The name ‘Poco’ has been synonymous with smartphones that offer extremely good value for money. It all started with the Poco F1 back when the company was still called Poco by Xiaomi. It was launched as a flagship killer’s killer, following OnePlus’s decision to jump into the flagship category segment. At that time, no one knew who’d introduce the next flagship killer, and then suddenly, Poco F1 took the world by storm. It offered a top-of-the-line chipset at a highly competitive price. For those not familiar with it, the smartphone even came in a Kevlar fiber variant! How cool is that! However, that was the only Poco device that impressed me, and although there have been many decent offerings in the following years, with the most recent device being the Poco X5 Pro, none have managed to generate the same amount of hype…until now.
The Poco X6 Pro was launched on January 11 and it wowed tech enthusiasts around the country courtesy of its features, specifications, and more importantly, its price. On paper, it should be the smartphone to buy under Rs. 30000 with features such as MediaTek Dimensity Ultra (which has made its global debut with the smartphone), 1.5K display, and Xiaomi HyperOS. But is it really the one to go for in a highly competitive segment that also has offerings from Samsung, OnePlus, Oppo, and Motorola?
I’ve spent a few weeks with the smartphone and, let me tell you, it will offer a massive bang for your buck. Here’s why.
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Poco X6 Pro: Design
I’ve never been a fan of flashy colours, and it is safe to say that I was pleased to get the Racing Grey variant. If you’ve ever been mesmerized by BMW’s Nado Grey colour, then imagine that on a smartphone. It looks great! The Poco X6 Pro adopts the same design strategy that has made its predecessors successful in the Indian market so far, with a tall and sleek form factor. The phone gives a premium feel with a plastic back that feels like glass (almost) and a plastic frame that had honestly fooled me for aluminium at least until I actually got a hold of the spec sheet. While the Poco X6 Pro’s design quotient is top-notch, the back attracts a lot of fingerprints, and I mean a lot! You’ll need to put on a case before you start using it, or develop a habit of keeping a microfiber cloth along with you, which Poco doesn’t sell yet (I’m looking at you Apple!).
Although the smartphone has a decent weight to it, you won’t notice it much courtesy of rounded edges which make it comfortable to hold. There’s a massive camera module at the back that features four circular rings – three cameras and one LED flash. I’ve never been a fan of large camera bumps, but Poco’s implementation here is commendable as it rarely ever hinders the pocketability of the smartphone. One of the best things about the Poco X6 Pro is that it doesn’t feature the ugly notch. Instead, it flaunts a circular camera cutout below a slit that houses the front speaker.
It gets an IP54 rating, meaning it is good for occasional spills and splashes, but don’t take it swimming! On the front, you get Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on top as a drop and scratch-resistant safeguard.
All in all, the Poco X6 Pro is definitely a looker!
Poco X6 Pro: Display
This is where the most improvement has been, alongside the performance of the smartphone. The Poco X6 Pro features a 6.7-inch 1.5K AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 120Hz. And with it, Poco has improved upon one of the most disappointing aspects of its predecessor. The inclusion of an AMOLED panel with a 1.5K resolution is a big deal for Poco as it looks to take on the big boys again after a few disappointing years. The display is a joy to look at, even when coming from an iPhone 12-like look. It is fluid courtesy of the 120Hz refresh rate and offers vibrant and punchy colours, and great viewing angles. It is an edge-to-edge display without any bezels at the sides, although there is a slightly noticeable chin at the bottom. Poco claims the X6 Pro has a 94 percent screen-to-body ratio and honestly, I’ll believe it even after just looking at the device.
With a peak brightness of 1800 nits, it is also good for outdoor viewing. I spent hours binge-watching content on Netflix and Disney+ Hotstar, and the experience was one of the best you could get under Rs. 30000.
Poco X6 Pro: Performance
Poco X6 Pro’s strongest suit is its performance. It is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8300 Ultra SoC that makes its global debut with the smartphone. It features up to 12GB LPDDR5X RAM and up to 512GB UFS 4.0 storage. And with additions like a 5000mm square liquid vapour chamber, LiquidCool Technology 2.0, and WildBoost Optimization 2.0, surely it would provide a great gaming experience, right? Oh, absolutely!
The Poco X6 Pro is the best gaming smartphone in its segment, and could perhaps take on some heavy hitters too. Running games like Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) was a breeze and the smartphone did not break a sweat even when running at the highest graphical settings in HDR mode. The smartphone does indeed get warm, but not to alarming levels. Switching on the Performance Mode improves the performance a bit more.
Now, Poco claims that the X6 Pro can manage an average of 58.8 fps when playing Genshin Impact at 350 nits brightness. While I wasn’t able to accurately set the brightness to the exact level, I played it indoors on fairly low brightness and got above 45 fps on most occasions. Here, the Poco X6 Pro did actually get hot. However, Genshin Impact is a game that can bring most smartphones to their knees, so those numbers are pretty good considering everything. The audio output is decent too, with stereo speakers that have a decent amount of mids and highs, although it is not bass-heavy.
The Poco X6 Pro is one of the first smartphones in the country to run on Xiaomi HyperOS and gets Android 14 out of the box. Now, fair warning: I have never been a fan of smartphones running on MIUI, but HyperOS has been a pleasant introduction. It brings an improved UI, a redesigned control center, Game Turbo mode, new MiSans font and a customizable lock screen. All these features help enhance the Poco X6 Pro experience and improve upon the things I did not like in the Poco X5 Pro. With the device, Poco has promised three years of OS and four years of security updates. Oh, and the Poco X6 Pro also gets a heart rate scanner!
Poco X6 Pro: Cameras
Nearly everything about the Poco X6 Pro is bang on…nearly. The camera is not the X6 Pro’s strongest suit and it clearly shows whenever the conditions get slightly less than decent. Courtesy of Xiaomi HyperOS, you get a new camera interface. It sports a triple camera system at the back with a primary 64MP camera, 8MP ultra-wide, and 2MP macro camera. During the day in ideal conditions, the snapshots captured with the Poco X6 Pro are decently saturated with a good amount of detail. You can also shoot with 2X digital zoom and it also produces good results. I’m glad Poco has finally improved upon the oversaturated results that were produced by Poco X5 Pro’s camera unit. There’s also a macro mode that can be accessed within settings but it is average at best.
The Poco X6 Pro also shoots videos in 4K at up to 30 fps and in 1080p at up to 60 fps. Poco claims it supports both OIS and EIS, but the stabilization is decent at best. It gets a 16MP selfie shooter on the front that captures good snapshots but it is nothing special. Cameras have never been the highlight of Poco smartphones so I was not expecting an out-of-this-world upgrade over its predecessor. So, if you’re someone who loves clicking pictures 24×7, sadly the Poco X6 Pro might not be the one for you. Check out some camera samples below.
Poco X6 Pro: Battery life
In yet another area, the Poco X6 Pro comes out trumps. It features stellar battery life and can last you over a day with moderate usage. The X6 Pro features a 5000mAh battery and supports up to 67W fast charging, which it also comes bundled with. Juicing up the smartphone from 0-100% takes less than an hour, which is very impressive for someone coming from an iPhone! In short, the Poco X6 Pro is a battery champ!
Poco X6 Pro: Verdict
The Poco X6 Pro is hands down the best smartphone to buy in its segment. It has features like MediaTek Dimensity Ultra 8300 Ultra, 1.5K 120Hz AMOLED display, and Xiaomi HyperOS, making it an ideal choice for most heavy users. While the camera is not its strongest suit, it produces decent results in daylight conditions. The battery life is also great, with the smartphone charging up fully under an hour, and lasting more than a day.
The Poco X6 Pro starts at Rs. 26999 and is in a segment where heavy hitters such as Samsung, OnePlus and Motorola also have decent offerings. Despite this, for most buyers, it is the smartphone to go for.
