Poco M4 Pro review

MIUI 13 for Poco, still Android 11

Unlike the M4 Pro 5G and its MIUI 12.5, the LTE version runs MIUI 13 - the latest major version of Xiaomi's Android overlay. But despite the bump in MIUI version, the foundation under it remains Android 11. You shouldn't expect native Android 12 features like the redesigned widgets interface, privacy dashboard or approximate location sharing.

With that in mind, the software running on the Poco M4 Pro is, for all intents and purposes, the same as what we saw on the Redmi Note 11 - just with slightly simpler visuals here or there.

Always-on display is supported, but it's only always on by name - in fact, it can only be set to show for 10s after a tap - no scheduling and no truly always-on option. There still are a lot of AOD themes you can choose from, and some of those can also be customized.

What used to be called Breathing light is now called Notification effect in MIUI 13. It can work with or without Always-on Display. Basically, that's a fancier version of the notification LED that uses the edges of the display - they flash with colors upon new notifications. You can choose the lockscreen clock style, too.

Always-on display • Always-on display • Clock style• Clock style • Notification effect

You unlock the screen via the side-mounted fingerprint scanner. The reader is easy to set up, blazing-fast, and the accuracy is superb. You can set the unlock method to Touch or Press - the Press will spare you accidental misreads of your palm (that eventually lead to PIN input) if you are using the phone without a case. A 2D Face Unlock is available, too, but it is far less secure than the fingerprint option.

Passwords and security • Fingerprint settings • Fingerprint settings • Fingerprint shortcuts • Face unlock

The homescreens are business as usual - they are populated with shortcuts, folders, and widgets. The leftmost pane, if enabled, is Google's Discover. Unlike Xiaomi or Redmi MIUI builds, the Poco version only has an App Drawer style two-tier interface - you can't disable the app drawer and have all your apps on the homescreens. The app drawer itself is the same though - by default, it automatically organizes your apps into categories, which you can edit or disable altogether.

Lockscreen • Homescreen • Folder view • App drawer

Just like in MIUI 12, MIUI 13 offers an independent Notification shade and Control Center. You summon them like on the iPhones - pull down from the left part of the screen for the Notification Center, pull down from the right for the Control Center. You can side-swipe to switch between them, too.

If you are not fond of this iPhone-ish split - you can disable the Control Center, and the shade will revert to its normal looks and operation.

Classic notification shade • Expanded toggles • Control center split

The task switcher is familiar, too, if you've ever used a Xiaomi. It shows all of your recent apps in two columns. Tap-and-hold on any card for the split-screen shortcut, or just swipe it left or right to close it. While Pocos can do split-screen, Floating Window isn't supported (Xiaomi or Redmi phones do have it), at least not from the Task Switcher. You can shrink some system apps like the Calculator into a floating window, but this can only happen from within the app itself.

Similarly to a floating window, the option for a regular-looking task switcher with side-scrollable cards is not available on the Poco launcher.

MIUI task switcher • Dismiss app • Multitasking options • Sort of floating window

Themes have always been a huge part of MIUI, and they are available on MIUI 13, too - on the Poco build as well. You can download new ones from the Themes store, and they can change wallpapers, ringtones, system icons, and even the always-on display style.

Themes

MIUI comes with its proprietary multimedia apps - there's Gallery, and Music and Mi Video (both with local and streaming options). A MIUI File manager is also on board. And, of course, a Mi Remote app that uses the integrated IR blaster. There's also an FM radio app on the M4 Pro, and it theoretically works with no headphones attached to serve as an antenna, but we had unusably poor reception that way.

Gallery • Music • Video • File Manager • Mi Remote • FM radio

MIUI also offers a Security app. It can scan your phone for malware, manage your blacklist, manage or restrict your data usage, configure battery behavior, and free up some RAM. It can also manage the permissions of your installed apps, define the battery behavior of selected apps, and apply restrictions only to certain apps.

And speaking of memory, MIUI 13 offers Memory Extension option that's active by default (you can disable it if you like). On our review device we had 2GB of the internal storage reserved to serve as RAM extension. Less important memory blocks should come here.

Security • Memory extension

The Sidebar is quite familiar (only here it's missing the 'Smart' in the name from other builds) - a small visible mark on the edge of the screen that expands into a menu anytime you swipe on it. You launch apps in pop-up windows from here. Of course, you can customize the actions for this menu.

If you are within a multimedia app (like YouTube, Mi Video, Gallery, etc.) you will get the Video toolbox next to the shortcuts - it contains shortcuts for Screenshot, Record screen, Cast, and Play Video with the screen off, which works on YouTube, no Premium subscription needed. The only caveat is that you need to whitelist the apps in advance, where you want the feature enabled.

Sidebar

While slightly different from Xiaomi and Redmi builds, the MIUI 13 on the Poco M4 Pro offers largely the same experience. Some small features are missing, but the more important takeaway is that it's based on Android 11, and at this point, Android 12 should be the norm.

Performance and benchmarks

In the M4 Pro, Poco has replaced the Dimensity 810 5G chipset of the 5G-capable model with another Mediatek offering, the Helio G96. Aside from the connectivity package, a major difference is the manufacturing process - the Helio is made on an older 12nm node, while the Dimensity is produced with a modern 6nm process. That didn't appear to make a world of a difference in battery life, though other variables are at play there as well (display size and technology).

The CPU of the G96 is, in fact, a similar configuration to the one in the Dimensity 810 5G - it's a 2+6 core setup with a couple of high-performance Cortex-A76 cores and six Cortex-A55 units for more mundane tasks. The difference is in the clock rate of the A76s - it's up to 2.05GHz on the G96 and up to 2.4GHz on the Dimensity. The A55s tick at up to 2.0GHz in either chip. The GPU is the same between the two - the Mali-G57 MC2.

There are several RAM and storage options, and likely not all of them will be available everywhere. 6GB of RAM can be paired with either 64GB or 128GB of storage, while the 8GB RAM versions can be had with either 128GB or 256GB of on-board memory - don't forget that microSD expansion is always an option here. Our review unit is the 6GB/128GB spec.

We ran the full set of benchmarks, and in GeekBench, the M4 Pro was actually slightly ahead of its 5G counterpart in the multi-core test. Things took a more logical turn in the single-core test, where the higher frequency of the performance cores in the Dimensity CPU proved its worth. The X4 Pro 5G, meanwhile, offers a somewhat significant step up from either of the M4s, thanks to its Snapdragon 695.

The Redmi Note 11 (Snapdragon 680), Galaxy A32 (non-5G, Helio G80), and the Nokia G21 (Unisoc T606) all lag behind the Poco M4 Pro under single-threaded loads, and the Galaxy and the Nokia can't compete in the multi-core either. The Helio G96 bunch is relatively tightly packed, but even among equals, the Poco tends to be towards the top.

GeekBench 5 (single-core)

Higher is better

• Poco X4 Pro 5G
  687
• Poco M4 Pro 5G
  597
• Realme 8i
  539
• Realme 8
  533
• Poco M4 Pro
  523
• Infinix Note 11 Pro
  520
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro
  511
• Samsung Galaxy A32 5G
  505
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
  376
• Samsung Galaxy A22
  376
• Samsung Galaxy A32
  361

GeekBench 5 (multi-core)

Higher is better

• Poco X4 Pro 5G
  2063
• Realme 8i
  1886
• Poco M4 Pro
  1836
• Infinix Note 11 Pro
  1800
• Poco M4 Pro 5G
  1797
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro
  1729
• Realme 8
  1690
• Samsung Galaxy A32 5G
  1673
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
  1662
• Samsung Galaxy A22
  1372
• Samsung Galaxy A32
  1277

In Antutu, the 5G model has a small advantage again, but the 4G M4 Pro does win comfortably over the Redmi Note 11, Galaxy A32 5G (Dimensity 720), and the Nokia G21. The X4 Pro 5G, again, is noticeably more powerful, though it is, of course, pricier.

AnTuTu 9

Higher is better

• Poco X4 Pro 5G
  384646
• Realme 8
  357488
• Poco M4 Pro 5G
  353663
• Infinix Note 11 Pro
  343527
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro
  319093
• Poco M4 Pro
  318444
• Realme 8i
  308544
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
  244526
• Samsung Galaxy A32 5G
  222125
• Samsung Galaxy A22
  165959

Interestingly enough, the Poco M4 Pro was consistently a notch below the M4 Pro 5G in the graphics benchmarks despite sharing the same GPU. We don't have the clocks of the seemingly identical Malis, however, and the answer could be hiding there.

There's no beating the Realme 8 when it comes to graphics performance in this price range, its Helio G95 having a significantly more powerful GPU than the G96. That aside, the Poco M4 Pro delivers solid graphics performance for the money.

GFX Car Chase ES 3.1 (onscreen)

Higher is better

• Realme 8
  18
• Poco X4 Pro 5G
  17
• Samsung Galaxy A22
  16
• Poco M4 Pro 5G
  13
• Poco M4 Pro
  12
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro
  12
• Realme 8i
  11
• Infinix Note 11 Pro
  11
• Samsung Galaxy A32
  8.1
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
  6.8

GFX Car Chase ES 3.1 (offscreen 1080p)

Higher is better

• Realme 8
  20
• Poco X4 Pro 5G
  20
• Poco M4 Pro 5G
  16
• Poco M4 Pro
  14
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro
  14
• Realme 8i
  14
• Infinix Note 11 Pro
  14
• Samsung Galaxy A32
  9.3
• Samsung Galaxy A22
  9.3
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
  8

GFX Manhattan ES 3.1 (onscreen)

Higher is better

• Poco X4 Pro 5G
  30
• Samsung Galaxy A22
  30
• Realme 8
  29
• Poco M4 Pro 5G
  23
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro
  22
• Realme 8i
  22
• Poco M4 Pro
  21
• Infinix Note 11 Pro
  20
• Samsung Galaxy A32
  13
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
  12

GFX Manhattan ES 3.1 (offscreen 1080p)

Higher is better

• Poco X4 Pro 5G
  34
• Realme 8
  33
• Poco M4 Pro 5G
  26
• Poco M4 Pro
  24
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro
  24
• Realme 8i
  24
• Infinix Note 11 Pro
  24
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
  15
• Samsung Galaxy A32
  15
• Samsung Galaxy A22
  15

GFX Manhattan ES 3.0 (onscreen)

Higher is better

• Realme 8
  48
• Poco X4 Pro 5G
  42
• Samsung Galaxy A22
  42
• Poco M4 Pro 5G
  37
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro
  34
• Poco M4 Pro
  33
• Realme 8i
  33
• Infinix Note 11 Pro
  31
• Samsung Galaxy A32
  21
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
  18

GFX Manhattan ES 3.0 (offscreen 1080p)

Higher is better

• Realme 8
  53
• Poco X4 Pro 5G
  47
• Poco M4 Pro 5G
  40
• Poco M4 Pro
  37
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro
  37
• Realme 8i
  37
• Infinix Note 11 Pro
  37
• Samsung Galaxy A32
  24
• Samsung Galaxy A22
  24
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
  21

3DMark Wild Life Vulkan 1.1 (offscreen 1440p)

Higher is better

• Realme 8
  1486
• Poco M4 Pro 5G
  1232
• Poco X4 Pro 5G
  1211
• Samsung Galaxy A32 5G
  1185
• Realme 8i
  1102
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro
  1101
• Infinix Note 11 Pro
  1100
• Poco M4 Pro
  1099
• Samsung Galaxy A22
  691
• Samsung Galaxy A32
  686
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
  439

In the CPU throttling test, the Poco M4 Pro proved more or less stable and was able to maintain results around 75-80% of its peak performance with only momentary dips under 70%. In 3DMark's Wildlife stress test, meanwhile, it recorded a 99.5% stability rating.

CPU throttling test • 3DMark Wildlife stress test

Hardly a powerhouse, the Helio G96 is a decently powerful chipset for the money and is a better option than the SD680 in the Redmi Note 11 or the Helio G80 found in the Galaxy A32. The Poco M4 Pro 5G might have a minor advantage in both CPU and GPU benchmarks, but we'd call the difference inconsequential. Meanwhile, the year-old Realme 8 offers notably more oomph per dollar, but finding one to buy will be getting harder and harder.