Poco M4 Pro in for review

Last year we thought we were getting a 4G and a 5G version of the Poco M3 Pro, but only a 5G model arrived. This year we did get a 4G version, even though it arrives months after the 5G one already launched.

But the Poco M4 Pro is about more than choosing a particular network generation. For example, it is the first in the M-series to use an AMOLED display, all previous models used LCD. In fact, only Poco F phones had AMOLED until today. This change comes with higher brightness than the LCDs managed (700 nits typical vs. 450 nits, 1,000 nits peak). Note that while the refresh rate is the same at 90 Hz, the touch sampling rate went back down to 180 Hz (was 240 Hz on the 5G model).

That’s not the end of it either, the 4G M4 Pro has a smaller display diagonal of 6.43” than the M4 Pro 5G (6.6”) and the old M3 Pro 5G (6.5”). Being nearly 2 mm narrower and 0.8 mm thinner does make this phone easier to handle. In terms of protection, the phone has Gorilla Glass 3 on the front and an IP53 rating for dust and splash resistance.

The smaller size does not come at the expense of the battery, it still has 5,000 mAh capacity and 33W fast charging. Official data claims that a full 100% can be achieved in just under an hour and that is something that we will test in our review. The 5G version (same capacity, same charger) was a few minutes slower than the official target.

The phone comes with a 33W charger bundled in the retail package (we also found a USB-C cable, plus a transparent case). Despite being an affordable phone – starting at €220 MSRP, going down to €180 with discounts – the M4 Pro aims to please fans in other ways too. This means you get expandable storage (microSD slot), a 3.5 mm headphone jack (with Hi-Res Audio), dual speakers, an IR blaster and NFC.

As you may have guessed, changing from 5G to 4G also means changing chipsets. The Dimensity 810 5G gives way to a Helio G96. Modem aside, the two chips use the same hardware (A76 CPU cores, Mali G57 MC2 GPU). From previous experiences with the G96, we expect that the 4G model will offer roughly the same performance. However, the Dimensity uses a newer node (6 nm vs. 12 nm), so achieving the same impressive 123 hours Endurance rating as the 5G model may be a tall order.

We should note that while the phone comes with MIUI 13 out of the box, it is a version based on Android 11 (same as the 5G model).

The chipset also impacts the video recording. Not much, other M-series phones can’t record 4K video either, but the M4 Pro 5G did offer 1080p @ 60 fps. With the 4G one you only get 30 fps.

Compared to the Poco M3 Pro 5G from about a year ago, however, you get a higher resolution main sensor (64 MP vs. 48 MP) and the addition of an 8 MP ultra wide camera (118°). Also, the selfie camera has double the resolution, 16 MP vs. 8 MP.

While we’re on the topic of cameras, the M4 Pro (4G) is almost the same phone as the Redmi Note 11S, which is already available in Europe. It starts at €250 and that’s with half the storage (64 GB), however, the 11S has a 108 MP main camera (1/1.56”). If you want the same memory configuration (6/128 GB) as the M4, the price goes up to €280. Also, the 11S lacks an 8/256 GB option. Depending on how much you care about the camera, you can save a lot of cash (especially if you catch the early bird deals).