Realme Narzo 30 5G hands-on review

Software

The Narzo 30 5G runs Android 11 with Realme UI 2.0 on top. We're very familiar with that combo from recent Realmes, and v.2 of the in-house layer means richer customization options, a couple of extra Dark Mode styles, refined floating and mini windows, and enhanced security.

The launcher has no-nonsense homescreens, a simplistic and now cleaner notification/toggles area, and an easy-to-use task switcher. An App drawer is available, too, and it is as clutter-free as one could hope for. You can opt out of the app drawer if that's your thing.

Realme UI 2.0: Homescreen • Folder view • App drawer • Quick toggles • Task switcher • Settings

Realme UI supports different icon packs, you can also change the system colors, the fingerprint scanner animation, the notification drawer icons, even the system font. There is a Theme Store, too, so you can spice things up even more. Dark mode is available with a fair of customization in there too.

A host of gestures are available for executing actions like launching the camera or turning on the flashlight, and you can choose between the two main navigation methods - a navigation bar or gestures.

Similar to the recent Galaxies, the Realme UI offers a Smart Sidebar on the edge of the screen - you can customize the actions and app shortcuts that appear there.

Realme also has a game optimizer and launcher, called Game Space. It lets you apply performance profiles, and resolution scaling on a per-app basis and also offers performance metrics, including an FPS readout.

Icon customization • Dark mode • Gestures • Navigation • Smart Sidebar • Game Space

Performance

The Narzo 30 5G gets its processing power from the Mediatek Dimensity 700, an entry-level 5G-enabled chipset. Built on a 7nm fabrication process, it features an octa-core CPU with 2x 2.2GHz Cortex-A76 and 6x 2.0GHz Cortex-A55 cores, and a Mali-G57 GPU. As we mentioned previously, the Narzo is only offered in 128GB/6GB and 128GB/4GB variants (the latter not available in India), while the Realme 8 5G has a couple of additional trim levels (64/4 and 128/8).

The Narzo ships with a software build that includes a provision for 'Virtual RAM' - allocating some of the storage to use as a makeshift buffer where the phone can keep some of the app processes. It picks the less important ones to offload from the real RAM, instead of killing them off completely, thus potentially improving perceived performance. The menu option lets you choose between 2GB, 3GB, and 5GB of Virtual RAM. The effects of it are difficult to objectively measure, however.

GeekBench 5 (multi-core)

Higher is better

• OnePlus Nord N10 5G
  1848
• Realme 7 5G
  1794
• Realme Narzo 30 Pro 5G
  1787
• Realme 8 5G
  1784
• Realme Narzo 30 5G
  1783
• Samsung Galaxy A32 5G
  1673
• Motorola Moto G50
  1620

GeekBench 5 (single-core)

Higher is better

• OnePlus Nord N10 5G
  608
• Realme 7 5G
  598
• Realme Narzo 30 Pro 5G
  597
• Realme Narzo 30 5G
  572
• Realme 8 5G
  569
• Samsung Galaxy A32 5G
  505
• Motorola Moto G50
  505

AnTuTu 8

Higher is better

• Realme Narzo 30 Pro 5G
  333952
• Realme 7 5G
  318535
• Realme 8 5G
  302059
• Realme Narzo 30 5G
  290161
• OnePlus Nord N10 5G
  279579
• Samsung Galaxy A32 5G
  226561

GFX Manhattan ES 3.1 (offscreen 1080p)

Higher is better

• Realme Narzo 30 Pro 5G
  35
• Realme 7 5G
  35
• Motorola Moto G50
  29
• OnePlus Nord N10 5G
  26
• Realme Narzo 30 5G
  25
• Realme 8 5G
  25

GFX Manhattan ES 3.1 (onscreen)

Higher is better

• Motorola Moto G50
  53
• Realme Narzo 30 Pro 5G
  51
• Realme 7 5G
  31
• OnePlus Nord N10 5G
  23
• Realme Narzo 30 5G
  22
• Realme 8 5G
  22

GFX Car Chase ES 3.1 (offscreen 1080p)

Higher is better

• Realme Narzo 30 Pro 5G
  20
• Realme 7 5G
  20
• Motorola Moto G50
  16
• Realme Narzo 30 5G
  15
• Realme 8 5G
  15
• OnePlus Nord N10 5G
  14

GFX Car Chase ES 3.1 (onscreen)

Higher is better

• Motorola Moto G50
  27
• Realme Narzo 30 Pro 5G
  18
• Realme 7 5G
  17
• Realme Narzo 30 5G
  13
• Realme 8 5G
  13
• OnePlus Nord N10 5G
  13

3DMark Wild Life Vulkan 1.1 (offscreen 1440p)

Higher is better

• Realme 7 5G
  1589
• Realme Narzo 30 Pro 5G
  1556
• Samsung Galaxy A32 5G
  1185
• Realme Narzo 30 5G
  1105
• Realme 8 5G
  1104
• OnePlus Nord N10 5G
  811

Unsurprisingly, the Narzo 30 5G posted virtually identical results to the ones we got out of the Realme 8 5G, aside from a minor (and essentially immaterial) 3% difference in Antutu. For some context against affordable 5G competitors, the Narzo is marginally behind the OnePlus Nord N10 and a bit more noticeably ahead of the Galaxy A32 5G. In any case, the differences between these aren't significant. On the other hand, going for a slightly more expensive Realme 7 5G or a Narzo 30 Pro 5G may net you performance gains that you can actually feel.

Wrap-up

Realme's come up with something of a strategy to differentiate the two alter-egos, Narzo 30 5G and 8 5G. Different RAM and storage options are available on the two, the Realme 8 5G has NFC, while the Narzo doesn't, and then there's the obviously different design of the two phones. Additionally, in India, physical stores will only have one model or the other, but not both in the same store, though online retailers seemingly do stock both.

All that said, the Narzo 30 5G remains essentially a Realme 8 5G, with all the good and the bad stuff that comes with it. For some more precise test results and more detailed comparisons against potential rivals, it's worth checking out the Realme 8 5G review. But the gist of it is that it's a low-priced 5G-capable phone with an adequate 90Hz display, a good 48 MP camera and a large 5,000mAh battery - sounds like a solid proposition.

On the flipside, it can't record 4K video, charges slowly and omits features Realme itself offers for a modest premium on the 7 5G (ultrawide camera, 4K recording, splash protection). There's also competition from outside, including the Moto G50 that's also in our review pipeline, as well as the Galaxy A32 5G and the OnePlus Nord N10.

Ultimately, the Narzo 30 5G is a well-rounded phone that can get you 5G connectivity on the cheap, accompanied by decent performance when it comes to the fundamentals.