 "Galaxy M30s vs Redmi Note 8 Pro vs Realme 5 Pro vs Vivo Z1X: The budget space is getting crowded")
Samsung, keeping up with its recent trend of launching a number of devices under it’s budget/mid-range Galaxy M and Galaxy A-series, has announced two new smartphones namely the Galaxy M30s and M10s. The Galaxy M30s has been announced for a starting price of Rs 13,999 which makes it a direct competitor to the Realme 5 Pro (Review)
,
Redmi Note 8 Pro
and the
Vivo Z1X
. [caption id=“attachment_7360461” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”]
Galaxy M30s.[/caption]
Samsung Galaxy M30s: Specifications and features
Samsung Galaxy M30s features a 6.4-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED Infinity-U display. The device also supports Widevine L1 certification, which means, you will be able to stream HD content on your phone on Netflix and Amazon Prime. Under the hood, the smartphone is powered by a 2.3 GHz octa-core Exynos 9611 SoC. It comes with an option of 6 GB RAM and 128 GB of internal storage and 4 GB RAM and 64 GB storage. For optics, the Galaxy M30s sports a 16 MP selfie camera. At the rear, it comes with a triple-camera setup, which includes a 48 MP camera, along with 5 MP depth sensor with an f/2.2 lens, and an 8 MP ultra-wide-angle camera. The phone also comes with a dedicated night mode for low-light shots. The Galaxy M30s offers 4K video recording, super Slo-mo, Super Steady and a Hyperlapse mode. Additionally, the phone comes with a dedicated Game Booster mode, which uses AI to improve device performance while gaming. For connectivity, the Galaxy M30s features a type-C port and it runs Android 9.0 Pie-based One UI. The phone packs a 6,000 mAh battery and it comes with 15 W charging support. As mentioned earlier, the Galaxy M30s has to compete in an increasingly crowded budget to mid-range smartphone segment which includes the likes of the Realme 5 Pro, upcoming Redmi Note 8 Pro and Vivo Z1X. Let’s take a look at how the M30s compares with these smartphones on paper.
| Galaxy M30s | Realme 5 Pro | Redmi Note 8 Pro | Vivo Z1X | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display Size (inch) | 6.4 | 6.3 | 6.53 | 6.38 |
| Resolution (pixels) | 1080 x 2400 | 1080 x 2340 | 1080 x 2340 | 1080 x 2340 |
| Pixel Density (PPI) | 411 | 394 | 395 | 394 |
| Display Type | AMOLED | IPS LCD | IPS LCD | AMOLED |
| Dimensions(mm) | 159 x 75.1 x 8.5 | 157 x 74.2 x 8.9 | 161.3 x 76.4 x 8.8 | 159.5 x 75.2 x 8.3 |
| Weight (gm) | 178 | 191 | 199 | 190 |
| Dual SIM | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SIM Type | Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM |
| Connectivity Types | GSM / HSPA / LTE | GSM / HSPA / LTE | GSM / HSPA / LTE | GSM / HSPA / LTE |
| Processor | Exynos 9611 | Snapdragon 712 | Mediatek Helio G90T | Snapdragon 712 |
| CPU Cores | Octa-core | Octa-core | Octa-core | Octa-core |
| CPU Clock Speed (GHz) | 4x2.3 GHz Cortex-A73 & 4x1.7 GHz Cortex-A53 | 2x2.3 GHz Kryo 360 Gold & 6x1.7 GHz Kryo 360 | 2x Cortex-A76 & 6x Cortex-A55 | 2x2.3 GHz Kryo 360 Gold & 6x1.7 GHz Kryo 360 |
| GPU | Mali-G72 | Adreno 616 | Mali-G76 | Adreno 616 |
| RAM | 4, 6 GB | 6, 8 GB | 6, 8 GB | 6 GB |
| Ruggedness | — | — | — | — |
| On-Board Memory | 64, 128 GB | 64, 128 GB | 64, 128 GB | 64, 128 GB |
| Expandable Memory | Yes, up to 256 GB | Yes, up to 256 GB | Yes, up to 256 GB | Yes, up to 256 GB |
| Sensors | Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (in-display), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| Primary Camera | 48 MP, f/2.0 + 8 MP, f/2.2 + 5 MP, f/2.2 | 48 MP, f/1.8 + 8 MP, f/2.2 + 2 MP, f/2.4 + 2 MP, f/2.4 | 64 MP, f/1.8 + 8 MP, f/2.2 + 2 MP, f/2.4 + 2 MP, f/2.4 | 48 MP, f/1.8 + 8 MP, f/2.2 + 2 MP, f/2.4 |
| Optical Image Stabilization | No | No | No | No |
| Camera Array | Triple-camera | Quad-camera | Quad-camera | Triple-camera |
| Autofocus System | PDAF | PDAF | PDAF | PDAF |
| Secondary Camera | 24 MP, f/2.0 | 16 MP, f/2.0 | 20 MP | 32 MP, f/2.0 |
| Video Capture | 2160p@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, 720p@960fps | 2160p@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, 720p@960fps | 2160p@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps | 1080p@30fps |
| Flash | Yes | Yes | Dual-LED | Yes |
| OS Version | Android 9.0 | Android 9.0 | Android 9.0 | Android 9.0 |
| AI (Smart Assistant) | Bixby | Google Assistant | Google Assistant | Google Assistant |
| GPS | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac |
| Bluetooth | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| NFC | No | No | Yes | No |
| Infrared | No | No | Yes | No |
| Fingerprint Scanner | Yes, rear-mounted | Yes, rear-mounted | Yes, Rear button | Yes, in-display |
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Radio | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| USB Type | Type-C | Type-C | Type-C | Type-C |
| USB Standard | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 |
| Battery (mAh) | 6,000 mAh | 4,000 mAh | 4,000 mAh | 4,500 mAh |
| Fast charging | Yes, 15 W | Yes, 20 W | Yes, 18 W | Yes, 22.5 W |
| Colors | Blue, Black and White | Crystal Green, Crystal Blue | Black, Green, and White, | Fusion Blue, Phantom Purple |
| Prices in India | Starts at Rs 13,990 | Starts at Rs 13,990 | TBD | Starts at Rs 16,990 |
What we can see is that the Galaxy M30s seems to be keeping pace with the competition in various aspects. The Redmi Note 8 Pro and Realme 5 Pro both have a quad-camera array with 64 MP and 48 MP primary sensors respectively and although the M30s has a triple-camera setup, it too has a 48 MP camera, as does the Z1X. In terms of processing power, the Exynos 9611 is not too shabby. We will have to put the M30s through its paces in our review to find out more. In terms of the display, we see that the M30s comes with an FHD+ AMOLED screen which is only matched by the Vivo Z1X, while both the Realme 5 Pro and Redmi Note 8 Pro have to contend with an IPS LCD. Battery-wise the Galaxy M30s absolutely crushes the competition on paper with a mammoth 6,000 mAh unit while the competition offers 4,500 and 4,000 mAh batteries. It is difficult to call out an overall winner here just based on specs but you can be sure that we will be testing the device thoroughly in our full review, so stay tuned for that.