Lava, a homegrown Indian brand, is gearing up to launch the O2, a new smartphone targeted towards the budget-conscious consumer. While the official launch date remains undisclosed, leaks and an Amazon listing have revealed most of the phone’s specifications, painting a picture of a decent offering in the affordable segment.
Design and Display
The Lava O2 boasts a modern design with a glossy AG glass back, available in at least two color options: green and majestic purple. The leaked images showcase a clean look with a rear camera module on the top left corner housing a dual-camera system and an LED flash. A fingerprint sensor is integrated on the side for secure unlocking, while the bottom features a USB Type-C charging port and a speaker grille.
The front of the phone features a 6.5-inch display with a punch-hole cutout for the selfie camera. The display offers an HD+ resolution (1600 x 720 pixels) and a 90Hz refresh rate. While a higher resolution would have been ideal, the 90Hz refresh rate ensures smoother scrolling and animations compared to standard 60Hz displays.
Performance and Software
Under the hood, the Lava O2 is powered by a Unisoc T616 octa-core processor. This chipset is a mid-range offering that should provide sufficient performance for everyday tasks, light gaming, and social media usage. It’s paired with 8GB of LPDDR4x RAM, which can be virtually expanded by an additional 8GB for a total of 16GB. Storage-wise, the phone comes with 128GB of UFS 2.2 storage, which offers faster read and write speeds compared to older eMMC storage.
On the software side, the Lava O2 is a bit of a surprise. It runs on stock Android 13, the latest version of Google’s operating system. This is a welcome change, as some budget phones tend to ship with outdated versions of Android. Stock Android provides a clean and bloatware-free experience, and users will benefit from the latest security updates and features.
Camera
The camera department of the Lava O2 is fairly basic. The rear setup features a 50-megapixel primary sensor likely accompanied by a secondary sensor for depth effects. Details about the secondary sensor are unknown at this time. The front-facing camera for selfies is an 8-megapixel sensor. While low-light photography might be a challenge, the 50MP main sensor should capture decent images in good lighting conditions.
Battery and Connectivity
The Lava O2 packs a 5,000mAh battery, a staple in the budget smartphone segment. This capacity should provide a full day’s worth of usage on a single charge for most users. The phone supports 18W fast charging, which is decent but not the fastest compared to some competitors offering higher wattage chargers.
In terms of connectivity, the Lava O2 covers the essentials. It supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and has a 3.5mm headphone jack, a welcome feature for audiophiles who prefer wired headphones.
