The 72HZ K20 Pro: Evolution X ROM Experience

With the release of the K30 Pro, many smartphone enthusiasts have voiced two complaints: an un-fondness of Xiaomi’s software, and disappointment that Xiaomi’s latest skipped out on the 2020 quintessential high refresh screen. By installing a beloved ROM and overclocking the screen on our K20 Pro, we got a quick glimpse of what the K30 Pro could’ve been - and we really enjoyed it.

We have always been avid believers in bootloading your Xiaomi phone, it’s the best way to tap into a community of developers that truly aims to deliver an experience that matches your needs. The Evolution X ROM is no different, aimed at those who wish they could get the essential feel of a Pixel phone with a tad bit of customisation. This is a smooth, simple, clean experience with no hassles.

In terms of customisation, although the Evolution X ROM does not allow any features that completely sway from the Google vibe it aims to recreate, options such as the shape and size of icons still allow for creative home screen designs to take place with ease. Yet despite reaching the same levels of simplicity that get many to buy Google Pixel phones, is this ROM necessarily better?

On one hand, it created this lighter atmosphere that made us feel like our phone was created to perfect basic tasks. Getting to what we wanted to do was always simple and in reach, eliminating the distraction that comes with more crowded ROMs. But this doesn’t necessarily make it better, because to some, ourselves included, the extra quirks that come with a ROM resembling Xiaomi’s own makes us feel as if our phone is more capable, instead of simple.

While one’s ROM of choice comes down entirely to preference, what about overclocking the screen? Surely, having a smoother experience is objectively better, right? Well, we had mixed feelings here too. The experience was significantly smoother, with scroll-based apps such as Instagram feeling more refined, but that’s all it was, a more refined experienced, not a better one in any way. In other words, although scrolling through Instagram felt smoother, it wasn’t any better than it was before - it was still just scrolling.

And when you consider that overclocking your display may come with some sacrifices such as battery efficiency, it becomes really important to ask: if phones are meant to be used as tools, presumably ones that last us all day, is it worth sacrificing its longevity for a few moments of glamour? We don’t think so, which is why we are so satisfied with our new K30 Pro, but so some, perhaps smoothness makes all the difference.

What do you think, would you sacrifice functionality for simplicity? How about longevity for glamour? Let us know in the comments below!
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To read on Xiaomi’s recent security fiasco and why it shouldn’t bother you, click here