Galaxy M30s vs Redmi Note 8 Pro vs Realme 5 Pro vs Vivo Z1X: The budget space is getting crowded

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.