Picking a smartphone in the modern era is tough. You want to settle on a budget. In most cases, a limited budget for your smartphone means that most flagship smartphones are out of reach. In that case, you will have to settle for mid-range smartphones.
Settling on a mid-range smartphone is not necessarily a bad thing though. It is, currently, the most competitive and crowded segments in the smartphone industry. That means you are really spoilt for choice. You are not getting subpar products either, mid-range smartphones today are full of features and can take on some flagships.
The POCO X5 Pro 5G
Source: POCO
Source: POCO
Source: POCO
Source: POCO
Take the new POCO X5 Pro 5G mid-range smartphone for example. You get an AMOLED display this time. The 6.67-inch panel offers up to 120Hz in refresh rate, Dolby Vision certification, 5,000,000:1 contrast ratio, 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut, and 10-bit colour depth. It is not a QHD+ display, but a Full HD+ display is really all you need on a smartphone. At up to 900 nits as well, you will not be wanting for more brightness even under direct sunlight. Of course, the display is protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass 5.
Underneath the expansive display is a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G system on a chip (SoC). The octa-core processor is coupled with up to 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage to ensure that the POCO X5 Pro 5G can handle anything you can throw at it. If you ever need more RAM, Dynamic RAM expansion 3.0 can borrow some of the storage space to serve as a slightly slower RAM.
Out the back of the POCO X5 Pro 5G is a very powerful 108-Megapixel main camera. On the side is an 8-Megapixel ultra-wide shooter and a 2-Megapixel macro camera. There is also another camera out the front, a 16-Megapixel shooter.
To keep the MIUI 14 (Based on Android 13) running all day and more is a 5,000 mAh batter within the metal body. The battery is capable of 67W quick charge too, so you do not have to keep it plugged in for too long, important when you are always in a rush. Yes, you get a charger with this device.
The POCO X5 5G
Source: POCO
Source: POCO
Source: POCO
Source: POCO
At the more budget friendly end of the scale is the regular POCO X5 5G smartphone. It is still no slouch though.
Within the body is a Snapdragon 695 mid-range octa-core SoC. You also can get your POCO X5 5G with up to 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage. If that is not enough, you can also expand it with up to 1TB MicroSD card.
The internals allows MIUI 13 to run smoothly on the 6.67-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with up to 120Hz in refresh rate and an even brighter 1200 nits. You also get up to 4,500,000:1 contrast ratio for a respectable image reproduction that is even on par with some flagships. All of these is protected by Coring’s Gorilla Glass 3.
Out the back is a 48-Megapixel shooter that is still capable of taking breath taking photos. It is also supported by an 8-Megapixel ultra-wide sensor alongside a 2-Megapixel macro camera. The front-facing camera is downgraded a little too at 13-Megapixel over the 16-Megapixel of the Pro variant.
Within the svelte body is also a large 5,000mAh battery that should give you a few days of battery life. If you need, it still does quick charging, not as quick as the Pro variant though. Still 33W of charging speeds can also give you a full charge within two hours.
Price and Availability
The POCO X5 Pro 5G Will be available in three colours – Black, Blue, and Yellow. The POCO X5 5G will also be in available in three distinct colours – Green, Blue, and Black. The Pro variant will set you back MYR 1,299 onward while the vanilla POCO X5 will start from MYR 1,099. You can now get your hands on either one via Lazada and Shopee. More information can be found on their website.
These days, when you talk flagship, you think about devices that cost at least MYR 3,000 and above. Anything below that price range is usually categorised as mid-range smartphones. They are usually specced as such too, with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 700 series, 6-8GB of RAM, and up to 256GB of storage. Not this one though. It is priced as a mid-range smartphone, but on paper, it is a flagship.
First, the POCO F4 GT packs a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, the most powerful system on a chip (SoC) you can find in an Android smartphone currently. Sure, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is rumoured to come some time soon. Until then, the Gen 1 is still the most powerful SoC you can find on an Android. The powerful SoC is supported by up to 12GB of speedy LPDDR5 RAM with up to 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage for snappy operations.
They say that it is made for mobile gaming. To ensure that the SoC stays cool for extended gaming sessions then, they have something they call LiquidCool Technology 3.0. The technology large dual vapor chambers to ensure that heat from the SoC can be quickly and efficiently transferred and dissipated elsewhere on the device.
Source: POCO
Out the front is an expansive and immersive 6.67-inch AMOLED display with 10-bit colours. With up to 120Hz, your interface should feel smoother than running a hot knife through butter. At up to 480Hz of touch sampling rate, every touch should feel more instant and more responsive than ever before. Of course, with DisplayMate’s A+ rating, this display should be great with movies too.
Out the back is a 64-Megapixel main shooter which should be enough in most cases. Of course, most of the time, you are really taking 12-Megapixel photos unless you tell your camera that you want to shoot in 64-Megapixel mode. The powerful camera is supported by an 8-Megapixel ultra-wide shooter and a 2-Megapixel macro camera. Out the front is a 20-Megapixel selfie shooter for when you need to stream or when you just want to capture a clear selfie.
To keep everything running nicely an entire day and more is a 4,700mAh battery inside the device. It is also the first battery in POCO’s device range to offer 120W HyperCharge charging speed. The device can be fully charged in just 27 minutes. Charging your device at 120W at all times can destroy the battery pretty quickly though, so POCO’s AdaptiveCharge feature cleverly keeps your battery from overcharging to prolong its shelf life.
Alongside the POCO F4 GT, POCO also launched their new Buds Pro Genshin Impact Edition with a rather special design throwing homage to the ever so popular mobile game. They also launched the POCO Watch, their first ever smartwatch cum fitness tracker. It does not run on the Wear OS.
The POCO F4 GT is available in three colour options from 28th of April 2022 onward. You can choose between Stealth Black, Knight Silver, and Cyber Yellow colour options. You can also choose between an 8GB + 128GB variant and a 12GB + 256GB variant for MYR 2,299 and MYR 2,499 respectively. If you purchase your device on the 28th of April 2022 on either Shopee or Lazada, you can get your device for MYR 1,999 and MYR 2,199 respectively. The POCO Buds Pro Genshin Impact Edition and POCO Watch will be available for MYR 299 and MYR 249 respectively on the same date. More information on the new POCO devices can be found on their website.
Mobile World Congress (MWC) is back for 2022 season, and we are glad. It is a sign that things are becoming normal again. But most of all, we are excited to see what all its participants have in store for us.
While HUAWEI and Samsung participated and jumped the gun in launching their new laptop and tablet devices, it is MWC. Mobile is in its name; we want something more smartphones. We got that with POCO and their new C4 Pro 5G.
The POCO X4 Pro is an entry-level device, but you get plenty of flagship features on it at a fraction of the cost.
Source: POCO
You are met with an expansive 6.67-inch AMOLED DotDisplay screen that has a small punch hole at the middle of the top of the panel for a selfie camera. The 6.67-inch display is a nice 120Hz refresh rate display for a nice and smooth user experience (UX). It also features 360Hz touch sampling rate for a near instant and snappy feel of the MIUI 13 interface. The Full HD+ AMOLED display is a first for a POCO X series device.
Standing out at the back of the device is a 108-Megapixel sensor for super high-resolution and detailed photos. There is also an 8-Megapixel ultra-wide camera, a 2-Megapixel macro camera supporting the main camera and adding more variety to your gallery, or Instagram spread. Out front, in the punch hole is a16-Megapixel camera for clear and clean selfies.
Keeping everything going as they should, is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 System on a Chip (SoC). The 6nm SoC is 5G capable; hence, the 5G moniker, and is one of Qualcomm’s latest chips to roll off the line. It comes with two ARM Cortex-A78 high-performance cores that clocks out at 2.2Ghz and supported by six other efficiency cores.
The powerful SoC is supported by 8GB of RAM, which is ample these days. If you need more, the device can take 3GB out of its 256GB built-in storage as temporary makeshift RAM on top of the 8GB RAM. It works great if you tend to open 100 apps (over-exaggeration) and leaves all of them open.
To ensure that it will keep you connected and going all day is a 5,000mAh battery that is supposed to offer 15 hours of video playback. When it starts running low and you can find a wall port, it charges at up to 67W speeds and can be fully charged from an empty battery in just 41 minutes.
Price and Availability
The POCO X4 Pro was just launched in MWC 2022 very recently. It can be yours very soon though. The X4 Pro will arrive in Malaysian shores by the 3rd of March 2022 onward exclusively on Shopee. It comes in two variants, a 6GB + 128GB variant and an 8GB + 256GB variant. They are priced at MYR 1,199 and MYR 1,499 respectively. If you get them on their launch date – you are eligible for an Early Bird discount that brings the prices down to MYR 1,099 and MYR 1,249 respectively. More information on the POCO X4 Pro can be found on their website.
Xiaomi is no stranger to the mobile and tech market. The company has built an empire spanning smartphones to smart home items and it achieved this in a relatively short time. The company emerged and grew in the span of a little over a decade. In fact, Malaysia’s first Xiaomi device was the popular Mi 3. It’s been nearly a decade since – and it looks like things are about to change.
According to a statement to XDA Developers, it looks like Xiaomi will be streamlining its branding. As part of the move, it looks like the “Mi” branding that we know and love is going to be retired. In its statement, the company highlighted that the recently announced MIX 4 was the first device to have its new, streamlined branding.
The move to retire their “MI” branding marks a close in a very important chapter in Xiaomi’s history as it moves to be a more international company from its humble beginnings. Xiaomi’s first product wasn’t a smartphone – it was MIUI, the Android fork that is now a hallmark feature of all its products. Today, the company has become one of the largest smartphone manufacturers in the world with a smartphone literally built for everyone.
With the retirement of the “Mi” brand, new flagships will come under their “Xiaomi” name. This should bolster the recognition of their brand worldwide. However, Xiaomi now has the task of differentiating itself in a market saturated by so many. In addition, it also has POCO and Redmi under its belt. The two brands are wildly popular in their segments but do little when it comes to Xiaomi’s branding.
Xiaomi now has the behemoth task of maintaining its dominance in the mobile space. The market has always been ruled by big guns like Apple and Samsung. However, just recently, Xiaomi dethroned the companies as the largest OEM in the world.
POCO has finally revealed “The Real Beast” POCO F3 and the PCO X3 Pro. The new flagships are spearheading the company’s foray into providing value-oriented flagships that don’t only take their value seriously but also the performance they pack as flagships. Powered by flagship-class Snapdragon 800 series processors, they aren’t skimping on much when it comes to performance.
POCO F3
The new POCO F3 5G comes with a 6.67-inch, AMOLED display. The ultra-tiny DotDisplay also comes with 120Hz refresh rate. POCO has opted to go with the AMOLED E4 panel for better image performance. The F3 has opted for a FHD 1080p resolution and enhanced the display with 360Hz sampling touch and 1300nits of peak brightness. It has up to 5000000:1 contrast ratio and features what Xiaomi is touting to be “true color”.
The POCO F3 has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 processor along with Adreno 650 GPU at its core which provides better, more snappy performance compared to their X3 Pro. The processor and GPU are complemented by up to 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to 256GB of onboard UFS 3.1 memory.
On the camera front, the POCO F3 features a tri-camera setup with a single sensor for the selfie camera. On the back, the triple camera setup comes with a 48-megapixel primary camera with f/1.79 aperture and 6P lens with a 1/2″ sensor size and 1.6μm 4-in-1 large pixel. This is complemented by an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor with 119° of field of view and an f/2.2 aperture together with a 5-megapixel tele-macro lens with f/2.4 aperture. On the front, it has a 20-megapixel sensor.
While the device come with basic connectivity such as USB Type-C, NFC feature, Bluetooth 5.1, Wi-Fi 6, 3.5mm headphone jack and other. However, POCO F3 is sound by Dolby Atmos, the dual speaker is able to enhance the performance and increase the immersive experience. It is packed with 4520mAh battery and an in-box fast charger at 33W. However, the device has a slimmer and light weight design at measure 7.8mm and 196 grams for weight compare to POCO X3 Pro.
POCO X3 Pro
Together with the F3, POCO also announced the new POCO X3 Pro which comes with a 6.67-inch FHD, LCD Dot Display. The display is capable of up to 120Hz refresh rate. It also packs a 240Hz touch sampling rate. The display is also equipped with HDR 10 technology, and is capable of 450 nits of brightness and a contrast ratio of1500:1. Don’t fret about your eyes as the smartphone also comes with reading mode 2.0 and Dynamic Switch which helps protect your eyes while keeping the colour true to life.
It is powered by Snapdragon 860 octa-core processor, and paired with an Adreno 640 GPU. This is complemented with up to 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and up to 256GB of UFS3.1 internal storage.
When it comes to cameras, the POCO X3 comes with a quad-camera setup complemented with a single front camera. On the back, the camera comes with a 48-megapixel primary camera with an f/1.79 aperture, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide sensor with 119° field of view as well as a 2-megapixel macro lens and a 2-megapixel depth sensor, both lenses come with f/2.4 aperture. The selfie camera is a 20-megapixel sensor.
The POCO X3 Pro is equipped with large, 5160mAh battery but remains fairly light weight coming in at only 215g. It comes with a 33W fast charger in the box. The POCO X3 Pro device comes with dual speakers with high-res audio certification. It also has a 3.5mm headphone jack. Similar to the POCO F3, the X3 Pro comes with the latest version MIUI 12 for POCO based on Android 11.
Pricing and Availability
The POCO X3 Pro is available in three colour variants: Phantom Black, Frost Blue and Metal Bronze. The device will retail with prices starting at MYR 999 (USD$242.90) for the 6GB+128GB model while the 8GB+256GB version will retail at RM1299(USD$315.77) in Malaysia. Internationally, prices will start at EUR€199 (USD$153.72/MYR632.25) and EUR€249 (USD$296.72/MYR 1,220.65) respectively.
In Malaysia, the POCO F3 will be available for purchase on the Xiaomi Official Store Global on Shopee starting from March 24, 2021. The POCO X3 will be available at a special price of MYR899 (USD$218.55) and RM 1099 (USD$267.20) from March 24 (00:00GMT +8) to 25 (23:59GMT+8) while stock last.
Product
RAM
ROM
Price
Limited deal
POCO F3
6GB
128GB
RM999 (USD$242.90)
RM899 (USD$218.55)
8GB
256GB
RM1299 (USD315.80)
RM1099 (USD$267.20)
POCO X3 Pro
6GB
128GB
RM1399 (USD340.12)
RM1299 (USD$315.77)
8GB
256GB
RM1699 (USD$413.10)
RM1499 (USD$364.41)
Official Malaysian Pricing for the POCO F3 and X3 Pro
The POCO F3, on the other hands, will be offered in three colours: Arctic White, Night Black and Deep Ocean Blue. The device will available with prices starting from MYR1,399 (USD$ 340.12) for 6GB+128GB and MYR1,699(USD$ 413.10) for 8GB+128GB. Internationally, it will be priced starting from EUR€299 (USD$356.42/MYR1,466.26) and EUR€349 (USD$416.02/MYR1,711.21).
In Malaysia, you can purchase the POCO F3 on the Xiaomi Official Store Global on Lazada starting from 27 March 2021. Similar to the X3 Pro, the F3 will be available for a discounted price of MYR 1,299 (USD$ 315.80) for 6GB+128GB and MYR 1,499 (USD$ 364.41) for 8GB+256GB from March 27 (00:00 GMT+8) to March 28 (23:59 GMT+8) while stocks last.
48MP main camera – 1/2″ sensor size, 1.6μm 4-in-1 large pixel – f/1.79, 6P lens, AF 8MP ultra-wide camera – f/2.2, FOV 119° 5MP telemacro camera – f/2.4, AF (3cm-7cm)
48MP main camera – 1/2“ sensor size, 1.6μm 4-in-1 large pixel – f/1.79, 6P lens, AF 8MP ultra-wide camera – f/2.2, FOV 119° 2MP macro camera – f/2.4, FF (4cm) 2MP depth sensor – f/2.4, FF
Front camera
20MP in-display camera
20MP in-display camera
Connectivity
Multi-functional NFC IR blaster Bluetooth 5.1 Wi-Fi 6 5G*
Multi-functional NFC IR blaster Bluetooth 5.0 Wi-Fi 6 Dual SIM, Dual 4G standby
Unlock
Side-mounted fingerprint sensor Face unlock
Side-mounted fingerprint sensor Face unlock
Charging
4520mAh (typ) battery 33W in-box fast charger 52 mins*** to 100% USB-C
5160mAh (typ) battery 33W in-box fast charger USB-C
If you were looking for the one stop shop to everything the market has to offer but with an affordable price tag, the Xiaomi POCO M3 might be the way to go. It has a robust build, triple cameras, a full HD screen display, excellent battery life for only RM 599 in Malaysia.
Released in November 2020, it should be noted that POCO is actually an independent brand from Xiaomi. Shocked? We were too, but keep in mind that the confusion is there for many since Xiaomi still manufactures everything you see in the POCO. Nonetheless, everything designed is meant to be exclusively for the POCO brand and not a cookie cutter phone copying Xiaomi’s existing devices.
When you buy the POCO M3, you get a yellow outer box encasing the phone along with your typical treats. Along with the SIM eject tool, the USB cable as well as the 22.5W QC3 charger, buyers also receive a transparent silicon case and a screen protector.
Design
As mentioned, the POCO M3 has its own unique design and offers more than you’ve bargained for. The overall build of the device is robust and sturdy. Although made of plastic, the faux leather backing and weight of the phone gives the user the feel of a premium quality design. It also makes it easy to grip and looks a lot cleaner than your regular plastic as it seems to be fingerprint resistant.
The front of the device is a full screen from top to bottom without an inch to spare. It shows off a 6.53” 1080p IPS LCD screen. The front facing 8-megapixel camera is placed dead centre at the top for the best angled selfie. The Gorilla Glass 3 reinforces the build of the phone which easily passed an accidental drop test from the table (Oops! Rest assured, no device was harmed during the writing of this review). Right above the selfie camera, there is a thin grill that serves as the earpiece during calls. The corners of the POCO M3 are curved and the bezels are relatively slim.
On the sides, you have the fingerprint sensor for convenience and the volume button on the right. The fingerprint sensor also acts as the power button. The triple card slot is located on the left side of the device.
The POCO M3’s stereo speakers, 3.5mm audio jack and microphone are housed at the top of the device. The other stereo speaker is found at the bottom along with the mouthpiece and the USB-C port.
Flip the phone on its back and you’ll find quarter of the back covered in dark glass that protects the triple camera and also boasts the POCO logo. The glass makes the design jut out but not in a way that throws the phone off balance and makes it wobble when placed on a table.
The POCO M3 comes in 3 variety of colors – POCO yellow, Cool Blue and Power Black. You can choose to buy the 64 GB or 128 GB variant. It weighs 198 grams and measures in at 162.3 x 77.3 x 9.6 mm.
When it comes to the feel of the POCO M3 in hand, it feels sturdy and has enough heft to weigh it down. The heft and size can be a little unwieldy. Maneuvering the phone with one hand can be a task with its weight making things that much worse. That said, the faux leather finish does give it a little more grip.
Hardware
When it comes to hardware, the entry-level POCO M3 isn’t going to blow you out of the water. However, it does come with a more powerful Snapdragon 600 series processor which should give it an edge over some of its competition. However, that really depends on the software optimisations that Xiaomi has built into the POCO M3. As we already know, MIUI 12 is packed with features that are processor intensive. We’ll see how it performs later on.
Other than the processor, the M3 also comes with a pretty respectable setup when it comes to cameras and even memory. However, it’s on par with the competition when it comes to RAM – something that Xiaomi and POCO could have upped for the longevity of the phone.
The POCO M3 comes with MIUI 12 based on Android 10. This makes it equipped with a streamlined interface. It brings fresh and cool animations and a few new features compared to its predecessor the MIUI 11.
As usual with MIUI, it comes with an array of downloadable themes where you can customize ringtones, fonts and so on.
The home screen provides you the usual folders, widgets and so on that you get from any phone running on Android. The MIUI 12 offers you an app drawer that automatically categorizes the apps into categories such as Entertainment, Business and Tools. Feel free to customize the categories or if you hate the feature, simply disable it.
MIUI 12 comes with the new feature of having a floating app. For example, I can open my messaging app on top of the video I’m currently watching. If you don’t want the app to be floating, then split the screen. The one feature that annoyed me was the holding down and slowly having to slide up on the right to open the feature to close or stop all opened apps when clearing your phone. It’s a double swipe up. First swipe is the menu and second is to close apps. I did not have the patience to learn how to overcome this correctly so it might have been a user issue rather than the device itself.
The UI comes with new privacy options which is always welcomed. Users can remove location and device info when sharing photos and videos. There is also a security app that among others scans the phone for malware and helps clear up space to keep the phone running on optimum level.
The fingerprint scanner that is mounted on the right side of the phone is quick and convenient to unlock the phone with your thumb. For a side mounted scanner, it is impressing in terms of accuracy. However, we advise that you activate the Press recognition method offered by Xiaomi so as to avoid accidentally unlocking the device. This unfortunately happened to me and I sent my boss some questionable gifs via WhatsApp because of it.
Performance
The phone is powered by the latest Snapdragon 662 chipset. The GPU is Adreno 610. The SoC has an octa-core CPU and holds either 4 GB of RAM with 64 GB UFS 2.0 internal storage or 4 GB RAM with 128GB UFS 2.1 storage. Both storage expandable via microSD.
We noticed that there was a slight lag when switching in between tasks which makes us believe that the CPU performance could be bogged down by the optimisations and graphically intensive processes in MIUI 12. However, it is more likely that POCO could have afforded to increase the RAM in the POCO M3 to accommodate its MIUI. The issue is exacerbated if you decide to game on the device.
Gaming
When it comes to gaming, the POCO M3 is a drag – literally. Even though the display boasts a high resolution, there will be significant lags if you set your game above 720p. However, this is expected with the price you pay for an entry-range device. That said, POCO was touting this phone as a go to entry device when it comes to gaming – so there is a little bit of a draw back there. The only highlight here is that the phone does not heat up.
Battery Life
The POCO M3 has a massive 6,000 mAh battery and supports 18W fast charging. We’d recommended that you use the fast charger that it comes with it. If you don’t, a slow or normal charge would take quite a while to completely charge this bad boy. In our time with the phone, the battery life was its main highlight; even with 12 hours of full on usage, the battery lasted for 2 full days on a single charge.
Speakers
You will find stereo speakers at the top and bottom of the device, providing users with a balanced audio experience. Due to this, the loudness of the phone is proven when you play YouTube videos or when you take a call with your Asian mom and put her on loudspeaker. The sound quality does not disappoint.
Display
The POCO M3 has a 395ppi density thanks to its extended resolution at 2340 x 1080 pixels. For being on a budget, the M3, which has a large 6.53-inch display, is a cut above the rest in its price category when it comes to display resolution. If you’re a clumsy individual, fret not, the device is equipped with Gorilla Glass 3.
The display is easy to manoeuvre with the brightness level setting being placed at the normal drop down menu. If you’re stuck in the sunlight the whole day, switch on Sunlight Mode for a brighter display.
Camera
The POCO M3 has a triple camera setup for its main camera. The main sensor is 48-megapixel which is complemented bys a 2-megapixel macro lens and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. This triple camera set up is accompanied by a single LED flash. Before you get too excited, the camera is quite basic even though it attempts to hop on the latest trend bandwagon.
The main rear camera is 48-megapixel with f/1.8 lens, 0.8µm pixels and PDAF with night mode available. The macro camera does not have auto-focus but has f/2.4 aperture with 1.75µm pixels. On the front, you will have your 8-megapixel selfie camera with a fixed focus and f/2.1 lens. When you access the camera app, there is a flash mode, HDR mode, AI toggle and beauty effects and filters for the user to play with.
The pictures are nothing out of the ordinary and we didn’t expect them to be. The camera naturally captures and edits the photos with a soft touch but manages to keep the details needed. Overall, the camera tends to make the colours warmer than in real life.
In its different modes, the portrait seems to be more detailed than the regular setting and the 48-megapixel setting compared to the default 12-megapixel captures more detail. However, The AI tends to make the photos captures a bit off through its high contrast setting.
The camera seemed to work best with natural lighting but failed to impress when we tried to use it at night. It doesn’t capture as much details as compared to when used in the daytime. This became better with night mode on but once again, doesn’t compare to natural lighting.
There’s nothing to boast or say much about the front facing camera. It did the job without any issues but other than that, it seemed to be just a basic selfie camera.
In terms of video captured, there isn’t any 4K or 60fps. All videos are captured at 1080@30fps without stabilization. The colours was average at best and nothing out of the basic ordinary.
A Cut Above but Still Bang for Your Buck Comes With Some Sacrifices
The POCO M3 offers more than its competitors in the market with an affordable price tag. It has quite an impressive array of hardware and built in features that make the RM 599 price tag worth it. Trust and believe that you are getting your money’s worth but the phone is not without its flaws and with that price tag, you cannot expect it to be. It’s not the best phone for gaming but runs smoothly if you adjust some in app settings for a good experience. If you’re on a budget or just cannot see yourself spending four figures on any phone, the POCO M3 may just be your best bet right now!
What can US$ 149 (MYR 599**) get you today? In Malaysia, MYR 600 is what you can expect to pay if you buy about three PlayStation games. Smartphones? You are talking about an entry-level smartphone; something basic maybe.
If you are spending that amount of money on a smartphone, we can tell you a few things. Firstly, you do not expect it to perform like a Samsung Galaxy S device. We will also tell you that it might be a good secondary device for you, if you already have a smartphone like the Samsung Galaxy S device. Beyond not expecting to have a device with the quality of a Samsung Galaxy S device, we would also say that you do not expect much. Sure, you can work with all the basic functions of a smartphone like Whatsapp messaging, making calls, play simple games, go to the web, play music, watch videos on YouTube and Netflix, but do not expect a stellar experience with it.
All of the above may be true, until now. You see, smartphone manufacturers like Samsung and HUAWEI have been focusing mainly on pushing their branding into their own class. They want their brand to be premium in perception. In that case, a smartphone worth MYR 599 might not be great if you reach out to these brands. This is not the case for POCO though.
Source: POCO
POCO is a brand that was born to beat the bigger name brands at their own game. They are value players in the field and seems to offer you something more than what you are paying for. That is always true for their higher end devices. Thing is, POCO has never made entry-level smartphones before until they launched the M3 just now.
Before you pass off judgment and give the device a pass though, you should know that POCO has brought their value-for-money philosophy and approach to the device they just launched today. The only difference between this and the high-end device is the low pricing starting at US$ 149 (MYR599**). What the device packs sounds like you are paying for more than it is worth.
First off, the processor, as usual. The POCO M3 comes with a brand-new Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 System on a Chip (SoC) that is supposed to be more powerful than the Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 platform. Which also means that you are getting something that is more comparable to a mid-range smartphone in power than a lowly entry-level. The 11nm Octa-core chip also packs a Qualcomm Adreno 610 GPU to boot and has a dedicated AI engine built-into the chip. While it does not mean that the device will top out any benchmark charts, the SoC is powerful enough to run Android 10 smoothly and work with most games nicely.
Source: POCO
With the SoC also comes a 4GB RAM. 4GB RAM does not sound like a lot in today’s standards for smartphones. To be fair, it is not that much. 4GB RAM though is enough for a modern Android device and some multitasking. You can still get away with multiple apps open in the background and browse the web with a few tabs on.
While 4GB of RAM might not help that much with speeds, the UFS 2.2 (up to) storage that measures at 128GB (up to) should help you with data read and write speeds. That also means that you can instantly access most of the apps within the device with no speed issues at all. Sure, it may not be as snappy as the flagship devices, but it should still be quick enough that you might not notice the difference.
The triple camera module still features 48-Megapixel in resolution. The main shooter has a 2-Megapixel macro camera and a 2-Megapixel depth sensor for support and more photography options. Of course, there is a front-facing camera that sits pretty in a Dot Drop notch above the display with 8-Megapixel power.
Source: POCO
While there is nothing to shout about in the camera department, the display should be commended. It is a large 6.53-inch Full HD+ display that is only disturbed by the notch for the front-facing camera. You can get it up to 400nits in brightness and it is TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light certified. Best of all though it sits under a Corning Gorilla Glass to protect it from clumsiness and stratches.
All this goodness is powered by a larger-than-ever 6,000mAh battery. A Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra only has a 4,500 mAh battery. The 6,000mAh battery should keep you running for days from a single charge. When the power runs out, quickly get it up and running again with 18W fast charging and the included 22W charger. If you really need to, the 6,000mAh battery can share its charge with other devices, so you are now your friends’ hero too.
Additionally, the POCO M3 comes with Dual Speakers and 3.5mm jack. Your old earphones can get some loving from the device. With Hi-Res Audio certification, your older high-end earphones can get some love. That Also means you can load up Hi-Res audio files into the device too if you want. Maybe you might want to consider getting a 512GB MicroSD card for your Hi-Res audio files though.
Source: POCO
Source: POCO
Source: POCO
Source: POCO
Source: POCO
Source: POCO
Source: POCO
Source: POCO
Source: POCO
Source: POCO
Source: POCO
Source: POCO
The POCO M3 will be available on the 27th November 2020 onward globally and in Malaysia in two storage configurations: 4GB + 64GB and 4GB + 128GB. For now, in Malaysia, the POCO M3 will only be available in Cull Blue, and Power Black colour options. The POCO Yellow variant will be available at a later date (pending announcement). You can get your hands on one exclusively via Xiaomi Official Store on Lazada for MYR 599 (US$ 149*) and MYR 699 (US$169*) respectively. On sales launch date though, customers can get the devices for MYR 499 (US$129***) and MYR 599 (US$149***) respectively while stocks last. In addition to the MYR 100 discount on the device, buyers will also get a Mi In-ear Basic Piston Earphone, while stocks last. For more information on the POCO M3 you can head out to their website.
*Official Global Pricing **Official Malaysia Pricing ***Official Black Friday Sale Pricing
