Lava Iris 504Q review

Following the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S4, the phone that made motion and gesture controls mainstream, we're seeing new phones from Indian handset manufacturers that offer similar features.

Lava was among the first ones to launch a phone with gesture control, with the Iris 504Q. While we've seen some gesture controls including flip to mute and auto-dial the number on the screen when the phone is brought closer to the face, the Lava Iris 504Q also responds to hand gestures without the need to touch the phone's screen.

With hardware specifications evolving to a level where there's little or no scope to scale up, at least in the phones' current price segments, the focus is now on adding value to existing products.

While some consider these extra features gimmicky, a number of people might choose phones that include these over other phones, just because they're curious about them. Also, a large number of people want their phone to be different from the ones owned by people in their peer group and like to flaunt the 'never before seen' features, even though they might not use them in their day to day life.

Gestures or no gestures, we're seeing budget Android phones evolve, bringing better displays, good performance and a refined feature-set to the segment. So how does the Lava Iris 504Q measure up when we consider all of these? We try to find out in our review.

Build/ Design
The Lava Iris 504Q looks like any other rectangular shaped slab from a distance. However, when you hold the phone, you'll notice that it's a well-made device, with a balanced weight to dimensions ratio. For a phone in this segment, the Iris 504Q looks more refined than its counterparts. It definitely looks more like a smartphone and not like a phablet.

The front panel, made of glass, is dominated by the phone's 720p 5-inch display. Capacitive buttons for Menu, Home and Back controls are located just below the display, while the sensor array and the 2-megapixel front facing camera sit above it, with the earpiece grill which is placed on the top. 
The Power/ Screen lock button is located at the right hand side, while the Volume rocker keys sit at the left hand side. The keys are made of plastic, offer good tactile feedback, and are easy to reach.

The 3.5mm headset jack and the Micro-USB port are located at the top of the phone, while there's just a microphone at the bottom edge. A metal finish frame separates the front and the back panels.

The back features a removable cover that's made of plastic but sports a soft rubberised finish facilitating easy grip. The 8-megapixel-camera lens and the LED flash are located towards the upper half, while a small speaker outlet is placed towards the bottom. There's minimalist Lava branding at the back.

The back cover hides the battery compartment, above which you'll find two SIM card slots and a microSD card slot.

Display
The Lava Iris 504Q comes with a 5-inch IPS HD screen that has a resolution of 720x1280 pixels and pixel density of 294ppi, which is pretty good, and graphics and text appear sharp. The viewing angles looked good, however, we found the screen brightness of the phone to be on the lower side affecting the outdoor visibility.
Price: Rs. 13,499


Pros

• Decent performance
• Good camera
• Good build quality

Cons

• Screen is not very bright
• Gesture control is more of a gimmick

Ratings (Out of 5)
Design: 3.5
Display: 3
Performance: 3.5
Software: 3.5
Battery Life: 3
Value for Money: 3.5
Camera: 3.5
Overall: 3.5
source:ndv