At the end of last year, Redmi released the K30 series products and got the first launch of Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chip. After more than two months, the Redmi K30 Pro series was gradually unveiled. In the middle, we also ushered in the release of the Xiaomi Mi 10 series. It can be said that this Pro series of K30 came a little later.
However, some waiting is also worth it. At the moment when the Redmi K30 Pro was unboxed, we found that although they belong to the K30 series, the Pro models are no longer like the previous K30, but more like a brand new product. New appearance, new configuration, new quad-camera, how will this product perform? This review should give you an answer.
From “Chinese style circle” to “Oreo”
Compared with the original K30, the most significant change in the appearance of the Redmi K30 Pro is the camera module. From “Chinese style circle” to “Oreo”, users no longer need to spit out a design like a “coin hole”. In fact, this is the most eye-catching design element that makes it differ from the original K30.
It makes sense, in our subconscious, the standard and Pro models of the same smartphone series basically look the same. But there are some changes in the configuration. And this time the K30 Pro feels different in configuration and looks different.
The new machine has a total of four color options, of which Sky Blue and Moon White use a bright surface technology, and Space Gray and Star Ring Purple use matte glass. The matte version also has small details at the camera: the texture carved by the diamond knife is very conspicuous on the circle outside the circular lens. This circle has greatly improved the recognition of this phone, and you can feel the engraved texture.
The four lenses in the lens module form a symmetrical design and are also outlined by lines. The entire “Oreo” lens module will be slightly raised, and a phone case is required to rescue it.
In fact, the light and fog glass on the back of the K30 Pro feels very delicate, and the curved surface is well controlled. But the reason that affects the feel is the weight of the phone and the connection between the screen and the middle frame.
The Redmi K30 Pro weighs 218 grams and has a thickness of 8.9 mm. It is not light and a bit thick. And the shock-absorbing connection between the screen and the middle frame is a bit straight up and down. These factors add up to make the K30 Pro feel less pleasing.
Of course, there is a reason for being heavy. First, the K30 Pro does not use a perforated screen like the K30. Instead, it uses a lifting lens for a true full screen. Although Redmi makes the front lens module very small, it still increases the weight of the phone due to the mechanical structure. Second, the machine has a built-in 4700mAh capacity battery. In the 5G era, the 4500mAh battery is standard. So, the 4700mAh can also be considered a large capacity. The large-capacity battery means that the body is heavier and thicker.
These are the old-fashioned factors, and manufacturers usually make some balance in the design for certain functions or experiences.
The 6.67-inch true full screen on the front of the Redmi K30 Pro finally uses the Samsung AMOLED screen with E3 material. It not only has the DCI-P3 color gamut but also supports HDR10+. It can excite 800 nits brightness under a strong light to ensure the display effect. And this time the chin is also well-controlled, and the visual effect has been greatly improved compared to the K30. It sports an optical screen fingerprint recognition module.
However, the main function of the K30 series, the 120Hz refresh rate, has been canceled on the Pro models. For current Android flagship phones, a high refresh rate screen is a must-have feature. Even if the biggest advantage of this type of screen now requires further cooperation with software, it is clearly a trend.
There is also a small detail worth mentioning, the Redmi K30 Pro does not manually adjust the brightness due to insufficient brightness to see the screen at night. This is because the machine is equipped with three light sensors – two under the screen, and one behind the fuselage, hidden in the upper part of the flash.
One of the two light sensors under the screen is responsible for the ambient light and the screen light, and the other is only responsible for the screen light. Then the algorithm eliminates the effect of the screen light on the screen brightness adjustment to calculate a more accurate ambient light. The light sensor at the back is responsible for the backlight source and strives to ensure the screen brightness even in a backlit environment. In this way, you can get a comfortable screen brightness while lying on the bed and playing with your phone at night.
In summary, the Redmi K30 Pro is quite new in design, and some details are optimized in place, these are extra points. The overall feel of the machine is not as good as the K30 series due to its comprehensive screen and long battery life. This is a manufacturer’s trade-off of the product, and it is also necessary for the user to weigh it.
Performance is at the heart of the Redmi K series
When Redmi made the K series, it took the Snapdragon flagship SoC as the key indicator. So the combination of Snapdragon 865 chip + X55 modulation and demodulation has no suspense. Regarding this chip, we have talked about it many times before, it is almost the standard configuration of Android flagship phones.
This year, Snapdragon 865 chip cooperates with LPDDR5 memory and UFS 3.1 flash storage. The new memory has a higher data transfer rate and bandwidth, and lower power consumption. The new flash memory and Write Turbo technology make data read and write faster. This combination of hardware can make users feel that the phone is faster. The speed mentioned here includes a series of operations such as installing games, opening apps, loading apps, and so on.
In terms of 5G, the Redmi K30 Pro supports SA + NSA dual-mode 5G network and supports more than 5G frequency bands n1, n3, n41, n78, and n79. These 5G frequency bands are currently more commonly used in China, while the missing n77 frequency band is mainly used in Europe and Japan. Compared with K30, the Pro model has more comprehensive support for 5G bands.
In addition, the Redmi K30 Pro supports the latest WiFi 6 standard. Smartphones that support the new standard and corresponding routers can bring faster data transmission speeds, and through OFDMA technology, a small number of devices can cause channel congestion when they are networked.
In terms of heat dissipation, the Redmi K30 Pro has enough materials. According to the official introduction, the phone has a built-in 7-layer graphite structure, which covers the battery compartment, the motherboard, the sound cavity, and the VC soaking plate. The internal host section adds a graphene heat dissipation layer, while the VC soaking board takes care of the SoC, battery management chip and 5G chip, and extends to the battery compartment. Other scattered parts also use copper foil and thermal gel.
Under such layers, the thermal performance of Redmi K30 Pro is not bad. We used it to perform “Peace Elite” at 30 minutes with high picture quality and extreme frame rate. The back of the phone was not severely heated, and the overall feel was only warm. In addition, when using AnTuTu for a 30-minute stress test, the K30 Pro heats up more obviously, and the heating area spreads from the camera to the middle frame.
At last, the Redmi K30 Pro sports a built-in 4700mAh capacity battery. When playing heavy games for 30 minutes, the phone consumes 11% power. When watching online videos, it consumes 5%. So on a single charge, it should be enough to use a day. In addition, the machine supports 33 watts of wired fast charging, and the phone can be fully charged in 1 hour.
Photography: Two versions
Compared to the K30 series, the Redmi K30 Pro has also made great progress in photography. The K30 Pro is divided into a standard version and a zoom version. Both versions use Sony’s 64-megapixel IMX686 sensor, a 13-megapixel ultra-light lens, and a 2-megapixel deep lens.
The difference lies in the telephoto. The zoom version is equipped with an 8-megapixel telephoto lens, supports OIS optical image stabilization, up to 3x optical zoom and up to 30x digital zoom. The standard version has a 5-megapixel telephoto lens that supports Super Macro. But this version’s main camera and telephoto lens do not support OIS optical image stabilization.
We got the K30 Pro zoom version. The 3x optical zoom combined with OIS optical image stabilization makes the phone shoot farther, and the picture performance is very stable when shooting.
This lens combination of the Redmi K30 Pro zoom version can cope with a variety of scenes such as telephoto, ultra-wide-angle, and portrait. The lack of Super Macro mode is a shame. If you have used those smartphones that support Super Macro (including K30), you will find that this function is very suitable for capturing detailed pictures, and sometimes you get unexpected results.
Redmi K30 Pro Ultra Wide Angle sample
In fact, this is related to the positioning of the K30 Pro series. Although it is the flagship of Redmi, the most important of this phone is the Snapdragon flagship chip. As for taking pictures, the more extreme configuration is left to Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro. Previously, Lu Weibing, general manager of the Redmi brand, said on Weibo that the K30 Pro would not fully surpass the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro.
So today’s K30 Pro has made appropriate adjustments in photography. Although it is difficult to compete with top flagship smartphones, it is also sufficient to meet user needs in a daily shooting. At the same time, Redmi has made two different versions for taking pictures, giving consumers more options in taking pictures and prices.
No need to mark, you can see which AI is turned on
In terms of algorithm, the Redmi K30 Pro also has new changes. In addition to the common Super Night Scene 2.0, the K30 Pro adds a new AI camera. From the samples, we can see after the AI camera is turned on, the brightness, color, and contrast of the photo are optimized in multiple directions. If Redmi was more conservative in AI before, this time it was quite bold.
For some other details, taking photos in HEIC format can reduce the size of the photos and save storage space. This function requires users to manually turn on the settings. The document mode automatically crops and corrects the captured document, and you can adjust the effect of the document later. If you enter the ID photocopy mode, A4 size pictures will be automatically generated after taking the front and back of the ID card for printing.
The front lens has a 20MP resolution, and portrait, beauty, and beauty functions are also available. The lens is also equipped with a corresponding breathing light, and the color animation effect of the breathing light can be customized this time.
Redmi particularly emphasized the efficiency and safety of this lifting lens: the lens can be ejected or retracted in 0.58 seconds, and it will automatically retract when it is accidentally dropped to reduce the risk brought by the lifting lens. The company proves its design life has reached 300,000 times.
The bottom line
The Redmi K30 Pro still retains the tradition of cost performance and has a price advantage among a group of Snapdragon 865 5G phones. Compared with the K30, it can already be regarded as a completely different product. It has a different design, a different imaging system, and a different screen … We can say that it is the best and most powerful and balanced Redmi smartphone.
Including some product details, the Redmi K30 Pro also does a very good job, such as a Z-axis linear motor with a more comfortable vibration, a full-featured NFC that also supports a bus card and an access card, and an “ancestral” infrared remote control.
Of course, most fragrant is the price of this product. It can control the price of 5G flagship phones at around 3,000 yuan, which will give more users the opportunity to experience 5G flagship phones.