Last updated on June 15th, 2019
Note: ‘ Honest Opinion Check’ is my regular column where I compile everything that you come across the Internet about a particular smartphone (pros and cons) and my honest unbiased opinion to help you make a purchase decision in no time. You don’t have to spend hours to research, we did the work for you.
This is our first article of the series to help you make better smartphone purchase decisions – we advise you to read it completely.
I’m sure that you must have searched for comparison videos, review videos, and articles to make a purchase decision for your next smartphone. But, in the end, you end up still being confused about the phone which you want to use as your daily driver.
Why is that?
It is because most of the reviewers/bloggers present their biased view of a smartphone just because the manufacturer sponsors their work.
Of course, that is understandable (to keep the lights running), I’ve done it in the past when I started this blog.
But, that won’t be something to worry about from now on.
So, I thought of compiling all the necessary information along with my brutally honest opinion on the smartphones (this time, it is Samsung Galaxy M30 vs Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 7 Pro) to help you make the perfect decision.
Redmi Note 7 Pro: Don’t Fall for the 48 MP Camera Trap!
More megapixels does not mean better photos. Period. But, it does help in one thing..
To convince customers, of course, Xiaomi has to tell you that you will get “Flagship level” camera performance on Redmi Note 7 Pro.
But, let me tell you the truth – NO. The image quality (technically) will never be better than the flagship devices like the Google Pixel 3 or the Samsung Galaxy S10+ (which I recently got my hands on and shared my opinion on it as well).
The megapixels will only matter if you want to heavily crop your images or print it out to a big poster or wallpaper for your home decor.
However, the 48 MP sensor comes in handy when it uses pixel binning for night mode photography – so that you get a pleasing image in low-light conditions. That’s a plus.
Don’t know what Pixel Binning is? Let me explain..
*Pixel binning – In this technique, the picture is captured by the 48 MP sensor- however, the effective resolution of the image is reduced to 12 MP. Technically, 4 adjacent pixels are combined into one. So, that reduces the resolution – but increases the quality while reducing the noise in the image taken.
If you want to know the exact technical details, I will suggest you read Ubergizmo’s detailed article on Pixel
In either case, if you don’t believe me that more megapixels do not necessarily mean better quality, you can watch MKBHD’s video about smartphone’s camera quality to get an idea of what I’m trying to tell here:
Yes, the Redmi Note 7 Pro uses a true 48 MP Sony IMX586 sensor but do note that it produces image files of nearly 13-16 MB in size (unnecessary storage space for some people).
It will only be helpful if you need to crop the images or print them so that you don’t lose a lot of details. In other cases, more megapixels won’t help you in any way. You can just see so much on your screen.
However, by default, the camera shoots at 12 MP. So, you need to use the “Pro” mode to utilize the 48 MP sensor and utilize manual tweaks to get the best image possible.
Also, the pro mode is slow – the image processing takes a while and you need steady hands for the perfect shot.
Does not sound so convenient, eh?
In addition to this, it features a 13 MP front-facing selfie camera.
While the Galaxy M30 offers a triple camera setup of 13 MP (primary) + 5 MP (ultrawide)+ 5 MP (depth sensor) and a 16 MP selfie camera. As you read on, I’ll discuss what’s unique here.
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Samsung Galaxy M30 Comes with a Slower Processor
This shouldn’t be a big problem for users who just utilize a couple of apps in their day to day life. However, if you are fond of playing games or trying to edit a video on your mobile phone, Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 7 Pro will have better results for you.
In other words, the Snapdragon 675 processor is faster than Exynos 7904. So, if you are a power user, Xiaomi’s Redmi 7 Pro will be a good choice.
If you are curious about the benchmarks, here they are:
Samsung Galaxy M30 Offers you an Ultra-Wide Camera Sensor, Xiaomi Doesn’t
While Xiaomi is busy marketing the bigger megapixels, you won’t be getting an ultra-wide camera sensor on it. If you love the ultra-wide sensor to capture landscape photos or anything that utilizes the wide angle, Samsung’s Galaxy M30 will be a better choice for the camera.
If an ultra-wide sensor isn’t your thing, you will be fine with any of those two smartphones. Both smartphones have capable camera sensors for good quality images.
Samsung’s 5000 mAh vs Xiaomi’s 4000 mAh Battery
A bigger battery does not mean a better battery life.
The Galaxy M30 offers a bigger battery compared to Redmi Note 7 Pro. So, theoretically, you would be expecting the M30 to last longer – however, it all comes down to what you do on your smartphone.
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It’s not just the “mAh” that you get – the OS, the chipset, and also the application you use influences the battery life of your smartphone.
Xiaomi’s Redmi 7 Pro offers the latest Android version but..
If you’re inclined towards Samsung’s user interface while it comes with Android Oreo, you’ll be alright.
However, if you want the latest and greatest, Redmi Note 7 Pro will be the perfect option which comes loaded with Android 9.0 Pie.
Although, there’s a catch…
Do note that a couple of features like Digital Wellbeing is not present on Redmi Note 7 Pro- which is a bummer. Of course, you can expect it to be added in the next software update – but there’s no official word on it yet.
Nonetheless, you can follow our ultimate smartphone security guide to protect your device – no matter what Android version it runs on.
Redmi Note 7 Pro does not include the Fast Charger
Redmi Note 7 Pro starts from 13,999 INR when compared to 14,990 INR for Galaxy M30. However, it does not include a fast charger. And, that’s definitely bad.
Why on earth do you mention that it supports fast charging but do not care to include the fast charger in the package?
Now, Redmi users, you will have to find a good fast charger (Type-C) with 9V/2A output for your phone on Amazon.in or simply visit the nearest service center to inquire about it.
Probably, it would cost you more than 1000 INR? Holy moly!
Both of these devices can utilize the fast charging feature but only Samsung includes the 15-watt fast charger in the box.
It looks like Samsung’s M30 is a better investment if you want that fast charging feature.
Samsung’s 6.4-inch Super AMOLED FHD+ vs Xiaomi’s 6.3-inch FHD+ Display
Undoubtedly, I would prefer to have a Super AMOLED screen which looks beautiful and produces accurate colors compared to Redmi’s IPS LCD display.
So, if you are someone who likes to have the best display in that price range – Samsung M30 is an easy pick.
Samsung Experience UI vs MIUI
Samsung’s UI is definitely not the best out there. It surely has improved a lot over the years but it is still not as optimized as the MIUI.
So, it really depends on what you prefer. Of course, the performance or optimization should not greatly affect your day to day usage – however, if you are a power user – this might be something worth noting.
Features not worth comparing
Well, of course, both of the smartphones offer Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity along with a dual SIM slot. The Redmi Note 7 Pro includes a hybrid dual SIM slot while the Galaxy M30 offers a dual SIM slot as well, but not hybrid.
Similarly, both offer 4/6 Gigs of RAM and 64 GB / 128 GB internal storage options – there’s nothing to compare here.
The Redmi Note 7 Pro comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection and claims to be splash resistant (which is pretty much every phone nowadays
User Complaints
From what I found on the Internet (social media websites) and the official smartphone forums, the Galaxy M30 needs to be optimized for better software performance.
And, the Note 7 Pro seems to be getting the attention of the users having trouble with their earpiece speaker – it sounds terrible to a lot of users. Also, the camera app is buggy and slow – which should be addressed in the next software update.
Final Verdict: What do you think?
As I mentioned above, if your priorities are
If the core performance, gaming, and video editing is your thing, the Redmi Note 7 pro seems to a better pick.
In terms of the software and camera, you be the judge.
With that being said, what would you go for? The Redmi Note 7 Pro or the Galaxy M3? Let me know in the comments section below.