Poco X5 5G Review: Affordable & Awesome Mid-Ranger

Worth When Reviewed

Not obtainable within the US

Greatest Costs At this time: Poco X5

Poco’s 2023 X-range telephones are right here, and the cheaper of the pair is the Poco X5. Launched alongside the Poco X5 Professional, this cellphone comes full with a blinding 120Hz AMOLED show (a primary from a base X-range Poco cellphone), fast-charging know-how and a 48Mp triple digicam set-up. 

However is the cellphone nonetheless good worth for cash, particularly contemplating its place within the extremely aggressive mid-range area? I’ve spent a while with the Poco X5 to see the way it handles on a regular basis use.  

Design & construct 

• Three color choices
• IP53 ranking
• 3.5mm headphone jack

The Poco X5 comes with an understated but smooth end – a welcome reduction from the times when Poco used to blaze its brand on your entire again. The cellphone is 7.98mm thick, and weighs simply 189g, so it’s comparatively slim and light-weight and doesn’t really feel heavy to carry.  

It is available in both blue, inexperienced or black, which I examined. The machine is created from plastic with a Gorilla Glass 3 entrance, which doesn’t precisely scream high-end. The marginally metallic end catches the sunshine effectively, however it’s liable to choosing up fingerprints and smudges all through the day. 

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

On the plus aspect, it’s much less prone to scratches or injury than a cellphone with a glass rear. Plus, it comes with an IP53 ranking, which implies it additionally protected against some mud and lightweight rain – however it isn’t waterproof. Poco throws in a free clear case within the field for additional safety. 

The Poco brand remains to be current, simply tucked away extra neatly adjoining to the digicam bump, which produces fairly largely out the again. This does imply that the cellphone doesn’t lay absolutely flat on a desk.  

The Poco X5 has a USB-C port for charging, a 3.5mm headphone jack, in addition to dual-SIM slot, which may both be used for 2 SIMs, or one SIM and a Micro-SD card. The cellphone makes use of a side-mounted fingerprint scanner on the facility button, which I discovered to be largely dependable.  

Display screen & audio system 

• 6.67in FHD AMOLED show
• 120Hz refresh fee
• Poor speaker

The cellphone comes with a blinding 6.67in FHD AMOLED show, protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. It comes with DCI-P3 huge shade gamut, and a claimed peak brightness of 1200 nits.

Colors are vivid and brilliant on the Poco X5, which means it’s nice for streaming movies and searching by means of photos. It actually doesn’t really feel like a decrease mid-range cellphone on this regard. Poco additionally affords an adjustable color temperature choice on the show to fit your preferences.

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

There’s a refresh fee of as much as 120Hz, however you can too go for 60Hz for those who’re seeking to preserve the battery life. That is mixed with a touch-sampling fee of as much as 240Hz.

This ends in fast and responsive navigation, each when scrolling social media and doing a little gentle gaming. Many different mid-rangers sacrifice a excessive refresh fee, so this can be a huge plus for Poco X5. 

There’s one single speaker positioned on the underside of the cellphone, which signifies that sound is on the weak and tinny aspect. The dearth of audio processing software program signifies that music lacks bass and depth – although on a cellphone of this worth level, premium audio is a luxurious.  

Specs & efficiency 

• Snapdragon 695
• 6/8GB RAM
• 128/256GB storage

The Poco X5 runs on a Snapdragon 695 chip, the identical processor seen on the Poco X4 Professional. You may pair this with both 6GB RAM and 128GB storage, or 8GB RAM and 256GB price of storage. The extra microSD slot can lengthen inner storage as much as 1TB.  

Total, this cellphone has succesful efficiency. I used it for social media, YouTube, Twitch and normal searching, and it dealt with all the pieces largely effectively. Nevertheless, some apps do have the odd stutter right here and there. For instance, movies on Fb usually take time to load, and rebooting the machine usually ends in some gradual begins.  

The cellphone achieved comparable efficiency scores to the likes of the Realme 9 and the OnePlus CE 2 Lite:

Like different Poco X gadgets, it’s able to some gaming, however don’t expect the very best ranges of efficiency. I used to be capable of play Genshin Influence on the second-lowest graphics settings, however even then I skilled some lag and low body charges. Extra informal titles resembling Animal Crossing Pocket Camp labored simply wonderful.  

5G connectivity comes included, as does Bluetooth 5.1.

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

Battery life & charging 

• 33W quick charging
• 5000mAh battery
• No wi-fi charging

Within the field you get a 33W quick charger. This may take you from zero to 58% in simply half-hour, with full charging taking round an hour. 

By as we speak’s requirements, this isn’t the quickest – telephones from the likes of Realme and Oppo actually provide speedier charging bricks. 

Regardless of the X5 lacks in tremendous speedy charging is made up for with that huge 5000mAh battery. Even when working the refresh fee on 120Hz, I used to be ready to make use of it for roughly round two days, snapping pics, doom-scrolling on Twitter and watching livestreams.  

In our ordinary PCMark battery check, the cellphone managed a middling 10 hours and two minutes.

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

In the event you make use of the battery saving modes, and customarily are just a little extra conservative with utilization, then you might stretch the Poco X5 even additional.

There isn’t any wi-fi or reverse charging included on the cellphone, however that’s typical for a cellphone of this worth.

Cameras & video 

• Respectable major 48Mp major digicam in good lighting
• Unimpressive in low gentle
• So-so secondary lenses

The Poco X5 comes with a triple rear snapper, led by a 48Mp major digicam with an f/1.8 aperture. That is joined by the secondary lenses, an 8Mp wide-angle with a 118-degree area of view, in addition to a 2Mp macro lens with an f/2.4 aperture.  

The X5 can produce sharp and detailed photos on photographs taken outdoor with good lighting situations. Colors don’t look oversaturated or washed out, as you could discover on different gadgets of an identical worth.

Like different Xiaomi telephones, the Poco X5 makes use of pixel-binning know-how. Snaps do look good each when utilizing the total 48Mp decision digicam, and when taking photographs on the usual mode that are condensed all the way down to a 12Mp output. 

The identical can’t be stated for decrease gentle situations. Textures develop into a lot fuzzier and blended, and it’s arduous to give attention to the topic that you just’re pointing at. Night time mode provides some color, however the last picture appears to be like like a pale classic photograph (and never in a great way).  

The zoom capabilities are additionally unimpressive on this cellphone. While particulars are nonetheless clear on X2 zoom, colors on the grass and sky within the check photographs seem far more insipid. Zooming in even additional ends in extraordinarily blurry photos.

Issues are even much less sharp on the 8Mp wide-angle lens, which performs even worse beneath low gentle. Nevertheless, for giant panorama photographs throughout the day, it’s enough.  

Accessing the 2Mp macro digicam is a little bit of a problem within the MIUI interface, however I wouldn’t advise going trying to find it. While you will get close-up photographs, it’s arduous to focus and shades are very boring.  

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

On the entrance, there’s a 13Mp snapper with an f/2.45 aperture. Just like the rear cameras, efficiency isn’t too dangerous outdoor or with good lighting. Nevertheless, dimmer situations lead to poorer textures and muted colors. The bokeh impact on portrait mode additionally struggles with hair textures, notably waves and curls.  

As well as, Poco mechanically provides a slight ‘beautify’ filter to selfies, which might be turned off or made stronger. In brief, this erases facial blemishes resembling freckles, and makes it look as you probably have make-up on.

This shouldn’t be enabled as normal. Not solely does it give a barely false end, however it additionally performs into unrealistic magnificence requirements set by Instagram filters. Poco ought to think about having this characteristic non-compulsory on future telephones.

Video is on the market both in 720p at 60fps, or 1080p at 30fps. Nevertheless, there is no such thing as a auto stabilisation software program current, so beware you probably have shaky fingers.  

Software program & updates   

• MIUI 13
• Complicated navigation
• App bloat

The Poco X4 comes working on MIUI 13.0.2, Xiaomi’s pores and skin of Android 12. This isn’t the newest Android model, however many mid-range telephones nonetheless run on this OS on the time of writing. Oddly, you will get MIUI 14 on the X5 Professional, though modifications are largely minimal.

Xiaomi’s MIUI is an acquired style, and for those who’re a pure Android fanatic like me, then you could discover the modifications jarring. The drop-down menu is cut up into two halves, like on iOS. In the event you swipe down from the left-hand aspect, you’ll get your notifications, while on the correct you’ll entry the short settings.  

Common navigation could be a bit complicated. For instance, on the digicam app the macro mode is hidden away the part the place you crop photographs, slightly than within the ‘extra’ part like it’s on different gadgets.

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

On the plus aspect, you may multitask on the cellphone with floating home windows and arrange two separate profiles on the machine by means of Second Area. There’s additionally a devoted Sport Area mode which can shut background apps when taking part in a title to assist enhance efficiency. 

The largest annoyance of a Poco cellphone is the quantity of pre-loaded apps cluttering up the interface. From a really pointless Poco retailer app, to Aliexpress and unusual video games resembling Tile Enjoyable, you’ll probably be shocked by the variety of issues on the cellphone as quickly as you launch it out of the field.  

On the time of writing, we don’t but know what number of years of safety and software program updates are promised for the Poco X5. 

Worth & availability 

The Poco X5 is in the stores now from the Poco web site, priced at £279/€299 for the 6/128GB model, and £319/€349 for the 12/256GB one. In the event you purchase it earlier than the 13 February 2023, you may seize £30 off the usual worth.

Usually, Poco doesn’t promote its telephones within the US, however American readers ought to be capable of import it from the likes of AliExpress.

There’s no denying that when once more, Poco has produced an reasonably priced cellphone for the value, with a stable construct, a giant battery life, a powerful show and a good major digicam in daylight.

That stated, the processor is similar one provided within the Poco X4 Professional, which additionally comes with a higher-spec digicam and quicker charging. Extra importantly, the RRP of this cellphone is cheaper than the X5. Subsequently, you’ll get extra bang on your buck with the Professional model of the earlier technology.

Alternatively, you might step as much as the extra mid-range Poco X5 Professional, which comes with an upgraded processor, double the charging speeds and a greater digicam that produces a lot clearer photographs in low gentle. Nevertheless, this clocks in practically £100/€100 greater than the X5.

You may take a look at different choices in our chart of one of the best mid-range telephones.

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

Verdict 

The Poco X5 is actually a wonderful mid-range purchase.

The 120Hz show is nice to make use of for movies and social media, and the 5000mAh battery provides you with two days’ price of use with ease.

There are at all times sacrifices for telephones at this worth level, and the X5 makes them with its poor low-light pictures and unimpressive speaker. The MIUI OS can be not essentially the most user-friendly, particularly with the quantity of bloatware.

The largest downfall is that the Poco X4 Professional nonetheless trumps this cellphone when it comes to worth for cash. Nonetheless, you’ll nonetheless be getting bang on your buck with the Poco X5 if you need the newest mannequin.

Poco X5 specs 

• Android 12, MIUI 13
• 6.67in AMOLED show (120Hz, FHD+) 
• Snapdragon 695 with 6GB/8GB RAM 
• 128/256GB storage, expandable by 1TB through microSD 
• 5G 
• Bluetooth 5.1 
• Wi-Fi 5 
• 48Mp f/1.8 major rear digicam 
• 8Mp 118-degree ultra-wide digicam 
• 2Mp f/2.4 macro lens 
• 13Mp f/2.45 selfie digicam 
• Fingerprint reader in energy button 
• 3.5mm headphone jack 
• 5000mAh battery 
• 33W quick cost tech 
• Gorilla Glass 3 (entrance) 
• Plastic physique 
• 165.88 x 76.21 x 7.98mm 
• 189g 
• Accessible in Black, Blue and Inexperienced