POCO X3 Pro Summary
POCO burst on the scene three years back with all the POCO F1, using that phone supplying a value bundle that’s not yet been matched. The F1 was not an ideal cellphone by any step — it’d screen and construct quality problems, and it had lots of applications buds — although that you might acquire flagship-tier functionality from a cellphone that communicates for under $300 immediately endeared the enthusiast area into the F1. POCO is currently hoping to recreate that using all the X3 Pro. The phone is still a turbocharged version of this POCO X3 Pro that surfaced after this past calendar year. The crucial highlight is that it’s powered with a Snapdragon 860 — a higher-clocked variant of this 2019 flagship Snapdragon 855+ chipset.
The flagship chipset instantly creates the X3 Professional stand outside. The phone can be found in India for only $18,999 ($260). It can be set to go available internationally for below $300; there are not some other phones in this class that come near the performance figures of the X3 Pro. Simply speaking, this is among the most effective cheap Android mobiles you may purchase.
The phone also switches up things on the camera, now comprising a 48MP primary lens — the regular X3 includes a 64MP module and an 8MP wide-angle lens. Together with the conventional X3 targeted as a mainstream apparatus, it is apparent the Xiaomi has been positioning the X3 Pro as a gaming-focused phone, so let us find out whether the system holds on to its claims at actual world usage.
POCO X3 Pro Specifications
| NETWORK | Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE |
|---|
| LAUNCH | Announced | 2021, March 22 |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Available. Released 2021, March 24 |
| BODY | Dimensions | 165.3 x 76.8 x 9.4 mm (6.51 x 3.02 x 0.37 in) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 215 g (7.58 oz) | |
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), plastic back | |
| SIM | Hybrid Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) | |
| IP53, dust and splash protection |
| DISPLAY | Type | IPS LCD, 120Hz, HDR10, 450 nits (typ) |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 6.67 inches, 107.4 cm2 (~84.6% screen-to-body ratio) | |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~395 ppi density) | |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 |
| PLATFORM | OS | Android 11, MIUI 12 for POCO |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 860 (7 nm) | |
| CPU | Octa-core (1×2.96 GHz Kryo 485 Gold & 3×2.42 GHz Kryo 485 Gold & 4×1.78 GHz Kryo 485 Silver) | |
| GPU | Adreno 640 |
| MEMORY | Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) |
|---|---|---|
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | |
| UFS 3.1 |
| MAIN CAMERA | Quad | 48 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/2.0″, 0.8µm, PDAF 8 MP, f/2.2, 119˚ (ultrawide) 2 MP, f/2.4, (macro) 2 MP, f/2.4, (depth) |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama | |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, 720p@960fps, gyro-EIS |
| SELFIE CAMERA | Single | 20 MP, f/2.2, (wide), 1/3.4″, 0.8µm |
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR, panorama | |
| Video | 1080p@30fps |
| SOUND | Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers |
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | |
| 24-bit/192kHz audio |
| COMMS | WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS | |
| NFC | Yes (market/region dependent) | |
| Infrared port | Yes | |
| Radio | FM radio, recording | |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, USB On-The-Go |
| FEATURES | Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
|---|
| BATTERY | Type | Li-Po 5160 mAh, non-removable |
|---|---|---|
| Charging | Fast charging 33W, 59% in 30 min, 100% in 59 min (advertised) |
| MISC | Colors | Phantom Black, Frost Blue, Metal Bronze |
|---|---|---|
| TESTS | Performance | AnTuTu: 453223 (v8) GeekBench: 2574 (v5.1) GFXBench: 38fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
|---|---|---|
| Display | Contrast ratio: 1401:1 (nominal) | |
| Camera | Photo / Video | |
| Loudspeaker | -26.1 LUFS (Good) | |
| Battery life |
Endurance rating 112h
|
Design and Display
The POCO X3 stood out a year ago since it introduced the first layout and was not a rebranded Redmi phone. Xiaomi is all about the form, and also, the POCO X3 Pro does not differ from the typical model on the design front. You still receive a massive phone using a colossal battery, along with also the POCO branding in the rear is equally as notable. With measurements of 165.3 x 76.8 x 9.4mm and a burden of 215g, the X3 Pro is among the greatest and heaviest mobiles within this class.
I have the Indian variant of this POCO X3 — that comprises a 6000mAh battery, and alongside it that the X3 Pro feels lighter and simpler to use. The latter weighs 10g significantly less, and that makes a substantial difference in daily use.
The POCO X3 Pro is big, bold, and bulky — this is not a phone for one-handed use.
In terms of the style itself, you will locate a polycarbonate rear using a textured stripe running down the center, and together using the POCO emblem located within the feel. The textured segment has a subtle gradient complete, and it’s a slick coating, whereas the sides have a matte finish. The four camera modules and LED flash to sit inside the back camera enclosure, and the round casing and the two-tone complete provide the phone a daring appearance.
The phone softly curves surfaces because it matches the mid-frame, which makes holding using the X3 Pro that a lot simpler. The framework itself can also be made from vinyl and has a shiny finish. Like current POCO phones, the X3 Pro has a side-mounted fingerprint detector that is baked to the power switch, and it is simple to track down the module as a result of this indent on the best side.
The volume rocker can be on the correct. Also, there is an IR blaster up high along with a 3.5millimeter jack in the base. The phone includes a hybrid SIM card slot that allows you to use both SIM cards and just one SIM plus a MicroSD card.
Though the X3 Pro is thicker than most phones within this section, Xiaomi pinpointed the fundamentals: the curves in the back guarantee a terrific in-hand texture, along the camera module does not protrude too far from your chassis. Therefore there is no twist while using the phone on a level surface.
Coming to the screen, the POCO X3 Pro gets the Exact Same 6.67-inch IPS LCD panel as the Normal X3. The display has an FHD+ (2400 x 1080) resolution and 120Hz refresh speed; while Xiaomi includes a nifty flexible refresh speed tech over the Mi 10T show, that feature has not made its way into the POCO X3 collection.
By default, a 60Hz refresh is chosen from the box, and then you’re able to change to 120Hz in the preferences. There’s a significant difference when switching to 120Hz. However, there’s noticeable ghosting occasionally. Xiaomi provides lots of customizability for your panel, and you’re able to alter the color balance, program dark style, and use the exact text-focused scanning style.
The X3 Pro has thin bezels on the top. However, the base bezel is more comprehensive, and there’s a hole-punch cutout. You’ll get a broad earpiece only over the panel, and this also doubles up to the speaker. The stereo audio is loud and comprehensive, and it also makes playing games or watching films far more pleasurable than the X3 Pro.
In terms of the panel, it’s among the greatest LCDs you’ll see within this class. Its vibrant colors and superb contrast degrees, and that I did not have any problems under harsh sunshine. The display is protected by a coating of Gorilla Glass 6, along the phone includes a factory-installed display protector.
Performance and Battery
The marquee feature in the POCO X3 Pro is your Snapdragon 860 chipset. Even though it’s technically a brand new chipset, it’s only a rebranded Snapdragon 855+. As such, you’ll locate a solitary Cortex A76 center at 2.96GHz, three Cortex A76 derivatives in 2.84GHz, along four Cortex, A55-based cores up to 1.78GHz.
There is also the Adreno 640 GPU; it’s a lot more effective than some of those Adreno 61x or even 62x designs we have seen within this class of late. Qualcomm’s decision to relaunch the chipset to get 2021 is a wise move. The Snapdragon 860 includes an integrated 4G modem, and the chipset is suitable to devise makers seeking to make the most of the functionality without shifting to some 5G-enabled platform.
So on the POCO, X3 Pro is class-leading functionality. The Snapdragon 860 is now basically a two-year-old chipset in this stage — that is why the phone has Bluetooth 5.0, whereas the typical X3 includes Bluetooth 5.1 — it provides standout performance where it counts. As a result of the Adreno 640, the phone cruises through names that manage over 60fps, such as Dead Trigger 2.
In reality, that the POCO X3 Pro crushes another device within this class by some gross — outmatching the Snapdragon 732G-based Redmi Notice 10 Pro Max, MediaTek Dimensity 800U-toting Realme X7, Helio G95 about the Realme 7, along with also the Snapdragon 720G about the Galaxy A52. When it’s single or multi-core scores in Geekbench or even 3DMark artificial GPU evaluations, the X3 Pro conveniently beats its competition.
In other words, there is not another system that comes close to the functionality of this POCO X3 Pro. You are essentially getting flagship-tier functionality, and also that the phone is readily available for below $300, which makes it an attractive choice.
There is no other phone in this segment that comes close to the performance of the POCO X3 Pro.
The X3 Pro manages daily jobs without even breaking a sweat, and it permits you to play with the toughest of Android matches with no lag or slowdowns. If you are searching to get a budget-focused mobile for gambling, the POCO X3 Pro ought to be on the very top of your list.
Among those ways Xiaomi managed to save money using the X3 Pro is by restricting the number of LTE bands around the gadget. The Indian version of this POCO X3 Pro has LTE rings 1/2/3/ / 5/8/38/ / 40/41. While that is sufficient for 4G usage in the nation, it will restrict the X3 Pro’s possibility for international drifting — not that it matters at those tumultuous times. The worldwide version includes LTE rings 7/20/28 along with what the Indian version provides.
An intriguing addition about the X3 Pro is IP53 water and dust resistance. While this does not mean that you can decode the phone, it’s protected against dust ingress and sprays of water. It is good to see Xiaomi include some amount of ingress protection for your phones. Speaking about matters that Xiaomi got directly about the X3 Pro, the side-mounted fingerprint reader is quick and dependable in daily use.
The phone has Wi-Fi ac connectivity, such as the Normal X3, the X3 Pro overlooks on NFC from India. Nevertheless, the worldwide version I am using does have the attribute, so this specific limit is simply for the Indian version.
In terms of battery life, the X3 Pro includes a 5160mAh battery using 33W rapid charging — precisely the exact very same since the X3 NFC. The phone consistently offers more than a day’s worth of battery life despite heavy usage, and I had zero problems in this specific location.
The massive battery means that you don’t need to worry about quitting in after marathon gaming sessions. Whenever you need to control the phone, the more bundled 33W charger requires 30 minutes to go from zero to 55% plus a complete charge in only over one hour.
Cameras
Like most phones nowadays, the POCO X3 Pro has four cameras in the back: you’ll come across a 48MP Sony IMX582 primary lens, 8MP lens, and a 2MP macro together with 2MP portrait wallpapers. There is a 20MP camera in front, and like past decades, it’s a fixed-focus lens. As I’ve mentioned many times in other reviews, the 2MP fixed-focus macro lens is there to round out the spec sheet and isn’t usable in many situations.
The camera port should be instantly recognizable if you have used a Xiaomi phone previously. Each of the shooting modes may be available, and you’ve got toggles such as HDR, timer, flash, AI, Google Lens, and shifting between the many lenses. The macro style sits behind the activity overflow menu, and then you’re able to add shooting modes into the ribbon by going into the tab.
Like the standard X3, the X3 Pro lacks 4K movies in 60fps, using the choice restricted to 1080p. The Snapdragon 855+ readily manages 4K recording at 60fps; together with using Xiaomi positioning the phone just as a gamer-focused alternative, it did not leverage this specific feature.
In terms of the photographs, the X3 Pro is based on four-to-one pixel binning to generate 12MP shots — you might also utilize the full-res 48MP mode if you want to achieve that. You receive great photographs in well-lit scenarios, together with balanced dynamic selection and accurate colors. The camera does a good enough job at low-light situations, too; however, the resultant photographs are processed and overlook details.
You can correct this specific problem using the night mode; although it does not result in noticeably much greater shots, even the graphics have improved detail and diminished noise levels. The 8MP mirrored lens additionally does an excellent job in the daytime, but it simply does not step up in artificial or bad lighting.
The cameras around the X3 Pro do not hold up from the Redmi Notice 10 Pro Max, as well as the typical POCO X3 takes better pictures in a couple of conditions. Xiaomi is not placing this mobile as a camera-focused alternative, and that’s evident from the consequent shots.
Software
The most important differentiator between POCO along Redmi is the former does not contain as many advertisements in the port. MIUI to get POCO is equal to MIUI; however, you do not secure incessant alarms or promotions by the first-party programs. To its credit, Xiaomi is adjusting the number of advertisements to the Redmi Notice 10 show, and that’s simply a place to get better using the forthcoming MIUI 12.5 upgrade.
MIUI 12 on the POCO X3 Pro is fast, fluid, and full of useful features.
The X3 Pro runs MIUI 12.0.2 predicated on Android 11 from this box, and it contains all of the new features Google introduced together with the cellphone OS. Xiaomi currently has a fresh Control Center, which resembles what you will discover on iOS; however, it is possible to change to the conventional telling widget, which homes the toggles and reveals incoming alarms in one view.
There are a whole good deal of features here. The privacy hub makes it simple to find out what providers are using your cellphone’s permissions, and you receive split-screen style, floating dividers, a built-in program drawer, a solid theming engine, the capability to utilize two instances of a program, along battery-saving manners. The program drawer sorts apps into different classes, and you may easily alter the sequence or delete those classes.
In general, MIUI 12 has a lot, and it’s a joy to work with around the POCO X3 Professional. I didn’t observe any junk alarms during my use, and the UI is well-optimized to your hardware. Xiaomi will provide quarterly security upgrades and two-stage upgrades, which can be really on par with the remaining apparatus within this section.
POCO X3 Pro price
- POCO X3 Pro price in USA – $236
- POCO X3 Pro price in India – ₹18,999.
- POCO X3 Pro price in UK – £233
- POCO X3 Pro price in Australia – AUD386
- POCO X3 Pro price in Canada – $389
Editor’s rating : 4 / 5
Pros
- Signature layout; IP53-rated for debris and dust resistance.
- Large display with 120Hz refresh and HDR10 support.
- Excellent battery life, quick charging.
- Balanced stereo speakers, great loudness.
- Best notch functionality, exceptional stability.
- Reputable cameras night and day, acceptable selfies.
- Fantastic 4K clips, EIS functions, also.
- MIUI 12, Android 11, 3.5millimeter jack, IR blaster, microSD slot machine.
- Intriguing launch cost
Cons
- Somewhat bulky.
- Display pixel response time is not perfect.
Verdict
We adored that the Poco X3 Pro, and it is simple to tell that. There’s hardly a better actor at a price. And early birds could buy one for as low as $199.
The Poco X3 Pro provides an unbeatable flagship bang to get a few entry bucks. It also impresses with a lot more – screen, speakers, charging, battery, and sometimes even camera. This accomplishment is something for the history books, the same as the first Poco F1’s has been along with the X3 Pro receives our blatant recommendation.
