LG K30 vs Moto G6 Play – Differences & Similarities

LG K30 & Moto G6 Play were released in the same month which is May 2018. Currently, they fall in the same price range and are close competitors.

For the comparison, we’ve picked LG  K30 from T-Mobile /MetroPCS and Factory Unlocked LG G6 Play.

In this post, we’re are going to find out the differences and similarities between the 2. So, Let’s start with the differences

 

Difference between LG K30 & Moto G6 Play

lg k30 vs moto g6 play

Left – LG K30, Right – Moto G6 Play

difference between lg k30 and moto g6 play

1.  Price & Release Date – Difference between LG K30 & Moto G6 Play

PRICE & RELEASE DATELG K30 MetroPCS / T-MobileMoto G6 Play Factory Unlocked
Model NumberLM-X410MK/X410TKXT1922-9
Release DateMay 2018May 2018
Current PriceAround $70Around $80

As discussed before, Moto G6 Play and LG K30 released in the same month in May 2018.

Moto G6 Play was priced much higher than K30 at the time of its release. Over a period of time, the difference in price got diminished. As of now, they fall in the same price bracket of $70-$90.

The price is quoted from eBay.com for a new phone.

2. Body & Design – LG K30 vs Moto G6 Play – Differences

BODY & DESIGNLG K30Moto G6 Play
ColorsAurora BlackDeep Indigo
Body MaterialMetal & PlasticPolymer Glass
Dimensions5.85 x 2.95 x 0.346.12 x 2.84 x 0.36
Weight5.93 oz6.35 oz
Waterproof
Splash Resistant

Moto G6 Play comes in Deep Indigo Color, while K30 from MetroPCS is available in Aurora Black Color.

Moto G6 body is all plastic (Polymer Glass) with no use of metal.  LG K30 has a metal back & a plastic frame.

K30 is smaller and lighter than the G6 play. You can check out the dimensions in the above table.

Moto G6 Play is not waterproof but at least its Splash resistant, thanks to its water-repellent design.

3. Display – LG K30 vs Moto G6 Play – Differences

DISPLAYLG K30Moto G6 Play
Screen Size5.3" (inches)5.7"
Aspect Ratio16:918:9
Screen Resolution / Wallpaper Size1280 x 720 pixels1440 x 720 pixels
Pixel Density277 ppi282 ppi

G6 Play has a bigger 5.7 inches display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. LG K30 has a 16:9 display with a screen size of 5.3 inches.

Both the phones have HD displays with near about the same pixel density.

4. Network – LG K30 vs Moto G6 Play – Differences

NETWORKLG K30Moto G6 Play
GSM/CDMAGSMGSM + CDMA
GSM Unlock StatusLockedUnlocked
CarrierT-Mobile / MetroPCSVerizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint & Boost Mobile
Wifi Calling

As G6 Play is Factory Unlocked its compatible with all major US Carriers (GSM as well as CDMA) such as Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint & Boost Mobile. LG K30 is locked to MetroPCS / T-Mobile but can be unlocked.

G6 Play lacks Wifi calling which is present on MetroPCS / T-mobile LG K30.

 

5. Connectivity & Storage – LG K30 vs Moto G6 Play – Differences

CONNECTIVITY & STORAGELG K30Moto G6 Play
Screen Mirroring / Miracast / Screen Share

Internal Memory / ROM32 GB (Up to 23.65 GB Usable)16 GB / 32 GB
Maximum SD card capacity/sd card sizeup to 256 GBup to 128 GB

There is no option to Cast / Mirror screen on LG K30. You need a chrome cast for screen mirroring/casting on LG K30. Moto G6 Play does have Cast option in Settings.

G6 Play comes in both 16 GB & 32 GB variant. For this comparison, we’ve picked a 32 GB G6 Play.

 

6. Software & Audio – LG K30 vs Moto G6 Play – Differences

SOFTWARE & AUDIOLG K30Moto G6 Play
Android VersionAndroid Oreo 8.1Upgradable to Android Pie 9.0
Android User Interface (UI)LG UX 7.0Stock / Vanilla Android
Mini View / One-Handed Operation / Swipe to Shrink Screen

Speaker LocationBackFront-Ported
Surround Sound / Audio TechnologyDTS:X 3D Virtual SurroundDolby Audio
Number of Microphones12

Running on Stock Vanilla Android, it’s easier to roll out updates on Motorola Phones. Moto G6 Play software is upgraded to Latest Android 9.0 Pie. K30 is still on Android Oreo 8.1

The Loud Speaker on Moto G6 Play is louder with better audio quality, thanks to its positioning. It’s ported in the front and also functions as an earpiece during a call.

G6 Play has 2 microphones for stereo audio recording. K30 has a single mic.

With earphones plugged in, K30 can produce Virtual surround sound effects using DTS:X audio technology. G6 Play uses Dolby audio technology instead.

7. Hardware & Benchmark – LG K30 vs Moto G6 Play – Differences

HARDWARE & BENCHMARKLG K30Moto G6 Play
Processor / CPU1.4 GHz Quad-Core, ARM Cortex A531.8 GHz Quad-Core, Cortex A53
RAM2 GB2 GB / 3 GB
ChipsetQualcomm Snapdragon 425 MSM8917Qualcomm Snapdragon 427 MSM8920
Antutu Benchmark Score3830357946

G6 Play comes in 2 variants with 2 GB & 3 GB RAM. For this comparison, we’ve picked the 3GB RAM variant with 32GB internal memory.  LG K30 comes in a single 2 GB RAM variant.

G6 Play uses a more powerful processor with higher clock speed. You can check out the hardware specs in the above table.

As a result, the antutu benchmark score of Moto G6 Play (57946) is much better than LG K30 (38303).

8. Camera – LG K30 vs Moto G6 Play – Differences

CAMERA LG K30Moto G6 Play
REAR
Slow Motion

FRONT
Flash

Both K30 & G6 Play have a 13 MP Rear and 5 MP front cameras. The picture quality is above average and both the cameras capture decent pictures.

G6 Play camera has more features than K30. It offers Slow Motion, Manual Mode & Selfie Flash. All these features are missing in LG K30.

9. Battery & Charging – LG K30 vs Moto G6 Play – Differences

BATTERY & CHARGINGLG K30Moto G6 Play
Battery Capacity2880 mAh4000 mAh
Battery Life / Talk TimeUp to 13 hrs & 40 minsUp to 36 hrs
Quick Charge / Fast Charging

Moto G6 Play has a higher capacity battery along with Fast Charging support. You can check the battery capacity of both the phones in the above table along with the approximate battery life.

Learn how to Double your LG K30 Battery Life

10. Root Status  LG K30 vs Moto G6 Play – Differences

ROOT STATUSLG K30Moto G6 Play
Can be Rooted

The Bootloader can be unlocked

Custom ROM availability
Descendant, Lineage OS 16.0 & AOSP

LG has locked the Bootloader on LG K30 & there is no way to unlock it. So, K30 cannot be rooted. It’s predecessor LG K20 Plus was rootable.

Moto G6 Play can be rooted and you can try various Custom ROMs such as Lineage OS, AOSP, etc.

Similarities between LG K30 & Moto G6 Play

What they share in CommonLG K30 & Moto G6 Play
BODY & DESIGN
Removable Battery
Memory Card Slot / Expandable Memory
DISPLAY
Display Type / TechnologyIPS LCD
Gorilla Glass / Glass Screen Protection
Contoured /Curved Edge / 2.5D
NETWORK
Sim Size/Type
VoLTE
SENSORS
Accelerometer
Gyroscope/VR Compatibility
Fingerprint Sensor
Ambient Light Sensor
Proximity Sensor
CONNECTIVITY
USB PortMicro USB 2.0
USB OTG
Bluetooth
Wifi
Wifi Tethering / Hotspot
GPS
NFC / Android Pay / Android Beam
MHL / Slimport / HDMI Compatible
IR Blaster / TV Remote
AUDIO
FM Radio
Headphone Jack3.5 mm
ADDITIONAL FEATURES 
Notification LED Light
Handwriting / Stylus Support
Wireless Charging / Qi-enabled
MEMORY/STORAGE
Expandable Memory
HARDWARE
GPUAdreno 308
SOFTWARE
Face Recognition / Smart Unlock
Flashlight
Google Assistant
Dual Window /Split Screen /Multi Window
CAMERA
REAR
Image Resolution / Megapixels13 MP
Secondary Rear Camera / Depth Sensor
Autofocus
Phase Detection Auto Focus (PDAF)
FlashSingle LED Flash
ZoomUp to 4x, Digital Zoom
Video Resolution1080p @ 30 fps
HDR
Face Detection
Manual Mode / Controls
Time Lapse
Video Stabilization
FRONT
Image Resolution / Megapixels5 MP
Video1080p @ 30 fps

The similarities between the 2 phones can be found in the above table. You can even check those features which are not present in either of the phones.

CONCLUSION

It’s quite clear from the above comparison than Moto G6 Play is ahead of K30 in most of the areas.

In the nutshell, K30 is better than Moto G6 Play in these fields

  • Cheaper
  • Thinner
  • Metal Back
  • DTS:X 3D Virtual Surround Sound
  • Wifi Calling

Moto G6 Play beats LG K30 in these areas

  • Splash Resistant
  • Bigger screen with 18:9 aspect ratio
  • Factory unlocked with both GSM & CDMA compatibility
  • Front-Ported speaker & Dual Mics
  • Android Pie 9.0 Firmware
  • More Powerful Hardware
  • The camera features Slow Motion, Manual Mode & Selfie Flash
  • Higher capacity battery along with Fast Charging Support
  • Can be Rooted

If I’ve missed something or some correction is needed, please let me know via the comment section below.

Feedback is welcome.

 

 

 

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