The Redmi K30 series has some pretty big shoes to fill this year. Redmi K20 and the K20 Pro offered extremely good value for its price and even made it to our Best Mid-Range and Best Flagship Killer Smartphones of 2019 lists. And in most ways, the Redmi K30 upholds the reputation of its predecessor, bringing in powerful specifications at an extremely affordable price tag. Unlike the OPPO Reno3 series and the Vivo X30 series that doesn’t feature a 4G variant, the Redmi K30 comes with a 5G as well as a 4G model. But is that the only difference between the two models? That’s what we check in this Redmi K30 vs Redmi K30 5G comparison.

Redmi K30 vs Redmi K30 5G: Design

The Redmi K30 duo share the exact same design with the exact same dimensions: 165.3 x 76.6 x 8.8 mm and weight: 208 grams too! The only minute difference between the two models is the 5G logo on the back of the K30 5G model.

Both the models come in a gradient back in Blue, Red, and Purple color options. There’s a single pill-shaped vertical camera strip on the top half of the device featuring four sensors. At the lower half of the back, you’ll find the Redmi logo. The front of the device is a lot more interesting. Both the 4G & 5G models feature dual punch-hole cameras on the top right corner. It’s actually two separate cameras joined together with a black background. While the K30 isn’t the first Xiaomi smartphone to feature dual front-facing shooters, it’s the first Mi / Redmi device to feature a punch-hole camera setup.

Note that both the devices feature a dedicated 3.5mm headphone jack.

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Redmi K30 vs Redmi K30 5G: Specifications

While the design of the Redmi K30 duo was identical, they differ slightly in terms of specifications. The Redmi K30 comes with the good old Snapdragon 730G octa-core processor from Qualcomm, while the Redmi K30 5G features the Snapdragon 765G chip. It is Qualcomm’s first 5G-integrated SoC in the market and the K30 5G was the first phone to feature it. The K30 5G features both SA and NSA 5G networks and supports a maximum download speed of up to 3.7Gbps. So in terms of network speeds, the K30 5G model is way ahead of its 4G variant.

Other specs, including the camera setup on both the models are identical. The two models start off at 6GB RAM + 64GB storage and take it all the way up to 8GB RAM and 256GB of internal storage. Note that they feature a hybrid MicroSD card slot (SIM2). One of the highlights of the Redmi K30 duo is its screen. Despite being a 6.67-inch 1080 x 2400 pixels IPS LCD panel, the two models ensure you get a good viewing experience with the help of HDR10 support and a high 120Hz screen refresh rate. It is also the first Xiaomi smartphone to feature such a high refresh rate.

The quad-camera setup on both the models feature a 64MP f/1.9 primary shooter paired with an 8MP f/2.2 ultrawide sensor, a 2MP f/2.4 macro camera, and a 2MP f/2.4 depth sensor. Up front, the dual punch-hole camera setup houses 20MP primary selfie shooter with a 2MP depth sensor. One big change as compared to the older Redmi K20 series is the presence of a physical fingerprint sensor. The company decided to use a less-traditional side-mounted fingerprint sensor on the K30 duo instead of an in-display fingerprint shooter. Well, the presence of an IPS LCD display was a giveaway that it couldn’t have an in-display sensor, but hopefully, by 2020, this in-screen fingerprint tech won’t just be exclusive to AMOLEDs.

While the battery capacity on both the models are identical: 4500mAh, the K30 maxes out at 27W fast charging while the K30 5G gets a slightly faster 30W charging technology.

Redmi K30 vs Redmi K30 5G: Pricing

The pricing of both models are as follows:

Redmi K30 4G

• 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage – 1,599 Yuan (~$227)
• 6 GB RAM + 64 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

In terms of specifications, the K30 and the K30 5G models are very similar. They even have the exact same camera setup unlike the Vivo X30 duo (Pro model had an additional periscope camera).

Personally, the Redmi K30 4G makes for an excellent purchase in a non-5G dominated market. And even if you need 5G, you just have to shell out around $60 more to enjoy extremely fast Gbps speeds on your smartphone. No wonder the K30 5G is the cheapest 5G smartphone in the world right now!

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