Lava Play Ultra 5G

Introduction—Lava’s Big Move in the Budget Segment

The Indian smartphone industry has always been extremely competitive when it comes to the mid-range and budget segments, with companies such as Redmi, Realme, iQOO, and OnePlus Lite models leading the sales chart. But in 2025, things are different with Lava entering the fray with its new Lava Play Ultra 5G, a gaming-centric phone that comes aggressively under ₹15,000.

At face value, this phone doesn’t just check the right boxes—it’s attempting to set new benchmarks. With a 6.67-inch AMOLED display, MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chip, dual stereo speakers, and clean Android 15, the Lava Play Ultra 5G is one hell of a performer. Let’s dive in and check if it truly does live up to expectation.

Design and Build – Sleek, Light, and Durable

Lava Play Ultra 5G Review: The Lava Play Ultra 5G features a simple yet premium design style. At only 182g and 7.8 mm in thickness, it is refreshingly light and comfortable to carry. It comes in two chic colors: Arctic Frost and Arctic Slate, both giving it a premium appearance.

Most budget phones won’t be able to match this respect for durability with an IP64 rating that protects from dust and light splashes of water—something unprecedented at this price tag. This makes it more robust for everyday use.

Display – AMOLED Brilliance at 120 Hz

One of the Lava Play Ultra‘s best features is its 6.67-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display. With a 120 Hz refresh rate, 1,000 nits peak brightness, and 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, the display is bright, smooth, and colorful.

Whether scrolling through social media, watching Netflix, or gaming, this screen is far superior to the usual LCD panels that come with rivals in this price segment. Gamers especially enjoy the premium refresh rate for more fluid animation and responsive touch.

Performance—MediaTek Dimensity 7300 in Action

The actual jewel of this device is its performance. Lava has equipped the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 (upon a 4nm process) paired with the Mali-G615 GPU and MediaTek HyperEngine game optimization.

You can choose between 6GB and 8GB RAM variants, with 128GB UFS 3.1 storage. The storage is also expandable up to 1TB with a microSD card—another plus point for heavy users.

At this price, very few smartphones can deliver this level of performance and this truly is a budget gaming phone.

Cameras—Solid but Not the Main Highlight

While the Lava Play Ultra 5G is marketed as a gaming phone, Lava did not leave the cameras behind either. The phone features a 64MP Sony IMX682 primary camera and a 5MP macro lens. You also have a 13MP front camera for self-portraits.

The camera app offers a number of   such as

• Night Mode for nighttime photos
• HDR and Portrait Mode
• Pro Mode for manual operation
• Dual-View Video for artistic videos
• Slow-Motion and Time-Lapse recording

During the day, the 64MP camera captures crisp and vibrant photographs, and during night hours, the performance in low light is tolerable for this budget. The 13MP front camera is sufficient for selfies and calls, if not excellent. Cameras in general are adequate but decidedly secondary to the gaming-centric emphasis of the phone.

Battery and Charging—Power That Lasts

Lava has equipped the Play Ultra with an enormous 5,000 mAh battery, which quite comfortably offers a day of gaming, streaming, and continuous usage.

Regarding charging, the phone is charged through 33W fast charging from 0 to 100% within a period of about 83 minutes. It is highly efficient, and the users need not be glued to the charger all day.

Audio and Multimedia – Stereo Experience

The Lava Play Ultra 5G excels at gaming and media consumption with dual stereo speakers. Combined with the AMOLED display, the audio adds to the movie, music, and gaming experience.

For gamers, stereo audio also enhances positional awareness for games like BGMI, making it easier to hear footsteps and gunfire from different directions.

Software – Stock Android 15 with No Bloatware

One of the best complaints about budget phones is excessive skin, adware, and bloatware apps. Lava has gone about things in a welcome manner by releasing the Play Ultra 5G with Android 15 in a clean, stock-like design.

Highlights:

• No adware or bloatware
• Clean UI and animations
• Two guaranteed Android updates (through Android 17)
• Three years of security updates

Price and Availability—Value for Money

The Lava Play Ultra 5G will come in two variants:

• 6GB + 128GB: ₹14,999 (effective ₹13,999 with bank discount)
• 8GB + 128GB: ₹16,499 (effective ₹15,499 with bank discount)

It will be available for sale exclusively on Amazon India starting August 25, 2025.

At this price point, the Lava Play Ultra 5G takes on phones like the Redmi Note 15 Pro, OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite, and iQOO Neo 10R Lite—but its pure software, AMOLED display, and gaming enhancements make it a serious contender.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Smooth 120 Hz AMOLED display
• Gaming-adaptive Dimensity 7300 chipset
• Stereo speakers with immersive sound
• Pure Android 15 experience with prompt updates
• Slim and lightweight with IP64 protection

Cons:

• Cameras are decent but not flagship-standard
• Charging speed (33W) could be faster than the rest
• Few color variations

Final Verdict—Is It Worth Buying?

The Lava Play Ultra 5G is indeed one of the budget highlights of 2025. Gamers will enjoy its lag-free performance, high-refresh AMOLED display, stereo speakers, and reliable battery life. Casual users have extra ruggedness, a pure Android experience, and assured updates—a rarity in this segment.

If you’re looking for a gaming-ready budget smartphone under ₹15,000 with long-term value and minimal compromises, the Lava Play Ultra 5G is one of the best choices right now. Lava has truly delivered a winner(best budget phone).