Various Chinese smartphone brands have launched 5G-ready phones in the home market. All the 5G phones that are available in China are flagship devices and the most affordable 5G flagship phone starts at 3,299 Yuan in China. Today, Xiaomi’s sub-brand Redmi has introduced the Redmi K30 5G phone. With a starting price of 1,999 Yuan (~$284), it currently stands as the cheapest 5G enabled smartphone in the world. Also, it is the first smartphone ever to feature the all new Snapdragon 765G gaming-centric 5G chipset. The new SoC brings support for dual-mode 5G connectivity on the Redmi K30 Pro 5G. Another first on the Redmi K30 is the presence of the brand new Sony IMX686 64-megapixel sensor. The smartphone also comes with other exciting features 120Hz refresh rate display, dual front-facing cameras, quad rear cameras and a big sized battery. The company also announced 4G LTE version of the Redmi K30 alongside its 5G sibling.
Redmi K30 5G Specifications and Features
The Redmi K30 5G has a 3D glass body that is curved on all four side. The smartphone features Gorilla Glass 5 panels on its front and rear. The Redmi K30 5G smartphone that houses a 6.67-inch IPS LCD display. It has a pill-shaped punch-hole at the top-right corner. The size of the punch-hole is 4.38mm only. The HDR 10 complaint display produces a tall aspect ratio of 20:9 and offers full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels. It is the first Redmi phone to arrive with support for 120Hz refresh rate which not only promises smoother scrolling, but also stutter-free gaming experience. The company claims that many apps already support the phone’s high frame rate mode.
Compared to the predecessor Snapdragon 730G, the new 7nm Snapdragon 765G promises 10 percent better performance. The smartphone comes with up to 8 GB of LPDDR4x RAM and inbuilt storage of up to 256 GB UFS 2.1 storage. A microSD card slot is available on the device for more storage. It is the company first phone to arrive with Android 10 OS which is overlaid with the latest MIUI 11 skin. The Mi Turbo 2.0 optimized the system performance whereas Game Turbo 2.0 enhances the device for gaming.
The back panel of the phone features a vertical quad camera setup which is placed inside a glossy round pattern. It features the Sony IMX686 64-megapixel primary lens with an f/1.89 aperture and a 1/1.73″ sensor size. The main lens support for 4-in-1 pixel binning. The other sensor of the Redmi K30 5G’s rear facing camera setup includes an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens with 120-degree field-of-view, a 5-megapixel macro lens and a 2-megapixdel depth assist lens. The company claims that the Redmi K30 5G has the same camera algorithms that is available on the Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro that features 108-megapixel penta-lens camera setup. Hence, the Redmi K30 5G promises to deliver better photo shooting experience in dim-light conditions.
The dual LED flash enabled quad cameras offers features like AI Scene Camera, Super Night Scene 2.0, movie mode, professional mode, background blur, 30fps 4K video shooting and 1080p slow-motion video at 120fps. On the front, the Redmi K30 5G features an AI powered dual camera setup that includes a 20-megapixel main lens and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. The front camera supports 30fps full HD video shooting.
The Redmi K30 5G is fueled by a 4,500mAh battery. The device carries support for 30W fast charging. The smartphone is equipped with an independent high-efficiency charge pump with a charging conversion efficiency of up to 97 percent. The handset is incorporated with a copper tube for liquid cooling and heat dissipation which can effectively reduce the internal temperature by up to 7 degrees Celsius.
The other features that are available on the Redmi K30 include dual-SIM support, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, dual-band GPS, IR blaster, NFC, Hi-Res Audio, 1217 super line speaker with Smart PA louds speaker, USB-C, 3.5mm audio jack and a side-mounted fingerprint reader. The handset measures 165.3x 76.6 x 8.79mm and it weighs 208 grams.
Redmi K30 4G Edition Specifications
The Redmi K30 4G edition is a cheaper alternative for its 5G model. The device borrows most of its specs from the Redmi K30 5G. The only major difference is that it is powered by the 8nm Snapdragon 730G mobile platform. The predecessor Redmi K20 phone had featured the Snapdragon 730 SoC. It carries support for 27W fast charging. In the quad camera setup, there is a 2-megapixel macro lens instead of the 5-megapixel one found on the 5G variant. It also lacks support for dual-frequency GPS. The rest of the specs of the 4G variant are identical with Redmi K30 5G.
Redmi K30 Pricing and Availability
Here is the pricing of the different variants of the Redmi K30:
Redmi K30 4G
- 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage – 1,599 Yuan (~$227)
- 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage – 1,699 Yuan (~$241)
- 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage – 1,899 Yuan (~$270)
- 8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage – 2,199 Yuan (~$312)
Color variants: Amethyst Fantasy, Deep Water Blue and Shimmering Purple
Redmi K30 5G
- 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage- 1,999 Yuan (~$284)
- 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage – 2,299 Yuan (~$326)
- 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage – 2,599 Yuan (~$369)
- 8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage – 2,899 Yuan (~$412)
Color variants: Time Monologue, Purple Jade Fantasy, Deep Sea Glow and Flower Shadow
The Redmi K30 5G model will be available for purchase in January 2020. The pre-sale of the 4G model has started in China and its first sale will be held on Dec. 12 at 10 AM (local time).
Rumors have it that the Redmi K30 Pro 5G will break cover in January 2020. It is also speculated that the Redmi K30 will be coming soon to other markets including India in the near future.
What do you think about the specs and pricing of the Redmi K30 5G and 4G models? Share us your views by posting your comments below.
