Poco X6 review

Introduction

The Poco X6 is a wonderful new addition to the renowned Poco X series, and it brings many updates over the quite popular Poco X5 smartphone. Plus, it has to be one of the most affordable phones with a Dolby Vision display.

So, the Poco X6 introduces a 6.67-inch AMOLED with 1220p resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. It supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+, and there is 1920Hz PWM dimming when needed. The screen sits on top of a rather traditional Poco design, which is now IP54-rated for dust and splash resistance.

The Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 is the heart of the Poco X6 - a chip that is not as fast as the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2, despite what its ambiguous name might suggest. The base storage option for the Poco X6 is 8GB RAM + 256GB UFS 2.2 storage, which is quite generous.

The camera department also features a few updates to the Poco X5. The setup on the back has a higher res 64MP primary camera, now with OIS, there are also an 8MP ultrawide and a 2MP macro imagers. The selfie camera is 16MP. There is an option for 4K video capturing now, which is a nice upgrade.

Other interesting bits of the Poco X6 are the stereo speakers, the large 5,100mAh battery with 67W fast charging and the HyperOS that should come just a few weeks after the premiere as an OTA update.

Overall, the Poco X6 offers notable improvements in the screen, chipset, camera, and fast charging departments, and it comes with better ingress protection. We do consider this as a proper yearly update.

Xiaomi Poco X6 specs at a glance:

• Body: 161.2x74.3x8.0mm, 181g; Gorilla Glass Victus front, plastic frame, plastic back; IP54, dust and splash resistant.
• Display: 6.67" AMOLED, 68B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, 500 nits (typ), 1200 nits (HBM), 1800 nits (peak), 1220x2712px resolution, 20.01:9 aspect ratio, 446ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM7435-AB Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 (4 nm): Octa-core (4x2.40 GHz & 4x1.95 GHz); Adreno 710.
• Memory: 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM; UFS 2.2.
• OS/Software: Android 13, MIUI 14, planned upgrade to Android 14, HyperOS.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 64 MP, f/1.8, 25mm, 0.7µm, PDAF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.2, 118˚; Macro: 2 MP, f/2.4.
• Front camera: 16 MP, f/2.5, (wide).
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS; Front camera: 1080p@30/60fps.
• Battery: 5100mAh; 67W wired, 100% in 44 min (advertised).
• Connectivity: 5G; Dual SIM; Wi-Fi 5; BT 5.2; NFC; Infrared port; 3.5mm jack.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); dual speakers.

Looking through the Poco X6 specs, the only thing we consider as a possible issue is the selfie camera. Xiaomi is hell-bent on using ancient Quad-Bayer low-res sensors for its front cameras, even on its most expensive phones, so we are pretty convinced this is yet another case of cost-saving.

Unboxing the Poco X6

The X series comes packed in black boxes with yellow labels. The retail box of the Poco X6 contains a 67W charger, a USB-A-to-C cable, and a black silicone case.

The Poco X6 came with a thin protective film applied on its display, so if you are worried about scratching the Gorilla Glass Victus, you may decide on keeping it. We peeled it off because it is a real smudge magnet.