realme C30 smartphone review - Fast storage and plenty of stripes for the affordable model
Possible competitors in comparison
Bewertung | Datum | Modell | Gewicht | Laufwerk | Groesse | Aufloesung | Preis ab |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75 % v7 (old) | 09 / 2022 | Realme C30 T7225, Mali-G52 MP1 | 182 g | 64 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.50" | 1600x720 | |
| 75.9 % v7 (old) | 05 / 2022 | Realme C31 T7225, Mali-G52 MP1 | 197 g | 32 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.50" | 1600x720 | |
| 75.1 % v7 (old) | 09 / 2022 | Motorola Moto E32s Helio G37, PowerVR GE8320 | 185 g | 32 GB eMMC Flash | 6.50" | 1600x720 | |
| 77 % v7 (old) | 04 / 2022 | Nokia G11 T7200, Mali-G57 MP1 | 190 g | 32 GB eMMC Flash | 6.50" | 1600x720 |
Case and features - Lightweight, compact, but not so sturdy
Realme launches another inexpensive phone on the market with the C30, which is fairly equipped with a single camera and does not show two or more lenses on the back, only one of which is actually usable. The 32 GB variant is offered by realme itself for 139 Euros, we got the 64 GB variant for testing, for which there is no price information.
However, since the model with less memory was already listed for 119 Euros at amazon.de at the time of testing, the larger model is probably available on the Internet for 139 Euros (~$119).
At first glance, the unusual stripe design of the light blue and green variants of the realme C30 is striking, whereas the black model has a small-scale waffle pattern on the back. The patterns are not just decoration but are actually clearly can be felt and look chic together with the glossy plastic. The camera module turns out quite large, but a closer look reveals that the actual camera lens is quite small.
The casing is light and relatively compact, but it could be better in terms of stability: a quiet creaking and a clear torsion are evidence of that. The USB port of the realme C30 is no longer up to date: it is incomprehensible why the manufacturer has installed a microUSB here and thus continues to encourage cable chaos.
It is nice that realme installs 2 SIM slots, which are also designed independently of the microSD port. The speed of the microSD card reader is average.
| SD Card Reader - average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (7.7 - 77, n=77, last 2 years) | |
| Nokia G11 (Angelbird V60) | |
| Motorola Moto E32s (Angelbird V60) | |
| Realme C30 (Angelbird V60) | |
| Realme C31 (Angelbird V60) | |
Cross Platform Disk Test (CPDT)
Communication, software and operation - Only a few LTE frequencies
The realme C30 has an LTE modem, but it supports only the most necessary frequencies for Central Europe, so connecting to an LTE network could be difficult when traveling. The reception is often below half of the scale in our tests, where higher-quality phones offer more signal strength. The realme C30 does not have an NFC module, so mobile payment services like Google Pay cannot be used.
Unfortunately, the Wi-Fi module only supports Wi-Fi 4, so transmission speeds are slow. This is especially noticeable compared to other inexpensive phones with WiFi 5, such as the Motorola Moto E32s or the Nokia G11.
The software used is Android 11, the security patches are from August 2022 and are thus only slightly outdated at the time of testing. An update is almost monthly during our test period, but the manufacturer does not specify how long the updates will be executed in the future. It is annoying that there is no DRM certification, so you can usually only watch content from the big streaming portals in SD.
The inexpensive phone does not feature a fingerprint scanner either, but the front-facing camera can be used to unlock the realme C30 via facial recognition. This works quite well in sufficient light, but it is not as secure due to the pure software solution.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| Motorola Moto E32s | |
| Nokia G11 | |
| Realme C31 | |
| Realme C30 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Motorola Moto E32s | |
| Nokia G11 | |
| Realme C31 | |
| Realme C30 | |
Cameras - Single camera must prove itself
There is only one camera on the back, which has a resolution of 8 megapixels and is based on a SmartSens sensor. Recorded pictures only offer flat colors and it quickly becomes visible that the sharpness is not very good when you zoom in. Surfaces also show little detail; for example, you can see structures in walls with higher-quality cell phone cameras, which the real C30 cannot show with its main camera.
In the dark, the detail representation decreases even more, but at least the brightening is quite OK. Videos can be recorded in 1080p and 30 fps at most, but they also suffer from low detail representation. In good light, both pictures and videos can be used for simple use. However, those with higher demands will be disappointed.
The front-facing camera has a resolution of 5 megapixels and takes quite decent selfies in good light, which also show a bit of drawing in the dark hair area.
Image Comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
Main cameraMain cameraLow Light
Display - Little luminosity
The IPS display with 1,600 x 720 pixels shows partly quite similar measurements as in the realme C31, for example, the average brightness of 386 cd/m² is a decent level for an inexpensive phone, but it is too low for use in bright light. The brightness distribution is also not as even and the black value is increased, which is particularly noticeable in dark screen backgrounds and little ambient light due to irregular color tones.
We did not notice any PWM flickering in the inexpensive phone.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 85 %
Center on Battery: 410 cd/m²
Contrast: 820:1 (Black: 0.5 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.56 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.91
ΔE Greyscale 4 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
94.4% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.179
| Realme C30 IPS, 1600x720, 6.5" | Realme C31 IPS, 1600x720, 6.5" | Motorola Moto E32s IPS, 1600x720, 6.5" | Nokia G11 IPS, 1600x720, 6.5" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Response Times | -39% | 21% | -22% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 41 ? | 62 ? -51% | 30 ? 27% | 48 ? -17% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 27 ? | 34 ? -26% | 23 ? 15% | 34 ? -26% |
| PWM Frequency | ||||
| Screen | 2% | -13% | -7% | |
| Brightness middle | 410 | 413 1% | 346 -16% | 502 22% |
| Brightness | 386 | 394 2% | 330 -15% | 486 26% |
| Brightness Distribution | 85 | 91 7% | 90 6% | 89 5% |
| Black Level * | 0.5 | 0.4 20% | 0.47 6% | 0.53 -6% |
| Contrast | 820 | 1033 26% | 736 -10% | 947 15% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 4.56 | 4.89 -7% | 5.4 -18% | 5.73 -26% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 7.37 | 8.35 -13% | 9 -22% | 8.72 -18% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 4 | 4.9 -23% | 5.5 -38% | 6.8 -70% |
| Gamma | 2.179 101% | 2.395 92% | 2.874 77% | 2.352 94% |
| CCT | 7450 87% | 7598 86% | 5971 109% | 8800 74% |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -19% /
-6% | 4% /
-7% | -15% /
-10% |
* ... smaller is better
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 27 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 12 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 15 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 64 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (20.9 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 41 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 22 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 19 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 61 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (32.8 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM not detected |  | ||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8705 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Performance, emissions and battery life - Comparatively brisk
The Unisoc Tiger T612 is not a bad choice as SoC for a budget smartphone, after all, it offers reasonably solid performance for everyday use. That means navigating through menus is mostly smooth. However, the performance is still too low for complex apps or demanding games.
The phone also performs well in our benchmarks. The fast UFS 2.2 memory also contributes to the impression that the realme C30 is better equipped for everyday use than some cheaper rivals.
The phone can heat up considerably on the front and back under load, and the case temperatures on the rear could also become uncomfortable in hot environments. Overall, however, the heating remains within limits.
The mono speaker is quite treble-heavy in terms of sound. Thus, voices are usually transmitted quite clearly, but they are occasionally a bit unpleasantly boomy in the ear at maximum volume. If you want better sound, you can use the 3.5 mm audio port or Bluetooth 5.0; aptX and aptX HD are available, but not the more modern versions of the codec.
The phone gets a decent runtime of 15:29 hours out of the 5,000 mAh battery in our WLAN test. However, that is a bit less than the comparison devices, the Nokia G11 even manages considerably more. Nevertheless, it should be enough for two days of runtime with moderate use. The included charger manages 10 watts and thus needs well over 2 hours to completely fill the empty battery again.
| PCMark for Android - Work 3.0 (sort by value) | |
| Realme C30 | |
| Realme C31 | |
| Motorola Moto E32s | |
| Nokia G11 | |
| Average Unisoc T7225 (6566 - 7776, n=5) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (4609 - 27169, n=196, last 2 years) | |
| GFXBench | |
| on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Realme C30 | |
| Realme C31 | |
| Motorola Moto E32s | |
| Nokia G11 | |
| Average Unisoc T7225 (4.7 - 10, n=5) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (3.6 - 247, n=207, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Realme C30 | |
| Realme C31 | |
| Motorola Moto E32s | |
| Nokia G11 | |
| Average Unisoc T7225 (5.3 - 5.6, n=5) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (2.3 - 321, n=207, last 2 years) | |
| on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Realme C30 | |
| Realme C31 | |
| Motorola Moto E32s | |
| Nokia G11 | |
| Average Unisoc T7225 (3 - 6.4, n=5) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (0.85 - 144, n=207, last 2 years) | |
| 2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Realme C30 | |
| Realme C31 | |
| Motorola Moto E32s | |
| Nokia G11 | |
| Average Unisoc T7225 (1.9 - 2, n=5) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (0.85 - 115, n=207, last 2 years) | |
| Realme C30 | Realme C31 | Motorola Moto E32s | Nokia G11 | Average 64 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | -44% | -62% | -60% | 15% | 173% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 569 | 478.8 -16% | 248.6 -56% | 252.7 -56% | 770 ? 35% | 1887 ? 232% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 414.7 | 131.9 -68% | 184.3 -56% | 187.6 -55% | 399 ? -4% | 1474 ? 255% |
| Random Read 4KB | 125.4 | 89 -29% | 49.1 -61% | 48.2 -62% | 156.6 ? 25% | 279 ? 122% |
| Random Write 4KB | 169.4 | 61.5 -64% | 40 -76% | 59 -65% | 177.7 ? 5% | 312 ? 84% |
Temperature
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 42.2 °C / 108 F, compared to the average of 35.1 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 63.7 °C for the class Smartphone.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 44.9 °C / 113 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 24.3 °C / 76 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
Speaker
Realme C30 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 30.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.4% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (8.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 8% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (9.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (27.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 69% of all tested devices in this class were better, 5% similar, 26% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 82% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 14% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Nokia G11 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (82.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 27.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (7.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 7.6% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (9.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.7% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (24.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 52% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 40% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 70% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 24% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Battery life
| Battery Runtime - WiFi Websurfing | |
| Nokia G11 | |
| Average of class Smartphone (476 - 3244, n=207, last 2 years) | |
| Motorola Moto E32s | |
| Realme C31 | |
| Realme C30 | |
Pros
Cons
Verdict - Meager equipment meets decent performance
The realme C30 is an unusual phone. The tangibly structured and angular design and the fast memory in a very cheap phone contribute to this impression. The performance is convincing for an entry-level phone, but of course, you should not expect miracles. The screen is sufficiently bright and the single camera is at least honest in that it does without quite useless additional lenses.
The slow Wi-Fi and the few LTE frequencies limit the communication capabilities of the real-world C30. It also lacks an NFC module, fingerprint sensor, and DRM certification.
The realme C30 is a very simply equipped entry-level phone that can primarily convince in terms of performance and light as well as extravagant design.
With the realme C31 the manufacturer already has another phone in this price range, which can score with much faster WLAN and just as much power, and it also has a fingerprint sensor. However, it is much heavier and has a rather unspectacular design. Motorola's Moto E32s also has much faster Wi-Fi but offers even less performance than our review sample.
Price and availability
The realme C30 is not yet listed at so many retailers in Central Europe at the time of testing, the phone should be available from the beginning of October.
At amazon.de you can order the phone in the 32 GB version with a few days' delivery time for just under 120 Euros plus shipping costs. Currently, this version is also available at Saturn and MediaMarkt, but a delivery date has not been set yet.
Realme C30
- 09/28/2022 v7 (old)
Florian Schmitt
Price comparison
