It is equally surprising and disappointing that in a sector as vibrant as India’s smartphone ecosystem, some of the things Lava often does go unnoticed. Case in point: the Indian phone maker’s latest Blaze series phone, the dual-screen Blaze Duo 3. It replaces Blaze Duo after a hiatus of over a year (except for the “2nd” iteration) but is still going strong with the same ₹₹16,999 price tag – This counters all the conventional wisdom of generational inflation, as specifications improve (and become more expensive) year after year. Two screens in one phone, unless it’s foldable, is a rare proposition. But still, that feature is not used as a compliment to comfort.
The Lava Blaze Duo 3 sees a fair continuation in design refinements, with an IP64 dust and water resistance rated flat slab-esque form factor that’s 7.5mm thin, a 6.67-inch AMOLED display that sports a 120Hz refresh rate as well as an infrared (IR) blaster that still holds plenty of utility and convenience in controlling home devices. What hasn’t changed to maintain parity in pricing even after such a significant amount of time has passed is that the Lava Android experience remains clutter and bloat free. This has been Lava’s unique proposition over the years, whereas with the passage of time almost all of their competitors have fallen prey to the lure of pre-loaded apps as a revenue source. For the more discerning customer, a clean Android experience is worth its weight in gold (and I say this with confidence, even at current gold prices).
Also read: Innovation, not manufacturing, is the dilemma for Indian phone brands
MediaTek’s choice of Dimensity 7060 chip, along with 6GB of memory, is the epitome of a mid-range phone that holds its own for the most part. Keep in mind, this is more than enough for a buyer who will use it as an everyday phone. The interface is fast, app responsiveness has a sense of purpose and there’s no noticeable heating on the back panel when you multitask on this phone. In terms of real-world usage, the Blaze Duo 3 feels somewhat faster and more responsive than the slightly more expensive Poco M8, powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chip – the latter’s emphasis on preloaded apps, and a fair amount of preinstalled bloat, may be a factor.
One can clearly point to the difference between MediaTek and Qualcomm chips as the reason why the Lava Blaze Duo 3 lags a bit behind in terms of battery endurance. In the Poco M8 review, I mentioned that the 5520mAh battery delivers about 6 hours of screen time when used as a primary phone under normal conditions. The Blaze Duo 3’s 5,000mAh battery is a bit underpowered, and I hope Lava optimizes thermal or processor behavior with a later update.
If you’re wondering what can be done with the second screen, which Lava calls the Mini Screen, it has two main advantages. First of all, it can be your very useful viewfinder for taking selfies from the rear camera (open the camera app by swiping left from the clock screen). Secondly, if you have a habit of keeping the phone face down on the table during meetings or when going out for a nice meal, it can be helpful to silently glance at notifications or simply the time. You can also control which app’s notification will appear on this screen.
Also read:Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 review: Materials and features move the needle where it matters
Photography is where some adaptations are necessary, making improvements to what is already a fairly solid base to work from. The 50-megapixel sensor on the back is Sony IMX752, paired with an auxiliary lens for depth sensing. For all intents and purposes, think of it as a single 50-megapixel ‘AI camera’ doing the job, and the tension is visible at times. For starters, Lava’s image processing delivers the right level of clarity and detail in most daytime photos, and if you’re patient enough, even offers a night mode for low-light photos. However, contrast and detail in shadows often lose that extra step of visual appeal. One could argue (and I’d be in your corner) that the Blaze Duo 3 offers colors that are a little slow – and that can be easily fixed with a software update. I get Lava’s approach here: don’t err on the side of unnecessary liveliness, but it’s a bit much.
The reality is, Lava hasn’t put together the Lava Blaze Duo 3 just to outdo this extremely competitive segment on the spec sheet, and perhaps that’s the point of its approach. In a market plagued by ever-increasing processor booms and camera upgrades, providing pricing discipline, maintaining a clean software personality and still providing utility with a truly distinctive secondary display, is a win. Mind you, there are some rough edges, but camera image processing and battery optimization can be classified as necessary tuning rather than unavoidable weaknesses. For ₹16,999 in 2026, holding the line is a statement in itself. The Blaze Duo 3, like most of Lava’s recent smartphones, is underrated, but hopefully not underappreciated.
