ET Review: Lava Iris 504Q

NEW DELHI: Lava's new mid-range quad core offering aims to stand out from the crowd with gesture controls. The gestures let you perform a few functions in select apps — you can take a photo, move to the next picture in gallery or change the the music track.

All this is done by waving your hand over the display — the front camera recognises the movement and performs the relevant function. We found it to be a fun, one time gimmick. Thanks to the matte rubber finish on the rear, the smartphone offers a good grip and is not prone to scratches or smudges. The slim 8mm profile of the phone makes it easy to hold and carry too.

The 5-inch display is bright, offers great touch response and great viewing angles as well. The 1280x720 resolution shows sharp details and is great for reading or watching videos. Hardware is same as other quadcore powered mid-range smartphones. A 1.2Ghz Mediatek quadcore processor, 1GB RAM, 4GB internal storage and 2,000 mAh battery.

Performance is also similar to others — fluid multitasking and no issue running HD videos or heavy games. We did find the loudspeaker volume to be a bit low — it was a bit difficult to hear the caller in speakerphone mode. The still camera performs well with ample light, but when zoomed in 100%, noise is clearly visible.

Video recording quality is above average, but the camera continuously hunts for focus while recording which leads to parts of the video getting blurred. Hopefully Lava can fix this with a software update. Battery backup is OK — about a day on full charge. We would recommend the slightly cheaper Zen Ultrafone 701HD. It has similar features but with better camera and slightly better battery life.

Specifications

1.2Ghz quad core, 1GB RAM, 4GB + microSD, 5-inch touchscreen (1280 x 720 pixels), 8MP rear camera, 2MP front camera, Android 4.2, 2,000mAh battery

Pros: Slim design with matte finish, good quality hardware, great display

Cons: Average camera & battery life, low audio output, gestures are just gimmicks

Also see: Zen Ultrafone 701HD

1.2Ghz quad core, 1GB RAM, 4GB + microSD, 5-inch touchscreen (1280 x 720 pixels), 8MP rear camera, 3.2MP front camera, 2,000mAh battery

Rs 11,999