Lava Pixel V1 review: Misses the oomph factor!

Detailed review into the spec sheet of Laval Pixel V1- an Android One smartphone.

Last year when Google launched the Android One program in India the plan was a high quality Android smartphone with regular software updates that is not so far being offered by other companies. But seems like that step was not favorable for Google as Chinese companies like Xiaomi and Lenovo proved to be much more popular. So thus the Pixel V1 was born with Google's inputs and pure Google Android software experience. Lets see if this Android One device can be an appealing one to the masses. Read on to find out!



Design - The Lava Pixel V1 sports the regular looks with nothing spectacular. It comes with a combination of metal like finish on the rear and plastic. The corners are rounded with very thin bezels. The V1 is in fact very slim for a phablet. It measures at 8.5 mm and weighs just 135 grams. The rear has a slight curve towards the edges but the front is completely flat except for a raised ridge in front which is used to protect the screen when the phone is lying face down.

Lava Pixel V1

The earpiece, sensor and the front camera are sported on the front. The V1 has the on-screen Android buttons which makes handling the device much easier but even then we feel that you may not be comfortable enough to hold the device single handed. The power and volume buttons are on the right with the Micro-USB port and the 3.5mm audio socket on the top. Therefore the left side and the bottom are completely blank.

Lava Pixel V1 Rear

The rear sports the camera and the LED flash right under it, coming down we can see the Lava logo in the center and an Android One logo right above the speaker grille. Underneath the plastic panel houses in the 2,650mAh battery, SIM card slots and micro SD card slot as well.

Lava Pixel V1 Side View

Display - The display comes with a 5.5 inch IPS screen which is protected with Asahi Dragon Trail glass which is similar to Corning Gorilla Glass. The colors seem accurate and clear with good viewing angles. Though the screen comes with an ideal size for watching movies and playing games the resolution is not much impressive. The screen is not that sharp as well. The Yu Yureka Plus and Lenovo K3 Note has better pixel resolutions even while sporting a 5.5 inch HD screen.

Pixel V1 Width

Viewing under direct sunlight is quite easy as the screen is bright enough even when the phone seems smudgy and reflective. Even after the device receiving an upgrade from the FWVGA(480x854p)IPS display that was seen in the Android One smartphones, it is still not good enough in today's competitive budget smartphone market.

Software and Performance - The device runs on Android Lollipop 5.1 just like how it was to the previous Android One phones. So as per the Android One functionality the Pixel V1 will be receiving updates from Google directly which also means that they will be one of the first devices to receive the software update. The device comes with two preloaded apps -FlipKart and Myntra, both of which cannot be uninstalled.

Google Android One

In terms of hardware the V1 packs a 1.3GHz quad-core Mediatek MT6582 processor backed by 2GB RAM. We wished that Google had used a newer chipset. The internal storage comes up to 32 GB and an external memory of 32 GB can be availed using micro SD card.

Lava Pixel V1 With 32gb Rom

On the performance front there are no major lag while we are navigating through the phone's menu and even switching between apps. The video gaming experience is thrilling with the huge screen and the powerful processor. No major sluggishness or heating issues were encountered.

The device offers Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS connectivity options. An important feature which is lacking is 4G connectivity, which is now available in all major smartphones. here's an ambient light sensor and a proximity sensor
The call quality was found good with good signal reception. The V1 also comes equipped with an FM Radio as well.


Camera - A lot has been talked about the camera of V1. The phone sporta a 13 MP rear camera with f/2.0 aperture. As far as the image quality is considered the camera is good but the issue comes when you are trying to zero in on a focus especially when the subject is moving. You will miss many shots during this focusing process.

Laval Pixel V1 With 13mp Rear Camera

Since the default camera app is the Google camera it does not feature a lot of options. The user dont have much control on aspects such as exposure, sharpness and contrast. A software update should do the trick to improve the shutter speed, but then again Google's camera app has been slow for a couple of years. It still hasn't figured out a way of overcoming this problem, which is sad and the Pixel V1 is struggling because of this issue.

The shutter speed is normal when the lighting is bright the white balance seems to go haywire resulting in unreal image colors. While in the low light mode the images are not clear as well.
The 5 MP selfie camera helps you to take decent selfies when the light is at its best. The problem of focus is seen on the front camera as well. You can record videos at 1080p but the quality of the videos are nothing exceptional.

Lava Pixel V1 Camera

Battery - The phone is powered by a 2,600mAh battery that will provide you with power enough for a day. About 2-3 hours of talk time and 3-4 hours of video-playing is possible with this battery capacity. However the count may vary depending on individual usage patterns.

Pixel V1 With 5 5 Inch Screen

Key Features


Display - 5.5 inches screen size with 720p resolution,
Processor - 1.3GHz Qualcomm quad-core CPU with 2 GB RAM,
Storage - 32 GB internal memory, expandable upto more 32GB with micro sd card,
OS - Android Lollipop 5.1
SIM - Dual Sim with Dual Stand by,
Camera - 8 MP Auto Focus rear facing camera with LED Flash, and 5 MP of front facing camera,
Connectivity - 3G, WIFI, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, USB OTG,
Battery2650mAh Battery

Verdict



The Lava Pixel V1 is a solid phone sporting a conventional build and design with which Google has attempted to revolutionize the budget smartphone world. The Android One status is definitely the highlight as the device will be the first among the others to receive a software update.

The absence of 4G might be a deal-breaker for some. The camera quality is not up to the mark and the hardware housed in is not just enough to spice up some competition.Priced at Rs. 11,350 the device falls short of the Lenovo K3 Note which comes with a price tag of Rs. 9,999 and offers greater specs in contrast to the V1.

But we must definitely say that the Pixel V1 is certainly an improvement for Google's Android One devices.
Written by .
Last updated on 13-08-2015. Published on 13-08-2015.
Published by Mobiles4Sale in category Reviews


Latest Comments

It's a Amazing phone nd Approves that it never Hang...
As we know that It comes with Android one.....
Android one is a family of up to date high quality smart phone's!!!!!!!!!!
ThankeW Lava nD GoogLE
By Varun Singh on 14-08-2015

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