Xiaomi Redmi K30 launched with 120Hz display, 64MP quad rear cameras and 5G 

Xiaomi sub brand Redmi has launched the Redmi K30, and in line with all the teaser reveals and slew of leaks, it’s a ‘huge’ upgrade over the Redmi K20 – in every perceivable way. It has a new design, a faster display, more powerful innards, 64MP quad rear cameras, and a sizeable 4,500mAh battery with fast charging. Plus, the Redmi K30 is also Redmi’s first 5G phone. There will also be a 4G-only variant of the Redmi K30 which helps Redmi start this thing at a ridiculously low price of CNY 1,599 which roughly translates to Rs 16,000. 

Just like the Redmi K20 before it, the Redmi K30 is a China-only affair to boot. But since the Redmi K20 was launched in India, the Redmi K30 has history on its side – we will have to wait and watch out on that one for now though. 

There’s a lot to like about the Redmi K30 especially when you compare it to the Redmi K20 which was a tremendous value for money. The Redmi K30, for the lack of a better word, looks even better, at least as far as its hardware is concerned. So, let’s quickly jump into the specifications.  

Redmi K30 specs, features 

Even though the Redmi K30 comes in 5G and 4G variants, there’s very little difference between the two, which is nice. Both the variants have the same 6.67-inch 1080p+ or full-HD+ IPS LCD display. That’s right, unlike the Redmi K20, the Redmi K30 does not have an OLED display which also means that it does not have an in-display fingerprint scanner. The Redmi K30 more than makes up for it by offering – possibly a segment first – 120Hz display. For spec nerds, that’s ‘theoretically’ faster than the 90Hz display of the OnePlus 7T. Also, the Redmi K30 has a side-mounted ‘physical’ fingerprint reader that should be faster and more reliable than an in-display solution. 

While the Redmi K20 had a pop-up selfie camera mechanism, the Redmi K30 goes the punch-hole way. More specifically, the Redmi K30 comes with a Samsung Galaxy S10+ like dual punch hole selfie camera setup. This houses a 20MP main and a 2MP dedicated depth or portrait camera.  

Core hardware is where the 5G and 4G variants of the Redmi K30 differ. While the 4G Redmi K30 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G, the 5G Redmi K30 packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor. This is paired with up to 8GB RAM and up to 256GB storage in both the models. There’s no expandable storage. 

The Redmi K30 5G because of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G inside it has an integrated X52 5G modem and supports both standalone and non-standalone 5G networks, aka dual mode 5G. 

Coming to the main cameras, the Redmi K30 boasts of four rear cameras. The Redmi K30 is the world’s first smartphone to feature a 64MP Sony IMX686 main sensor, which is Sony’s equivalent to Samsung’s 64MP GW1 sensor. Those keeping track will be quick to point out that Xiaomi was also the world’s first brand to come out with a smartphone equipped with the Samsung GW1 sensor – the Redmi Note 8 Pro. This is paired with an 8MP ultrawide-angle camera with a 120-degree field-of-view, a 5MP dedicated macro and 2MP depth camera to complete the package. The Redmi K30 4G has the same setup – with the only difference being it has a lower-resolution 2MP macro. 

Elsewhere, the Redmi K30 is backed by a 4,500mAh battery. The 5G Redmi K30 supports 30W fast charging – the 4G Redmi K30 meanwhile supports 27W fast charging. 

Redmi K30 price 

Redmi K30 5G: 

6GB/64GB: CNY 1,999 (roughly Rs 20,000) 

6GB/128GB: CNY 2,299 (roughly Rs 23,000) 

8GB/128GB: CNY 2,599 (roughly Rs 26,000) 

8GB/256GB: CNY 2,899 (roughly Rs 29,000) 

Redmi K30 4G: 

6GB/64GB: CNY 1,599 (roughly Rs 16,000) 

6GB/128GB: CNY 1,699 (roughly Rs 17,000) 

8GB/128GB: CNY 1,899 (roughly Rs 19,000) 

8GB/256GB: CNY 2,199 (roughly Rs 22,000) 

Also Read:  Xiaomi Redmi K20 Pro Review: Rewriting The Flagship Phone Rulebook, circa 2019