POCO X4 Pro 5G review: delivers on most aspects
Former Xiaomi sub-brand POCO has come a long way since declaring itself independent from its parent company. The POCO F1 (review) is imprinted as clear as day in my mind for bringing power-packed flagship specs at super affordable price points that even OnePlus couldn’t match. Since then the diversification of POCO‘s portfolio of products has slightly muddled its initial strategy. Nonetheless, the company has continued to deliver on its mantra of a great price-to-performance ratio. The POCO X3 Pro (review) from last year was my number one recommendation in the under Rs 20,000 segment for gamers and power users, while in the under 30,000 range it was the POCO F3 GT (review). However, this time around, I feel that POCO has kept performance on the back seat to make space for a bevvy of different features.
The POCO X4 Pro 5G, priced at Rs 18,999, packs in 5G, a feature missing from last year’s model. The phone also swaps the LCD panel for a more colour accurate OLED screen while retaining the smooth 120Hz refresh rate. The charging speeds have been given a bump and while the battery capacity has remained the same, POCO has trimmed down on the device’s weight significantly as compared to the X3 Pro. My only gripe, at least from looking at the specs on paper? The Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 SoC is a big departure from the near-flagship Snapdragon 860 of last year. Let’s dive into the review and check out if the POCO X4 Pro 5G is worth spending your money on.
Verdict
The POCO X4 Pro is a no-nonsense, packed to the brim smartphone with just two caveats. It has a processor that could leave mobile gamers wanting more and the device still packs in Android 11. As long as you’re okay with these, the POCO X4 Pro might just be the best choice for smartphone users on a budget of under Rs 20,000.
Design and display
Even from a distance, the POCO X4 Pro is instantly recognisable, especially the yellow colour option that clashes quite exquisitely with the massive black camera bar at the top. The design has a striking resemblance to the POCO M3 Pro with the company’s branding distinctly present besides the large primary camera. A glass back has been employed across the back although fingerprints and smudges are surprisingly not an issue. For a more symmetric look, POCO has arranged its cameras to make it appear as if there are four sensors when in fact one of the lens circles just has the words AI embossed inside. It has been an old trick in several OEMs’ books and I still find it hard to appreciate. The X4 Pro is definitely a thick phone with a depth of 8.1mm, though in terms of its weight, the 205g feels light enough considering the device’s massive size. POCO has provided IP53 splash and dust resistance to withstand light rains or a sweaty workout, but nothing more intense. Stereo speakers are present on the device which is per the usual standards set by POCO. While I still detest the 3.5mm headphone jack’s positioning on the top, I guess I should be thankful the feature is even there, to begin with. The rest of the phone is pretty standard with the boxy look although the uneven distribution of mass across the frame doesn’t allow the phone to stand straight without support. On the whole, I have to commend the POCO design team for churning a real eye candy of a device that is surely going to grab a ton of eyeballs while also being sturdy and well built.
Display-wise, POCO has made huge improvements on the X4 Pro as compared to the previous iteration. As a matter of fact, it looks like the company has taken the F3 GT’s AMOLED panel and nearly pasted it as is on the X4 Pro. From the 6.67-inch size to the 120Hz refresh rate, and even the minuscule punch-hole at the top, every important display spec has been added to the POCO X4 Pro’s visual experience. At 1,200 nits, the peak brightness on the device outstrips its more expensive sibling by a factor of two. This makes the X4 Pro an absolute treat to enjoy any content no matter the lighting conditions. As for the colour palette and saturation levels, the device’s AMOLED nature allows for a much wider DCI-P3 colour gamut and excellent viewing angles. There are the usual three profiles that are available, ie, Vivid, Saturated and Standard, all of which can be fine-tuned to the user’s liking. The deep blacks go easy on the eye and give an extra pop of vibrancy on any OTT content being consumed on the device. Speaking of which, the display shows an HDR10 certification on DRMInfo but neither Netflix nor Prime video currently supports it. For gamers, the 360Hz of touch sampling rate is more than enough for instant interaction with the touch panel. I felt that at times, the 120Hz gave a jittery feel but for the most part, it worked flawlessly.
Cameras
Talking now about the optics harboured inside that massive camera slab, the primary shooter is a 64MP sensor while the supporting cast includes an 8MP ultra-wide sensor and a 2MP macro shooter. On the front, the selfie camera can click 16MP photos while the video recording capabilities on the back max out at 1080p@30fps. In terms of daylight photography, the primary sensor can churn out shots with crisp details, good dynamic range and sharp FOCUS. The extra saturation levels in colours weren’t exactly to my taste although auto HDR kicks in to liven up a more dull looking scenario. Shutter speeds were a bit slower than I would’ve liked but that doesn’t make too much of a difference for shooting still subjects. Focusing speeds remained optimum and the sensor did not unnecessarily boost up the exposure to get details in shadowy parts of the frame. Of course, I kept the AI camera mode turned off for natural-looking shots but users who prefer more vibrancy in their pictures will find the feature quite useful. Google Lens is baked into the camera app to quickly identify and search for objects inside the viewfinder and there are several filters present as presets to get a more lively look out of photos. The ultra-wide camera introduced a substantial amount of warping at the edges of the frame and the FOCUS is generally soft, however, the dynamic range and colour temperatures are both decent enough. Edge detection and background blur on portrait mode worked like a charm with the camera able to separate the subject in the foreground even under challenging lighting conditions. The 2MP macro is definitely the weakest sensor on the X4 Pro’s camera layout and its low resolution means that you will probably not be using most of the pictures being clicked for any social media usage.
POCO X4 Pro Review: A Good Screen But Not Much Else
POCO, the Xiaomi brand spinoff, has always been about price, no matter how the company tries to move away from that narrative. The very first POCOphone F1 definitely sparked interest and generated sales thanks to its combination of high-end specs and a dirt-cheap price that would make Xiaomi’s cheapest phone blush. Of course, some cut corners were expected given its price tag, but the sacrifices seemed worth it. Since then, POCO has started to diversify its mobile portfolio, dabbling in the mid-tier smartphone market with its X series.
This year, the company has tried to make a valiant effort to upgrade that line to “mid-range flagship” levels, which is quite a bold claim for a model that has to keep its price low. We tested the POCO X4 Pro to see if it lives up to the company’s marketing claims and here’s what we found.
Elements of design
“Eye-catching” is probably the most neutral way we could describe the POCO X4 Pro’s design. It embraces the new trend of flatness almost to an extreme while still being pleasant to look at. The design gives the phone a lot of character without going overboard, like the POCO X3 Pro before it.
While some phones this year switched back to using flat edges, the POCO X4 Pro uses a flat screen and a completely flat back panel as well, though both faces do have a slight curve at the edges where they meet with the mid-frame.
The camera bump is also a flat block that nearly spans the whole width of the phone. It doesn’t have to be that large since it only houses three cameras and an LED flash. The rest are just embellishments, though it does give the camera module a more symmetrical appearance.
This newest POCO phone is unsurprisingly an all-plastic affair, which has its pros and cons. It’ll survive bumps better than glass but also gets scratches more easily. It also feels lighter in your hand, but you’ll definitely feel the cheaper material. On the upside, the phone does have an IP53 rating, which is better than nothing.
Despite the less-than-premium material, POCO does manage to still make the X4 Pro look visually interesting. Utilizing some lighting tricks, its special engraving makes it look like there are spotlights coming from the lower corners of the phone. The same play of light can also be observed from the main camera, smoothly guiding the eyes to the main points of interest on the phone’s back.
Display and audio
If there is one thing the POCO X4 Pro might be remembered for, it will be its new display. Large, bright, and responsive, the 6.67-inch AMOLED screen is something you may expect to see in more expensive models. Sure, it might not actually be the best in class, but you won’t be missing out on much with this more affordable handset.
Colors appear lush and vivid, blacks really give depth to videos, and its max 1300 nits brightness (700 nits standard) makes it very usable outdoors. The 120Hz refresh rate is increasingly common in smartphones, but some of its mid-range peers max out at only 90Hz. Gamers might be excited about the 360Hz response rate, but that won’t be the bottleneck in gaming, as we’ll see later.
Mid-range phones have also started to sport stereo speaker setups, but most make do with using the earpiece speaker for the second audio output. The POCO X4 Pro, on the other hand, has a dedicated grille for the speaker on its top edge, right alongside that rare 3.5mm headphone jack. This gives music a fuller sound in addition to a loud volume, though probably not in the best quality that can be offered by more professional speakers. For that, you at least have that headphone jack to compensate.
Performance and battery
The POCO X4 Pro’s mid-range nature is marked by its use of a Snapdragon 695 5G. While the processor itself is well-equipped for most tasks, it is one of Qualcomm’s more questionable chipsets in the 600 series. It’s not that the performance is terrible for its tier, just that it has a few quirks that make us question why phone makers stick with it.
Actual performance, especially in synthetic benchmarks, ranges from average to good, though you should expect a few frame rates to drop in graphics-intensive games like “Genshin Impact.” One of the biggest flaws of the Snapdragon 695, however, is in the imaging department, where video recording capabilities are capped at 1080p resolution and 30 or 60 fps. No matter how powerful your camera might be, you won’t be able to squeeze more out of it in this regard.
The phone does have a massive 5,000mAh battery, which puts many premium flagships to shame. With Xiaomi’s 67W turbocharging tech, you only need about 40 minutes to go from zero to 100%. Despite the plastic back, you won’t see any wireless charging features here. That’s not unexpected, but hopefully, mid-range phones will start moving to accommodate that feature this year.
Cameras and photo output
POCO utilizes Samsung’s biggest sensor for its newest phone, placing a 108MP camera as the main star of its array. It is also a clear example of how pixel counts don’t always count. It’s not terrible, but it doesn’t exactly wow, either.
By default, the camera outputs a pixel-binned 12MP photo with accurate colors and well-balanced exposure. If you want more details per pixel, you can switch to the full 108MP output, though it will suffer a bit in terms of color. The main camera unsurprisingly falters when there isn’t much light around, and you’ll find yourself activating Night Mode more often than not. Unfortunately, the lack of OIS makes that less accurate and less impressive.
Ewdison Then/SlashGear
Ewdison Then/SlashGear
There’s an 8MP ultra-wide camera that could be best described as “meh.” It gets the job done and nothing more. There is also no telephoto camera to speak off, so you’ll have to make do with the 2x zoom of the main camera.
There is another member of the camera crew, and you probably won’t’ be surprised that it’s a 2MP macro shooter. There’s not much that can be said about it, given the poor quality of its output and unimpressive magnification range. Even less impressive, however, is the video recording capabilities of the POCO X4 Pro. Without OIS and capped at 1080p30, it’s a bit more painful to record moving pictures unless you set your expectations low.
Software and usability experience
As a Xiaomi sub-brand, POCO uses its parent’s MIUI software, which is currently at version 13. Despite that number, this means the POCO X4 Pro is still running Android 11 at this point. Sadly, Xiaomi remains unreliable when it comes to Android upgrades, and it naturally affects POCO’s phones, as well. To date, the brand has made no strong commitments regarding its software support strategy.
MIUI itself is still one of the most heavily customized Android experiences in town. The company has dialed it down a bit in past years, at least moving away from looking like an iOS clone. Recently, however, it has ramped up its changes, even going as far as borrowing some ideas from Apple again.
There is a ton of customization options in the POCO X4 Pro, and some might admittedly be desirable, like support for floating Windows and a quick launch sidebar.
Is the POCO X4 Pro worth buying?
When compared to its immediate predecessor, the POCO X4 Pro is undoubtedly a worthy upgrade. The switch to a large 120Hz AMOLED screen alone is worthy of praise. Its design is definitely noteworthy, though plastic might not sit well with some people. Its homage to classic features like a headphone jack and storage expansion is appreciated, as well. With a starting price of €299 (roughly 340) for the base 6GB RAM and 128GB storage model, that actually sounds like a steal.
Unfortunately, the devil is in the details. The Snapdragon 695 5G, while okay, comes with some limitations that affect not just performance but also the camera. Those cameras are also good but don’t stand out in any special way. And as users become more conscious of the software they’re using, Xiaomi’s lackluster track record is becoming more prominent.
With a very crowded mid-range market, the POCO X4 Pro may no longer be able to distinguish itself with low alone, and it might find it a bit harder to pull in more customers until it figures out a new formula to use.
Xiaomi POCO X4 Pro 5G, análisis: un claro aspirante a superventas con una batería de infarto
No sé cuántas veces he recomendado el POCO X3 Pro en 2021, pero no han sido pocas. “Oye Jose, tengo que cambiar de móvil y no me quiero gastar más de 300 euros, ¿cuál me compro?”. La respuesta era evidente. El POCO X3 Pro funcionó muy bien gracias, en parte, a esa ficha técnica tan jugosa. Pues hoy tenemos entre mano a su sucesor, el POCO X4 Pro 5G.
Está recién salido del horno y nosotros llevamos ya unos cuantos días probándolo a fondo para traeros este, su análisis. Es un teléfono que, desde Mi punto de vista, va directo a convertirse en uno de esos mejores móviles recomendables cuando el presupuesto es bajo, aunque dista mucho de ser perfecto. Sin más dilación, vamos con ello.
Ficha técnica del POCO X4 Pro 5G
164,2 x 76,1 x 8,1 milímetros 205 gramos
AMOLED de 6,67 pulgadas Formato 20:9 FullHD (2.400 x 1.080 píxeles) Rango de color DCI-P3 Tasa de refresco: 120Hz Muestreo táctil: 360Hz Brillo de 1.200 nits (pico) Gorilla Glass 5
Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G GPU Adreno 619
128/256 GB UFS 2.2 Ampliable con tarjetas microSD 1 TB
108 MP f/1.9 Gran angular: 8 MPf/2.2, 118º Macro 2 megapíxeles f/2.4
5.000 mAh Carga rápida de 67W Cargador de 67W incluido
Android 11 MIUI 13 for POCO
5G Dual 4G Wi-Fi 5 Bluetooth 5.1 GPS NFC
Lector de huellas lateral Altavoces estéreo Vibración Z-Axis Hi-Res Audio Dolby Atmos Sensor IR Jack de auriculares Resistencia IP53
POCO X4 Pro 5G. Smartphone 6128GB, Pantalla de 6.67” 120Hz AMOLED DotDisplay, Snapdragon 695, Triple Cámara de 108MP, 5000mAh, Laser Black (Versión ES 3 años de garantía) con Alexa manos libres
Diseño: todo un cambio
¿Recordáis el POCO X3 Pro? Pues el POCO X4 Pro 5G no tiene nada que ver con él. Donde antes teníamos bordes redondeados y una trasera de plástico, ahora tenemos bordes planos y cristal. Es un salto en calidad de materiales notable que se agradece en mano. Y no, calma, no hemos detectado que sujetar el móvil sea menos cómodo ahora que los bordes son más “afilados”, en absoluto.
La trasera de cristal juega con la luz para ofrecer una serie de destellos que cambian según el ángulo de la luz. Para gustos, colores. Es un acabado bastante más sobrio que el del modelo anterior, más elegante si cabe. Se ha eliminado el nombre de la marca y el módulo circular para, en su lugar, dejar la trasera limpia y apostar por un enormísimo módulo, similar al del POCO M4 Pro 5G, que seguramente sea objeto de polémica entre los usuarios.
Este módulo, que ocupa toda la parte superior, tiene dos relieves: el del módulo en sí y el del módulo con el sensor principal. Vamos, que sobresale dos veces del chasis. Esto provoca que el terminal baile un poco cuando lo dejamos sobre la mesa, sobre todo si presionamos en la esquina superior izquierda. Además, me preocupa que el principal foco de impacto sea la cámara principal. Veremos cómo afecta esto a largo plazo.
En cuanto a sensaciones en mano, es un teléfono cómodo, más bien grande y algo pesado. Más o menos, es tan alto y ancho como el POCO X3 Pro, pero diez gramos más ligero y bastante más delgado, pasando de los 9,4 mm de grosor del POCO X3 Pro a solo 8,1 mm. En la tabla inferior tenéis una foto más global:
Altura (milímetros) Anchura (milímetros) Grosor (milímetros) Peso (gramos) Pantalla (pulgadas) Batería Superficie (cm²) Volumen (cm3)
POCO X4 Pro 5G 164,2 76,1 8,1 205 6,67 5.000 124,95 101,21 Google Pixel 6 158,6 74,8 8,9 210 6,4 4.600 118,63 105,58 Samsung Galaxy S21 151,7 71,2 7,9 171 6,2 4.000 108,01 85,33 Realme GT 158,5 73,3 9,1 186,5 6,43 4.500 116,18 105,73 Xiaomi Mi 11 Utra 164,3 74,6 8,38 234 6,81 5.000 122,57 102,71 Sony Xperia 5 III 157 68 8,2 169 6,1 4.500 106,76 87,54 Huawei P40 Pro 158,2 72,6 8,95 209 6,58 4.200 114,85 102,79 OnePlus 9 Pro 163,2 73,6 8,7 197 6,7 4.500 120,12 104,5
Lo que sí es importante destacar es que la trasera de cristal se ensucia con solo mirarla. Si sois un poquito maniáticos, OS advierto que vais a pasar bastante tiempo limpiando las huellas de la trasera. No obstante, si vais a ponerle una funda (como la que viene incluida en la caja del móvil) mataréis dos pájaros de un tiro: la suciedad de la trasera y el meneo al dejarlo sobre la mesa. A gusto del consumidor.
En el canto derecho tenemos el botón de inicio, que hace a la vez de lector de huellas, y los botones de volumen. Todo se encuentra en una posición cómoda y accesible. En el canto inferior tenemos el puerto USB tipo C, un altavoz, un micrófono y la bandeja para la SIM.
En el canto izquierdo no tenemos absolutamente nada y en el canto superior, finalmente, encontramos un segundo altavoz, otro micrófono, el jack de auriculares (una especie en peligro de extinción) y el sensor infrarrojo (que es un rara avis).
Finalmente, cabe destacar que la cámara interna se ha alojado en una pequeña perforación en la pantalla. El agujero es bastante pequeño y llegas a olvidarte de que está ahí, aunque hay una especie de anillo brillante rodeando la lente que brilla cuando la luz le da desde cierta posición. No es nada preocupante y, en la práctica, cuando estemos usando el móvil lo acabaremos ignorando.
Pantalla: AMOLED a 120 Hz
Si en el diseño hemos visto un salto importante en calidad, de la pantalla podemos decir exactamente lo mismo. Una de las cosas que podemos esperar de los móviles de 2022 es que los paneles OLED sigan llegando a cada vez más smartphones y Xiaomi / POCO, en ese aspecto, han tomado buena nota.
El POCO X4 Pro 5G incorpora un panel AMOLED de 6,67 pulgadas en formato 20:9, con resolución FullHD (2.400 x 1.080 píxeles), 120 Hz de tasa de refresco y 360 Hz de muestreo táctil, todo ello acompañado de un brillo máximo de 1.200 nits y protegido por Gorilla Glass 5. Un pantallote, vaya, sobre todo para un smartphone que cuesta alrededor de 300 euros. Y plano, nada de curvaturas ni cosas extrañas.
La pantalla se ve de escándalo, en pocas palabras. Es ideal tanto para reproducir contenido multimedia como para jugar. La tecnología AMOLED permite que los colores sean algo más vívidos y los negros completamente puros, lo que aumenta el contraste. Es una pantalla que, sin llegar a la calidad que ofrece la gama más alta, se comporta perfectamente y no dejará indiferente a ningún usuario.
El panel viene bien calibrado de fábrica, pero desde los ajustes podemos ajustar la representación de color para dejarlo más a nuestro gusto. También podemos activar los 120 Hz, que por algún motivo no vienen activados por defecto. Es absurdo, desde luego, puesto que es uno de los grandes argumentos de este smartphone. En cualquier caso, ya sabéis. Primera parada: ajustes pantalla 120 Hz.
El brillo máximo es más que suficiente para no tener ningún tipo de problema a la hora de usar el móvil en el exterior. El brillo automático, por su parte, también funciona como era de esperar. Lo que tenemos es compatibilidad con contenido HDR, algo que es normal en esta gama y rango de precios.
En cuanto al aprovechamiento del frontal, los marcos laterales y superior están muy bien aprovechados, pero la realidad es que tenemos una generosa barbilla inferior que, para colmo, no es del mismo grosor que el borde inferior. Amantes de la simetría y del orden en el universo, advertidos quedáis.
Rendimiento: del 8 al 6 y tiro porque me toca
Pasamos así a hablar del rendimiento y, antes de nada, vamos a dar algo de contexto. Cuando POCO lanzó el POCO X3 NFC lo hizo con un Snapdragon de la serie 700 (gama media premium). Luego, cuando lanzó el POCO X3 Pro, montó directamente un SoC de la serie 800 (gama alta). Tiene sentido, ¿no? Si es un modelo Pro, qué menos que montar un procesador a la altura. Este SoC es, en parte, el culpable de que el POCO X3 Pro fuese como un tiro y que no tuviera 5G.
¿Qué tenemos en el POCO X4 Pro? Un Snapdragon 695 5G, es decir, un procesador de gama media. Hemos pasado de un Snapdragon 860 (siete nanómetros y ocho núcleos a una velocidad máxima de 2,96 GHz) a un Snapdragon 695 5G (seis nanómetros y ocho núcleos a 2,2 GHz). Hemos perdido bastante potencia y hemos ganado conectividad 5G. Los benchmarks hablan por sí solos.
Description
Main Camera : 108 MP, f/1.9, 26mm (wide), 64 MP, f/2.2, 119˚ (ultrawide) 8 MP, f/2.4, 50mm (macro),
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