Lava Z71 is the latest smartphone from the company aimed at taking on Xiaomi Redmi 8A in the country. The Lava Z71 is an entry-level smartphone priced at Rs 6,299 and the company has teamed up with telecom operator Reliance Jio which will provide instant cashback and additional data up to 50GB. Reliance Jio customers can get instant cashback of Rs 1,200 after purchasing the Lava Z71, alongside 50GB additional data every month on prepaid recharges. The key specifications of the Lava Z71 include MediaTek Helio A22 chipset, dedicated Google Assistant button and it comes in two colour options- Steel Blue and Ruby Red. The Lava Z71 also offers a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner which is a rarity in this price segment.
Lava Z71: Specifications and Features
Diving into the specifications of the Lava Z71, the smartphone sports a 5.7-inch HD+ screen with a teardrop notch on top. The screen offers an aspect ratio of 19:9. Under the hood, the smartphone has the MediaTek Helio A22 chipset, clubbed with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. It also has a dedicated microSD card slot for storage expansion up to 256GB. Thanks to the usage of Helio A22 chip, the phone offers Dual 4G support as well. As noted, it will be available for purchase in two colour options- Steel Blue and Ruby Red.
Lava highlights the Z71 comes with a dedicated button for triggering Google Assistant. Several phones from HMD Global launched in 2019 also has this feature. Cameras on the Lava Z71 include 13MP+2MP on the back, followed by a 5MP shooter on the front. The camera app offers a professional model and an AI Studio Mode, which allows users to click pictures using six-level portraits.
The Lava Z71 boots Android 9 Pie out of the box. It has a software-based Face Unlock feature along with a fingerprint scanner on the back. Connectivity options on the Lava Z71 include Dual 4G, VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS and Micro USB port is placed on the bottom side. The phone comes backed by a 3200mAh battery.
Lava Z71: Pricing, Availability and Launch Offers
The Lava Z71 comes in a single variant with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. It's priced at Rs 6,299 and can be picked up via Flipkart right away. As for the launch offers, Jio subscribers will get an instant Rs 1,200 cashback in the form of 24 vouchers of Rs 50 each in the My Jio app. The cashback will be credited to user's account after recharging Rs 198 or Rs 299 prepaid plans. Also, Jio customer can avail up to 50GB of additional 4G data every month in the form of 5GB voucher per month for a maximum of ten recharges.
Lava Z71 is a Tough Competitor to Xiaomi Redmi 8A
The Lava Z71 is a decent entry-level smartphone and the primary competitors to this phone will be Redmi 8A and the Realme C2. The Redmi 8A is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 439 chipset and offers a 5000mAh battery. The Lava Z71 has MediaTek Helio A22 SoC underneath and it features a smaller 3200mAh battery. The Redmi 8A also offers a USB Type-C port along with 18W fast charging support, whereas the Lava Z71 offers Micro USB port and lacks fast charging support as well. The Realme C2 is powered by the MediaTek Helio P22 chipset.
Compared to Redmi 8A and Realme C2, the Lava Z71 falls behind in various aspects, but it's good to see Lava at least competing in the market for the first time.
