Honor X30 review

The Honor X30 is a mid-range phone that punches above its weight. Its sleek design, complete with a glossy finish and circular camera module, makes it look premium. The 48MP main shooter takes acceptable photos in any lighting condition, but the lack of an ultra-wide camera is noticeable. One of the major selling points of the X30 is Qualcomm's new mid-range chipset, the Snapdragon 695, which paired with a 120Hz refresh rate makes for smooth scrolling and gaming experiences. However, many games don't seem to take advantage of the 120fps feature, limiting the chip's potential. The display itself is huge, with vibrant colors and decent brightness levels despite not being an OLED panel. The near-invisible bezels on the top and sides are a welcome touch, although the chin size is still noticeable. Battery life is impressive, with great efficiency and heat dissipation under high load. The 66W wide charging support is also a plus, making it one of the cheapest smartphones in the world to include this feature. Overall, the Honor X30 is a solid mid-range phone that knows its place. It's not trying to be something it's not, and for that reason alone, I'm happy to recommend it to anyone on a tight budget or looking for a great all-round smartphone at an affordable price. While it may have some minor flaws, the X30 is a well-rounded device that's hard to dislike.

Build Quality and Design

The Honor X30 is an unapologetic mid-range smartphone that wears its heart on its sleeve. From its design to its build quality, this phone exudes a sense of simplicity and practicality that makes it all the more appealing. The moment you lay eyes on the X30, it's clear that Honor has drawn inspiration from their higher-end offerings, specifically the Mate 40 series and Magic 3 series devices. The glossy finish and circular camera module give the phone a premium look and feel that's hard to resist. The camera module itself houses a more than decent 48-megapixel main shooter that takes acceptable photos in any lighting condition. One of the standout features of the X30 is its snappy fingerprint sensor, nestled on the side of the device. It's situated in an easy-to-reach position, making it simple to unlock the phone with just a swipe of your finger. The overall build quality is solid, with minimal creaking or flexing when subjected to normal use. While some may find the lack of an ultra-wide camera in favor of a depth sensor and macro camera disappointing, it's hard to deny the X30's charm. The device's design is refreshingly straightforward, eschewing unnecessary frills for a clean and minimalist aesthetic that's sure to appeal to those who value form over function. If there's one area where the X30 falls short, it's in its rather sizeable chin at the bottom of the screen. Given the phone's otherwise excellent build quality and design, this is almost an afterthought – but still a notable omission nonetheless. Overall, the Honor X30 is a mid-range marvel that punches well above its weight class. Its solid build quality, snappy fingerprint sensor, and premium design make it an excellent choice for those on a budget or looking for a reliable all-around smartphone experience.

Battery Life

In our testing, the Honor X30's battery life was a standout feature. We ran demanding benchmarks and observed how well the phone managed its power consumption. During our Antutu version 9 test, we noticed that the phone drained by just 5% with an impressive milliamp hour per minute drain of 14.12. This is significantly more efficient than the average temperature gain on our channel in the same test, which was 13.4 degrees Celsius. When it came to CPU performance, the Honor X30's Geekbench scores were respectable, beating its predecessor, the Snapdragon 690, but falling short of the Mediatek Dimension 900 and 920. The GPU score in 3Dmark Wildlife was a tad better than the Snapdragon 765G and almost double that of the Snapdragon 690. The phone's temperature gain during our test was also impressive, with only a 4.2-degree increase in Celsius. This suggests that the Honor X30 is not only efficient but also effective at keeping its components cool under load. While these results are promising, it's essential to note that real-world usage may vary depending on individual needs and habits. However, based on our tests, it seems that the Honor X30 has a battery life that is both reliable and efficient. This, combined with its affordable price tag, makes it an attractive option for those in search of a great all-round smartphone.

Display

The display on the Honor X30 is a highlight of the device. The huge screen measures in at [insert size], making it perfect for watching videos, browsing the web, or gaming on the go. Despite being an LCD panel rather than an OLED one, the colors are vibrant and pop off the screen with impressive brightness levels. The bezels on the top and sides of the screen are nearly invisible, giving the impression that the display is even larger than it actually is. Unfortunately, the chin size is still a bit large, but it's not too distracting. One of the standout features of the display is its refresh rate. The Honor X30 boasts a 120Hz refresh rate, making for smooth scrolling and responsive interactions with the phone. This is especially noticeable when browsing through menus or playing games. In terms of color accuracy and brightness, the display holds up well against other mid-range devices on the market. While it may not be as good as some higher-end OLED panels, it's still a solid performer in its own right. Overall, I'm impressed with the display on the Honor X30. It's a huge improvement over some of the lower-end displays found on other budget phones, and it makes for a great viewing experience. While there are certainly areas where it could improve, such as the chin size, the display is still a major selling point for this device. In terms of benchmarks, the Honor X30's display performs well in various tests. It scores high marks for color accuracy, brightness, and refresh rate. However, it falls short in some other categories, such as viewing angles and screen quality at different angles.

Camera

The camera on the Honor X30 is a feature that has garnered significant attention, particularly with the presence of a 48-megapixel main shooter. In ideal lighting conditions, this sensor performs admirably, taking photos that are on par with other devices in its class. However, when faced with less-than-ideal lighting, the camera's performance begins to wane. One of the notable omissions from the Honor X30's camera setup is an ultra-wide-angle lens. In its place, the device features a depth sensor and macro camera, which can be useful for specific scenarios but might not provide the same level of versatility as an ultra-wide-angle lens would. Despite this, the Honor X30's main shooter remains a solid choice for capturing everyday moments. It is capable of producing good photos in various lighting conditions, although it does struggle with low-light environments. The camera app itself is user-friendly and offers a range of features that can help users enhance their photos. One area where the Honor X30 excels is in its ability to take decent portraits. With the presence of a depth sensor, the device is able to accurately separate subjects from their backgrounds, resulting in well-defined edges and minimal blur. However, when it comes to capturing finer details or nuances in light and shadow, the Honor X30's camera often falls short. This can be particularly noticeable in scenes with complex lighting setups or when attempting to capture subtle variations in texture or color. Overall, while the Honor X30's camera has its strengths and weaknesses, it remains a solid choice for casual users who want a reliable device for capturing everyday moments. However, those seeking more advanced features or better performance in specific areas (such as low-light photography) might find themselves disappointed. The Honor X30's camera is not particularly noteworthy, but it gets the job done without breaking a sweat. It's a middle-of-the-road camera experience that neither excites nor disappoints – simply a reliable choice for those who don't require more advanced features or exceptional image quality.

Price and Value

The Honor X30 is a mid-range smartphone that punches above its weight in terms of features and performance, making it an excellent value for money. Priced affordably, this phone offers a huge 6.67-inch display with vibrant colors and decent brightness levels, despite not being an AMOLED panel. One of the standout features of the X30 is its use of Qualcomm's new mid-range chipset, the Snapdragon 695. Paired with a 120Hz refresh rate, this makes for some smooth scrolling and snappy performance. While many games don't take full advantage of the 120fps feature, gaming on the X30 is still a pleasure thanks to stable frame rates and great thermals. The camera setup may not be the most impressive, but it's more than decent considering the price point. The phone also features a snappy fingerprint sensor and a huge battery that delivers great efficiency and heat dissipation under high load. To top it off, the X30 includes 66W fast charging, making it one of the cheapest smartphones to do so. In short, the Honor X30 is an excellent value for money. It's priced affordably without sacrificing too much in terms of features and performance. If you're on a tight budget or just looking for a great all-round smartphone, this phone should definitely be considered. The X30 is a shining example of what can be achieved with a mid-range price tag, making it a must-buy for anyone seeking an affordable yet capable smartphone.

Performance

The Honor X30 boasts an impressive performance, thanks to its Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 chipset. This mid-range processor is built on a six-nanometer process node architecture and features an octa-core design with two high-performance cores clocked at 2.21 GHz and six power-efficient cores clocked at 1.8 GHz. In our tests, the X30 demonstrated exceptional efficiency in battery consumption. Running demanding benchmarks such as Antutu, Geekbench, and 3DMark Wildlife, the phone showed a remarkable ability to manage heat and conserve battery life. With a mere 5% drain in power during these tests, the X30 outperformed our channel average by a significant margin. In terms of raw performance, the Snapdragon 695-powered X30 delivered impressive results. On Antutu, it scored 396,911 points, surpassing its predecessors, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G and 690, but narrowly missing the top spot held by the Mediatek Dimension 900 and 920 series. In Geekbench, the X30 secured a single-core score of 674 and a multi-core score of 1870, significantly outpacing the Snapdragon 690 but still trailing behind the Dimensity 900 and 920. The GPU performance was also noteworthy, with the Adreno 619 scoring 1213 points in 3DMark Wildlife. While not the best in its class, this mid-range GPU delivered solid results, especially considering the X30's affordability. In conclusion, the Honor X30's performance is a significant selling point. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 chipset delivers smooth scrolling and gaming experiences, even if some games don't take full advantage of the 120Hz refresh rate. With its efficient battery life, good thermals, and respectable benchmarks scores, this phone is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a budget-friendly device without compromising on performance.

FAQ