Lava Iris X5 review – It is using Broadcom 1.2GHz quad core processor

Lava Mobiles new smartphone the Iris X5 is powered by quad core processor. It is priced slightly higher than the X1 at approx Rs. 8,500. This is a dual SIM handset powered by 1.2GHz Broadcom quad core processor. Is it better than the X1? Read the full review.

Box Pack
Inside the box you will get the X5, travel charger, data cable, screen guard, earphone, battery of 2100 mAh capacity, user manual and a good quality (artificial leather) flip cover.

Design and Display
Both the X1 and the X5 are using the same hardware with some minor changes in the specifications. Look wise the X5 is much better and it is slimmer too. The Iris X5 weight with battery is 134 grams and dimensions are 71.43 x 143.91 x 7.68 mm.

Build quality and finishing is very good. The back panel is with a matte finish and covers up 85% of the handset. Looks great, and gives a more premium feel when you are using it with the flip cover. The flip cover is magnetic – it will switch on the screen when you open the flip and will switch off the screen when the flip is closed.

Micro USB port and 3.5mm audio jack are placed on the top, power button is on the right and volume rockers on the left. There are dual Mics for noise cancellation.

The X5 comes with a bigger screen of 5 inches supporting better resolution i.e. 1280 x 720 pixels. Viewing angles are good and touch is smooth and responsive. There are 3 sensors light, accelerometer and proximity. There is LED notification too.

Memory, storage and OS
The handset runs on Android 4.4.2 with 1GB RAM and 8GB storage along with 32GB external card support. Of the 1GB RAM free RAM on the first boot is 604MB and of the 8GB storage 3.54GB is allocated for apps and there is phone storage space of 2.49GB. You can install apps on external storage. OTG is supported.

Performance and Benchmark
As mentioned the X5 is also using the Broadcom 1.2GHz quad core processor coupled with VideoCore IV HW GPU. Performance is not that smooth, you will experience mild lag at times. The 5 inch screen and the 720p resolution has its toll on the performance.

Benchmark scores

 Camera and Entertainment
There is 8MP rear camera with dual LED flash and 5MP front camera with single LED flash. The front camera is very good for selfies but the flash is not that effective, it throws too much light on the subject. Rear camera is good and so is the video recording. You can record videos in 720p resolution. Check the sample images and videos at the end of this review.

This handset can play FHD videos.

Gaming
I played Modern Combat 4 and Asphalt 8 Games. The MC4 though playable (minor lag) had some graphical issues. The Asphalt 8 was playable in medium graphics mode. Both games got installed on the external storage.

Others
No issues with sound (Speaker / In call), it is clear and loud. 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth worked well. It is a dual SIM handset you need normal SIM with 3G support and micro SIM with 2G support.

Battery
The X5 comes with 2100 mAh battery that gives very good performance.

You can expect battery backup of 4 to 5 hours with heavy usage.

Verdict
The Iris X1 (4.5 inch screen with FWVGA resolution) was much better in terms of overall performance. Lava X5 comes with 5 inch 720p screen and 2100 mAh battery as compared to 1800 on the X1.

The hardware is the same and because of bigger screen size and better resolution the performance has dropped. The handset lags and you can clearly feel it most of the time. The front camera is good but the flash not that effective. Overall if you are not into heavy gaming then you can definitely think about the X5, battery performance is pretty good.

Lava Iris X5 is available for under Rs. 8,600.

Lava Iris X5 Image Gallery