“Shark,” a new line of entry-level smartphones from Lava, is reportedly intended for first-time smartphone customers. The domestic company has declared that Shark products, which prioritize design, performance, and build quality, will be priced under Rs 9,000. Shark is the name of the first smartphone to be released under the series. It is clear from a single glance where Lava is getting her inspiration.
From the back, the Lava Shark and the iPhone 16 Pro are nearly identical. Naturally, this phone is a Lava phone, thus it bears the Lava logo, but if you put a case on it, it would be difficult to tell the difference. In addition to the instantly identifiable camera array, Lava’s color scheme provides little room for interpretation. The phone comes in black and gold. The gold version is even referred to as “Titanium Gold,” though neither gold nor titanium are present in this instance.
The hardware is textbook entry-level. The phone has a 6.67-inch 720p resolution display with a—get this—120Hz refresh rate. Lava doesn’t mention the panel-type, but it is very likely an LCD. A hole punch cutout completes the package.
Powering the Shark is an 8-core UNISOC T606 processor and a 5000mAh battery with 18W charging (10W charger in the box). Lava claims the battery delivers 45 hours of talk time, 376 hours of standby time, and 550 minutes of YouTube playback. RAM is 4GB and storage, 64GB (expendable by another 256GB). Though it runs the older Android 14, Lava is promising a “smooth, optimized software experience.”
For photography, the Lava Shark has a 50-megapixel rear and 8-megapixel front-facing camera.
Connectivity options include Dual 4G VoLTE, Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac. Biometrics are handled by a side-mounted physical fingerprint reader. Face unlock is available. Rounding off the package is IP54 classification for water and dust resistance.
In a statement released over email, the business stated the Lava Shark won’t be a one-off product. In the upcoming months, Lava plans to add “more innovative offerings” to the Shark series.
Starting this month, the Shark 1 will be sold at Lava’s retail locations for Rs 6,999 (4GB or 64GB).
