When I first got my hands on the Lava Agni 3, I was curious to see if it could live up to its bold claims. Starting at ₹20,999, the Agni 3 enters a crowded mid-range market, but with features like a dual-screen design, an Action Key, and a powerful MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chipset, it promises something different from the usual smartphone experience. The real question is: does the Agni 3 manage to set itself apart from its competition, or do these innovations fall short? Here’s my detailed review of the Lava Agni 3.
Design and Display: Dual Screens Steal the Show
Let’s start with the design because that’s where the Agni 3 really wants to stand out. Lava has introduced the InstaScreen, a secondary 1.74-inch AMOLED display positioned near the rear camera module. It’s a fun addition that lets you access seven pre-set widgets, such as a camera, music player, and stopwatch. I found the camera widget particularly useful—it functions as a viewfinder for selfies using the rear cameras, and this actually led to better-quality selfies than the front-facing camera. However, the screen’s functionality is limited, and it lacks continuity with the main display. You can’t seamlessly switch between the two displays, which can feel a bit frustrating.
The Action Key on the side of the phone, placed next to the volume and power buttons, is another feature that tries to add convenience. It’s customisable for various tasks like taking screenshots, switching to silent mode, or toggling the flashlight. I liked having these shortcuts available at my fingertips without having to fiddle around in the settings.
The main display is a 6.78-inch AMOLED panel with FHD+ resolution, HDR10+ support, and a 120Hz refresh rate. It’s vibrant and offers deep blacks, with a peak brightness of 1,200 nits. While the colours are punchy and great for watching videos, outdoor visibility isn’t quite as good, especially in direct sunlight. The rounded edges of the phone add a sleek feel, and the matte back (in the Heather Glass variant I tested) does an excellent job resisting fingerprints.
Performance: Ready for Everyday Use, with Some Limits
The Agni 3 runs on MediaTek’s Dimensity 7300X chipset, and with 8GB of RAM (expandable by another 8GB of virtual RAM), I found it handles most tasks quite smoothly. Daily activities like browsing, streaming, and using social media were effortless. Multitasking between apps was fluid, and I didn’t encounter any lag during my testing.
However, when I tried graphically demanding games like BGMI or Call of Duty: Mobile, the phone’s limits started to show. While the gameplay was generally smooth at medium settings, pushing it to higher graphics settings caused occasional frame drops. On the plus side, the phone’s thermals are managed well—the device didn’t heat up too much, even during long gaming sessions.
For benchmarks, the Agni 3 clocked a 6,76,483 score on AnTuTu, which is respectable for its price range. It performed similarly in real-world use, offering smooth performance for most users, but if you’re a hardcore mobile gamer, you might feel the need for more power.
Cameras: Room for Improvement
The camera setup is where the Lava Agni 3 begins to show some cracks. It has a 50MP primary camera, an 8MP ultrawide, and an 8MP telephoto lens. On paper, the inclusion of a telephoto lens is exciting for this price segment, but in practice, the camera performance didn’t blow me away.
In daylight, the primary camera does a decent job. Colours are fairly accurate, and images look vibrant, but when compared to competitors like the Realme P2 Pro or Motorola Edge 50 Fusion, the Agni 3 struggles with detail and dynamic range. Shadows tend to get crushed, and highlights can blow out, leaving photos feeling flat.
The ultrawide camera was a bit disappointing. While it tries to stay true to the original colours, there’s a noticeable drop in sharpness across the entire frame, and some distortion creeps in, making landscape shots less appealing. The telephoto lens is a nice touch, offering up to 3x optical zoom and 30x digital zoom, but the image quality drops significantly at higher zoom levels, and details start to blur.
Night mode is another area where the Agni 3 falls behind. While it brightens images, it introduces a lot of grain, and finer details are lost. Compared to rivals like the Realme P2 Pro, the Agni 3 struggles with low-light photography, delivering images that lack clarity and contrast.
Battery Life and Charging: Reliable but Not Exceptional
The Agni 3 is powered by a 5,000mAh battery, which easily lasted me through a full day of moderate use. From checking emails to watching videos and playing some casual games, I had around 15-20% battery left by the end of the day. It’s more than enough for typical usage, and even with some heavier gaming or video streaming, it holds up well.
Lava includes a 66W fast charger in the box, and it took about 43 minutes to charge the phone from 20% to full. While not the fastest charging in this segment (Realme and Motorola both offer slightly quicker solutions), it’s still a respectable time and adds convenience if you’re in a rush.
Software: Bloat-Free and User-Friendly
One of my favourite aspects of the Agni 3 is its software. It runs on Android 14 with a nearly stock experience—no bloatware, no ads, just clean, intuitive navigation. Lava has promised three years of major software updates and four years of security updates, which is a nice reassurance for long-term users. The interface is smooth, and having fewer pre-installed apps (just 31) keeps the experience light and easy to use.
The in-display fingerprint scanner was responsive and accurate, unlocking the phone in a snap. Face unlock also worked reliably, though I preferred the security of the fingerprint scanner in most situations.
Final Thoughts: A Unique Take on the Mid-Range Segment
After spending some time with the Lava Agni 3, it’s clear that this is a phone with a unique identity. The InstaScreen secondary display and Action Key are fun and practical additions, even if they feel a bit undercooked. The performance is solid for everyday use, and the stock Android experience is a huge plus for anyone tired of bloatware-heavy phones.
That said, if camera quality is high on your priority list, the Agni 3 might leave you wanting more, especially compared to competitors like the Realme P2 Pro or Motorola Edge 50 Fusion. However, if you’re looking for something different with clever features that make daily tasks more convenient, the Lava Agni 3 is a refreshing choice in the mid-range market.
For those seeking a unique mix of innovation and practicality, the Lava Agni 3 stands out, especially for users who value a clean software experience and thoughtful hardware additions.
