Weekly poll: the Poco M4 Pro 5G is more capable, but more expensive too - is it worth it?

While it has gone up in price, the new Poco M4 Pro 5G has also increased its capabilities. Is it worth it? We're working on a review, so soon we will have a detailed answer, but let's have a preliminary look at whether the new M-phone is right for you.

The M3 Pro 5G started at €180 for the 4/64 GB model and went up to €200 if you wanted 6/128 GB memory. The M4 Pro 5G starts at €230 and has a €250 option of the same memory capacities. That's a €50 price hike in 6 months.

The new model does bring some upgrades. The display is larger (6.6" vs. 6.5"), brighter (450 nits vs. 400 nits) and has higher touch sampling rate (240Hz vs. 180Hz) even if it still refreshes at 90Hz.

The camera setup was improved with the addition of an 8 MP ultrawide camera on the back. Whether the new 50MP sensor is an actual improvement over the 48MP sensor in the older phone remains to be seen. The selfie camera resolution was doubled to 16MP, however, that should be a straight upgrade.

Then there's the chipset - it's basically the same hardware (2x A76, Mali-G57 MC2), but fabbed on a 6nm process instead of 7nm. That should increase power efficiency, which in turn should help beat the 121 hours Endurance rating shown by the older phone. The new model has the same 5,000 mAh battery as before, but it now charges faster at 33W (up from 18W).

There are some other improvements like stereo speakers, plus some splash resistance. But that's more or less it for the upgrades on the Poco M4 Pro 5G (which, if you didn't hear is a rebranded Redmi Note 11).

Poco M4 Pro 5G at a glance

Considering that you can get a Poco X3 Pro for €200 or so, does the M4 Pro 5G even make sense? Sure, it has 5G, which the Snapdragon 860 on the X3 Pro doesn't support. But the X3 Pro counters with a 6.67" IPS LCD of 120Hz refresh rate that is backed by a still powerful Adreno GPU. Plus, you get to keep the stereo speakers, 3.5 mm headphone jack and 33W fast charging.

Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro

In India the Realme Narzo 30 Pro 5G with a 120Hz 6.5" IPS LCD and a Dimensity 800U might be an option. It has a similar camera (48+8+2MP) and a similar battery (5,000 mAh, 30W). An iQOO Z3 offers a faster 120Hz 6.58" IPS LCD, faster 55W charging for its 4,400mAh battery and a similar camera setup (64+8+2MP), along with a Snapdragon 768G chipset (7 nm).

Realme Narzo 30 Pro 5G • vivo iQOO Z3

Elsewhere you might find the Oppo A74 5G instead with a Snapdragon 480 (8nm), similar screen (90Hz 6.5" IPS LCD), similar camera (48+8+2+2MP) and slower charging (5,000mAh, 18W).

Oppo A74 5G

A Samsung Galaxy A32 is slightly more compact with a 6.4" display, a 90Hz Super AMOLED panel. No 5G on this one, however, and the Helio G80 chipset is not exactly impressive. On the camera front, you get 64+8+5+5MP on the back and 20MP on the front. The 5,000 mAh battery is relatively slow to charge at 15W.

Samsung Galaxy A32

Depending on how much you value 5G, the Poco M4 Pro 5G is either a great phone for the price or it leaves something to be desired. But even with the price hike, the screen, camera and battery combo are hard to match in its segment. Note that the first buyers got early bird prices - €200 (4/64 GB) and €220 (6/128 GB). Global sales started on Thursday (11.11, singles day).

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