I could perhaps mourn the fact that the secondary AMOLED display residing beside the camera island on the Agni 3 is gone, but it simply indicates Indian smartphone maker Lava does have a vision that’s often much before its time. With their latest premium phone, the Agni 4, attention has (and rightly so) shifted to other aspects which should make for a substantially strong experience foundation. It shows, as the expanse of design, software, the artificial intelligence (AI) integration as well as significant improvements to the camera, all see another big step forward. The Lava Agni 4’s challenge, with the ₹24,998 price tag, isn’t strictly competition (which includes the OnePlus Nord CE5 and Samsung Galaxy A26).
What the Indian phone maker is also battling is a perception that they can’t compete at the same level. Spoiler alert: that is absolutely not the case. For the 8GB memory with 256 storage and powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8350 chip, the Agni 4 is delivering tremendous value — also because everything just feels very well optimised between the software and hardware. Lack of any preloaded apps (apart from some Google apps, of course) contributes to that sense of refinement. It is built very well, with the mix of aluminium in tandem with Lunar Mist (think of this as more silver-ey) or Phantom Black, feeling distinctly premium. Side by side with the best of its competitors, it becomes clear Lava has done a very good job making the Agni 4 look at par with expectations. Nothing less, no compromise.
Lava has, for years, persisted with the idea of a clean Android as the basis for the smartphone experience. That approach doesn’t change with the Agni 4. There is undoubtedly very powerful hardware in play too, but it is the lack of any unnecessary apps that builds a basis for refinement and finesse. Not many phone makers have been able to resist the revenue pressure, and credit to Lava, for not wavering. The value adds don’t end here, because Agni 4 buyers will get additional free pick and drop facility in case service support is needed, along with a dedicated service manager. Difficult to point out how seamless this will be when required, but it’s certainly a good thing to have.
The Agni 4 is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8350 chip which has architectural improvements for graphics as well as efficiency, and also a neural processing unit for on-device AI processing. That’s important for the Vayu AI suite that Lava has developed. As it is structured, Vayu AI is called an “emotionally aware” assistant tailored for Indian users. Its unique features include AI Horoscope, an AI Maths teacher and an AI English teacher. The cute puppy on the Home Screen is your first point of contact for the assistant, and it’s a nice touch. Not to forget, Google’s circle to search for Gemini finds an integration, as it should. The 5,000mAh battery returns an impressive 6 hours of screen active duration for every charge, and still has around 15% juice remaining — this means it’ll be easy to get through a day at work with fair ease.
There’s considerable power to work with, and since there is no wastage to unnecessary app processes, 8GB memory proves more than adept at being able to handle the considerable multitasking load you’re likely to send its way. One of the reasons why there is no betrayal of heating on the back panel in such scenarios, is the implementation of the graphene film alongside the 3D vapour chamber liquid cooling system to keep things cool. This has worked.
It is worth mentioning that the 6.67-inch AMOLED display (this is the flat implementation, no curve on the sides) with the Gorilla Glass 5 layering, is extremely impressive across usage scenarios — this can go quite bright, with rich colours and nice contrasts to work with. The HDR support extends to Netflix and YouTube, a detail that certainly adds to the value perception.
The cameras are very much still a work in progress, which even the latest update (that takes it to build 20251212) has done its bit to refine. It’s a 50-megapixel wide camera and an 8-megapixel ultra wide camera that makes for a rather capable duo, though one could argue for a periscope camera instead of an ultra wide which would’ve found favour with some.
What you get is a distinctly restrained AI processing layer, and the photos you click retain their natural flavour all the way. It also means you’ll need to be a little more careful with focus, light angles and framing, because AI will not add details otherwise lost. Colours in photos and videos look really good, and the AI suite in the Photos app can be use for some tricks including AI Elimination. You might find instances where the dynamic range doesn’t allow for the sort of width that shadows and darker zones of a frame should be at, but that’s something easily fixable in a future update.
Lava’s approach with the Agni 4 is noticeable: it does not attempt to win this segment by chasing spec-sheet victories. Instead, it makes a far more mature argument, built on a refined design that looks good to the eye, staying the course with clean software, a restrained but utilitarian AI layer, and disciplined optimisation across the board. At ₹24,998, this is not a typical ‘good phone for an Indian brand’ qualifier; it is simply a very good phone, full stop. Lava’s real achievement with the Agni 4 is not proving it can compete, but in demonstrating that it already is.
