Realme Narzo 30 5G First Impressions: The Good, The Bad, And The X-Factor

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Realme has added two new smartphones to its mid-range Narzo 30-series. The new handsets- Realme Narzo 30 4G and the Narzo 30 5G join the existing Narzo 30 Pro 5G and the Narzo 30A to complete the Narzo series' 2021 portfolio. With the latest launch, Realme now offers four mid-range Narzo handsets, two 4G and two 5G-enabled devices. Additionally, the brand's catalog also offers the Realme 8 5G and the Realme X7, other 5G-enabled sub-20K handsets. This is quite a portfolio of 4G and 5G smartphones for price-conscious buyers in India.

 
Realme Narzo 30 5G First Impressions

Today we are taking a closer look at the Narzo 30 5G. Priced aggressively at Rs. 15,999, the affordable 5G-enabled smartphone shares a close DNA with the Realme 8 5G. It is also powered by MediaTek Dimensity 700 5G Processor and flaunts a higher refresh rate display (90Hz). The smartphone runs on the latest realme UI 2.0, which is based on Android 11, and features a 48MP triple-lens camera setup and a beefier 5,000 mAh battery cell.

Notably, the specs are identical to the Realme 8 5G, which is currently the most affordable 5G smartphone in India starting at Rs. 13,999 for the 4GB + 64GB variant. Should you buy the new Realme Narzo 30 5G or settle down with the Realme 8 5G handset? Let's find in our first impressions.

The X-Factor- 5G-Enabled Octa-Core Chipset
 

The X-Factor- 5G-Enabled Octa-Core Chipset

5G is the future and Realme wants to give you a 5G-enabled handset in every price bracket. At Rs.15,999, the Narzo 30 5G is the most affordable 6GB 5G-enabled smartphone in the Indian market. It is powered by the recently announced MediaTek Dimensity 700 SoC, which also powers the Realme 8 5G, Poco M3 Pro 5G, and the OPPO A53s.

The chipset is fabricated on a 7nm process and features two high-performance CPU cores based on Arm Cortex-A76 clocked at 2.2GHz and six efficient cores (2GHz) based on Arm Cortex-A55. For graphics, the SoC comes with the Arm Mali-G57 MC2 GPU with a clock speed of 950MHz. The chipset impressed us with its real-life performance tests on the Realme 8 5G. It efficiently handled light to heavy tasks and also performed well with heavy games. We expect similar performance on the Realme Narzo 30 5G.

As far as the 5G connectivity is concerned, the 8-core chipset supports 5G Dual SIM Dual Standby and SA/NSA architecture, which means the handset will support high throughput, low latency communications, and network architectures like network slicing (Network Virtualization for various use cases on a 5G network) once 5G networks will be rolled out in the country. The handset supports multiple 5G bands including NSA- n77/78/41 and SA- n1/n28A/n41/n78.

That said, the MTK Dimensity 700 SoC is indeed the X-factor of the Realme Narzo 30 5G making it one of the most affordable 5G-enabled handset in the country.

The Good

The Good

The Narzo 30 5G is one of the most feature-packed sub-20K handset. It offers everything that one would expect from a value-flagship device in terms of display, battery, storage, and software.

  • The Narzo 30 5G flaunts a 6.5-inch 90Hz IPS LCD screen with FHD+ resolution (2400x1080). The screen is fluid and feels very responsive with UI navigation and scrolling. The display is adequately bright with 600 nits peak brightness level and produces punchy colors.
  • The Narzo 30 5G draws power from a 5000 mAh massive battery, which should easily last for one day on a full charge. We will test Realme's claims of month-long standby time and 16-hour video playback time on the Narzo 30 5G. The company is offering an 18W type-c quick charger in the box.
  • The build quality is decent for the price and is durable enough to last longer. Despite carrying a big 5,000 mAh battery cell, the weight is very well distributed.
  • The handset offers a 3.5mm headphone jack and a Type-C charging port that makes things easier in the daily routine.
  • I am quite impressed with the software performance on the Narzo 30 5G. The review unit runs on realme UI 2.0, which is based on Android 11. The UI is aesthetically very clean, visually appealing, and full of useful software features. Stay tuned for our comprehensive review of Realme's new software skin.
  • Moving on, the Narzo 30 5G comes equipped with a 3-card slot for two SIM cards and one SD card (up to 1TB). The handset is made available in a single memory variant, i.e. 6 GB+128GB.
  • The side-mounted physical biometric scanner is fast and accurate. It unlocks the device in a jiffy.
  • The 48MP primary camera captures crisp and vibrant shots in daylight.
The Bad

The Bad

  • While the 90Hz Full HD+ display on the Narzo 30 5G feels fluid and bright, it cannot match the vibrancy and fluidity of the Redmi Note 10 Pro's 120Hz Super AMOLED panel. The display on Xiaomi's handset is a notch above in terms of color reproduction, viewing angles, overall visual feedback. Videos and games look more immersive on the Redmi Note 10 Pro. If the screen is your top-most priority, the Redmi Note 10 Pro is a better choice; however, you must know that the handset does not support 5G connectivity.
  • It would have been good to see Wi-Fi 6 and NFC support on the handset along with the 5G connectivity.
  • The 2MP macro sensor is largely a gimmick and fails to deliver crisp and detailed shots. The camera could also use some software optimization to improve results in complicated lighting scenarios.
  • Last but not the least, the Narzo 30 5G seems to be lacking an identity. It comes across as just another variant of Realme 8 5G with minor differences. The brand seems to be going through a portfolio overlapping that might confuse consumers and make it difficult for them to make a decision.
Should You Buy The Realme Narzo 30 5G?

Should You Buy The Realme Narzo 30 5G?

The Realme Narzo 5G seems like a good overall package for consumers looking to buy an affordable 5G handset. It supports multiple 5G bands, features a 90Hz fluid display, triple-slot SIM card, and is powered by a beefier 5,000 mAh battery cell. We will bring our comprehensive review of the handset in the coming week.

As far as the price and availability are concerned, the Narzo 30 5G will available in the lone 6GB RAM + 128GB ROM variant at Rs. 15,999 and will be available on Realme.com, Flipkart.com, and retail stores across the country. The first sale for the Narzo 30 5G starts on 30th June, at 12 pm.

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