A look at Xiaomi POCO X5 Pro 5G

POCO is a sub-brand of the Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi that was launched in 2018. POCO aims to offer high-end specifications at a lower price point than Xiaomi’s flagship devices, making them an attractive option for budget-conscious consumers. The ‘POCO X’ lineup is the brand’s flagship line of smartphones that are known for their powerful processors, high refresh rate displays, large batteries, and attractive designs. POCO launched X5 Pro 5G on February 06, 2023, in India. Let’s see POCO X5 Pro’s features and price.

Design

Despite looking distinct from the Poco X4 Pro, the Poco X5 Pro bears a clear resemblance to its predecessor. Its design features flat sides, a flat rear panel, and a flat screen, giving it a slab-like appearance that is shared by other smartphones, such as the Redmi Note 11 Pro and the Xiaomi 12 Lite. These comparisons are significant as these devices share many similarities.

Although the POCO X5 Pro’s chassis seems to be made of metal and the screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 5, the back panel is constructed of plastic.

In keeping with convention, the camera module is positioned in the top left corner, with the branding placed alongside it against a black background, creating the illusion that the module is much larger than it really is. POCO has worked with the same design approach that it used with the X4 Pro, though with a different orientation.

The POCO X5 Pro is quite large, measuring 76mm in width and 7.9mm in thickness, which is further accentuated by its flat sides. Its dimensions make it unwieldy for one-handed use, and it is not an ideal choice for individuals with smaller hands.

Although POCO claims that this is the thinnest phone in its X-series lineup, with the X4 Pro measuring 8.1mm in thickness, it is unlikely that you will be able to detect the 0.2mm difference between the two models.

Weighing in at 181 grams, the phone is significantly lighter than the X4 Pro, which is an impressive feat given its size. However, it is worth noting that the X4 Pro featured a rear glass panel and a plastic chassis, whereas the X5 Pro does not.

Additionally, the older phone’s basic yet reassuring IP53 rating for water resistance is absent in this model. Despite this, the phone exudes durability and quality, and its inclusion of a 3.5mm headphone jack is noteworthy in a market that has largely done away with this feature.

Display

The X5 Pro’s display remains unchanged from its predecessor, boasting a 6.67-inch flat AMOLED panel capable of up to a 120Hz refresh rate and a Full HD+ resolution of 2400x1080.

Despite its slim profile, the screen is remarkably sizable. And, its display technology, combined with DCI-P3 and 1B color support, offers a stunning visual experience. The display provides excellent contrast and is a pleasure to use, whether you’re browsing through social media or playing games.

Taking a closer look at the specifications, it is worth noting that the peak brightness has decreased from 1300 to 900 nits. Nevertheless, the typical brightness level of 500 is more than sufficient for the majority of scenarios.

The touch sampling rate of the X5 Pro has been lowered from 360Hz to 240Hz. However, this modification is unlikely to be noticeable unless you are an avid gamer. Further, the display is almost comparable to other flagship phones, despite the fact that the device falls within the budget price range. When compared to other phones in the same price range, the X5 Pro’s display undoubtedly stands out as superior.

Camera

In general, the X5 Pro’s camera setup is similar to its predecessor, except for the higher resolution front-facing camera. The rear camera setup features a 108MP main camera, along with an 8MP ultra-wide and 2MP macro lens.

The macro camera, like many other phones, is hidden in the settings menu instead of being easily accessible in the camera mode options. Although it’s slightly better than other similar smartphones, it’s still mediocre and challenging to use because of the fixed focus. So it’s better to ignore it unless it’s absolutely necessary.

Featuring a generous 1/1.52 sensor and a respectable f/1.9 aperture, the primary lens captures crisp and vivid images. While the camera can capture in full 108Mp, the phone’s ability to pixel bin down to 12Mp provides a practical storage solution.

POCO X5 Pro 5G sports a 16 MP front camera featuring an f/2.4 aperture. Its lens size is 1/3.06-inch and 1.0µm.

Speaker

In terms of audio quality, the X5 Pro’s speakers rank among the finest on a mid-range device. The phone boasts stereo speakers, and even at 75% volume, there is an impressive amount of power while still maintaining clarity and a pleasant tone.

Performance and Battery

The POCO X5 Pro is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 6nm processor. It is the sole hardware update from its predecessor, the POCO X4 Pro, which utilized the Snapdragon 695 chip. The device provides a choice of 6GB or 8GB LPDDR4X RAM, coupled with either 128GB or 256GB of storage capacity.

It is powered by a 5,000mAh battery and supports 67-watt wired fast charging, which has remained unchanged from POCO X4 Pro. Even though Xiaomi did not update the battery panel, the POCO X5 Pro’s specifications are still superior to many of its competitors in the market. Moreover, the phone comes with a charger in the box, which is missing in many phones that cost double or more.

Xiaomi POCO X5 Pro’s Price

The POCO X5 Pro starts from 22,999 rupees in India, which is around Tk. 30,000 (1 rupee= Tk. 1.29) in Bangladesh. However, the official price of POCO X5 Pro 5G may vary due to tax and other issues.

Verdict

POCO has gained a loyal fanbase thanks to its focus on delivering value for money, and the ‘POCO X lineup aims to provide powerful smartphones at an affordable price.

Although the X5 Pro hasn’t undergone significant changes from its predecessor, it boasts many likable features such as the large 120Hz AMOLED screen, fast 67W charging, and reliable 108 Mp primary camera. The phone is now equipped with a Snapdragon 778G chipset and an improved 16Mp front-facing camera, and its design has become even sleeker.

However, the phone remains plastic, and MIUI’s cleanliness and user-friendliness still fall behind those of other brands in the western market.

On the whole, people who are looking for good camera features and want to play high-resolution games may consider the POCO X5 Pro 5G.