With the tech industry being hit by a memory shortage, smartphone brands have been forced to cut corners to keep costs down. As a result, 4G phones have started appearing under Rs 15,000 once again. However, Lava is one of the few brands still managing to offer 5G capabilities in this segment with the release of the Virat V1 5G. Having reviewed this Rs 12,999 phone in depth, here are a few reasons why you should and shouldn’t buy it.
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Reasons to buy Lava Virat V1 5G
5G phone under Rs 15,000
2026 hasn’t been a great year for users looking to upgrade to a new smartphone. With the emergence of AI, memory prices have been shooting up across the tech industry, leaving smartphone brands to acquire storage and RAM components at significantly higher prices than before. This cost is directly passed on to buyers, making budget smartphones with specifications similar to last year’s models pricier, while cutting down on key features, such as 5G.
Despite all this, the Lava Virat V1 5G stands tall as one of only a few phones with 5G support under Rs 15,000, at least as of August 11. While we saw the Realme C83 5G and OPPO K14x 5G release under Rs 15,000, their prices have steadily risen to close to Rs 20,000 over the last few months. So, if you highly prioritise mobile data speeds, while future-proofing your phone, the Virat V1 5G remains a solid pick.
Distinct geometric rear design
With plain, matte, and glossy finish back panels being a common affair on budget smartphones, Lava has gone for a geometric rear design for the Virat V1 5G. There are several glossy lines across the panel, which intersect to create box-like patterns. Thanks to the subtle glossy touch, the phone feels less slippery to hold when used without the bundled case.
Bloatware-free and clean software
A bloatware-free and clean software experience has always been a key selling point of Lava smartphones. The Virat V1 5G continues to adhere to this, providing users with only the essential apps out of the box, while leaving free storage to download apps or store media. On the contrary, the company has seemingly moved away from the stock Android interface since the Virat V1 5G features a custom skin that resembles ColorOS.
This has resulted in the introduction of a few apps, such as Phone Clone, Phone Manager, and Clean Assistant, which we previously saw on the likes of Ai+ Nova 2 and HMD Vibe 2.
Strong battery endurance
The 6,000mAh battery of the Lava Virat V1 5G lasted 13 hours and 14 minutes in our in-house PCMark Battery Drain test. The test mimics real-world scenarios to test the battery endurance, such as playing videos, opening and scrolling through documents, browsing the web, etc.
As for endurance in practical use, the Virat V1 5G lasted over a day with usage that included replying to WhatsApp messages, scrolling Instagram, playing a few minutes of Clash Royale, and reading articles in the browser. Even if you’re a heavy user, the battery life of the Virat V1 5G will keep up, ensuring you don’t run out of juice by the end of the day.
Reasons to skip Lava Virat V1 5G
Charges really slowly
While the battery life of the Virat V1 5G is quite decent, the charging speeds are equally frustrating. With just 10W charging support in tow, it took us over three hours to charge the device from 20 to 100 percent even in cool ambient temperatures with the AC turned on.
| Smartphone | Battery Capacity | Charging Support | Charging time (20% to 100% ) |
| Lava Virat V1 5G | 6000 mAh | 10W in 185 minutes | 3h 7m |
| Infinix Smart 20 4G | 5200 mAh | NA | 2h 12m |
| HMD Vibe 2 5G | 6000 mAh | NA | 2h 17m 9s |
While most recently launched phones from HMD, Lava, and Realme take a similar amount of time to fully charge, the Infinix Smart 20 is the only exception. Despite its smaller 5,200mAh battery, it took close to two hours to charge fully.
Misses out on essential AI features
In a time when most manufacturers have embraced AI features in some way or the other, the Lava Virat V1 5G is devoid of even the basic AI features outside of Google apps, such as photo editing tools in Google Photos. For instance, unlike the Infinix Smart 20, the Virat V1 5G’s software doesn’t carry AI writing or AI recording features. On top of this, Google’s Circle to Search is also not found, which is a convenient feature to quickly look up stuff on screen.
If the reasons to buy the Lava Virat V1 5G outweigh the reasons not to buy it per your preferences, the phone is worth considering. In our experience, the Unisoc T8200 is manageable for daily use, as the phone doesn’t show signs of stuttering for the most part. Meanwhile, the 6.75-inch HD+ display, despite being an LCD, offers sufficiently vibrant tones for enjoying media on the go, though the details aren’t as sharp as on a 1080p panel.
