Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro 5G Review

Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro 5G Review; Xiaomi’s Poco X4 Pro 5G is a big upgrade over its predecessor, and in addition to the design, this upgrade has also affected the technical part and its features.

Xiaomi-owned Poco unveiled the Poco X4 Pro 5G at MWC 2022, describing the phone as the industry standard for mid-range handsets. It also offers a 67-watt charger and some other items at an economical price of 299 euros (about $ 340).

But the problem now is that the mid-range mobile phone market is much more competitive than before. So the question here is, is Poco good enough to steal the ball from the likes of mid-range handsets like the 5G Rolling OnePlus 2 CE?

Design and structure

If we want to say something definite about the Poco X4 Pro 5G, it must be said that this phone is not like any other mid-range smartphone. Combining the attractive design of the back cover with its flat, low-profile and relatively flat display, this phone appears in the size of Samsung’s flagships. With a diameter of 8.1 mm and a weight of 205 grams, this phone is designed to be simpler than ever before by its ancestors.

The design of the Poco X4 Pro 5G is a modernization of the design of the Poco X3 Pro, which, if you recall, was large and thick, with a strange dual design on the back that combined a matte color and a mirror image, and the not-so-attractive Poco series symbol is attached. It had been. Of course, the design debate is a personal and tasteful one, and it changes from person to person, but we believe that the new design has become much more elegant and special than before.

The whole design discussion of this phone ends more at the back, which now shows a refractive pattern that receives light and gives it a certain flicker, and of course, like the floodlights that direct light from the bottom of the phone to the top. They can too. There is a similar situation on the protrusion of the camera of this phone, and from the location of its 108-megapixel lens, a flicker of light flows to the protrusion of the camera.

The protruding part of the camera that we talked about is another big change compared to the previous version of this phone. Poco X4 Pro 5G completely abandoned the design of the Poco X3 camera and changed the location of the X3 circular camera, which was located at the top of the phone and exactly in the center, and the position of the camera is much more similar to the Xiaomi series. Mi 11 Pro has converted; The X4 Pro camera system, however, does not match the high-end Mi 11 camera.

While the X4 Pro camera looks good, when you look at it a little better, you realize that this space has been wasted in the absence of other technologies and camera items to fill this section. The Xiaomi Mi 11 Pro, on the other hand, had more photography technology, and that space seemed less empty. The Poco X4 Pro 5G also fills this space to some extent with the use of the Poco symbol and other symbols.

In fact, one of the lenses on the back only shows the AI ​​(to show that the phone supports AI capabilities), and yet it proves to us that these are more than necessary. They have an aesthetic.

If you used to think that upgraded design means improving and upgrading the parts used in it, you are sorely mistaken. A large part of the body of the Poco X4 Pro 5G is covered with plastic, and the frame is also aluminum, both of which are a bit disappointing because, despite its excellent appearance, the materials used in the body are not very attractive. Of course, these cheaper parts also have positive dimensions.

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First of all, if you lose the phone, it will not be like a phone that breaks the glass body easily, which means more durability, and of course, it will give you a hundred lighter phones. Of course, a person’s perception of the proper weight of the phone is not universal and varies from person to person, but after the first day, we did not notice much of its lightness.

The IP53 standard is back, which gives such an economical smart phone a relatively good dust and water resistance despite having a 3.5mm headphone jack and a USB-C port.

The Poco X4 Pro 5G is available in three colors, including black (which you can see in the pictures above), blue and yellow. So you can probably choose the color that suits your taste from these three colors.

screen

Undoubtedly, one of the strongest strengths of the Poco X4 Pro 5G is its screen, which does not look like a mid-range phone at all. The screen in question is a 6.67-inch AMOLED panel with a 120Hz image refresh rate and a 360Hz touch sampling rate, and with a resolution of 1080x 2400, it can be said that the display of this phone also has a high resolution.

As you’d expect from a large AMOLED display, the display is bright and detailed, it supports DCI-P3, the colors are extremely realistic, and all of these go hand in hand to create a great display for watching TickTock, YouTube and other videos. Have Netflix movies available.

In addition, the 120Hz Poko X4 Pro 5G display is superior and faster than some of its compatible phones, such as the CE2 5G Rolling OnePlus, and ultimately, no matter what you use your phone for. , Gives you a faster and smoother experience. You may not easily notice the 360 ​​Hz touch sampling rate of this phone, but in competitive and fast gaming, you will notice a faster response.

The display also supports HDR10 +, which enhances the movie viewing experience for you even more, and its maximum brightness reaches 1300 nits when you watch HDR content. Of course, with normal content, the screen will not be very bright and the brightness will reach a maximum of 700 nits most of the time when viewing normal content, but it is still bright enough that you can use it outdoors and in bright environments.

Using the AMOLED panel also allows you to use the ability to always stay on the screen, which is used to display images, display the clock or view incoming notifications, and of course the AMOLED panel allows you to use this feature while having a great impact on Does not leave the overall battery life of the phone.

The Poco X4 Pro 5G selfie camera is located in the shape of a Punch Hole (inside the screen), at the top of the screen of this phone, which, although it may not be to the taste of some, is significantly smaller than the first generation of this type of camera.

In fact, this 4mm camera is one of the smallest cameras we have ever seen. However, this case also seems minor, and we were completely unaware of its existence after a short period of use. So it probably won’t be a problem for many.

Aside from the specs, the Poko X4 Pro 5G display is amazing and offers the same quality as the higher-end handsets. The only thing that is not a little pleasant is the thickness of the edges of the phone that are placed next to the screen. As you can see in the picture above, the edges of this mobile phone are a bit wider than the flagship phones; Especially in the upper part and its corners.

However, this is more of a minor appearance flaw, and the important thing is that the screen of this mobile phone can compete with the screens of phones that are twice as expensive.

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Features and technical performance

Xiaomi has officially announced that the Poco X4 Pro 5G has been developed as a gaming mobile phone. However, this statement is a bit exaggerated, even with the strong performance of this mobile phone.

At the heart of the Poco X4 Pro 5G is the Qualcomm 695 5G Snapdragon processor, which comes with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of memory, or 8GB of RAM and 256GB of memory. While not a groundbreaking contribution to the genre, the 299-euro smartphone is a hit.

Interestingly, the Poku X4 Pro 5G uses Xiaomi’s dynamic RAM expansion technology (which uses memory as extra RAM) and, surprisingly, can increase the RAM to 8GB and 11GB.

But the question is, does this make a difference to the overall performance of the Poco X4 Pro 5G? This question is a bit difficult to answer, but from our experience with the Poco X4 Pro 5G, we can say that this phone responds quickly when scrolling up and down the page (scrolling), fast switching between applications and its relatively fast processing capabilities. The images show their great performance.

However, sometimes the middle nature of this phone is visible, especially when working with heavy applications such as Facebook, which slows down the phone several times when working with it, or when working with WhatsApp, which freezes once or twice. .

This means that the technical performance of this phone is good in the field of gaming, and with its Snapdragon 695 processor, it is able to run AAA mobile games such as Call of Duty Mobile with the highest graphics settings. However, games do not always run at 60 frames per second (which is also the case with battery life), nor the 120 frames that the phone’s display can theoretically handle.

On the other hand, there are no gaming hardware features such as the Blak Shark 4 Pro magnetic triggers or the Asus ROG Phone 5 accessory suite that enhance the gaming experience.

So while this phone can bring a relatively good gaming experience, mobile gamers should look elsewhere for their suitable phone. This statement can be defended with the benchmark results you see in the table below, and as you can see, the Poco X4 Pro 5G is in the same category as other attractive mid-range phones such as the CE 2 5G Rolling OnePlus.

Poco X4 Pro 5G Benchmarks

Aside from the technical issues, the Poco X4 Pro 5G is equipped with Wi-Fi 5 and, of course, 5G connectivity along with Bluetooth 5.1. NFC features for in-app payments are also built into apps such as Google Play. Fingerprint recognition technology is also built into the power button, which allows you to open the phone more easily.

Also, if 128 or 256 GB of memory does not meet your needs, do not worry, because you can use microSD cards to access memory up to 1 terabyte.

While it may not appeal to tech enthusiasts, the Poco X4 Pro 5G ultimately has most of what a typical consumer needs. The price is very competitive due to its features and capabilities.

Camera

On the side of the screen, one of the main advantages of the Poko X4 Pro 5G is its admirable 108-megapixel camera on the back of the phone. The main lens of this phone is placed next to an 8-megapixel 118-degree ultra-wide lens and a 2-megapixel macro lens, which are not as exciting as the main lens, but they will meet your needs in any case.

Now let’s focus on the 108-megapixel mid-range camera; The camera uses one of the largest sensors currently available, measuring 1.52 inches, and comes with an f / 1.9 lens for better low-light performance.

This combination allows you to capture very detailed photos, both when shooting at a full 108-megapixel resolution and when using Xiaomi 9in1 pixel binning technology. When shooting outdoors in a well-lit place, the quality of the captured images is generally excellent; The lighting is good and the color accuracy is excellent.

Image detail will only increase if you shoot with the phone’s 108-megapixel resolution, but keep in mind that files at this resolution are about four times larger than the same files using pixel technology. These full resolution images can also be great for people who want to crop part of a photo. But most users will not notice the difference between the images taken before and after the activation of standard pixel binning technology with its 12-megapixel output.

The telephoto lens is not on the Poco X4 Pro 5G, but despite the dual zoom capability of the Poco X4 Pro 5G, you will not miss the telephoto lens. This feature is currently acceptable for normal zooming, but if you need a telephoto lens, this feature can not compete with a telephoto lens designed for this purpose.

Despite the size of the lens and the small aperture, the biggest drawback of this camera is that it still shoots in low light. Unfortunately, the Poco X4 Pro 5G struggles when shooting indoors with artificial light or outdoors at night, and soft images with inaccurate focus (probably due to the lack of autofocus on the phone). It is seen as superior to its competitors). Night mode, which was intended for this purpose, does not help either.

Although the Poco X4 Pro 5G has the potential of a good camera, without OIS (optical image stabilization) you can not take accurate photos, and to take a good photo of a subject in low light, you must use a tripod, which of course only Responsive to stationary subjects, and almost impossible to capture moving subjects such as a cat.

The quality of the 118-degree ultra-wide 8-megapixel sensor that accompanies the main camera is not comparable to the main camera of this phone, and the f / 2 lens. 2 This also means that in low light this lens does not offer the same quality as the main lens.

There’s also a 2-megapixel sensor on the phone, but given that its shooting mode is hidden in the Poco Camera app, even the manufacturer seems to be embarrassed by the sensor’s performance. This sensor allows you to capture close-up images, but in general the images are colorless, and even if the focus of the images is constant, it will be difficult to capture images with the quality you like. You will probably use it once or twice and then forget about it altogether.

Finally, there’s a 16-megapixel selfie camera on the front of the phone, which works fairly well overall, making it a great option for taking selfies and making video calls. The ability to capture portrait images that blur the background is also supported, although accurate corner detection is error-prone.

Battery life

When it comes to battery life, the Poco X4 Pro 5G shines; Even when its refresh rate reaches a maximum (120 Hz). With a 5000 mAh battery in its heart, the Poco X4 Pro 5G with normal use (such as tweeting, messaging and watching TickTock and YouTube videos) can last up to a day and a half, and if compared to our team Use the phone a little more carefully, you can use it for two consecutive days.

This is very commendable considering that the refresh rate of this phone is 120 Hz on a continuous (not adaptive) basis. So considering this, this phone is usually not very low consumption compared to its high-end competitors. Of course, this also means that if you use the slower refresh rate (60 Hz), the battery will last even longer.

The excellent performance of Poco X4 Pro 5G in this area allows you to do your favorite things safely and without worrying about running out of battery; Take photos, calls and text with confidence, and do anything else you could not do before for fear of running out of battery. It’s a pleasure to think that the Poco X4 Pro 5G lasts more than a day on a single charge.

When the phone needed to be charged, according to our tests, Xiaomi’s 67-watt turbo charging technology allows you to charge the phone up to 59% in 15 minutes and up to 94% in half an hour. A full charge of 0 to 100% also takes about 40 minutes.

Although this technology is not currently the fastest charging technology on the market, but considering that unlike other competitors, Xiaomi puts this USB-C charger in the box, the Poco X4 Pro 5G is also at the top of the list in this area. Economy class stands. So you no longer need to buy the charger separately!

The Poco X4 Pro 5G does not come with a wireless charger, which of course does not seem to be a big deal considering the price range of this mobile phone. On the other hand, at least in our opinion, fast charging technology is much more useful to the user than wanting to charge the phone on a stand!

software

Poco X4 Pro 5G comes with Android 11 operating system and MIUI 13 skin, which creates a bit of controversy. Unlike Motorola My UX, which tries to offer a lot of experiences similar to Android Stoke (raw), Xiaomi’s Android shell tries to do exactly the opposite of Motorola.

In terms of design, much work has been done on this skin and it offers several unique design options that the user either likes or hates. This skin suffers from the same inconsistencies in the designs of other Chinese manufacturers, such as its confusing settings menu, changes made by Xiaomi on the notification bar, and items related to phone control and more.

Working in the user interface of the Poco X4 Pro 5G camera application becomes very difficult in some cases. For example, the macro camera is not in the more section with other shooting modes, but in the hamburger menu (or the three lines that are placed horizontally) and where you set the timer.

If your previous phone was Xiaomi (or even Oppo) and you want to get the Poco X4 Pro 5G, you can work with its user interface with small problems. But the learning path will be longer for ordinary Android and iOS users.

One of the weaknesses of this phone is the lack of operating system updates. Xiaomi-owned Poco has not yet pledged to release an update for the Poco X4 Pro 5G operating system, which will severely affect the phone’s reputation against other competitors such as the CE 2 5G Rolling OnePlus with a two-year warranty and the Nokia X20 with a three-year warranty. . Especially considering that this phone is equipped with Android 11 operating system, not the latest version of Android, which is actually Android 12.

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Price

The Poco X4 Pro 5G will be available in 6GB + 128GB of memory, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of memory, priced at € 299 and € 349 respectively. They will be released globally on March 2, 2022. Of course, UK pricing has not yet been confirmed.

Conclusion

The Poco X4 Pro 5G is much more upgraded than its predecessor, both in terms of features and design. This year, the phone comes with a design that is similar to the flagship phones, although with the difference that in the flagship phones, glass is used instead of the plastic used in the body of Poco X4 Pro 5G.

However, the appearance of the phone is not important, and apart from the appearance features, the Poco X4 Pro 5G has a lot to offer. The 120Hz AMOLED display is bright and compatible with the battery, and houses one of the smallest cameras we’ve ever seen.

Although its refresh rate is not as adaptive as that of its more powerful competitors, it still lasts more than a day in normal use, despite the 60Hz refresh rate that allows for more battery life. When the phone runs out of power and you need to charge it, with its 67-watt charger, you only have to wait 40 minutes for the phone to fully charge, and unlike other competitors, the 67-watt charger comes with the phone and in its box. Available to buyers.

Its 108-megapixel camera is really great, too, and delivers admirable detail and color in well-lit environments. However, the lack of OIS means that night shooting could have been better.

The 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera that accompanies the main camera is really efficient, but the same cannot be said for the 2-megapixel macro lens. The internal components of the Poco X4 Pro 5G are clearly the intermediate components used by Qualcomm Snapdragon, and although the Poco X4 Pro 5G can not compete with high-end gaming phones, its performance is still very good for a smartphone in the € 300 range. Is.

This phone also has its weaknesses, such as Xiaomi’s MIUI and the lack of updates for its Android operating system compared to its competitors. But in the end, the Poco X4 Pro 5G still remains a tempting option in the mid-range range of mid-range phones.