ZTE S30 Pros and Cons

ZTE S30 and S30 Pro Review, Pros and Cons – On March 31, ZTE announced the S30 series in China. This series includes the simple ZTE S30, the ZTE S30 Pro, and the ZTE S30 SE. Similar to most ZTE phones, all three phones are exclusively for China. However, they are worth reviewing because they provide value to your users.

The phone is on the air from April 3, on the other hand, there is less chance of appearing on the global stage. Still, we can expect them to launch on the international market. Then, they can create a more exciting competition on the medium-range device. For an in-depth review today, we have ZTE S30 and S30 Pro smartphones so without further ado, let’s get started.

ZTE S30 and S30 Pro Review

Highlights

  1. The device has a 6.67 inches screen, while the panel is slightly different from the other.
  2. In terms of the camera, the company features a quad-camera 64MP on the rear panel.
  3. The Snapdragon 720G chipset arrives on the ZTE S30 and the ZTE S30 Pro offers the Snapdragon 768 5G chipset.
  4. Hopefully, you will get convenient features of Android 11 with the features of MyOS 11 UI at the top.
  5. As for the battery section, the basic variant ZTE S30 comes with Li-Ion 4000 mAh, and the ZTE S30 Pro comes with a Li-Ion 4200 mAh battery.

Design and Display

It seems that they copied the same design as the ZTE Axon 30 Pro, except here that it implemented an average price. In terms of appearance, both models are identical and feature similar types of camera plate designs. However, there is no sign of Corning Gorilla Glass protection or IP certification on the official sales page.

Even so, the S30 and S30 Pro smartphones are considerably lightweight and seemingly thin. In addition, you will have no problems when holding phones, as the weight is about 183-184 g. You can get stunning colors like Black or Pink/Blue. The bright gradient gives both phones an elegant look.

On the other hand, the screen notch-less is thin and offers a dot-notch screen. The ZTE S30 has an IPS LCD panel that combines the 90Hz refresh rate effect and features a side-mounted fingerprint reader.

While on the same note, the ZTE S30 Pro comes with an AMOLED display that provides vivid colors and a contrast experience. It equips a finger reader under the display that works conveniently fast. In addition, you will notice a refresh rate of 144 Hz, but it also receives HDR10+ and renders 800 nits of brightness.

Memory and Internal

The Android 11 software skin comes with the customization and advanced features of MyOS 11 UI. It is rare to see so many traces. Although the aspect of the game is lacking to some extent, it is still manageable through multitasking and fast frame rate support. Therefore, you will have no problem playing state-of-the-art games.

The same thing applies to the hardware section, you’ll get an 8nm Snapdragon 720G chipset with Adreno 618 GPU on the ZTE S3 phone which ensures you receive impressive performance. Its single-core processing can reach up to 2.3 GHz speed which is very good according to the standard.

The ZTE S30 Pro smartphone comes with the 7nm Snapdragon 768G processor handles and graphics by Adreno 620, whose power archives the 2.8 GHz framework. Undoubtedly, both models support 5G connectivity.

If you are looking for a lot of storage and RAM, the ZTE S30 reaches 8 GB of RAM with 128 GB or 256 GB of space. With this configuration, you will have no problems downloading games, applications, songs, and videos. However, secondary SD card storage is not supported. On the ZTE S30 Pro, you will have 8 GB of RAM with 256 GB of storage and a shared microSD slot to increase space.

Camera

In a typical case, ZTE provides above-average image processing that allows you to capture the moments of your life with the added touch of AI software. Both the ZTE S30 and the ZTE S30 Pro offer nearly the same cameras. Except for the 5MP macro lens difference on the ZTE S30.

The 64MP primary camera has the next level of charm and provides fine detail quality with which you can take incredible pictures. In addition, the dynamic range comes through the 8MP ultrawide lens and provides additional support through a macro and a depth lens. You can make 4K video recordings with gyro-EIS stability on both models without complications.

Despite this, the ZTE S30 renders a 16 MP selfie with 1080p video resolution. The ZTE S30 Pro takes it one step further with its 44MP selfie camera that can record 4K videos. However, you will not receive any stabilization features for the front camera. Hopefully, the native camera app will offer AI beauty features, portrait, and video modes.

Battery and Others

The Li-Ion 4000 mAh battery cover with 30W fast charging and Li-Ion 4200 mAh battery follows the 55W charger cables, respectively, arriving at the ZTE S30 and ZTE S30 Pro smartphones. The battery capacity is obviously very small compared to conventional phones. Still, their phones provide 5 hours of screen time without any significant delays or problems.

Hopefully, the difference in charging speed would be about 25 minutes, as the 30W will fill the ZTE S30 in 50 minutes, while the ZTE S30 Pro will fill in 30 minutes. As there is minimal variation in battery capacity, you will get almost similar battery performance when purchasing the ZTE S30 or ZTE S30 Pro smartphones. Now, let’s look at the price of both phones.

The initial variant of the ZTE S30 carries the price of USD 340 (Rs. 24,999) for 8/128 GB and for more storage you have to invest more than $50. As for the ZTE S30 Pro, the cost is USD 450 (Rs. 32,999). The value is justified because both devices come with 5G technology and offer good mid-range specifications.

ZTE S30

ZTE S30 and S30 Pro Specifications Detail

Down below you can see the full specifications of the ZTE S30 and S30 Pro smartphones.

SpecificationsZTE S30 ProZTE S30
Network2G, 3G, 4G, 5GSame
AnnouncedMarch 2021Same
SIMHybrid Dual SIMDual SIM
Dimensions6.44 x 2.96 x 0.31 inchesSame
Weight183 gSame
Size6.67 inchesSame
DisplayAMOLED
144Hz
HRD10+
800 nits brightness
20:9 ratio
~395 ppi density
IPS LCD
90Hz
20:9 ratio
~395 ppi density
ProtectionNoSame
Resolution1080 x 2400 pixelsSame
OSAndroid 11, MyOS 11Same
Chipset7nm – Qualcomm SDM768 Snapdragon 768G 5G8nm – Qualcomm SM7125 Snapdragon 720G
CPUOcta-core
1×2.8 GHz Kryo 475 Prime
1×2.4 GHz Kryo 475 Gold
6×1.8 GHz Kryo 475 Silver
Octa-core
2×2.3 GHz Kryo 465 Gold
6×1.8 GHz Kryo 465 Silver
GPUAdreno 620Adreno 618
Card slotYes (uses shared SIM slot)No
RAM8GBSame
Internal256GB128GB, 256GB
Camera64 MP (wide), PDAF
8 MP (ultrawide)
2 MP (macro)
2 MP (depth)
LED flash, HDR, panorama, gyro-EIS
4K@30fps
64 MP (wide), PDAF
8 MP (ultrawide)
5 MP (macro)
2 MP (depth)
Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama, gyro-EIS
4K@30fps
Selfie44 MP
HDR
4K@30fps
16 MP
HDR
1080p@30fps
LoudspeakerYesSame
3.5mm jackNoYes
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band
Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot
Same
Bluetooth5.1, A2DP, LESame
GPSYes, with A-GPS, BDSSame
NFCNoSame
Infrared portNoSame
RadioNoSame
USBUSB Type-C 2.0Same
SensorsUnder-mounted fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro
proximity, compass
Side-mounted fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro
proximity, compass
BatteryLi-Ion 4200 mAh
Fast charging 55W
Li-Ion 4000 mAh
Fast charging 30W
ColorsBlack, Pink/BlueSame
Expected PriceUSD 450 (Rs. 32,999)USD 340 (Rs. 24,999)
Disclaimer: We can not guarantee that the data available on this page is 100% correct.

ZTE S30 and S30 Pro Pros and Cons

Down below you can see the list of pros and cons (advantages and disadvantages) of the ZTE S30 and S30 Pro smartphones.

Pros

  1. Display of the 90Hz refresh rate for S30.
  2. Impressive battery life.
  3. Amazing camera features.
  4. Convenient customization of MyOS 11 UI.
  5. Ample storage and choice of RAM.
  6. Future-proof 5G ready device
  7. 144 Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ enabled screen for S30 Pro.
  8. S30 comes with 30W and S30 Pro comes with 55W charging support.
  9. Shared secondary storage slot for S30 Pro

Cons

  1. Neither gorilla glass nor IP certified protection
  2. No secondary storage support for ZTE S30.
  3. Use the outdated Type C 2.0 charging port.
  4. 44MP Standard selfie camera for S30 Pro.
  5. No NFC support.
  6. Small battery size.
  7. IPS LCD screen for S30.

Conclusion

The main selling point for these two phones would be their 5G level status with some good mid-range features. Although, I cannot neglect the fact that they have less battery life. But still, everything is manageable, and the company cuts corners to supply these ZTE S30 and S30 Pro smartphones at this price.

Now the question is, whether or not to buy one of these phones? In fact, ZTE S30 Pro provides more features and offers a powerful processor that is dedicated to rendering a decent user experience. On the other hand, the ZTE S30 lags behind in the spec race, but still, it is a cost-effective device and it is worth trying an option if you are looking for a cheap 5G smartphone.

There are options, such as ZTE Axon 30 Pro, that provide cutting-edge features and specifications. In addition, there is one more device that deserves your attention and pointed out a great alternative. It is none other than Vivo iQOO 7 that will offer decent features in the same price range.

Sumit Pandit
Sumit Pandit is a senior news reporter for Oispice. He is an expert on smartphones, apps, gadgets, and the tech industry. He writes for different tech news and has an excellent ability to make complex matters easy to understand. Sumit can be reached on Twitter @sumitkrpandit or Email at [email protected].