Lava Blaze Duo 3 review: a dual display phone with stock android

• By Ashish Kumar
Published On: 6 February 2026 | 16:35 IST

Lava has skipped a generation to introduce the successor to the Blaze Duo in India. Called the Lava Blaze Duo 3, the phone sticks to the core idea that defined the original: dual displays. However, the handset has gone through some aesthetic changes. The hardware remains mostly the same, with minor changes in the chipset and downgraded cameras. The latter appears to be done to offset rising component costs, allowing Lava to retain the same launch price of Rs 16,999 as its predecessor.

Does it make the Lava Blaze Duo 3 worth buying in its segment? Read on to find out.

Dual displays set it apart

The Lava Blaze Duo 3 ships with dual AMOLED displays: a 6.67-inch primary screen at the front and a 1.6-inch secondary screen next to the rear cameras. No other phone in the segment and beyond offers a similar setup. The secondary display is marginally bigger than the one on the predecessor, and features similar controls. The display can be used as a viewfinder for the rear cameras, to control music, to check the time, and to glance at notifications from supported apps.

That said, these notifications aren’t interactive. To respond or take any action, you’ll need to switch to the primary display. This main panel offers up to 1,000 nits of peak brightness, an FHD+ resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and HDR10+ support. Colour reproduction is punchy and vibrant, and users can fine-tune the look by switching between the Vivid and Normal colour profiles. While the latter is expected to deliver more balanced tones, in my experience, it looked nearly as peppy as the Vivid mode, which is enabled by default and boosts colours for an appealing look.

The 120Hz refresh rate feels smooth and consistent across the UI and supported apps. Unfortunately, the Blaze Duo 3 was unable to maintain a 120Hz refresh rate during BGMI gameplay, even when the option was manually enabled. The handset only achieved a 60Hz refresh rate, which is pretty standard for the price. Despite HDR10+ support, the handset lacks playback support for YouTube and other streaming platforms at the time of writing.

One area where Lava could have done better is peak brightness. While the display remains readable outdoors, it lacks the extra luminance needed for comfortable visibility under harsh sunlight. Additionally, the secondary display could have been made more approachable.

We have all been wired to use the primary display, which was the case with me as well, and after initial testing, we didn’t find enough practical use of the secondary display. Some form of playful interaction, such as subtle animations or glanceable widgets, would have brought the attention back to the display every now and then.

Bold design, but comfort takes a hit

The secondary display adds an element to the Lava Blaze Duo 3’s design and helps it stand out from the crowd. The OEM has added a large rectangular plateau to the back panel, which houses the display, along with the cameras, an LED flash, and the 50MP AI Camera text etched. The plateau protrudes from the body, but its large footprint ensures that the device doesn’t wobble and provides a steady typing experience while lying flat on the surface.

Unlike the original Lava Blaze Duo (review), the Blaze Duo 3 features flat edges instead of curved ones. This design does improve grip and overall ergonomics, especially during prolonged use. However, it also takes away from the premium in-hand feel. The frame doesn’t blend seamlessly with the display, and the glossy back panel lacks the refined tactile feel of a matte finish.

I also found the edges relatively sharp, occasionally digging into my palm during extended use. As a result, using the phone with a case is recommended for a more comfortable and secure grip. A transparent case is included in the box and helps protect the device against accidental drops. The handset is IP64 water- and dust-resistant, which may not be segment-leading, but it is on par with rivals.

For security, the Lava Blaze Duo 3 boasts an in-display fingerprint scanner that unlocks the device accurately, though not instantly.

Smooth performance in everyday use

At the core of the Lava Blaze Duo 3 is the MediaTek Dimensity 7060 SoC, paired with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The storage is user-expandable, but at the expense of the secondary SIM slot. While we couldn’t run the AnTuTu test on the device, we can vouch for its performance in everyday use. It may not be the snappiest, but the handset handled app launches, switching between apps, and a handful of tasks simultaneously for a short period pretty seamlessly.

Geekbench single-core score

Lava Blaze Duo 3

MediaTek Dimensity 7060

1,061

realme P4x

MediaTek Dimensity 7400 Ultra

1,040

POCO M8

Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3

1,021

Moto G96 5G

Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2

1,010

Geekbench assesses the efficiency of the CPU's single and multiple cores (higher is better)

Geekbench multi-core score

realme P4x

MediaTek Dimensity 7400 Ultra

2,994

POCO M8

Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3

2,982

Moto G96 5G

Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2

2,909

Lava Blaze Duo 3

MediaTek Dimensity 7060

2,522

Geekbench assesses the efficiency of the CPU's single and multiple cores (higher is better)

I did notice the smartphone lagging behind during prolonged use and extended gaming sessions, though these aren’t its primary use cases. That doesn’t mean the Blaze Duo 3 can’t handle casual gaming. The device can run graphically demanding titles such as BGMI and Call of Duty: Mobile at respectable frame rates and graphics settings.

Thermal performance, however, is where it shows some inefficiency. After just 60 minutes of gaming, the handset recorded an aggregate temperature increase of 13 degrees Celsius, which is on the higher side for the segment and helps explain the performance drop during longer sessions.

Clean, user-friendly, but dated software

The Lava Blaze Duo 3 ships with Android 15 out of the box, which is a mixed bag. The handset misses out on the latest Android 16 but runs a lightweight launcher layered over the operating system, resulting in an experience that stays close to stock Android. There are no third-party apps or intrusive ads. You will find Google apps and a handful of Lava apps pre-installed, keeping the count down to 31, noticeably lower than what most competitors ship with, making the software experience clean and clutter-free.

While it lacks some of the customisation options and AI-driven features found on heavier Android skins, the software remains one of the most intuitive and user-friendly experiences in the segment. Where Lava falls short, however, is long-term software support. The Blaze Duo 3 is slated to receive just one major Android update and two years of security patches, which feels underwhelming when compared to recently launched rivals such as the POCO M8, which promises four years of OS updates and six years of security support.

Adequate battery life

The Lava Blaze Duo 3 is backed by a 5,000mAh battery, which lags behind competitors in both capacity and endurance. Realme’s P4x, despite being more affordable, packs a massive 7,000mAh battery and delivers an impressive 17 hours and 38 minutes in the PCMark battery test. By comparison, the Lava Blaze Duo 3 managed just 11 hours and 28 minutes. That said, it still fares slightly better than the Moto G96, which failed to exceed 11 hours despite a larger 5,500mAh battery.

PCMark Battery score (in hours)

POCO M8

5520 mAh

18.0

realme P4x

7000 mAh

17.6

Lava Blaze Duo 3

5000 mAh

11.5

Moto G96 5G

5500 mAh

10.9

PCMark battery test measures phone battery life from 100% to 20% (higher is better)

In real-world use, the Lava Blaze Duo 3 performs average. During our YouTube streaming test, the phone lost 7 percent battery after one hour at 50 percent volume and 80 percent brightness. In our gaming test as well, the smartphone reported roughly 7 percent drop in battery on average after 30 minutes each of BGMI and Call of Duty: Mobile.

These figures are far from class-leading and fall behind several competitors we’ve tested under identical conditions. Given the smartphone’s relatively small battery capacity, users will likely reach for the charger at least once a day if they use it for extended periods. The handset can deliver around four hours of screen time with streaming, browsing, scrolling, and some navigation.

When it comes to charging, the Lava Blaze Duo 3 ships with a 33W charger in the box. It can take an hour and a half to fully juice up the device to 100 percent from nothing.

Serviceable cameras

The Lava Blaze Duo 3 features a dual rear camera setup with a 50 MP AI Sony IMX752 sensor. The front camera is an 8 MP shooter for selfies and video calls. It’s a basic configuration, which is fair given the price point. To put its performance in context, we pitted its images against those from the Moto G96, a phone that scores highly in our sub-Rs 20,000 camera rankings.

Daylight

The Lava Blaze Duo 3 captures decent detailing, with colours that don’t appear washed out. But compared to the Moto G96, it loses out on fine detail, contrast, and underwhelming shadow detail.

Portraits

The Lava Blaze Duo 3 performs reasonably well for a budget phone in software-based background separation. That said, its edge detection isn’t as refined as the Moto G96’s. The Moto does a better job of preserving facial details and delivers colours that are closer to real life. By comparison, the Blaze Duo 3 tends to apply a watercolour-like smoothing effect, which softens textures and makes portraits look a bit processed.

Selfies

The selfie camera of the Lava smartphone faces a similar dilemma. It gets the job done but adds a watercolour-like effect and struggles to control exposure to preserve detail. The Moto G96, by contrast, delivers slightly better selfies, with good detail and dynamic range. The colours won’t be accurate on the Lava Blaze Duo 3 either.

Low light (night mode)

The Lava Blaze Duo 3 offers a dedicated Night mode that uses longer exposures to pull out more detail in low light, and it makes a visible difference. However, when you put its results next to the Moto G96, the Blaze Duo 3’s image looks noticeably grainier, with washed-out colours and weaker detail retention.

Overall, the Lava Blaze Duo 3 offers a serviceable camera experience for its price, clearly geared towards basic, everyday use. It performs best in well-lit conditions, producing acceptable detail with colours that don’t look overly washed out. However, its limitations become apparent in more demanding scenarios.

Final verdict

At Rs 16,999, the Lava Blaze Duo 3 makes the most sense if you want a clean Android experience and a standout design with dual displays. If your priorities lean more towards camera quality, battery life, or future-proof software support, there are more balanced options in the segment. For camera enthusiasts, the Moto G96 (review) seems to be a better choice, but if you are looking for a slightly performance-oriented or a big battery phone, the Realme P4x and POCO M8 (review) are worth checking out.

That said, the Lava Blaze Duo 3 dares to be different. The dual-display design isn’t something you see every day in this price range, and it does add a bit of personality to the phone. For some users, that alone will be enough to make it feel more interesting than the usual mid-range crowd.

Editor’s rating: 7.9/10

Reasons to buy

• Dual displays set the phone apart in a crowded segment and add practical features like a rear-camera viewfinder.
• Near-stock Android with minimal bloatware keeps things simple and intuitive.
• Handles social apps, browsing and casual gaming without much fuss.

Reasons not to buy

• Camera performance is behind similarly priced phones.
• Only one major Android upgrade and two years of patches feel short.