- Xiaomi has announced the Redmi K30 Ultra.
- It swaps out the Poco F2 Pro’s Snapdragon 865 chipset for a MediaTek Dimensity 1000 Plus.
- The new phone also features a 120Hz OLED screen instead of a 60Hz display.
Xiaomi launched the Mi 10 Ultra at its 10th anniversary event today, but it also had another high-end phone up its sleeve for the occasion. Yes, the company has launched the Redmi K30 Ultra as well.
The phone seems very similar to the Poco F2 Pro (aka Redmi K30 Pro) upon first glance, packing a similar pop-up camera design and circular rear camera housing. But it also delivers a few changes compared to the previous device.
For one, the phone packs a MediaTek Dimensity 1000 Plus 5G chipset rather than a Snapdragon 865 series processor seen in the K30 Pro. This means you should expect a drop in graphical performance on paper, but at least you’re gaining 5G+5G dual SIM support. The phone also sees a slight battery capacity decrease, going from 4,700mAh to 4,500mAh (but retaining 33W charging).
Read: Dual SIM 5G phones — What’s the deal with 5G+5G technology?
You’re also getting a 120Hz refresh rate that was missing from the older phone, although it’s still a 6.67-inch FHD+ OLED panel (with HDR10+). So those wanting a smoother experience while swiping through system menus or gaming might want to keep this device in mind.
The final major upgrade is that the Redmi K30 Ultra sports three microphones as well as audio zoom technology (focusing the audio on zoomed-in subjects). Otherwise, the rest of the phone seems to be identical to the older model.
That means you’re getting the same Poco F2 Pro photography experience here too, featuring a 64MP quad camera setup (64MP main, 13MP ultra-wide, 5MP telephoto macro, 2MP depth). A 20MP camera in a pop-up housing handles your selfies. Other notable features include a 3.5mm port, IR blaster, in-display fingerprint sensor, NFC, and dual stereo speakers.
The Redmi K30 Ultra starts at 1,999 yuan (~$288) for the 6GB/128GB option, 2,199 yuan (~$317) for the 8GB/128GB option, 2,499 yuan (~$360) for the 8GB/256GB variant, and 2,699 yuan (~$388) for the 8GB/512GB model.
By comparison, the Redmi K30 Pro started at 2,999 yuan (~$430) when it launched back in June, making the Ultra significantly cheaper. Hopefully we see the new phone come to global markets, as it should be cheaper than the Poco F2 Pro in theory.