Poco X6 Pro Review: This is a darned monster!

It has been emerging from the shadow of its Xiaomi/Redmi parent, but Poco has never quite been clear of the even bigger shadow of its dramatic debut. The Poco F1 remains a benchmark for a budget flagship to this day, and Poco has been trying to live up to the expectations of that stirring beginning ever since, even though it has pretty much steered clear of flagship waters in India. To its credit, the brand does come very close to giving us those “is-it-possible-to-give-so-much-at-this-price” feels from time to time. And it does just that with the Poco X6 Pro 5G.

Poco X6 Pro 5G Specs: More budget flagship than premium mid-segment

Let us get one thing clear at the very outset – the Poco X6 Pro 5G is pretty much a spec monster in its price zone. It comes with a large, flat 6.67 inch 1.5K (what it calls CrystalRes – just between 2K and FHD) Flow AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1800 nits. But the flagship-level MediaTek Dimensity 8300 Ultra chip driving the phone will make the eyeballs of spec lovers pop. This processor is supposed to come close to the performance of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip that powered most flagships last year. Combine that with LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 storage, which are again generally seen in flagships, and you have a display/chip/memory blend that you would expect to see in a device priced closer to Rs 45,000 than Rs 25,000. Thanks to its price, it might not be positioned as one, but the Poco X6 Pro has the basic innards of a flagship killer. Those F1 genes? You bet.

The rest of the spec sheet is more mid-segment, though. There’s a triple camera arrangement on the back spearheaded by a 64-megapixel main sensor with OIS, accompanied by an 8-megapixel ultrawide and a 2-megapixel “hi-they-call-me-macro” sensor. Selfies are handled yet again by a 16 (the smartphone market’s favourite selfie number) megapixel camera. A large 5000 mAh battery keeps things running and comes with 67W charging support and a 67W charger in the box. You also get dual stereo speakers, an in-display fingerprint scanner (a Poco first), NFC connectivity, and an infrared blaster. There’s no 3.5 mm audio jack and no expandable storage, but then those features are becoming passe at this price point, alas.

Poco X6 Pro 5G software: The first phone with HyperOS

We thought this merited a special section all of its own. The Poco X6 Pro 5G is not only the first Xiaomi phone in India and one of the first in its segment to come with Android 14 out of the box but is actually the first phone in India to come with Xiaomi’s much talked about HyperOS.

This new interface from Xiaomi will not just take the place of MIUI on most phones and tablets but will also run on smart home products and even cars. It is supposed to be one of the biggest software steps taken by Xiaomi and it is remarkable that it makes its debut on the Poco X6 Pro rather than a high-end flagship. Although it looks very similar to MIUI, HyperOS is supposed to consume fewer resources and run more smoothly. Interestingly, Xiaomi released the Redmi Note 13 series a few days before the Poco X6 Pro, and even that series came with MIUI 14, although it is expected to get HyperOS in the coming days. On the flip side, there is a fair bit of bloatware on the Poco X6 Pro 5G in terms of third-party apps and games. All of this can be uninstalled, but it is an irritant nevertheless.

Poco X6 Pro 5G Design and appearance: Yellow eye-catcher, Black dust-catcher

All that hardware and software goodness is packed into a design that fluctuates between the brilliant and the boring. Poco has been known for its bright yellow backs, and the Poco X6 Pro’s yellow shade brings one of its most spectacular implementations, with a textured, vegan leather back that contrasts with the jet-black rectangular camera unit. It is a very eye-catching shade variation that Poco has made its own over the past couple of years.

That impression changes dramatically when you look at the black unit (the one we got for review). The back is polycarbonate here, and while it looks quietly smart, it is a smudge magnet, especially the camera unit. As a result, you are either going to have to slap a very cover-y cover on it (the one in the box leaves the camera unit open to dust, and dust gleefully floats in) or get accustomed to cleaning it every few minutes.

That apart, the Poco X6 Pro is very well crafted in design terms. At about 160.45 mm, it is actually shorter than the OnePlus Nord 3 and the Redmi Note 13 Pro and reasonably slim at 8.25 mm. It is also remarkably lightweight at 186 grams for a phone with such a big battery. That 6.67-inch display dominates the front, and bezels have been slimmed down impressively to the extent that there’s no visible chin on the device. The sides are straight, but the back curves out a little, and the phone comes with IP54 dust and splash resistance and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection (on the display). All said and done, the Poco X6 Pro can be an eye-catcher or a dust-catcher, depending on the color you choose. Go yellow, we say!

Poco X6 Pro 5G Gaming and multimedia: Beast mode!

With that kind of hardware inside it, it is hardly surprising that the Poco X6 Pro turns into an outstanding performance in the gaming and multimedia departments. It literally sails through Call of Duty and Genshin Impact at maxed-out settings, and all without losing its cool – this is the sort of performance we often do not even get from devices that are much more expensive.

The display is quite bright (1200 nits generally) and handles colors and contrasts well, so you get a great viewing experience. Throw in some very good audio from the dual speakers, which support Dolby Atmos and come with Hi-Res certification, and what you have is a formidable multimedia experience. These are not the loudest speakers in town, but the sound quality is very good for the segment. The absence of a 3.5 mm audio jack is noteworthy, but that apart, the Poco X6 Pro is a gaming and multimedia beast. It totally bosses gaming and is great for watching content on. And if you get the yellow variant, the phone itself is great to view, too.

Poco X6 Pro 5G Cameras: A cast with a good star, and so so support actors

The Poco X6 Pro 5G’s cameras are efficient rather than amazing. Our advice would be to stick to the main 64-megapixel sensor, which comes with OIS and shoots very good images not just in well-lit conditions but also churns out decent snaps when the lights dim. We got a reasonable amount of detail in most of our shots, although the colors tended more toward being realistic rather than the bright, popping colors is what we have come to expect from devices in this segment. Video quality is good, too, and features like Motion-tracking focus enable the camera to keep its focus on a particular object even when it is moving. There are plenty of shooting options, so you can edit and tweak images and videos.

The shooting story sort of fades when it comes to the other cameras. The 8-megapixel ultrawide is decent enough if all you want is a wider perspective, and the 16-megapixel selfie camera is good for vanity snaps for social media, but both are par for the course rather than exceptional. As for the 2-megapixel macro camera, it is a mere number maker. If you want very good videos and snaps (who doesn’t), sticking to the main camera is our advice.

Poco X6 Pro 5G General Performance: A Pro all right

In terms of general performance, the Poco X6 Pro thoroughly checks all boxes. That processor, RAM, and storage combo ensures that it glides through tasks like web browsing, social networking, and mail and messaging without a hitch, with the display and speakers ensuring that sight and sound are superb.

We also were able to run multiple apps without any problems at all, and 5G networks got picked up without any trouble at all, with call quality being quite good. The phone comes with the Poco launcher on top, but HyperOS purrs along smoothly beneath it. We found the in-display fingerprint scanner a tad slower than the one on the side in previous Poco devices, but not at deal-breaking levels. It is a gaming beast at soul, but it is also a superb daily driver. Get the yellow shade, and you will not have to worry about dusting it all the time to get the smudges off.

Poco X6 Pro 5G Battery life and charging: A long-lasting, fast-charging one

The Poco X6 Pro comes with a 5000 mAh battery. Even with that bright, 1.5K display and a high refresh rate, we were easily able to get past a day of normal usage on it. Get too caught up in high-end gaming (say, more than a couple of hours), however, and you might need to recharge the phone as the day ends. Use it very carefully, and you will comfortably get close to a day and a half of usage, and even two days if you are paranoid enough. The phone comes with support for 67W turbocharging and with a 67W charger in the box as well. This generally charges the battery in about 50 minutes and gives you enough battery to see through a day in about 20-25 minutes. That’s very good, even though there are some faster-charging devices in the segment.

Poco X6 Pro 5G Pricing: Taking on the biggies in the premium mid-segment

The Poco X6 Pro 5G comes in two RAM and storage variants at these prices:

• 8 GB/ 256 GB: Rs 26,999
• 12 GB/ 512 GB: Rs 29,999

At that price, the Poco X6 Pro 5G comes right in the zone of both the OnePlus Nord CE3 5G (Rs 24,999 onwards) and the OnePlus Nord 3 5G (Rs 29,999 onwards), which offer better design and cameras, but have nothing quite like the processor muscle that the Poco brings to the table. It also hovers within range of its Redmi Note 13, the Note 13 Pro 5G (Rs 25,999 onwards), and the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G (Rs 31,999 onwards), but the story here too is similar – the Notes come with better cameras (perhaps the best in the segment) and have very good designs, but are thoroughly outgunned by the MediaTek Dimensity 8300 Ultra powering the Poco. None of its competitors also have a combination of UFS 4.0 storage and LPDDR5X RAM. All of which make it very good value for money. The yellow vegan leather version even gives it a premium touch!

Poco X6 Pro Review Verdict: Should you buy it?

The Poco X6 Pro 5G has the price of a premium mid-segment device but the soul of a flagship. That MediaTek Dimensity 8300 Ultra chip, LPDDR5X RAM, 1.5K AMOLED display, and UFS 4.0 storage is the stuff of which higher price flagships are made. Its other specs are more premium mid-segment, but there is enough here to satiate the appetite of gamers and those seeking a lot of processing power on a tight budget.

The Poco X6 Pro 5G is simply the most powerful device you can get for not just under Rs 30,000 but perhaps Rs 40,000. In true Poco F1 tradition, the Poco X6 Pro 5G is not one for those who seek glittering design or camera beauty, but for those who are looking for sheer power to race through tasks simple and complex. The premium mid-segment thing has a beast. And if you opt for the yellow variant, it’s a bit of beauty, too!

Buy Poco X6 Pro 5G