple images to share on social media, the photos captured in daylight can be utilized.

Lowlight

I had minimal expectations regarding the cameras of the Lava Shark 5G in this area, and honestly, I wasn’t surprised when the low-light images turned out to be quite ordinary. There is a specific night mode that does enhance the photos slightly, but these images require a longer capture time due to a decrease in shutter speed. The pictures taken in low-light situations lack detail and exhibit noise, along with exaggerated colors. Further clarity will be provided by the camera samples below.

Selfie

The 5MP selfie camera performs adequately, providing a good level of detail and accurately capturing skin tones both outdoors and indoors. The selfies are clear, with the focus centered on the subject within the frame. The smile sensor feature enables hands-free selfies; simply smile broadly, and the camera will automatically take the picture. The dynamic range of selfies produced by the Lava Shark surpasses that of many competitors.

With the Magic Eraser tool, users can remove or conceal unwanted elements, although the results may not be as polished as one might hope.

Lava could have done a little better in the camera department.

Lava Shark 5G Review: Battery Life and Charging

The Lava Shark 5G is equipped with a standard 5000mAh battery, which has become commonplace in over 90% of smartphones today, regardless of whether they are budget-friendly or high-end. This 5000mAh battery comfortably lasts for a day and a half with moderate use, which includes taking photos, watching YouTube videos, viewing reels, listening to music, making calls, sending messages, reading articles, and playing casual games.

On lighter usage days, it even managed to last up to 2 days without requiring a charge. However, during sessions of playing more demanding games and conducting benchmark tests for several hours, it needed to be recharged after approximately 10-11 hours of use, which I found to be satisfactory.

Regarding charging, the package includes a 10W adapter that requires nearly 3 hours to fully charge the battery from 0% to 100%. Consequently, if you need to charge it to just 50%, you will still need to connect it for a minimum of 1.5 hours. In today’s world of 80W, 120W, and 150W charging speeds, this duration seems excessive; however, one cannot expect every feature to be exceptional in an 8K device. Most smartphones within this price bracket provide charging speeds ranging from 10W to 20W.

Review Verdict: Should You Buy the Lava Shark 5G?

The Lava Shark 5G is available for only Rs. 7999, making it suitable for a budget of 10k. It is offered in a single configuration for storage and RAM, but it includes a microSD card slot that allows for storage expansion up to 512GB. This budget-friendly smartphone provides a clean user interface experience, features a 5000mAh battery, operates on a 90Hz display, and includes a 3.5mm headphone jack. However, there are some compromises, which are to be expected.

These compromises consist of insufficient display brightness, a bulky design, slow charging capabilities, and subpar camera and gaming performance. The standout feature is the addition of 5G connectivity in a device priced at just around 8k.

Overall, the Lava Shark 5G is a competent entry-level smartphone designed to meet the demands of high-speed connectivity while providing dependable performance for daily use.

Smartprix ⭐ Rating: 7.5/10

• Design and Build: 8/10
• Display: 7/10
• Speakers: 7/10
• Software: 8/10
• Haptics: 7/10
• Biometrics: 7/10
• Performance: 8/10
• Cameras: 7/10
• Battery Life & Charging: 8/10

First reviewed in July 2025.

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