Poco M3 review

Introduction

Forget iPhones, Galaxies, Redmis, and whatnot. Meet the hottest phone of the season - the Poco M3. Everyone's talking about this model by the Xiaomi-backed brand, and rightfully so. It has everything needed to become a bestseller - good looks, a nice screen, excellent battery, stereo speakers, and a nice camera setup. And all these goodies come with a cheap price tag!

Poco is now an independent brand from Xiaomi though Xiaomi still manufactures everything that Poco designs. Even down to the software Poco phones run or the chargers they use - it all comes from Xiaomi, so the two brands' independence isn't as obvious, at least for now.

But Xiaomi or not, the Poco M3 has the typical bang for the buck spirit we've seen from many Xiaomi and Poco phones before. The first thing you'll notice about the new M3 is the not-so-typical looks, and we do appreciate the grippy leather-like plastic and the unique elements like the large POCO-marked glass at the back.

We would have expected specs to be watered down a bit at this price point, but the Poco M3 seems to tick all the boxes. It has a sizeable 1080p screen with a small notch, a good chipset, all sorts of connectivity, stereo speakers, and an impressive battery with 6,000mAh capacity and fast charging. Oh, and the fast charger is included in the box.

The triple-camera on the back is probably the only feature that took a hit to keep the price this low - while it's headlined by a high-res 48MP sensor, it omits an ultrawide cam and instead offers macro and depth shooters. There is no 4K video either, just 1080p. Then again, look at the phone's price! We'd say this setup is still overqualified for the money you'd be paying.

Finally, the Poco M3 runs on Android 10 with MIUI 12 for Poco. There aren't many differences from the standard MIUI12, and the phone is expected to receive the usual MIUI update treatment for the years to come.

Xiaomi Poco M3 specs at a glance:

• Body: 162.3x77.3x9.6mm, 198g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), plastic back, plastic frame.
• Display: 6.53" IPS LCD, 400 nits (typ), 1080x2340px resolution, 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 395ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM6115 Snapdragon 662 (11 nm): Octa-core (4x2.0 GHz Kryo 260 Gold & 4x1.8 GHz Kryo 260 Silver); Adreno 610.
• Memory: 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM; UFS 2.1 - 64GB 4GB RAM, UFS 2.2 - 128GB 4GB RAM; microSDXC (dedicated slot).
• OS/Software: Android 10, MIUI 12.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 48 MP, f/1.8, 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF; Wide (main): 48 MP, f/1.8, 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF; Wide (main): 48 MP, f/1.8, 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF.
• Front camera: 8 MP, f/2.1, (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 1080p@30fps; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
• Battery: 6000mAh; Fast charging 18W, Reverse charging.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); FM radio; Infrared port; stereo speakers; 3.5mm jack.

The ultrawide camera and some basic water protection are the only things missing off that spec sheet. Yet, we are talking about a quite affordable smartphone that's jam-packed with features, and something had to give. But the Poco M3 seems to come close, really close to that.

Unboxing the Poco M3

The Poco M3 comes packed within a dark yellow box, and it's full of goodies. The phone is inside, of course, packed with a USB cable and a 22.5W QC3 charger by Xiaomi. The Poco M3 supports 18W fast charging, so its 22.5W adapter is a bit overqualified for the job.

The paper compartment contains the SIM ejection tool, a transparent silicone case, and a screen protector. Nice!

But wait, there is more! There is one final compartment at the bottom, where you'd find three Poco bracelets - one braided and two silicone bracelets done in the Poco's signature yellow and black hues.