ZTE S30 SE Review, Pros and Cons – We have the ZTE S30 SE smartphone for today’s review that comes with a compact feature set and extensive battery support. Being the mid-range 5G smartphone, it had some exceptional tweaks to its specs. But in the case of the S30 SE smartphone, you’ll notice a downgrade here and there. However, the company can put impressive features under the hood.
Also, ZTE S30 SE launches in China in mid-March with its brothers the ZTE S30 and ZTE S30 Pro. Both are decent phones, but nothing to worry about the S30 SE. However, the question remains when this phone will be available in the global market, it can be said, the ZTE S30 series is exclusive to China. Let’s start with a detailed review of the ZTE S30 SE smartphone.
Table of Contents
ZTE S30 SE Review
Highlights
- The ZTE S30 SE has the usual 6.67 inches IPS Full HD LCD panel and improves the quality with pixel density.
- It handles the processing and performance issue through the Dimensity 700 5G chipset.
- MyOS 11’s custom interface has unique customization in the software department, with Android 11 at the top.
- You will then receive a large Li-Po 6000 mAh battery cell that gives you more screen time.
- For a better shooting experience, a 48 MP main camera setup on board with an 8 MP selfie camera.
Design and Display
The overall design look of the ZTE S30 SE smartphone is impressively good. It has elegant shade options such as Black and Blue. Both can sound and look clear from the outside. But the real texture of the glow appears in front of a flashlight. Bold Black is a professional choice, while blue looks unique.
But, the design of the camera modules is a bit disappointing as it features a quad-camera configuration, but in reality, the ZTE S30 SE comes with a triple camera. They even used the AI logo to hide the periscope lens gap that appears on the ZTE S30 and S30. The phone feels a bit thick and heavy on the same negative note due to the battery’s colossal size.
Still, the resolution factor and the dashboard allow you to have a vivid and immersive viewing experience. The ZTE S30 SE phone equips a 6.67 inches IPS LCD panel. It also features a side-mounted fingerprint reader for added security. As per the general thinking, it doesn’t go beyond AMOLED. But for extreme value, the company cut some corners in the display section. You also won’t see the Gorilla glass protection.
Memory and Internal
Performance is the central backbone that determines whether a device will succeed in reaching better speed. Luckily, you’re getting the 7nm Dimensity 700 5G chipset that houses a robust octa-core package. There are a 2x 2.2 GHz clock speed, while 6x 2.0 GHz clock speed remains for the routine task. Fortunately, you can play multiple games online without any problem.
However, to maintain the price, the refresh rate is reduced to 60Hz, and HDR is not supported. One way or another, it could be good, as the ZTE S30 SE smartphone didn’t have performance-sucking software, so in the end, it does not cuts down on battery life. On the other hand, MyOS 11 has some bloatware, but it offers the latest version of Android 11.
The graphics rendering department goes to the Mali-G57 MC2 graphics unit which subtly affects gameplay and content streaming. You will get a combination of 6GB of RAM with 128GB of storage. However, there is no secondary storage unit, but rest assured that the 12GB internal storage won’t run out soon.
Camera
Image processing plays a significant role in bringing photos and videos to life. People can debate how magnificent AI software is in terms of lens quality, but in the end, what really matters is the results. The ZTE S30 SE smartphone didn’t fail any metrics, but it barely passed all the tests. From portrait photo shoots to video recording, it’s all standard.
Lowlight photography may become acceptable if the company improves software rendering in the next update. But if things go as they are now, you can’t expect anything extraordinary from the camera module. The large 48MP main camera maintains dynamic range on the other side while secondary cameras are built-in, such as 5MP macro and 2MP depth.
Unfortunately, the ultra-wide sensor is missing from this configuration. Also, the front panel has slightly thick bezels with a small 8MP selfie camera. As an affordable 5G smartphone, the ZTE S30 SE video recording goes up to 1080p. There are no additional stabilization features available on this phone, so shaky videos are usually visible.
Battery and Other
The Li-Po 6000 mAh battery pack arrives in the ZTE S30 SE phone. So you didn’t have to think too much about battery life. You’ll have plenty of screen time to watch your favorite shows, play games, and stream online. Plus, it has a handy 18W fast charger that ensures your phone is charged in less than two hours.
Whenever the 5G tag is attached to a phone, the cost of the phone increases slightly as it is the new technology. The same case applies to the S30 SE smartphone as it is a mid-range 5g device, but it cost around $260 (Rs 18,999) approx because of that. Overall the specs are acceptable as it is a 5G phone.
ZTE S30 SE Specifications Detail
Down below you can see the full specifications of the ZTE S30 SE smartphone.
| Specifications | ZTE S30 SE |
| Network | 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G |
| Announced | April 2021 |
| SIM | Dual SIM |
| Dimensions | 6.53 x 3.03 x 0.38 inches |
| Weight | 210 g |
| Size | 6.67 inches |
| Display | IPS LCD 20:9 ratio ~395 ppi density |
| Protection | No |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels |
| OS | Android 11, MyOS 11 |
| Chipset | 7nm – MediaTek MT6833 Dimensity 700 5G |
| CPU | Octa-core 2×2.2 GHz Cortex-A76 6×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55 |
| GPU | Mali-G57 MC2 |
| Card slot | No |
| RAM | 6GB |
| Internal | 128GB |
| Camera | 48 MP (wide), PDAF 5 MP (macro) 2 MP (depth) LED flash, HDR, panorama, gyro-EIS Max – 1080p@30fps |
| Selfie | 8 MP HDR Max – 1080p@30fps |
| Loudspeaker | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | Yes |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | 5.1, A2DP, LE |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS, BDS |
| NFC | No |
| Infrared port | No |
| Radio | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, USB On-The-Go |
| Sensors | side-mounted fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| Battery | Li-Po 6000 mAh Fast charging 18W |
| Colors | Black, Blue |
| Expected Price | $260 (Rs 18,999) approx. |
ZTE S30 SE Pros and Cons
Down below you can see the list of pros and cons (advantages and disadvantages) of the ZTE S30 SE smartphone.
pros
- Huge 6000mAh battery capacity.
- Full HD 6.67 inches display.
- 5G support.
- Stunning daylight photography.
- Decent performance.
- Up to 1080p video recording with gyro-EIS.
- Latest Android 11 OS.
- Convenient custom MyOS 11 features.
- A 3.5mm jack is available.
cons
- No gorilla glass protection.
- Without secondary storage support.
- Stuck on the 60Hz refresh rate screen.
- Not for a photograph in low light
- Record only up to 1080p video.
- Available in single storage option.
- No wireless charging.
Conclusion
What is generally expected of a valuable smartphone is that it has more particular features than the competition. Fortunately, the ZTE S30 SE smartphone achieved two features at the same time. It has excellent battery life and 5G support, the device will be of great value. However, it can be difficult to recommend the S30 SE if you are looking for high-end camera performance.
For better camera quality, the Galaxy M42 is a good choice with almost the same budget. But you won’t get superior performance and battery support like the S30 SE. In the end, it’s up to your need and your preference. The ZTE S30 SE is a value for money smartphone, and missing some segments, so choose wisely according to your need.
