Poco X3 GT review

Alternatives

The Poco X3 GT may be the international version of the Chinese Redmi Note 10 Pro, but its official availability is still rather limited. Poco will bring it across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa. It will not launch in India, nor there are plans for EU launch (for now).

That being said, the Poco X3 GT has all the qualities to be an attractive offer, one that some may consider as a flagship killer. It has the premium 120Hz screen, the powerful Dimensity 1100 5G chipset, some excellent battery life, and a solid main camera across the board.

The second issue (after availablity) is pricing - X3 GT is nearly 30% more expensive than the Poco X3 Pro model(RM 1,299 vs. RM 999 in Malaysia). The two phones offer the same performance, battery life and similar screens. We are not sure if the faster charging, more camera pixels and the Gorilla Glass Victus upgrade are worth that much.

The Poco F3 is priced around the same as the X3 GT. It offers a 120Hz AMOLED screen, a bit faster Snapdragon 870 5G chipset, and a dual Gorilla Glass design, but its camera is inferior. Some would find that a worthy trade-off, others won't be as pleased.

The Realme X7 Max 5G, known in some places as the Realme GT Neo, costs the same as the Poco X3 GT and it's a worthy alternative. The X7 Max/GT Neo beats the Poco X3 GT with a 120Hz AMOLED screen and a faster Dimensity 1200 chip. The rest is a perfect match to the X3 GT - stereo speakers, identical cameras, connectivity options, battery life, and even similar charging times.

Finally, the Galaxy A52 is an interesting offer to consider - its 4G version costs the same as the Poco X3 GT. Sure, the performance is nowhere near Poco's (still good though), but the A52 has one impressive 90Hz Super AMOLED, an excellent quad-camera on the back waterproofing (IP67-rated). If water resistance, OLED screen and photography are your trifecta, maybe give the A52 a try.

Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro • Xiaomi Poco F3 • Realme X7 Max 5G • Samsung Galaxy A52

Our verdict

The Poco X3 GT is a phone of many flagship traits. The GT's 120Hz LCD screen is truly one of the most adaptive we've experienced, the performance is excellent even if the cooling isn't ideal, the battery endurance is impressive, and the charging is incredibly fast.

The Poco X3 GT also impressed us with its speaker quality and photography skills - the main 64MP camera shoots amazing photos and videos. The selfie camera could have been better, though.

So, the Poco X3 GT is another exemplary offer from Poco and Xiaomi. Putting the confusing marketing, rebranding and availability aside, it is one of the best phones you can buy around the €280/RM1,400/$300 mark. It is an excellent smartphone with a thoughtful pick of premium features and sold on a relativity bargain price. What's not to like?

Pros

• Good looking design, GG Victus, IP53-rated.
• 6.6" LCD screen, 120Hz refresh, HDR10, tiny cutout.
• One of the most adaptive HRR modes we've tested.
• Outstanding battery life.
• Impressively fast charging.
• Flagship-grade performance on the cheap.
• Commendable speaker audio quality and balance.
• Excellent daylight and low-light photo quality.
• Impressive 4K videos from the main camera, EIS.
• 5G with dual 5G standby, Wi-Fi 6, NFC, IR, MIUI 12.

Cons

• No microSD.
• The cooling system can't handle sustained load well.
• Uninspiring selfie camera.
• Spotty availability.