This is the Poco X5 Pro, one of the mid-range phones that was recently launched. I have been using this phone on a daily basis for gaming, entertainment, and office work for 4-5 days now. What I noticed is that despite having good specifications, some things could have been better in this phone. If you are planning to buy this phone, this video may be useful for you.
Out of the box, we get the phone, transparent back cover, SIM ejector tool, and a 67-watt fast charger.
The phone has a boxy design, which makes it comfortable to hold. The front side has Gorilla Glass 5 screen protection, and the back side has a plastic body. Despite having a plastic back, the phone feels good in the hand, and due to the matte finish, fingerprints and smudges are not visible.
On the right side, we get the power button and volume controller. The power button has a fingerprint sensor, which is quite fast and responsive. I did not face any issues while using it, even with wet hands.
The phone has a 6.67-inch Super AMOLED display that supports a 120Hz refresh rate. It feels quite smooth while gaming or scrolling through content. Due to the support of Dolby Vision and HDR10+, it is a good option for watching movies and TV shows on Netflix or Amazon Prime. The phone’s daylight visibility is also quite good, and with 900 nits of peak brightness, we can easily use it in harsh sunlight conditions.
For entertainment, we get dual stereo speakers in this phone that support Dolby Atmos. Even at 60-70 per cent volume in a mid-size room, the speakers feel sufficiently loud. Due to the support of Dolby Atmos, we can adjust the speakers for movies, music, and voice in a better way.
In terms of specifications, we get 6 GB RAM and a Snapdragon 778G processor in this phone. It performs quite well in day-to-day tasks and even while switching frequently between multiple heavy games, I did not notice any lag or slow response.
I played games like Call of Duty, Asphalt 9, and Dead Trigger for long hours, and the phone’s performance was consistent. I did not face any heating issues or frame drops.
Out of the box, the phone is working on Android 12 with MIUI 14, but due to good software optimization and RAM management, we do not notice any lag even while switching frequently between apps. In terms of bloatware apps, we get 4-5 preinstalled apps in this phone, most of which can be uninstalled or removed from the home screen.
Camera
We get a triple camera setup in this phone, with the main camera being 108 megapixels. We can capture good photos with the main camera in daylight conditions. Due to the 108 MP camera, we get good sharpness and detail in the photos, and the colour balancing is pretty good too. I did not notice any oversaturated colours in any of the photos.
We also get an 8 MP ultrawide lens that can capture a 120-degree view angle, but we do not get such good photos with this camera. Majorly, the detailing and sharpness are not that good in the photos. Lastly, we get a 2 MP macro camera, but honestly, the photos from the macro camera are not good at all.
Last is a 2 MP macro camera, but honestly, photos taken with the macro camera are not good at all. In fact, even during the day, there is quite a bit of noise in the photos, and if we had gotten a good ultrawide camera instead of the macro camera, it could have been even better.
For video recording, we have the option to record 4K 30fps videos, and it’s good to see that even without optical image stabilization, the videos are quite stable. I recorded videos while shaking and jittering, and it did a pretty decent job, even recording videos during normal day and night time without any issues.
For selfies, we have a 16 MP camera that comes with a wide-angle lens, but even with this camera, the picture detailing and sharpness is not that good. I also tried using the GCam app, but there was no drastic difference in picture quality. If you like taking casual photos, this camera won’t disappoint you.
Looking at the 5G compatibility, this phone supports 7 5G network bands. I have used it with Jio’s 5G network, and I was getting speeds of almost 700 Mbps.
7 5G Bands: N1/N3/N5/N8/N28/N40/N78
5G networks use different frequency bands for different purposes, and each band has its own set of characteristics. Here’s a brief explanation of each of the 5G bands you mentioned:
- N1: This is the most commonly used 5G frequency band, also known as the “sub-6 GHz” band. It operates at frequencies around 2.5 GHz and is used for a wide range of applications, including mobile broadband, internet of things (IoT) devices, and fixed wireless access.
- N3: This band operates at higher frequencies around 3.5 GHz and is used primarily for mobile broadband applications. It offers faster data speeds than N1 but has a shorter range.
- N5: This band operates at frequencies around 850 MHz and is used primarily for IoT devices that require low power consumption and long battery life.
- N8: This band operates at frequencies around 900 MHz and is also used primarily for IoT devices, but it offers better range and building penetration than N5.
- N28: This band operates at frequencies around 700 MHz and is used primarily for mobile broadband applications in rural areas, where a longer range is needed.
- N40: This band, also known as the “2.3 GHz” band, operates at frequencies around 2.3 GHz and is used primarily for mobile broadband applications. It offers faster data speeds than N1 but has a shorter range.
- N78: This band, also known as the “millimetre wave” band, operates at frequencies around 26 GHz and is used for very high-speed data applications in dense urban areas. It offers very fast data speeds but has a very short range and is easily blocked by buildings and other obstacles.
Overall, each 5G band has its own strengths and weaknesses, and network operators will use a combination of bands to provide the best possible coverage and performance in different areas and situations.
Talking about battery backup, it’s pretty impressive. We get a 5000 mAh battery, which can easily last for 1 and a half days with normal usage. We also get a 67-watt fast charger, which can fully charge the phone in 40-45 minutes.
What really impressed me is that even after having a 5000 mAh battery, the phone weighs only 181 grams, making it comparatively lightweight.
So, guys, should you buy this phone or not? If you use your phone for gaming, video editing, or casual browsing, then this phone is a good option. What I like is that there are no noticeable issues related to the proximity sensor in this phone. We get a dedicated proximity sensor that works perfectly, and we don’t have to worry about accidental touches during calls. This phone has all the essential features that make it a good option, but two things that I think could have been better are the latest Android version and the camera performance.
At the time of writing this, most mid-range phone brands have already received the Android 13 update, while this phone is still using Android 12. In fact, even after the MIUI 14 update, we don’t get any of the latest MIUI 14 features. I wish we had the option to use Android 13, as it would have made it even better.
The second thing that could have been better is the camera performance. Although the main camera can capture good photos, a better secondary camera could have been included.
Anyway, guys, this phone comes with good specifications, and it can easily be considered under 25k. If software updates are not that important to you, then you can also consider Xiaomi’s Mi 11 Lite 5G. Although this phone was launched in 2021, its specifications and price make it a value-for-money option even now.
