Poco X5 Pro review

Design, build quality, handling

We have mentioned that the new Poco X5 Pro comes with a refined design, though we hope we didn't get your hopes too high up. The new model is quite reminiscent of the Poco X4 Pro and the Redmi Note 11 devices, but it has a few changes we've actually come to appreciate.

Indeed, the Poco X5 Pro has a familiar shape - flat front and rear panels and a flat frame, one that allows the phone to stand on its own if needed. It is also splash-resistant like all recent Xiaomi-made phones.

The design has been toned down a little bit. In the past generation, there was a sort of holographic gradient going on across the back. The finish is now monocolored and matte, and the glass part of the camera bump is smaller.

The Poco X5 Pro is available in black, blue and yellow colors. And, obviously, we have the yellow model for review.

Yellow has been a signature hue for Poco, and it looks good on the Poco X5 Pro. It's not flashy, even if it does sound like it.

The screen is covered with a Gorilla Glass 5 sheet, like many Poco and Redmi phones. The back and the frame are made of plastic, both with a pleasant matte finish.

Let's take a closer look at the Poco X5 Pro now.

The front is home to the improved AMOLED screen of the widespread 6.67-inch diagonal size. It has an extended 1080p resolution, HDR10 certification, and supports 120Hz refresh rate, but on the Poco X5 Pro it also offers 10-bit color depth and Dolby Vision.

There is a small perforation centered around the top, where you'll find a dated 16MP camera.

The screen has relatively even bezels, which is not always the case with mid-range phones.

The Poco X5 Pro has stereo speakers, and the top one has two outlets - one front-facing for earpiece purposes, and another one at the top part of the frame. The second speaker is at the bottom of the X5 Pro, and the overall balance seems quite nice and satisfactory.

The rear panel of the Poco X5 Pro still contains one big black blob as a camera accent, though only half of it is the actual glass container, the one that juts out of the back. The rest is just black paint. The X4 Pro had an unnecessary gigantic island.

The primary and the ultrawide cameras have their own sticking-out rings around them, while the 2MP macro eye and the single LED flash are flush with the camera island.

Now, it's time for a quick look around the sides of this Poco.

There is nothing on the left, while the volume and power keys are on the right. The yellow power/lock key also houses the always-on fingerprint scanner. The sensor is fast and accurate and can be set to trigger either on Touch or Press - it depends on your work style.

The top of the phone, in addition to one of the speakers, has the audio jack, the IR blaster and a secondary microphone.

The bottom of the Poco X5 Pro accommodates the primary microphone, the second speaker, the USB-C port, and the dual-SIM tray.

The Poco X5 Pro is a well-built smartphone of a reasonable size and weight. It provides enough grip thanks to its no-nonsense design, and we didn't feel the need to secure it with a case. Still, one is provided for you as part of the retail package, so if you find yourself hating the wobbling when laid on a desk, or feel it slippery, you are covered right out of the box.

We still feel the Poco X5 Pro's camera island could have been made even less prominent, but we guess it's actually an effect Poco wants to have. And it's alright. Now make those mid-range Poco water-tight, so they could become almost unbeatable.