Lava Iris 3G 356

Overview

Affordable Android Handset

Lava Iris 356 is strictly a budget smartphone. It has a good processor but it is limited by the low RAM and a low-resolution screen. Let us look at the features in detail.

Lava Iris 356 Design and Build Quality

The phone has a standard candy bar shaped design. The dimensions are 62.5x116.9x12.6 mm and weighs only 112 grams. The phone has a 3.5 inch capacitive touchscreen. The phone fits comfortably in hand and does not slip from the grip. However, the phone’s screen and back are prone to scratches and fingerprints and therefore a screen guard is a must. The battery of the phone will last you for about 6 hours on full charge, which is very less.

User Interface and Comfort to Use Lava Iris 356

The phone runs on Android Jellybean software, which is very smooth and easy to use. The processor is 1.2 GHz dual core but has only 256MB of RAM. It has 512MB of ROM and a MicroSD card slot that supports up to 32GB. The phone’s screen has a resolution of 320x480pixels, which is very average. However, on the plus side the screen supports multi finger touch.

Telephony and Phonebook

The phone supports dual SIM and dual standby operations. One SIM supports both 2G and 3G operations and the other SIM supports only 2G operations. Call quality is average even with full signal and in crowded places; it is very difficult to hear the other party. Phonebook is simple and can store unlimited number of contacts.

Messaging and Emails

Standard messaging and email features are available on the phone. Download speed is fast and a number of email accounts can be synced.

Gallery, Photo Viewer and Video Player

Gallery is easy to navigate. The photo viewer is simple and does not provide many options. Video player supports AVI, MP4, 3GP formats. Video player is smooth but there are not many sorting options.

Lava Iris 356 Music Player and FM Radio

Music player supports all popular formats. Music playback quality is average and the equalizer options are very limited. FM radio option with recording option is available.

Lava Iris 356 Camera and Image Quality

Primary camera is 1.3MP and front camera is .3MP The camera has limited features such as Panorama, Geo-tagging, Smile and Face Detection, Flash Support, Fixed Focus and 4x Zoom. There is no flash in the camera. The photos are grainy and low quality.

Video Camera and Video Quality

Videos can be recorded @30fps but the recording quality is poor.

Lava Iris 356 Connectivity Options

GPRS, 3G, EDGE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB, and tethering are the options available on the phone. Connectivity is fast and you can easily download songs and videos.

Organiser and Other Utility Tools

Backup and Restore Application, Calendar, Alarm, Calculator, Audio Recorder, Games, Call Recording, Minute Reminder and Black and White List are the tools available on the phone. There is no dedicated document viewer.

Lava Iris 356 Web Browser and Applications

Android and opera mini browser on the phone is sufficient for long term web browsing. The apps on the phone include WhatsApp, Google, Google Play Store, Lava Zone, Twitter, Facebook, Google Talk, and YouTube.

Google Maps and GPS

GPS along with preloaded Google Maps comes with the phone to make your travelling easier.

Value for Money

The phone is priced at INR 4200 (approx., may vary) in the Indian Market.

Verdict

We would rate the phone a 3.5 of 5 stars.