The Poco X5 Pro is a rebranded version of the Redmi Note 12 Pro Speed Edition, which was launched in China. Although it is similar to the Redmi Note 12 Pro, the Poco X5 Pro boasts a special feature: the Snapdragon 778G chip. While many phones in the 20,000 to 30,000 price range are equipped with the Dimensity 1080 chip, the Poco X5 Pro stands out with the Snapdragon 778G, which is more powerful.
Performance:
Let’s begin by discussing the performance of the Poco X5 Pro. The device comes with LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 2.2 storage and is available in two variants: 6/128 GB and 8/256 GB. The Snapdragon 778G chip outperforms the Dimensity 1080 in both AnTuTu and Geekbench multi-core scores, and a CPU throttle test showed that the Poco X5 Pro is more stable than other 1080-equipped phones. The device’s GPU is also quite powerful, delivering medium, ultra, very high, and max graphics settings for games like Call of Duty, which run smoothly thanks to the phone’s flat display and 240Hz touch sampling rate. Despite the high-quality graphics, the device does not heat up thanks to its large dissipation area and VC cooling chamber.
Design:
Moving on to design, the Poco X5 Pro features an all-plastic design in a slim form factor, measuring just 7.9 millimeters. It is available in three different colors, including a yellow, blue, and black combination that is both whimsical and cool. The in-hand feel is fantastic, and the boxy design adds to the overall grip. The power button, which doubles as an embedded fingerprint scanner, has a unique shade of yellow that sets it apart, and the volume rocker is conveniently located above it. Additionally, the device features a 3.5mm headphone jack, an infrared scanner, a Type-C port at the bottom, and proper stereo speakers. However, there is no MicroSD card slot available on this device.
Sound:
The Poco X5 Pro features Dolby Atmos support and loud, rich stereo speakers, like those found on the Redmi Note 12 Pro and 12 Pro Plus. However, because the phone is slim, the panel tends to vibrate a little too much, especially when there is a lot of bass in the music. This vibration is most noticeable when the device is held in hand, but it is not a major issue.
Display:
The phone is packed with an impressive 6.67-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a variable refresh rate that works smoothly. It has a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels and boasts of 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, Dolby Vision support, and a 10-bit display. The brightness level of the display is 500 nits in regular mode and 900 nits in peak brightness, making it very bright even in direct sunlight.
The phone has a plastic build, but it’s done right, and it’s sturdy and durable. The design is modern, sleek, and visually appealing. The touch response is smooth and natural, and the haptic feedback is better than the Redmi Note 12 Pro. It has an X-axis vibration motor that’s tuned decently.
Camera:
The Poco F4 is equipped with a 108-megapixel camera, the Samsung HM2, and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide, 2-megapixel macro, and 60-megapixel selfie camera on the front. The primary camera is excellent in daylight and captures crisp details, but the colors are not accurate, especially the facial tones. The portraits have a decent edge cut-out, and the depth mapping is good. The highlight control in HDR scenes is impressive, but the shadow detail is missing. The low-light shots with night mode are surprisingly good and crisp, and the dynamics of the scene are maintained well. The ultrawide is sharp enough but not the best, and the color science is inconsistent.
The macro camera is not impressive, the selfies have a warm tone, and the facial tones are off. The video recording quality in daylight and low light is good, and the audio recording quality is impressive. The Poco F4 captures sound in a similar way to the Redmi Note 12 Pro.
Battery:
Despite its slim build, the Poco X5 Pro comes with a powerful 5000mAh battery. This is a significant advantage for users who rely heavily on their devices and want to avoid the hassle of frequent charging. The phone also comes with a 67-watt charger that charges at 67-watt speeds, allowing for a quick charge from zero to 100 in about 47 minutes. It can easily last a day and a half on a single charge, but the 1080 screen has slightly better battery life than the 778G, giving about 30 more minutes of screen-on time. One downside of MIUI is the lack of a proper way to check screen-on time, but the Poco X5 Pro’s overall performance is impressive.
Software Experience:
The Poco X5 Pro comes with Poco Launcher and MIUI 14 running on Android 12. The brand promises two years of software updates and three years of security updates. However, it is worth noting that other brands in the same price range offer Android 13 right out of the box. Upon booting up the phone, there are some pre-installed bloatware apps like Merge and Bubble Shooter. Thankfully, Xiaomi and Poco have reduced the frequency of pesky notifications and ads from system apps, making the overall software experience smoother.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the Poco X5 Pro is a fantastic phone with a powerful processor, an excellent display, and an impressive camera setup. The plastic build is durable and visually appealing, and the haptic feedback is better than the Redmi Note 12 Pro. The camera setup is good in daylight, and the low-light performance is surprisingly good. The ultrawide camera is sharp but not the best, and the macro camera is not impressive. The phone is a worthy contender in its price range, and it’s definitely worth considering if you’re in the market for a new phone.
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