Few disclaimers. As is usual with most of my articles, this is not an on-point review that methodically discusses all the pros and cons of a smartphone model, starting with unboxing. Instead, there are detours, turnings, and roundabouts. So if you are looking for a practical review, you may want to search elsewhere.
In another dimension, the Narrator is practically apoplectic.
“You cannot start an article by telling people that they can go somewhere else with better options. That’s Marketing 00001. You need to make people come here and make them stay. And why would you insert a completely unrelated image right at the top?”
“I like blue.”
“You like blue?? Who are you? Picasso?”
Also, this is not a paid promotion. I bought this smartphone in January and what follows is my experience while using it.
I had a classic case of ‘choice paralysis’ when I decided to buy my first smartphone. There were so many options and I had no idea which one was good for me. A few smartphone iterations later, I have the process down pat. I have identified few specs that are important to me and I simply expect improvements in those specs.
I have not scanned the latest research papers to determine how long Moore’s law will go on (opinions differ, from ‘it is near the end’ to ‘not yet’). Nevertheless, when I upgrade my smartphone, it is not unreasonable to expect a better processor and better RAM. Since I don’t take selfies and am usually too hungry to photograph my food, I don’t worry about storage capacity; even 128 GB is too much for me. This also frees me from worrying about how many megapixels the front and back cameras have. As a rule, smartphone cameras are always improving.
I watch OTTs and videos on my phone so screen size is an important parameter. This is the reason why I also want an upgrade in the processor speed and RAM. I later discovered that smartphones made for gaming have very similar requirements.
I have spent enough time on Slashdot to witness the heated debates of faithful followers of different operating systems. I like both the iOS and the Android UI for different reasons and use them to complement each other and to get the best of both worlds.
As I tried out different Android smartphones over the years, I finally settled on Samsung. Great hardware and very durable. My last phone was Samsung M31, the only reason I felt the need to upgrade it was that it was not 5G compatible.
With parameters and company fixed, I then go to a website like smartprix.com where you can compare specs of different phones. I put the specs of my current phone in first column and compare them with various potential candidates.
I found the perfect candidate in Samsung Galaxy F54 and was about to buy it when I noticed that it does not have a 3.5 mm headphone jack. This was a dealbreaker for me. I don’t mind using bluetooth when in motion and while doing chores but if I am just sitting down, using bluetooth audio seems like a waste of battery.
So I was back to square one. Nothing to do but wait for the next release of Samsung and hope that they will put in the headphone jack this time.
Then I read about the release of Lava Storm 5G and it intrigued me for various reasons that I will elaborate. On smartprix, it shows a score of 81 vs 89 against Samsung Galaxy F54 but the specs in which F54 is better are those that I don’t worry about – storage space or camera resolution. And Lava Storm scored better in exactly the specs that I am interested in – better screen resolution (2400 x 1200 pixels vs 1080 x 2408 pixels); screen size (6.78 inches vs 6.7 inches); exactly the same processor (2.4 GHz, Octa Core Processor) and yes, it has a 3.5 mm headphone jack! Both phones have Android 13. All this for half the price of F54 made it a really compelling deal.
Lava Storm also has a great feature of selecting additional virtual RAM converted from storage space (4, 6 or 8 GB) that adds to the 8 GB RAM. Ever since the days of using Slackware Linux, I always thought that this was a great feature and I wonder why more smartphone companies are not providing this option. 16 GB RAM in Lava Storm wins hands down over 8 GB RAM in Samsung Galaxy F54. 16 GB RAM combined with a 5G internet connection makes Lava Storm incredibly fast.
I have not yet mentioned the parameter that clinched the deal for me.
India implemented the much needed economic reforms in 1991-92. However, as many an expert have noted, India’s manufacturing sector remained neglected. In 2014, under the visionary leadership of PM Modi Ji, the ‘Make in India‘ initiative was launched, to boost manufacturing in India by enhancing skill development and fostering innovation.
Lava is an Indian brand that designs and manufactures mobile phones in India. It is the first Indian company to set up a dedicated design team within India that allows it complete control on the design and manufacturing processes. Lava is a great example of the success of the ‘Make in India’ initiative. Lava has operations all over the world, including USA, Singapore, Middle East and South America.
Growing up, I was a huge fan of Japanese electronic products, from Canon EOS 7 camera, SONY CD player, to going back to the days of SONY Walkman.
This is the first time in my life that I am using a high-end electronic product that was completely Made in India.
