Poco X4 Pro 5G review

Introduction

The Poco X4 Pro 5G may not be the Poco(phone) you are looking for. We could literally hear these words in our head spoken in Obi-Wan Kenobi's voice as we sat down to gather our thoughts about the X4 Pro.

And indeed, if you came looking for a proper Poco X3 Pro sequel, you won't be getting it. If you are on the lookout for an affordable mid-range phone, a refreshed Poco X3 NFC, if you will, then you've come to the right place.

We can't and won't hide the true nature of the Poco X4 Pro 5G - it's a repackaged version of the global Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G with a redesigned rear panel. Here's how these two compare.

This is not the first and won't be the last time Poco has done this, so it's not surprising. But the Poco X4 Pro 5G design really stands out, as usual.

The Poco X4 Pro packs a 6.67-inch 120Hz Super AMOLED screen and employs the Snapdragon 695 5G chipset, a departure from the flagship-grade Snapdragon 860 within the Poco X3 Pro but a small improvement over the Poco X3 NFC's Snapdragon 732G. This mid-range SoC offers good CPU performance and 5G connectivity, though.

The camera is your usual tri-eye setup with a high-res 108MP primary, an 8MP ultrawide and a 2MP macro shooter. There is no depth sensor as opposed to other Redmi Note 11 models and the previous Poco X3 phones.

The Poco X4 Pro offers stereo speakers, and all sorts of fan-favorite features such as FM radio, a 3.5mm jack, a microSD expansion, and even an IR port. You can also charge its large 5,000mAh battery incredibly fast with the bundled 67W charger.

The Poco X4 Pro 5G runs on MIUI 13 for Poco, which is based on Android 11. We were a bit surprised to find the latest MIUI without the latest Android OS, but this is also not a first for Xiaomi, and we are sure the update will arrive soon enough.

So, let's scroll through the Redmi, sorry, Poco X4 Pro 5G specs now.

Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro 5G specs at a glance:

• Body: 164.2x76.1x8.1mm, 205g; Gorilla Glass 5 front, glass back, plastic frame; IP53, dust and splash resistant.
• Display: 6.67" AMOLED, 120Hz, 700 nits, 1200 nits (peak), 1080x2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 395ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM6375 Snapdragon 695 5G (6 nm): Octa-core (2x2.2 GHz Kryo 660 Gold & 6x1.7 GHz Kryo 660 Silver); Adreno 619.
• Memory: 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM; UFS 2.2; microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot).
• OS/Software: Android 11, MIUI 13 for POCO.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 108 MP, f/1.9, 26mm, 1/1.52", 0.7µm, PDAF; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.2, 118˚; Macro: 2 MP, f/2.4.
• Front camera: 16 MP, f/2.5, (wide), 1/3.06" 1.0µm.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 1080p@30fps; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
• Battery: 5000mAh; Fast charging 67W, 70% in 22 min, 100% in 41 min (advertised), Power Delivery 3.0, Quick Charge 3+.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); Infrared port; 3.5mm jack.

If we are to compare the €250 Poco X3 Pro to the €300 Poco X4 Pro, we can't but think of this as rather unfair. The whole economy has changed, and the world is still reshaping as you read this. So, yes, the Poco X4 Pro is not a phone with flagship speed at a bargain price; it can't even do 4K videos.

But it does look promising as being one of the new generations of phones that will soon replace the old bang for the buck deals as their stock will soon run out. And we can see that this Poco still has the same spirit by trying to pack every possible modern technology, 5G included, and offer it at an incredibly low price in 2022 terms.

Unboxing the Poco X4 Pro 5G

The Poco X4 Pro's retail box contains a 67W Xiaomi charger and a 6A-rated cable. This is the same charger you get with most new Xiaomi phones these days.

The bundle also includes a soft transparent case and a thin protective film for the display. Usually, Xiaomi's smartphones have that film applied in the factory, but this seems like yet another cost-cutting decision introduced for the new devices. We do appreciate this extra, but given how challenging it can be to apply these things, we can't but think of the factory application as the better choice.