Lava Agni 4 Review: Best Budget Gaming Phone Under Rs. 25,000?

The Lava Agni 4 launches on November 20, 2025, with an aggressive Rs. 24,990 price tag, positioning itself as India's most compelling budget performance smartphone that challenges established Chinese brands. This comprehensive review targets value-conscious buyers, mobile gamers on a budget, and anyone curious if an Indian smartphone manufacturer can truly deliver flagship-level features at nearly half the flagship price.

We'll thoroughly examine the phone's massive 7,000mAh battery endurance that promises multi-day usage without compromises. You'll discover detailed insights into the MediaTek Dimensity 8350 chipset performance, including real-world gaming benchmarks, multitasking efficiency, and thermal management. Finally, we'll analyze the camera system's capabilities across various shooting scenarios and determine whether the Lava Agni 4 represents the best value proposition in the Rs. 20,000-25,000 segment or if competing options deliver better bang for your buck.

Design and Build Quality Excellence

Close-up of Lava Agni 4 smartphone's rear camera module and metal frame with launch date November 20, 2025*

Premium Metal Construction and Durability

The Lava Agni 4 marks a significant departure from the typical plastic-heavy budget phones with its premium aluminum middle frame construction. Lava has elevated build quality to compete directly with phones costing Rs. 10,000 more, incorporating aerospace-grade aluminum that provides exceptional structural rigidity while maintaining a comfortable weight of 212 grams.​

The phone features IP64 rating for splash and dust resistance, representing practical protection against everyday hazards like rain exposure and accidental spills. While not matching the IP68 standard of premium flagships, this certification ensures the device survives real-world conditions that typically damage budget smartphones.​

Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protects the front display from scratches and minor drops, delivering peace of mind for users who don't immediately apply screen protectors. The back panel features a metal finish that resists fingerprints far better than glossy glass alternatives common in this price segment.​

Ergonomic Design and Handling Comfort

The Agni 4 measures 163.7mm in height with a width of 75.53mm and thickness of 8.8mm, striking a careful balance between screen real estate and single-handed usability. The phone's weight distribution feels neutral, preventing the top-heavy sensation that makes extended usage uncomfortable.​

The side-mounted fingerprint sensor integrates seamlessly into the power button, offering quick unlock speeds while maintaining a clean design aesthetic. Physical button placement follows ergonomic principles with volume rockers positioned for easy thumb reach during one-handed operation.​

Lava has eliminated the secondary rear display that appeared on the Agni 3, streamlining the design and reducing potential points of failure. This decision reflects practical thinking—most users found the secondary display more gimmicky than genuinely useful.​

Pill-Shaped Camera Module Design

The dual-camera system sits within a horizontal pill-shaped module that evokes Google Pixel design language while maintaining distinct Agni branding between the lenses. LED lighting elements partially surround the camera sensors, creating an aesthetic lighting effect that distinguishes the phone from competitors.​

The camera bump protrudes moderately from the back panel but features smooth edges that prevent snagging in pockets. The module's construction feels solid without any wobble or flex, indicating quality assembly standards.​

Color Options and Aesthetic Appeal

Lava offers the Agni 4 in sophisticated color choices including Blue and Grey variants that project professional appeal. The color treatment extends uniformly across the aluminum frame, creating cohesive visual design without jarring transitions between materials.​

The matte finish on all color variants actively reduces fingerprint accumulation, addressing one of the most common complaints about smartphones in daily use. This practical design choice enhances long-term aesthetic maintenance without requiring constant cleaning.​

Display Technology and Visual Performance

Visual Representation of Front view of display of a smartphone*

Screen Specifications and Resolution Capabilities

The Lava Agni 4 sports an impressive 6.78-inch AMOLED flat display with 1200 x 2652 pixel resolution, delivering 429 PPI pixel density that ensures crisp text rendering and sharp image detail. This flat panel design avoids the accidental touch issues that plague curved displays while maximizing usable screen area.​

The display supports HDR10+ content playback with Widevine L1 certification, enabling high-quality streaming from Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and other platforms. This combination places the Agni 4 among the minority of budget phones that deliver genuine premium streaming experiences.​

The screen achieves a 20:9 aspect ratio that balances media consumption with productivity tasks. The punch-hole front camera placement minimizes bezels while maintaining symmetry that pleases the eye.​

Brightness Levels and Outdoor Visibility

Peak brightness reaches 1,200-2,000 nits in HDR mode, ensuring excellent outdoor visibility even under direct sunlight. Real-world testing confirms comfortable screen readability during bright afternoon conditions without needing to manually boost brightness to maximum levels.​

The adaptive brightness system learns usage patterns over time, automatically adjusting screen luminance based on ambient conditions and personal preferences. This intelligent approach reduces eye strain during nighttime usage while conserving battery life.​

The anti-glare coating effectively minimizes reflections, making the display more usable in challenging lighting environments like near windows or outdoors. This practical enhancement significantly improves daily usability compared to glossy screens that become mirrors in bright conditions.​

Refresh Rate Smoothness for Gaming and Scrolling

The 120Hz refresh rate transforms the user experience with buttery-smooth scrolling through social media feeds, web pages, and app interfaces. Animations feel fluid and responsive, creating a premium interaction quality that rivals phones costing twice as much.​

Gaming benefits enormously from the high refresh rate, with supported titles delivering significantly smoother motion that provides competitive advantages in fast-paced games. The 240Hz touch sampling rate ensures instantaneous response to finger inputs, critical for competitive mobile gaming.​

The display seamlessly handles transitions between different frame rates, maintaining visual consistency whether you're reading static content or playing high-action games. This adaptive behavior optimizes battery life without compromising the smooth experience.​

Camera System Performance Analysis

Main Camera Image Quality Across Lighting Conditions

The 50MP primary sensor with f/1.8 aperture and Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) captures impressive detail in favorable lighting conditions. Daylight photography reveals sharp images with natural color reproduction that avoids the oversaturated look common in budget smartphones.​

The large 1/1.55" sensor size enables better light gathering than typical budget phone cameras, translating to cleaner images with reduced noise in challenging lighting situations. This hardware advantage compensates for less aggressive computational processing compared to flagship alternatives.​

OIS on the primary sensor significantly improves low-light performance and reduces blur from hand shake during photo capture. This flagship-level feature rarely appears in phones under Rs. 25,000, representing genuine value differentiation.​

Indoor photography maintains good quality under mixed artificial lighting, with automatic white balance generally producing accurate color temperature. The camera handles tricky scenarios like fluorescent office lighting better than expected for this price segment.​

Low-light performance benefits from both the large sensor and OIS, capturing usable images in conditions that would defeat most budget phone cameras. Night mode processing significantly brightens scenes while controlling noise levels.​

Ultra-Wide Camera Capabilities

The 8MP ultra-wide lens provides versatility for landscape photography and group shots that won't fit in the standard field of view. While image quality predictably drops compared to the main sensor, results remain acceptable for social media sharing and casual photography.​

Color matching between the main and ultra-wide cameras stays reasonably consistent, avoiding the jarring color shifts that plague some multi-camera implementations. This coherent approach creates a more seamless shooting experience when switching between lenses.​

Edge distortion remains controlled, though some barrel distortion appears in architectural shots—a common characteristic of ultra-wide lenses across all price segments. Detail preservation near frame edges exceeds expectations for an 8MP sensor.​

Video Recording Quality and Stabilization

4K video recording at 30fps delivers sharp footage with good color accuracy and dynamic range. Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) effectively smooths out walking motion, making handheld video content creation practical without gimbal accessories.​

The stabilization system performs admirably during moderate movement but shows limitations during aggressive motion or rapid panning. This represents typical performance for EIS implementations in this price segment.​

Audio recording quality complements video capture with stereo microphones that provide clear sound capture. Wind noise reduction works effectively, though extreme wind conditions still overpower the system.​

Front-Facing Camera Performance

The 16MP or 32MP front camera (variants differ) captures detailed selfies with natural skin tones and good dynamic range in favorable lighting. Portrait mode works effectively for background blur, though edge detection occasionally falters with accessories and complex backgrounds.​

Video call quality excels during daylight and well-lit indoor conditions. The wide-angle lens captures sufficient background for professional video conferencing while maintaining sharp focus on the subject.​

Beauty modes offer subtle enhancement options that improve appearance without the artificial smoothing effect that makes subjects look unrealistic. Manual controls provide fine-tuning capability for users who want precise control over their selfie photography.​

Processing Power and Performance Benchmarks

MediaTek Dimensity 8350 chipset with 5G capability highlighted in a glowing promotional graphic*

MediaTek Dimensity 8350 Chipset Specifications

The Lava Agni 4 packs the powerful MediaTek Dimensity 8350 processor built on cutting-edge 4nm manufacturing technology. This octa-core chipset features one Cortex-A715 core clocked at 3.35GHz, three Cortex-A715 cores at 3.2GHz, and four efficiency-focused Cortex-A510 cores at 2.2GHz.​

Paired with 8GB LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 storage, the hardware configuration delivers flagship-level memory bandwidth and storage speeds. This combination ensures instantaneous app launches, rapid file transfers, and seamless multitasking performance.​

The Mali-G615 MP6 GPU handles graphics processing with impressive capability, delivering smooth performance in demanding games and graphics-intensive applications.​

Key Performance Specifications:

• Processor: MediaTek Dimensity 8350 (4nm)

• CPU Configuration: 1x 3.35GHz + 3x 3.2GHz + 4x 2.2GHz

• GPU: Mali-G615 MP6

• RAM: 8GB LPDDR5X with Virtual RAM expansion

• Storage: 128GB/256GB UFS 4.0

Real-World Performance and Benchmark Scores

AnTuTu benchmark scores consistently hit 1.35-1.38 million points, placing the Agni 4 firmly in upper mid-range territory. Geekbench 6 results show 1,385 points for single-core and 4,310 points for multi-core performance.​

Real-world usage reveals where these numbers translate into practical benefits. Apps launch instantly, with even heavy applications like photo editing software and document processors opening in under 2 seconds. File transfers max out available speeds, and switching between multiple running apps feels completely seamless.​

Temperature management remains impressive during normal usage, with the device staying cool during everyday tasks. Extended gaming sessions push temperatures to 38-40°C on the back panel—warm but not uncomfortable to hold.​

Gaming Performance with Popular Titles

Mobile gaming with integrated video calls showcasing multiplayer game interaction via the Bunch app*

Gaming on the Lava Agni 4 delivers performance that punches well above its price class. Free Fire runs smoothly at Ultra HD graphics settings with consistent 60fps performance and zero lag during intense firefights. The 120Hz display and 240Hz touch sampling rate provide competitive advantages in fast-paced battles.​

BGMI (Battlegrounds Mobile India) performs admirably at high graphics settings, maintaining stable frame rates even during vehicle chases and crowded combat zones. Frame drops remain minimal, occurring only during the most graphically intensive moments.​

Call of Duty Mobile delivers smooth gameplay at high settings, with the powerful GPU handling the game's demanding graphics engine without breaking a sweat.​

Battery drain during gaming sessions averages 6-7% per 30 minutes of gameplay for demanding titles—remarkably efficient performance that enables extended gaming marathons without constant charging.​

Gaming Performance Summary:

• Free Fire: Ultra HD, consistent 60fps

• BGMI: High settings, stable performance

• Call of Duty Mobile: High graphics, smooth experience

• Battery drain: 6-7% per 30 minutes

• Thermal performance: 38-40°C during extended sessions

Multitasking Efficiency and RAM Management

The 8GB LPDDR5X RAM handles multitasking scenarios effortlessly, keeping 12-15 apps active in memory without noticeable slowdowns. Background app refreshes remain minimal, allowing users to switch back to apps hours later without reloading from storage.​

Virtual RAM expansion capability adds up to 8GB additional memory by utilizing storage space, providing extra headroom for heavy multitasking scenarios.​

Split-screen multitasking works smoothly, enabling users to browse social media while watching videos or take notes during video calls without performance degradation.​

Battery Life and Charging Technology

66W fast charging car charger with Type-C and USB ports supporting super fast charging* 

Massive 7,000mAh Battery Endurance

The Lava Agni 4's standout feature is its enormous 7,000mAh battery—the largest in any mainstream smartphone under Rs. 30,000. This massive capacity delivers genuine two-day battery life for typical users and comfortable all-day endurance even for power users.​

Real-world testing involving heavy usage including gaming sessions, video streaming, social media browsing, and camera usage consistently delivers 12-16 hours of active screen-on time. This exceptional endurance eliminates the anxiety of battery depletion mid-day that plagues most smartphones.​

Light users who primarily use their phones for calls, messaging, and occasional social media browsing will easily achieve three days between charges. This exceptional longevity makes the Agni 4 ideal for travelers, outdoor enthusiasts, and anyone tired of daily charging rituals.​

Gaming enthusiasts benefit enormously from the massive battery, with intensive titles consuming only 6-7% per 30 minutes. Even marathon gaming sessions spanning several hours leave plenty of charge for other activities throughout the day.​

66W Fast Charging Speed

The included 66W fast charger delivers impressive charging speeds that minimize downtime. The battery charges from 0-50% in approximately 19 minutes, while a complete charge takes around 50-55 minutes—remarkable performance considering the massive 7,000mAh capacity.​

Charging efficiency remains strong even when using the phone during charging, with the thermal management system preventing excessive heat buildup. The device stays reasonably cool during fast charging sessions, indicating effective heat dissipation design.​

The included charger in the box saves buyers from additional accessory purchases, representing genuine value in an era where many manufacturers eliminate chargers to reduce costs. This consumer-friendly decision reflects Lava's understanding of the Indian market.​

Battery Optimization and Longevity

Intelligent power management features actively monitor usage patterns and optimize background processes to extend battery life. The adaptive battery system learns which apps you use frequently and allocates resources accordingly.​

Battery health protection features limit charging speed when the battery reaches 80% overnight, reducing heat and chemical stress that degrade battery capacity over time.​

Ultra power saving mode drastically reduces functionality to extend battery life in emergency situations, potentially providing several additional hours of basic phone and messaging capability when the battery drops to critical levels.​

Software Experience and User Interface

Near-Stock Android 15 with Zero Bloatware

The Lava Agni 4 ships with Android 15, offering one of the cleanest software experiences in the budget segment. Lava maintains a near-stock Android approach with minimal custom skin, ensuring smooth performance and familiar interface for users accustomed to pure Android.​

Zero bloatware policy means the device ships without promotional apps, third-party software, or aggressive advertising that plagues many budget smartphones. This refreshing approach respects users' storage space and attention, creating a more premium experience.​

Pre-installed apps include only essential utilities and standard Google services, with all third-party apps easily removable if desired. This clean approach significantly improves the out-of-box experience compared to competitors that load devices with unremovable applications.​

Software Update Commitment

Lava promises two years of major Android updates and three years of security patches, representing solid support for a budget device. Security patches arrive regularly during the first two years, typically deploying monthly.​

While not matching the seven-year support Samsung offers on flagship devices, Lava's commitment exceeds many Chinese manufacturers in this price segment who often abandon software support within 12-18 months.​

User Experience and Customization

The user interface offers thoughtful customization options without overwhelming users with excessive choices. Theme options, icon packs, and wallpaper selections provide personalization while maintaining system stability.​

Gesture navigation works smoothly with customizable options for users who prefer traditional navigation buttons. Notification management follows stock Android principles with grouped notifications and quick reply functionality.​

Value Proposition at Rs. 24,990 Price Point

Competition Analysis Against Key Rivals

At Rs. 24,990, the Lava Agni 4 competes directly against established players like Realme, Redmi, and Samsung's A-series. Each competitor brings different strengths, but the Agni 4's combination of massive battery, clean software, and Indian manufacturing creates unique differentiation.​

The Realme Narzo series offers similar processing power but typically includes aggressive advertising and bloatware that degrades the user experience. Lava's clean software approach provides significant quality-of-life advantages for users tired of intrusive notifications.​

Redmi phones in this segment often deliver impressive specifications but compromise on software cleanliness and long-term update commitments. The Agni 4's two-year OS update promise provides better long-term value.​

Samsung Galaxy A-series devices offer strong brand recognition and longer software support but typically include smaller batteries and less powerful processors at similar price points. The Agni 4's 7,000mAh battery represents a massive practical advantage.​

Feature-to-Price Ratio Evaluation

The Agni 4 delivers exceptional hardware value at Rs. 24,990. The 7,000mAh battery alone would justify premium pricing in many smartphones, yet Lava includes it alongside upper mid-range processing power and clean software.​

The MediaTek Dimensity 8350 chipset typically appears in phones costing Rs. 30,000-35,000, making its inclusion at this price point genuinely noteworthy.​

Camera hardware exceeds typical budget phone specifications with the 50MP OIS-equipped main sensor normally reserved for phones above Rs. 30,000.​

Storage specifications starting at 128GB UFS 4.0 ensure users don't feel shortchanged on internal space or performance. The faster UFS 4.0 standard delivers noticeably quicker app loading and file transfer speeds.​

The inclusion of premium features like 120Hz AMOLED display, IP64 rating, stereo speakers, and aluminum frame construction rounds out a genuinely compelling value package.​

Long-Term Value and Ownership Experience

Lava devices have shown improving resale value retention as the brand's reputation strengthens. Buyers should expect 50-60% value retention after one year—reasonable for the budget segment.​

The two-year software update commitment provides adequate longevity for typical ownership periods of 24-30 months.​

Build quality appears robust based on early testing, with the aluminum frame and Gorilla Glass 5 protection suggesting good physical durability.​

Battery longevity concerns remain minimal thanks to the massive 7,000mAh capacity. Even after typical degradation, the battery will still provide exceptional endurance.​

Target Audience Suitability Assessment

The Lava Agni 4 excels for specific user profiles who prioritize battery life, clean software, and value over brand recognition. Heavy smartphone users who constantly struggle with battery anxiety will find the 7,000mAh capacity transformative.​

Mobile gamers on a budget get flagship-level performance at mid-range prices, with the Dimensity 8350 delivering smooth gameplay in all popular titles. The 120Hz display and excellent thermal management enhance the gaming experience significantly.​

Students and young professionals benefit from the clean software experience, long battery life, and powerful performance for productivity tasks.​

Photography enthusiasts seeking good camera performance without flagship prices will appreciate the OIS-equipped 50MP main sensor.​

Patriotic buyers interested in supporting Indian manufacturing will find the "Made in India" badge meaningful. Lava's commitment to local production, zero bloatware, and understanding of Indian user needs creates authentic differentiation.​

Conclusion

The Lava Agni 4 emerges as the most compelling value proposition in India's Rs. 20,000-25,000 smartphone segment. The massive 7,000mAh battery delivers genuine multi-day endurance that eliminates charging anxiety, while the MediaTek Dimensity 8350 processor provides smooth performance for gaming, multitasking, and everyday tasks. The clean, bloatware-free Android 15 experience respects users' time and attention in ways Chinese competitors rarely match.​

The camera system captures quality photos across various lighting conditions thanks to the OIS-equipped 50MP main sensor, and the 120Hz AMOLED display delivers premium visual experiences during gaming and media consumption. Build quality with aluminum frame construction, IP64 water resistance, and Gorilla Glass 5 protection ensures long-term durability that justifies the investment.​

At Rs. 24,990, the Lava Agni 4 represents exceptional value for battery-focused users, mobile gamers, and anyone seeking flagship features without flagship pricing. The phone proves Indian manufacturers can compete directly with established brands while offering unique advantages like zero bloatware and customer-focused policies. If you prioritize battery endurance, clean software, and powerful performance over brand prestige, the Lava Agni 4 deserves serious consideration as potentially the best budget smartphone launching in November 2025.​