The Redmi K20 and K20 Pro, which we know outside of China as the Xiaomi Mi 9T and Mi 9T Pro, introduced compelling specs at affordable price points. So we’re excited that the Xiaomi sub-brand’s general manager, Lu Weibing, already confirmed that the Redmi K30 is coming.

(Update, December 10: The phone is official! Read Launched: Redmi K30 models headlined by cheapest 5G phone.)

The official teaser shows that the smartphone will ditch the pop-up selfie camera of its predecessor and instead feature a punch-hole screen with a dual selfie camera on the upper-right side — not unlike that of the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus.

The latest information we got is that the smartphone will run on a MediaTek chip, at least according to a China-based leaker. If true, this could position the Redmi K30 as the cheapest 5G phone. Or at the very least, keep the brand on track with its push to provide high value-for-money devices.

The Redmi K30 is expected to launch in early 2020. The timeline works in sync with the launch of MediaTek’s 5G processor early in the year as well.

Not much is known about MediaTek’s chipset, but it’s expected to be a flagship SoC built on a 7nm manufacturing process. And it will be more affordable than what the competition offers. European countries and China are expected to be part of the first phase rollout of the chip, with India following in the second phase. There might also be a non-5G variant.

SEE ALSO: Xiaomi Mi 9T review: Almost a flagship at half the price

The Redmi K30 will come with dual-5G support, meaning it will offer both SA [standalone] and NSA [non-standalone] networking. The latter uses existing LTE infrastructure for things like communication between servers and cell towers, thus you get better connectivity and reduced cost for deploying 5G in new areas.

If the rumors are true, the Redmi K30 will be the second time Xiaomi will opt for a MediaTek processor instead of a Snapdragon one for its more popular smartphones. The first is the Redmi Note 8 Pro, which is powered by the MediaTek Helio G90T gaming chipset.

Learn About This Author

Nicole Batac

Facebook Twitter

Contributor: Nicole Batac spent the last 10 years as a consumer tech and lifestyle journalist and editor for print publications like Speed Magazine and 2nd Opinion Magazine and has had her work appear in other local publications. She now braves the world of freelance writing. In her free time, she obsessively listens to music, binge-watches shows on Netflix, eats well, and sleeps in.