Poco X5 Pro – Poco’s reputation for affordability and power converge beautifully in the Poco X5 Pro — an eye-catching Android smartphone packing premium capabilities that belies its midrange price.
As the latest model in Poco’s successful X-series, the svelte Poco X5 Pro once again redefines accessible innovation in a slimmer, smarter package fine-tuned for immersive entertainment.
I recently tested drove the Poco X5 Pro as my daily device. Read my detailed review spotlighting why this rising midrange mobile brand should catch your attention in 2023 and beyond.
Poco X5 Pro: First Impressions
Unboxing the Poco X5 Pro : Style & Personalization
In the box, the lightweight phone makes an immediate impression with its slim 7.9mm chassis and smoothly rounded corners exuding understated elegance. The new Cosmic Black colorway proves especially stately with its subtle gloss that shifts between dark grays to jet black shades when it catches the light.
Also included is a handy transparent soft case allowing Poco’s cosmetic design to shine through while safeguarding the large camera block grafting gracefully off the phone’s rear panel.
Though budget-friendly, this thoughtful omission of excessive branding nods towards more exclusive handsets. For those preferring more personal expression, the iconic Poco yellow manifests vibrantly across the included case, USB cable and SIM tool accenting the muted main device with playful pops of color.
All in all, Poco exercised judicious subtlety dialing in the X5 Pro’s looks to elevate its polish beyond expectations.
Pleasing Hardware Both Inside and Out
Poco X5 Pro Smooth flowing industrial design isn’t the only hardware highlight worth noting on the X5 Pro, however. Pop open the SIM tray with the yellow-accented pin, and you’ll notice how Poco future-proofed this device with dual 5G SIM slots standard.
This dual 5G SIM capability enables using either two 5G networks or a 4G/5G hybrid simultaneously without compromising connectivity redundancy. Given patchy 5G coverage still plaguing some areas, the flexibility proves useful for global jet-setters or remote workers prone to traveling between zones. Many pricier brands still restrict budget models to only one 5G SIM capacity or limit slots to either ‘5G OR 4G’ making Poco generous on this front.
The exterior also conceals a respectable mid-tier processor onboard, the Snapdragon 778G. This respectable octa-core 6nm system-on-chip may not reach flagship caliber but nonetheless handles demanding applications and graphic-intensive gaming smoothly while striking an optimal battery life balance.
Software: Poco’s Android 13 Out the Box
Poco X5 Pro Another welcome surprise comes when powering on the phone for the first time. Unlike rival devices languishing on older Android builds, the Poco X5 ships with the latest Android 13 operating system pre-installed.
This guarantees access to Google’s newest privacy controls like Metadata deletion in Photos. Plus, Android 13 allows customizing visual elements like system color palettes, icon shapes, and fonts for a more personalized interface aligned to users’ tastes.
Xiaomi’s MIUI skin tailored for Poco devices also shines through with playful animations and fluid gestures without slowing down stock Android’s innate speediness. Useful pre-installed tools like Dual Apps, Game Turbo, and the App Drawer further boost productivity and enjoyment with minimal setup straight out the box.
Overall this harmonious software synergy achieves that coveted best-of-both-world balance between feature-rich customization and effortless usability.
Vivid Immersive Display
Entertainment seekers needn’t fret either. The generous 6.67” AMOLED display dazzles streaming videos and mobile gameplay with stunningly vivid hues and buttery visuals flow thanks to the up to 120Hz high refresh rate. HDR10+ support and 1100nits peak brightness further amplify this screen’s dynamic range.
Despite the size, slim bezels help keep device width under check for easier one-handed usage. The centered hole-punch front camera blends discreetly into the status allowing uninterrupted full-screen immersion. And TUV-certified eye care modes curb eye fatigue even during lengthy viewing sessions before bedtime.
Altogether the Poco X5 Pro display delivers a supremely smooth and colorful viewing experience perfect for binging shows on the go.
Triple Rear Cameras Offer Versatile Shooting
For photographers and social media mavens, Poco stacked three fully-capable rear cameras covering popular focal lengths in standard, depth, and macro modes:
The sizable 108MP wide camera powered by a Samsung HM6 sensor consistently delivers vibrant 12MP pixel-binned daytime shots full of fine detail. AI optimizations assist with automatic scene adjustments also.
For artistic background defocus effects on portraits, an 8MP ultra-wide camera handles depth mapping duties. And extreme closeups get clarity bumps from the dedicated 2MP macro lens able to focus just 2cm away from subjects.
Rounding out the versatile array, the 16MP punch-hole front camera aptly captures bright social media selfies with natural skin enhancements compliments of built-in algorithms. Such a well-rounded camera array covering all the modern mobile photography basics allows casual users to steadily up their social content.
Battery & Quick Charging
Underpinning the pocketable entertainment experience, the X5 Pro’s respectable 5000mAh battery keeps the tunes and videos playing over a full day even with heavy use thanks to Adaptive Battery algorithms preserving charge on lesser-used apps. Typical mixed usage consisting of chat, web browsing, maps navigation, and an hour or two of YouTube streaming saw at least 8 hours of active uptime.
When you do need a power boost, the phone supports remarkable quick charging reaching 50% in just under 30 minutes using the bundled 68W USB-PD charger according to my testing. Convenience features like this are typically reserved for much pricier models so seeing them included here highlights Poco’s knack for elevating practical utility.
Real-World Performance & User Experience
Over a one week testing period, the Poco X5 served as my daily driver excelling at everyday functions like web browsing and maps navigation with virtually no stutter or slowdowns. The camera delivered reliably crisp, vivid shots that pop on social media especially in daylight conditions. Streaming content remained smooth onto the sixth straight episode thanks to limited overheating issues.
Gaming-wise, the device breezed through casual fare like Subway Surfers as expected. Even more demanding Genshin Impact remained largely playable on medium settings despite the odd dropped frame given the graphics processing strain. Still, casual players should find gaming fidelity satisfactory on the X5 Pro with some adjusting.
On the software side, I appreciated Xiaomi’s gesture navigation and time-saving Dual Apps multitasking though the pre-installed selection of games and streaming services felt a tad redundant already having my preferred apps downloaded. Still, complete Android 13 brings welcome personalization around themes and privacy controls lacking on earlier versions many competitors have yet to receive. This ups the long-term value.
When testing call quality in both indoor and outdoor scenarios, connecting callers reported clear reception with minimal audio distortion when chatting hands-free thanks to noise-canceling algorithms kicking in. Living with the Poco X5 Pro felt evenly matched to phones double the price for most everyday situations.
Poco X5 Pro: The Midrange Best Buy of 2023
While a few shortcomings like average low light photography performance and middling processor power prevent the Poco X5 Pro from attaining true flagship killer status, its thoughtful and balanced feature set makes this overachiever a leading contender for the best midrange phone of 2023 based on value.
By smarter redirection of specs and diligent software optimization, Poco managed to check practically every box sought in an affordable do-all smartphone this year. Few other sub $400 USD mobiles can claim vibrant 120Hz+ displays, versatile cameras, the very latest Android OS version out the box and blazing fast charging in such slim stylish frames.
As Poco continues addressing consumer pain points like middling battery life and charging delays that often plague bargain mobiles, the brand builds a strong case consolidating itself as the premiere value upstart to watch versus longstanding incumbents.
With disruptive offerings like the commendable new X5 Pro that set loftier consumer expectations around what we should reasonably demand from an accessible midrange smartphone in 2023, Poco readies to disrupt low and mid category complacency as they refine their winning value formula. Given the breakneck pace of their thoughtful evolution to date, it’s exciting to imagine what surprises Poco may wow cost-conscious buyers with next as the brand expands globally this year. For now, the Poco X5 Pro presents a more than competitive option earning my wholehearted recommendation.
