Use and throw no more as Lava launches world’s first ‘made-to-order’ customisable smartphone

Homegrown brand Lava launched a range of affordable ‘made in India’ smartphones on Thursday that might just spark the beginning of an all-new era for budget-conscious buyers. The phones in question—Z6, Z4, and Z2—can be made-to-order before purchase. They will also be upgradable post purchase. Lava says it will offer 66 ‘unique’ ways to tailor-make its new Z-series phones with options of “increasing or changing RAM, ROM, front camera, rear camera(s) and even the colour of the phone.”

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“This concept, apart from fulfilling the consumer’s needs, will also make Lava a very nimble and efficient company in upstream and down-stream supply chains,” Sunil Raina, President and Business head, Lava International said.

Lava My Z, Z-Up

Lava will be providing two kinds of services with the Z6, Z4, and Z2 phones. The first one, called My Z, will allow buyers to choose between 2GB, 3GB, 4GB or 6GB RAM, and pair it with 32GB, 64GB or 128GB ROM in a combination of their choice. There will be an option to choose between dual (combination of 13MP and 2MP) or triple rear camera (combination of 13MP, 5MP, and 2MP), and 8MP or 16MP selfie camera. “You can also select a colour of your choice, your own version of Lava’s Z series,” though all the phones will have the same core design and built using the same materials.

These made-to-order My Z Lava phones will be available for buying from the company’s online store starting January 11.

The other service, called Z-up is more ambitious. It will basically allow Z6, Z4, and Z2 owners to upgrade their phone’s RAM and ROM within the first year of purchase by paying “only an incremental charge for upgraded components.” Z-up will be available at Lava service centres starting January 26.

“With this unique innovation, we will save customers’ money, avoid the hassle of transferring data to a new phone, while ensuring environmental safety and offering protection from e-waste,” Raina added.

Lava also plans to expand the service(s) in the near future so even retailers and trade will be able to build phones as per buyer’s requirement.

Lava Z6, Z4, and Z2

Coming to the actual phones themselves, all the three phones come with a 6.5-inch 720p+ display with waterdrop-style notch and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. They are made of plastic though Lava claims the complete range is Military Grade-certified for ruggedness. All the phones are powered by an 8-core MediaTek Helio G35 processor and run stock Android 10 “for a bloatware free pure Android experience.” Rounding off the package is 5,000mAh battery with USB Type-C charging.

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The Lava Z6 comes with three cameras on the back (13+5+2MP). On the front, it has a 16MP camera. It will be available in 6GB RAM and 64GB storage configuration. The Lava Z4 is essentially the Z6 with 4GB RAM. While the Lava Z6 will cost Rs 9,999, the Lava Z4 will be available for Rs 8,999.

The Lava Z2 comes with dual cameras on the back (13+2MP). On the front, it has an 8MP camera. It will be available in 2GB RAM and 32GB storage configuration. The Lava Z2 has been launched in India for Rs 6,999.