The Redmi K30 Pro, from Xiaomi's affordable Redmi brand, is a relatively 'high-end' smartphone, at least compared to the Note series, with a collection of specs that may be impressive given it likely won't cost too much. The company also unveiled a Redmi K30 Pro Zoom Edition, which has just some difference in camera sensors. Both smartphones have been launched in China via an online event. The Redmi K30 Pro follows on from the base K30, launched at the end of 2019. Both the Redmi K30 Pro and the Redmi K30 Pro Zoom Edition come in Moonlight White, Sky Blue, Star Ring Purple, and Space Gray color options, and will go on sale starting March 27 in China. The base version of Redmi K30 Pro starts at CNY 2,999($425) for the 6/128GB configuration, there’s also an 8/128GB model for CNY 3,399 ($480) and an 8/256GB trim for CNY 3,699($520). The K30 Pro Zoom base model costs CNY 3,799 ($535), while the 8/256GB model will go for CNY 3,999 ($565). The new devices pack plenty of power, too, featuring a Snapdragon 865 processor and 5G capabilities (SA/NSA). Both smartphones have LPDDR5 RAM and faster UFS 3.1 storage. While, the 6GB RAM + 128GB storage variant of the Redmi K30 Pro has LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 3.0 storage. Redmi has also partnered with Keith Haring foundation to release a handful of cool cases with custom artwork.
Design and display
The Redmi K30 Pro 5G builds on the design of its predecessor. Unlike most 5G smartphones launched in 2020, the new K30 series model retains a pop-up camera similar to the K20 Pro. Redmi’s General Manager, Lu Weibing, explained that “the combination of pop-up cameras and 5G would be rare in 2020 owing to space constraints, but the company managed to bring it to reality with several adjustments including a stacked motherboard design.” The Redmi K30 Pro 5G and Zoom Edition feature a curved back with a round-shaped quad-camera setup. This is the best change over the pill-shaped vertical camera arrangement of the previous Redmi models.
Along with the pop-up front camera, we get a full view display experience and up to 92.7 percent screen to body ratio. The pop-up camera is also faster than its predecessor and pops up and down in just 0.58 seconds. The company claims that “this further ensures its safety during falls.” Both smartphones have a 6.67 inch Samsung E3 Super AMOLED display with Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels. Front panels of the phones are protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 5. In addition, Redmi K30 Pro and K30 Pro Zoom Edition have 1200 nits peak brightness, 50000000: 1 ultra contrast ratio, and HDR10+ support. The screens support the 180Hz touch sampling rate to ensure smooth gaming. Redmi has used a unique light sense technology to significantly improve its automatic brightness adjustment. The display of both devices is also TUV Rheinland certified. The display also comes with the latest generation of an under-display fingerprint sensor for authentication.
Front and Rear cameras
The Redmi K30 Pro 5G arrives with a round-shaped quad-camera setup at the back. The setup consists of a 64MP Sony IMX686 primary sensor with OIS, a 13MP Ultra wide-angle 123-degree FoV lens, an 8MP telephoto/ macro lens with OIS, and a 2MP shooter for depth information. The phone also supports 8K video shooting and super slo-mo videos. Thanks to the advanced 8MP telephoto/ macro lens, Redmi claims that the phone can capture exceptional macro shots. The camera field is also where we see the only real difference between the K30 Pro and the Zoom Edition. The Zoom model also has a 64MP IMX686 primary camera, 13MP ultra-wide sensor, and 2MP depth camera, but swaps out the 5MP camera for an 8MP 3x telephoto shooter. The Zoom edition also delivers optical image stabilization on both the primary and telephoto cameras, whereas the standard variant doesn’t offer this option. The telephoto shooter of the Redmi K30 Pro Zoom Edition has 30x digital Zoom capability too. Both K30 Pro variants are able to record 8K video.
On the front panel, both smartphones feature a 20MP sensor with support for 120 fps slo-mo videos and time-lapse shooting in the pop-up mechanism for selfie experience. You can record only Full HD videos at 30fps by using the front-facing camera.
Processor, Battery, and Software
Under the hood, both handsets use Qualcomm’s latest flagship Snapdragon 865 Chipset, which is constructed on a 7nm+ octa-core processor (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 585 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 585 & 4x1.80 GHz Kryo 585). The flagship-level Chipset also allows supporting dual-mode 5G network – NSA and SA. The company has used a 360-degree antenna design to ensure functional 5G connectivity.
The phones support Wi-Fi 6 and Super Bluetooth with a range of up to 400m. Further, the K30 Pro and Zoom Edition feature a linear motor to ensure solid haptic feedback, especially while gaming. The phones have a VC cooling system with nine temperature sensors to prevent overheating during high intensive tasks. As for the software, both premium handsets run Android 10 operating system skinned with MIUI 11 Company’s latest layer. Redmi’s newest phones are no slouch when it comes to endurance on paper, packing a 4,700mAh battery. And you can also get 33W wired charging, delivering 100% juice in 63 minutes. There’s no wireless charging here, but that’s generally par for the course when it arrives in many affordable flagships.