The POCO X5 Pro is one of POCO’s newest phones under S$500. (Photo: Yahoo Southeast Asia)
The POCO X5 Pro is POCO’s latest entry and update to its “Premium” line of budget mid-range phones.
Originally a sub-brand of Xiaomi, POCO has evolved into its own independent company, much like its sister brand Redmi.
The POCO X5 Pro that was provided to us for review sports POCO’s signature corporate colors of black and yellow.
specifications
Here are the basic specifications:
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Snapdragon 778G chip
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6 or 8GB of RAM
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128 or 256 GB of storage space
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5000mAh battery with 67 watt charging power
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108 megapixel (MP) wide-angle camera
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8 MP ultra wide camera
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2MP macro lens camera
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6.67″ FHD+ AMOLED display with 120 Hz refresh rate, 2400 x 1080 resolution
The phone comes with a charger, which is a rare sight even on higher priced phones these days. (Photo: Yahoo Southeast Asia)
The packaging comes with a transparent protective case, a charger (which mostly doesn’t come with many phones these days) capable of putting out 67W, and a USB-A to USB-C charger.
The phone comes pre-installed with a glass protector, so you don’t need one to protect your screen.
The version we’re testing today has 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. I personally have been using it daily for the past 3 weeks.
Price
I’m naming the price so early simply because I think that’s the main draw for the phone.
The 6GB RAM/128GB storage version retails at S$429, with a special early bird price of S$399. The version we have with 8GB RAM/256GB storage costs S$469, with an early bird price of S$449. Early bird pricing ends on February 13, 2023.
I have to say, for a phone that retails for under S$500, the POCO X5 Pro is a clear winner.
It doesn’t perform like a “budget” phone and is a testament to the fact that phones at this price point can do so many things similar to phones in the S$1,000 range.
The bottom of the POCO X5 Pro looks beautiful. (Photo: Yahoo Southeast Asia)
Performance
The Snapdragon 778G chip in the X5 Pro might not be Qualcomm’s latest and greatest, but it’s more than adequate to deliver a fast user experience.
With eight cores for its CPU power, this offers a very smooth experience when loading apps and hardly breaks a sweat when running multiple applications at the same time.
The X5 Pro never once let me down as it has consistently been good as a daily driver.
In my Google Pixel 6a review, I found that 6GB of RAM is still very enough to run Android apps and keep the phone functioning normally with no downsides. I imagine the 6GB version of the X5 Pro is no different than the 8GB unit we tested for this review.
The X5 Pro’s AMOLED display is extremely sharp and clear, even in bright light. (Photo: Yahoo Southeast Asia)
Gaming on the phone is pretty good too, and while the phone tends to run a little hot, it’s nothing to worry about. Most games run fine with it, but heavier titles such as Genshin Impact must run at 30fps to run stable.
The 5000mAh battery also gives the phone good battery life. I only had to charge it after a day and a half of moderately heavy use.
The 67W charging is really something else too, charging the phone from zero to 50 per cent in just 15 minutes. A full 100 percent charge took about 45-50 minutes.
The 120Hz AMOLED display is bright and crisp, while the face and fingerprint unlock are also extremely fast and snappy.
The fingerprint sensor is located on the power button. (Photo: Yahoo Southeast Asia)
camera
For a phone at this price point, it’s crazy to think they’ve managed to fit a 108MP lens on it. But megapixels are only a small part of the story.
Colors are a bit saturated in photos with the AI touch-up, but it’s still a good phone for everyday shooting. Gone are the days when photos were super saturated to make the colors stand out more.
Photo taken with the Pixel 6 for comparison. (Photo: Yahoo Southeast Asia)
Photo taken for comparison with the POCO X5 Pro. (Photo: Yahoo Southeast Asia)
The phone can record 4K video too, which is a win.
Other pros and cons
Since the X5 Pro is available at this price point, the phone must have some downsides, right?
Well, again, it really depends on what you’re looking for.
POCO’s interface, MIUI, is a much richer experience than Redmi’s or Xiaomi’s version of MIUI.
If you prefer a standard Android phone, this might be your thing. Being a Google Pixel user (they don’t come with excessive menus and bloatware), I welcome this with open arms.
The phone does not have wireless charging. That’s a preference too, but at the rate at which the phone charges, I’d go as far as to say you probably don’t even need it.
Diploma
The POCO X5 Pro is truly proof that you don’t have to buy a S$1,000 phone to get a good one.
Although it only costs S$469, it puts itself well above its class by functioning and functioning similarly to high-end phone models.
I don’t really know what you would use the more expensive phones for than what you would do with the X5 Pro.
The price is a steal, the phone looks beautiful, works great and comes with a charger.
What more can you ask for?
Dominic loves technology and games. When he’s not busy cooling his computer parts with water, he’s engaged in pro wrestling.
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