POCO X3 Pro

amazon POCO X3 Pro reviews

Introduction

POCO X3 Pro, a wholesomely mid-range phone, has gained its place in the limelight due to its performance vis-a-vis pricing. The successor to POCO X3, the X3 Pro, targets delivering flagship performance on a budget. It becomes the best in its class with a Snapdragon 860, high-refresh-rate display, and a big battery, offering features that could far outweigh others at this price bracket. Let us proceed into this detailed review of POCO X3 Pro: the design, display, and camera performance; the software experience; battery performance; and pricing.

Design and Build Quality

Designs for the POCO X3 Pro bear some similarities with those of its predecessor POCO X3, albeit with a few changes here and there. The phone bears a large, solid build with a glossy plastic back and a unique circular camera module. The back panel has a dual-tone finish: a glossy portion down the center and with a matte texture on either side. Maybe not everyone would consider it good to look at, but it certainly helps the phone stand out.

Build quality is indeed commendable, and that weighty feel is gratifying to behold. At 215g, the POCO X3 Pro is indeed quite heavy for a smartphone, and users who appreciate lighter devices may therefore shy away from it. With a thickness of 9.4mm-a little something expected with such a big battery inside-POCO X3 Pro quite surely professes extravagance.

The phone’s front is dominated by a 6.67-inch display with a small punch-hole cutout at the top center for the selfie camera. The bezels are quite slim, although the chin at the bottom stands out. The POCO X3 Pro has IP53-rated ingress protection, which is splash-resistant but not waterproof.

The device retains the 3.5mm headphone jack, an increasingly rare find in modern-day smartphones. The side-mounted fingerprint scanner is embedded within the power button, being fast and reliable. The plastic frame is a slight drawback regarding durability compared to metal frames, but it helps keep the phone’s price down.

Display

This POCO X3 Pro comes with a 6.67-inch Full HD+ IPS LCD with a 2400 x 1080-pixel resolution. What sets this display apart is the 120Hz refresh rate, which feels smooth while using the device, especially while scrolling menus and during gaming. The display has a 240Hz touch sampling rate, thereby improving touch response; such fast-paced responsiveness adds to the general smoothness of use.

In color reproduction, it has comparatively nice colors and contrast levels. Be that as it may, its coloration is nowhere near an AMOLED panel with deep blacks and colorful saturation found in some competitors in this price segment. However, the good viewing angles and outdoor usage still get affected by bright sunlight; it could have done with a bit more peak brightness though.

The display also enjoys the protection of Corning Gorilla Glass 6, lending it some durability against scratches and minor drops. A 120Hz refresh rate at this price point is impressive, and that is one of the main selling points of the POCO X3 Pro. Nonetheless, for an audience that favors deep blacks and high contrast ratios, AMOLED displays might suit them better compared to the IPS LCD that the POCO X3 Pro employs.

Performance

The POCO X3 Pro is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 860 chipset, a slightly tweaked version of the Snapdragon 855+ found in older flagship devices. Consequently, it is arguably one of the most powerful phones in this price segment, using flagship performance with mid-range pricing.

The Snapdragon 860 is an octa-core processor consisting of powerful Kryo 485 cores and efficient cores for better power management. Thus, it is coupled with the Adreno 640 GPU to offer stellar gaming performance with smooth graphics rendering. Gaming on the road with the POCO X3 Pro is hassle-free, either on PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty Mobile, or Genshin Impact; it does that with sustained high frame rates for buttery smooth gameplay.

The device gives users an option of either 6GB or 8GB LPDDR4X RAM, depending on the variant, with either 128GB or 256GB UFS 3.1 storage. UFS 3.1 storage, with quick read/ write capability, makes the overall device feel snappier. Multitasking is seamless. Apps come to the forefront within seconds and remain alive in the background.

When it comes to bench-tests, it performs very well and occasionally beats some other devices in the same price range. For instance, the phone scores a rating of above 450000 points in AnTuTu, which puts it in a position over many of its mid-range competitors. On the other hand, it stays smooth and does not lag or slow down when performing casual chores such as browsing, streaming, or social networking.

Out of the box, MIUI 12 based on Android 11 runs on the POCO X3 Pro, later receiving an upgrade to MIUI 12.5 shortly after launch. A ton of features come with MIUI 12, including a new control center, improved privacy controls, and UI refinements. Although MIUI is rich in features and provides many customization options, the presence of a handful of pre-installed apps (bloatware) and ads might get on one’s nerves from time to time. However, the majority can be uninstalled or disabled, and the ads can be disabled from settings.

The X3 PRO is an upgrade of its predecessor in more ways than one and continues with a design that brought great success to the POCO brand. Reinforcing the internal strength of this phone will keep the success the X3 NFC was able to attain.

X3 PRO is, in other words, just an upgrade of the internal configuration because it retains the design of the X3 NFC. Not only is it an iridescent cross-cutting strip adorned with the POCO brand logo, but it also has two rough-coated borders that make the design of the X3 series in general and the X3 PRO specifically a novel flashy work. This one heavy machine feels compact yet firm to hold.

The POCO X3 PRO boasts a side-mounted fingerprint sensor that recognizes fingerprints with super-fast responsiveness. The body frame enjoys a glossy metallic finish, which enhances the aesthetic appeal of this phone.

The focus in the rear is still a rather large camera cluster, where X-shaped sensor layout draws inspiration from the name of this product line: the X-series.

The camera is still supposed to have a 48MP main sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide original sensor, a 2MP macro sensor, and to wrap it up, a 2MP depth sensor. The POCO X3 PRO camera has 4K video recording support at 30fps or 1080p at 60Hz.

POCO X3 PRO is also providing features that will help enhance photography and videography, especially for all the tiktokers chasing interesting short clips.

The POCO X3 PRO features 6.67 inches AMOLED display with Full-HD + resolution alongside a refresh rate of 120 Hz. The device will also feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 860 processor, 6GB RAM, 128GB storage, and, of course, storage expansion via a Micro-SD memory card.

where can you get a POCO X3 Pro online

Poco X3 Pro | 128GB 6GB RAM | Factory Unlocked (GSM ONLY | Not Compatible with Verizon/Sprint/Boost) | International Version (Phantom Black): Buy it now

Poco X3 Pro | 128GB 6GB RAM | Factory Unlocked (GSM ONLY | Not Compatible with Verizon/Sprint/Boost) | International Version (Frost Blue): Buy it now

Poco X3 Pro | 128GB 6GB RAM | Factory Unlocked (GSM ONLY | Not Compatible with Verizon/Sprint/Boost) | International Version (Metal Bronze): Buy it now

Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro 128GB Phantom Black Dual SIM: Buy it now

Battery Life

A massive battery of 5,160mAh is an awe-inspiring feature of the POCO X3 Pro. Life expectancy is excellent, thanks to a good combination of battery, with an ultra-efficient processor: Snapdragon 860. Hence, it can almost easily take more than a day of heavy usage with considerable battery life to spare.

The POCO X3 Pro could easily last a day and a half in practical use, with some web browsing, social media, video streaming, and gaming thrown into the mix. Even under heavier use-gaming for long stretches or very active camera work-the phone still offers a day of uninterrupted use.

POCO X3 Pro has 33W of fast charging, which is really awesome at this price. The phone can charge undoubtedly from 0 to 100 percent in about one hour with the bundled 33W charger, and 30 minutes would push it to 60-65 percent. Fast charging comes in very handy for someone always on the move, as it allows the battery to be topped up while one is in a rush.

Wireless charging is not included, but that is perfectly acceptable for the price range. The terrific battery life combined with a quick wired charge more than makes up for it.

Software

The POCO X3 Pro runs MIUI 12 on Android 11. MIUI is Xiaomi’s skin of choice, featuring an extensive variety of enhancements, customization options, and optimizations.

Several MIUI 12 features include changes to the control center, strengthened privacy controls, and impressive visual upgrades. The control center resembles iOS with quick toggle settings for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and brightness, while notifications appear on a separate pane. While the appeal to some users may attract uneasy others who prefer the honest-to-goodness Android experience.

MIUI is really customizable, allowing users to change almost anything they can think of in the UI-from icon sets and fonts right down to theme choice. The Theme Store offers innumerable themes, wallpapers, and ringtones for downloading and applying easily. One of the many reasons behind MIUI’s kind of devotion.

On the other hand, MIUI has issues. One commonly cited one is bloatware, often augmented by ads. Pre-installed apps come with the POCO X3 Pro, which many users might find unnecessary. Ads are introduced within a few system apps including the file manager, app installer, and so on. While their disabling is possible via settings, it takes a lot of digging, and that option might not feel so appealing to any type of user.

Another thing that may not sit well with most MIUI users is its default lack of an app drawer (which you can, however, activate in settings). Instead, apps find their way to the home screen, kind of like iOS. Unless appropriately managed, this could easily lead to a pretty messy home screen.

MIUI 12 has a lot of really cool features, including a built-in screen recorder, floating windows for multitasking, and always-on displays for notification (which actually matters more to devices that have AMOLED displays). This software has something called Game Turbo, which makes it calm regarding gaming performance and in-game tools like screen recording, quick replies, and so on.

Enhancements of MIUI 12.5 for the POCO X3 Pro include improved system optimization, less memory usage, and better privacy controls. These issues further address some ads and bloatware problems, thereby making the overall experience much smoother and more enjoyable.

Connectivity and Audio

POCO X3 Pro definitely has a complete range of connectivity options expected from any modern smartphone. Dual-SIM application is compatible with 4G LTE, but unlike many smartphones today, there is no issue about 5-you win, and this might be a blot for someone really looking into the future towards such connectivity.

Other features are like the typical Wi-Fi 5 (dual-band) and Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, and it also has an IR blaster that allows using the phone as a remote for most appliances. This feature is hardly found in smartphones these days.

It is worth noting that the phone has NFC, a technology that can be used in contactless payment along with other applications based on NFC. Most welcome in a mid-range device and user-friendly convenience, it provides more comfort to those who often use mobile payments.

Audio-wise, the phone is solidly stereo-speakered and quite good by itself. It can get loud and crisp enough for watching movies, playing computer games, or even talking hands-free. With an average bass level and pretty good clarity, this price-devices perform like a king. Just don’t turn the volume to the max because the sound gets a bit blurry.

With its presence of a 3.5mm headphone jack, it offers everything to users who still lean towards wired headphones. Hi-Res Audio is also supported in the phone, thus ensuring that the sound quality via wired headphones is pleasant. Furthermore, a built-in equalizer and multiple sound codecs, such as aptX and AAC, enhance the overall audio experience.

Gaming Performance

POCO X3 Pro is all-out in gaming modes because it’s powered by the Snapdragon 860 and Adreno 640, truly above-average hardware. And when this is combined with the 120Hz display and 240Hz touch sampling rate, you have a perfect environment for gaming.

PUOG, COD Mobile, and Asphalt 9 are some titles that will run smoothly on the highest graphics settings as if it were nothing. Almost no frame drops or stuttering were detected. High refresh rate displays will add to the fluidness of games. Action-packed games become truly enjoyable with such wieghty diplays and stereo speakers, vaporizing you into it and forming an utterly overwhelming context for mobile gaming.

MIUI Game Turbo helps to serve the purpose of making this gaming experience an even more improved one. That boosts performance by allocating resources more efficiently. Floating windows, screen recording, and quick replies are some of these that will provide a lot of benefits to users not wishing to be interrupted during their gaming sessions.

Heat management is another thing in which the POCO X3 Pro excels. Obviously, after hours of gaming, the device warms up, but this is not uncomfortable. Inside the device, liquid cooling has done its job in comparison to the device. Considering that the performance of the device gets, temperatures remain stable.

Battery life is also above average while gaming. Of course, a 5,160mAh battery can ensure that this will last for many hours without being drained. Even when playing with heavy usage, the smartphone can go through an entire day; a huge plus for most mobile gaming users.

Value Proposition

The POCO X3 Pro punches far above its weight regarding performance and features. At the price offered in the market, it will not be wrong to say that this is amongst the devices that offer performance levels usually reserved for much more expensive devices, thus making it one of the best devices for the price in the whole mobile market.

For users who want an intense performer yet quite affordable device, the Snapdragon 860 chipset coupled with a 120Hz display and a large battery with fast charging fill the gaps for the POCO X3 Pro making it appealing to such kind of audience. Additions such as a headphone jack, stereo speakers, and an IR blaster add even more to the appeal among people for whom it matters.

On the downside, though, the camera performance is good, but not comparable to some of the best available. Low-light photography is same as pretty much everything else in its class. The design will not satisfy all individual appetites, and the MIUI advertises and has bloatware that some would find annoying.

Conclusion

The POCO X3 Pro outshines the mid-range label by taking flagship performance down to an utterly cheap price. It is designed to be a dream for aspiring gamers and heavy users on a budget, with the solid Snapdragon 860 processor, high-refresh-rate screen, and terrific battery. Its affair of good build, a full bag of connectivity, and decent audio seals the deal.

However, guys…the camera performance and software experience are minor concessions buyers must accept. If you set them aside, the POCO X3 Pro is truly capable at considering the money and fighting in the highly competitive mid-range segment.

The conclusion drawn is that the POCO X3 Pro performs exceptionally well where it matters most-performance, battery life, and display quality-while leaving a few compromises in turn for camera quality and software bloat. For those whose primary interests are performance and value, the POCO X3 Pro is a stellar device that somehow does even slightly more than one would usually expect for its price range. If you are a gamer, a power user, or just someone who wants a competent smartphone without spending money, the POCO X3 Pro is definitely worth a look.