Poco X5 Pro review

Introduction

It's been ten months since the Poco X4 Pro premiere, and naturally, in the break-neck pace of industry releases, it's time for Poco's next-generation smartphone to come out. And while the X4 Pro was a big step backward from the X3 Pro as far as performance was concerned, the new Poco X5 Pro focuses on fixing exactly that. It also brings display and camera improvements, and a new, more streamlined design.

The Poco X5 Pro doesn't deviate much from the established formula - there aren't major upgrades, though there are enough improvements across the board to make you want to switch to the new model.

The highlights of the new Poco X5 Pro are its Dolby Vision display with 1B colors, the fast Snapdragon 778G 5G chipset, the 128GB base storage, and the 4K video capturing is back!

And if this Poco X5 Pro reminds you of some other phone, it is not surprising. It appears that this Poco is going to be the international version of the Redmi Note 12 Pro Speed for China.

The Poco X5 Pro keeps the 6.67-inch 1080p AMOLED panel with 120Hz refresh and HDR10 certification from the previous models. But now it has been upgraded with 10-bith color depth and Dolby Vision support.

The most prominent change is the chipset, though. While the Poco X3 Pro ran on the flagship-grade Snapdragon 860 SoC, the X4 Pro went for the lower mid-range Snapdragon 695 chip. Well, gaming performance is back on the table with the X5 Pro and its capable Snapdragon 778G platform. The basic configuration is now 6GB RAM with 128GB non-expandable storage, but you can also opt for an 8GB + 256GB version.

The camera department seems identical to the one on the Poco X4 Pro - a triple setup on the back with a 108MP primary, an 8MP ultrawide and a 2MP macro shooters, plus a 16MP selfie cam. There is 4K video capturing for the primary camera now, probably thanks to the Snapdragon chip upgrade.

Other familiar essential specs remain the same - stereo speakers, a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, and a 5,000mAh battery with 67W fast charging. The new Poco X5 Pro still runs on Android 12, but with the latest MIUI 14 on top of it.

Finally, we want to acknowledge the refined design - while the phone's shape and the huge black blot around the cameras remain the same, the back panels are not as flashy as before - the X5 Pro is available in simple black, blue and yellow colors, no effects, no gradients.

Poco X5 Pro specs at a glance:

• Body: 162.9x76.0x7.9mm, 181g; Gorilla Glass 5 front, plastic back, plastic frame; IP53, dust and splash resistant.
• Display: 6.67" OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 500 nits (typ), 900 nits (HBM), 1080x2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 395ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM7325 Snapdragon 778G 5G (6 nm): Octa-core (1x2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 3x2.2 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.9 GHz Cortex-A55); Adreno 642L.
• Memory: 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM; UFS 2.2.
• OS/Software: Android 13, MIUI 14.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 108 MP, f/1.9, 1/1.52", 0.7µm, PDAF; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, 119˚, 1/4", 1.12µm; Macro: 2 MP, f/2.4.
• Front camera: 16 MP, (wide), 1/3.06", 1.0µm.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, 720p@960fps, gyro-EIS; Front camera: 1080p@30/60fps.
• Battery: 5000mAh; 67W wired, PD3.0, QC3+.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); NFC (market dependent); Infrared port; 3.5mm jack; stereo speakers.

Looking through the Poco X5 Pro specs, we can't see many omissions. The phone has many fan-favorite features like dual SIM 5G, NFC, two speakers, an IR blaster, and an audio jack. And just like other Poco and Redmi phones, this one is also splash resistant.

One feature has been retired since the Poco X4 Pro, though, and that's the microSD expansion slot. And there are people out there who won't take that well.

Unboxing the Poco X5 Pro

The Poco X5 Pro ships inside a black box that contains a 67W power adapter, a 6A-rated USB cable, and a transparent protective case.

The X5 Pro also arrives with a scratch-resistant film already applied on its screen. It's a smudge magnet, and we peeled it off after a few days, but a lot of people will appreciate having it.