I've actually sold away my Poco M3 few months ago, because it was under used and that it disappointed me as the audio quality (when using karaoke app) is not that satisfactory.
But I regretted, it was quite an instant regret. Because, I lost my lightning to 3.5mm adapter so I can't have music OR watch videos as long as I'm in public. Unless, I want to be blasting music through the loud speaker, which is pretty annoying and inconsiderate.
So when the Poco x3 pro was launched and have the early-bird discount, I got the 6/128GB for SG$299. I think its quite a steal.
Anyway, here is what I feel about the phone after using it for a week. As usual, I won't go into all the technical specifications, because I won't have known what I was talking about! LOL
Unboxing and Looks
The packaging is very simple but packed with everything you need to get a phone working - including a 33W charging brick, Type-C cable and also the SIM card slot pin.
They're nice enough to include a transparent case, Poco stickers and a pre-applied screen protector. But be aware that the screen protector is a fingerprint magnet.
The Poco X3 Pro comes with dual SIM but one of them is a sharing slot (SIM and MicroSD card) so either you have dual SIM or 1 SIM card and one MicroSD card.
Yes, shameless Advertising of the MicroSD card I designed again. :p
The 3.5mm audio jack is at the bottom of the phone, together with a 2nd speaker. The 1st speaker is at the top of the phone.
I must say I thought it looks "cheaper" than the M3 as the back cover is just plain plastic and I cannot say how much I dislike the camera design. But at least, it is sturdy and doesn't slip easily.
The phone is also a little on the bulky side and kinda thicker than I expected, but not something that affect me that much.
Starting Up and MIUI OS
The OS system is well, same as the Poco M3 and as heavy, It took up 13.03GB.
I still don't enjoy the MIUI OS but oh well, it's not that bad and I did get used to it after using the Poco M3. Plus the phone is running smoothly.
Once again, the phone came pre-installed with unwanted apps and ads. But there are ways to turn them off. How to remove ads from Xiaomi phones with MIUI
Fingerprint Unlocking
The fingerprint unlocking is at the side of the phone, right at the On/Off button. I didn't really like it at the side but it's the same as the M3 and I did get used to that.
And fortunately, the sensor is very sensitive and works with no delay. Tap and it's unlocked.
Updated 1st Jan 2022: The touchscreen of the phone seems to be a little "oversensitive" in the sense that you can accidentally trigger a "touch" with your body (like maybe you need to "clamp" the phone with your arm). And there are a few times whereby I was riding a bicycle in the rain and the droplets fall on the screen, sometimes that is enough to trigger something.
Another thing to note is that the touchscreen doesn't work very well with wetness. So it's quite hard to navigate in rainy days. I do face the same problem on my iPhone with rain but the iPhone seems to function a little better than the Poco X3 pro.
Display and Brightness
Connectivity
Music and Video
The Poco X3 pro has certified Hi-res speakers and the audio is really great! Earphone works great too, clear mids and highs, too bad the bass isn't that impressive and lags the energy. But still enjoyable at the least.
As for videos, I've no problem watching YouTube, dramas and movies! Well, unless of course you're very sensitive to brightness, then you might find yourself having to adjust the brightness after dark scenes.
Gaming
PUBG run smooth without any lag. Same with PPSSPP. Genshin Impact runs without lag in most part of the game.
However, if you do startup screen recording while playing games, there will be noticeable stutters and slow down.
The phone can become a great gaming center if you pair it up with a controller!!
Battery
Its 5160 mAh battery is not the largest one you can find out there. M3 has a 6000mAh battery but it can last long enough. Using it for just music and video, I used only 3-4% for 3 hours of usage.
Battery drops a little faster when using Bluetooth, dropping about 19% in about 3 hours, playing action games on PPSSPP with iPega 9167 controller.
Leaving the phone in standby mode, the battery drops only 4% for a half a day!
Updated 1st Jan 2022: Battery can last for 8 hours of Grabfood with about 20ish% left.
Updated 6th December 2022: Battery bloated and my phone cover bulged. The phone cannot charge at all and went dead. I was in Malaysia at that time and managed to get a battery replacement for RM110 (need some negotiation skill). I asked in SG, the replacement (original XiaoMi battery) will cost around S$40-45 plus the workmanship.
Camera
The camera seems to be pretty "normal". It's pretty much a hit and miss; sometimes you get stunning image, sometimes it just nothing amazing.
I think the Poco X3 pro night mode and 5x Zoom is somewhat useful, but the 10x Zoom is pretty much useless. However, the Night Mode requires steady hands and you need to hold the phone for say about 1-2 seconds after pressing the snap button to get a clear image.
Anyway, here are some sample photos and video I took, both with the Poco X3 pro and iPhone 7 plus. You can judge by yourself.
Left: Poco X3 pro 48MP Mode, Right: iPhone 7 plus
Left: Poco X3 pro 5x Zoom, Right: Poco X3 pro 10x Zoom
Conclusion
Pros | Cons | |
|---|---|---|
| + Fast charging | - MIUI OS | |
| + Great for gaming, run most of the popular games smoothly | - Slow booting up | |
| + 5160mAh battery | - Plain, uninteresting design | |
| + 3.5mm Audio jack + Hi res certified stereo speakers | - Annoying Ads (unless toggle off) | |
| + 48 MP camera | - Unwanted apps preinstalled | |
| + Cheap (relatively) | - Fingerprint sensor position - Display brightness could be higher - Touchscreen is "Oversensitive" | |
| + MicroSD card expansion |
| I made a short video about the Poco X3 pro, do check it out. |
great review! I actually got this phone too because of how smooth it can play games while still being cheap. Here's to more chicken dinners!
ReplyDeleteCheers! Glad you enjoy review!
DeleteYeah, I like how it runs well with little to no lag even on demanding games like PUBG and COD. It works great with emulators like Drastic and PPSSPP too!
I got it with the early bird deal, which makes it even more of a steal!