Poco M3 Pro 5G review

Design, build, handling

The Poco M3 Pro 5G may be using Redmi Note 10 5G internals, but it looks completely different. Poco has been trying and succeeding to break out of Redmi's looks, and we do like what we've seen so far. The new M3 Pro 5G is no exception - it seems completely different at the back, more premium if you will.

Redmi Note 10 5G and the Poco M3 Pro 5G

While Xiaomi relies on a matte back with cool light effects for the Redmi Note 10 5G, the Poco M3 Pro 5G offers what looks like glass (though it's still plastic) rear panel, all glossy with a solid color - be it dark gray, yellow, or blue.

The camera island stays the same, but it has a completely different accent - there is this partial black strip now that engulfs the imagers, plus a reasonably large POCO insignia.

We like Poco's interpretation better, even if the back is one giant fingerprint magnet.

The 6.5" IPS LCD screen occupies most of the front - it's a 90Hz FullHD panel protected by a flat piece of Gorilla Glass 3. There is a tiny punch hole centered at the top - here, you can see the 8MP selfie shooter.

The earpiece grille is above the screen panel, and next to it is hidden one of the ambient light sensors. There is no notification LED on the Poco M3 Pro 5G.

The other ambient light sensor is on the camera setup, next to the flash. And even if the said flash looks like a dual-LED one, there is just one bright LED beneath the diffuser.

The camera island isn't jutting out that prominently and that's why it doesn't make the Poco wobble much when lying on a flat surface. The three imagers here are the 48MP primary snapper, the 2MP depth sensor, and the 2MP macro cam.

The frame is made of plastic and has the same dark gray paint as the back but with a matte finish, making it quite grippy. It is flattened around the top and bottom, while the sides are a bit curved.

The hybrid-SIM slot is alone on the left. The right side houses the volume and power keys. The surface of the power/lock button doubles as an always-on fingerprint reader. It's plenty fast and reliable, but if you touch it a lot while taking your phone out of your pocket, you should change its trigger from touch to press and resolve the annoyingly often PIN requests.

The top of the Poco M3 Pro 5G packs the 3.5mm audio jack, the second mic for stereo audio in videos and noise reduction in calls, as well as the IR blaster.

The bottom is where you'd find the USB-C port, the primary microphone, and the loudspeaker. There is no second speaker on the Poco M3 Pro 5G.

The phone measures 161.8 x 75.3 x 8.9 mm and weighs 190 g - exactly as the Redmi Note 10 5G, and 5g heavier than the Realme 8 5G.

The Poco M3 Pro 5G is of reasonable size and feels great when handled. Thanks to its glass-like back, it also looks more premium than its Redmi counterpart. It is not slippery despite the glossy panel and seems to be a device of a solid build. Fingerprints and smudges stick on the back, but you can wipe them easily with a piece of cloth.

The Poco M3 Pro 5G has no ingress protection whatsoever, not even splash-resistance of water-sealed ports. And that's the only issue we have with its design and build. No matter the price tag, we think every smartphone should have some basic level of protection.