Redmi K30 Review

OS, UI and software

MIUI has gone a long way ever since its introduction with the past couple of years being really interesting. Xiaomi's UI is now very mature and its latest version - MIUI 11, which is based on Android 10, looks a lot like Samsung's One UI. Especially, when you go through the Settings app. At the same time, it retains the typical MIUI features and apps while offering some differences compared to MIUI 10. MIUI 11 arrives without the Google Play Store and related apps. However, from Xiaomi's GetApps you can download Google Play services, including Play Store.

Xiaomi Redmi K30 runs on MIUI 11.0.10 (Stable) based on Android 10. The dual local/Chinese time on the Lock Screen is removed. A simple Time/Date widget is provided, instead, and you can customize that way it looks and where it should be on the screen. The standard shortcuts to the Camera and useful tools remain unchanged. A simple swipe unlocks the device and you land on the Home Screen. As usual, MIUI offers plenty of customization options for it. By default, it is without an App Drawer but you can change that from the Home Screen settings. Desktop shortcuts continue to be supported. It was a first in alter MIUI 10 versions.

At the bottom of the Home Screen, there's a search bar, which is also voice command enabled. You get plenty of settings for this one as well, including an option for removing it from the Home Screen. The rest of the apps are listed on the second desktop. Third-party apps are placed in the usual More Apps folder and there's a Tools folder as well. A swipe to the right from the Home Screen opens the App Vault with shortcuts to preferred services, apps, features, information sources, notes, step counter, etc. You can customize it to your liking or completely switch it off from the home screen settings. The notifications shades, brightness level bar, and the quick settings retain the MIUI 10 design paradigm with larger icons, curvier corners, etc. The Quick Settings toggles are listed on two pages. The Task Manager features the layout introduced with MIUI 10 - the apps are listed in a zig-zag manner vertically. For every app you get some or all of the following options: app lock, enter split-screen mode and app info. There's a shortcut to the split-screen mode in the top left corner and a clear-all icon at the bottom.

The Widgets menu is accessed in a familiar way and provides a choice of wallpapers and widgets, window transition effects and home screen settings. The latter can also be accessed from the main Settings menu. The Volume controls show the sliders vertically and have two levels of appearance - collapsed and expanded. The collapsed one shows only the slider for the current type of volume (media, alarms, calls) and a shortcut to the Silent mode. When you click on the three dots, you get the expanded view with all volume sliders and the two shortcuts to the Silent and DND modes. The Redmi K30 arrives with all the usual applications you can find on the latest MIUI and for MIUI 11 this is the least changed part. The Phone app has only one tab called Recents and the grid on the dial pad has been removed resulting in a more minimalist and cleaner look. There are connections to adding contacts and sending a message. A separate Contacts app is available in the Tools folder. The Messenger remains unchanged maintaining its options for keyboard customization. The File Manager now has more tabs - Storage, Recent, Docs, Videos, Images, Music, etc. The Clock and Calculator are located in the Tools folder and remain unchanged after the MIUI 10 tweaks. The Calendar gets a Chinese version. The Notes app now has a second tab for Tasks. The Sound Recorder and Screen recorder can be accessed from the Tools folder as well as the Compass and Level too, Mi Radio, QR Scanner, Downloads, Mail, Mi Roaming, Mi Remote, and the Mi AI apps. The Weather app remains unchanged. The Security app has been optimized. It contains the usual features and tools such as the Cleaner for optimizing the internal storage, Security Scanner, Game Speed Booster, App Manager, Data and Battery monitor as well as various device management services such as app lock, deep clean, dual apps, second space, block list, etc. However, it gets a second tab called Utilities, which lists the same but in a more compact and convenient manner. We would appreciate if this becomes the default view of the Security app. The usual Xiaomi apps, which are a part of the company's software ecosystem include a video, music, themes, games, reader app as well as Mi Home, Mi Store, GetApps, Mi Remote, Mi Wallet, etc. These are regularly updated. The System Settings are further improved in terms of design and functionality. The cleaner and minimalist look is more visible here. The colored icons in front of each menu are more saturated and redesigned. The menus are also restructured to improve usability. At the same time, the overall look and feel are that of a classic MIUI System Settings. They begin with the Mi Account and My Device options. My Account includes Xiaomi Cloud storage management, account security, Mi Pay, VIP settings, etc. The My Device menu includes information about the smartphones - specs, model name, backup and reset, Mi Mover. This group is followed by the Connectivity group of settings. The latter manages the mobile networks and SIM cards, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, Cast Display, etc. This group also includes the Mi Share service.

The third group of menus includes settings for the Lock Screen, Display, Sound & Vibration, Notifications, Home Screen, Wallpapers, Themes. The Lock Screen menu includes toggles for Raise-to-Wake, Double-tap-to-wake features, Wallpaper Carousel settings, clock format, etc. The Display menu manages the brightness level, reading mode, refresh rate - 60Hz or 120Hz, Dark Mode, System font style/size/weight, options for various designs of the notch and the status bar. The Dark Mode and the Notch options were introduced on later MIUI 10 versions. Of course, there's the Color Scheme menu from where you can set up the display profile depending on the type of content you're viewing. You can choose from up to 9 combinations between three color temperature styles (default, warm, cool) and three color styles (auto, saturated, standard). The Sound & Vibration menu has been redesigned with four of the main options listed as tabs on top of the rest of the settings, which remain the same despite the different arrangements. The Notifications menu attains a similar information architecture with three options for the notifications design listed as tabs on top, detailed notification shade settings, and app-specific notification management. For the notification shade, you can choose whether to activate the folder or not and choose the design style - MIUI or default Android one. The Home Screen settings have been enhanced with a few additional options such as "Swipe down on the Home screen", "Swipe up on the Home screen", "Show memory status", "Blur app previews". From here, you can choose the default launcher, the Home screen style - with or without an app drawer, switch on/off the App Vault, etc.

The fourth group of menus combines privacy and security features with plenty of settings. It manages the type of password (unlock) and type of unlocking - with fingerprint, face recognition, Bluetooth. From here you can also set up a privacy protection password, create a "Second space", and manage your location settings. Further privacy options and emergency SOS settings are also available. This menu is followed by the "Battery & performance" one, which we will discuss in the Battery section of this review. The third in line is Apps management, including system app settings, dual apps, permissions, and app lock - the same features available in the Security app. Finally, there are "Additional settings" regarding date and time, languages and input, and many other features. The Full-screen display one allows you to choose the type of navigation - on-screen navigation bar or gestures/ From the "Additional settings" you can also set shortcuts to gestures and buttons from the navigation bar, activate the Quick Ball, which is yet another way of navigation. The One-handed Mode is located here as well and is one of the oldest MIUI features. It allows you to make the screen smaller so you can use the device more comfortably with one hand when needed. The Accessibility features and Enterprise Mode are also a part of the "Additional settings". The last five menus are the Mi AI settings, Screen Time (Xiaomi's take on Android's Digital Wellbeing), Special features, Accounts & Sync, Feedback. The "Special features" menu includes settings for Game Turbo, Taplus, Quick replies (allows you to reply right in the cards of notifications from selected messengers), Second space, Kid space (parent-controlled space for kids entertainment) and MIUI lab.