What is the best Xiaomi Poco smartphone?

The Shopping Team 17:44 p.m., November 28, 2023, modified at 17:48 p.m., November 28, 2023

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The editorial staff of Europe 1 was not involved in the production of this article.

In the Xiaomi galaxy, there are many brands that often correspond to specific market segments. With Poco, the Chinese company is openly targeting gamers, those who are looking for the best performance for their video game business. From the quality of the graphics to the fluidity of the animation, to a screen that offers such a beautiful definition as its refresh rate is high, Poco takes care of all these aspects. And not only by also offering great versatility and photographic capabilities that are far from negligible. The Poco range is divided into four families, the F series aims for the affordable high-end, the X series the best in gaming, the M series aims for versatility in the mid-range and the C series offers high-performance products for less than 200 euros. Because yes, Poco stands out for its desire to offer the best technology at the fairest price. He doesn't always succeed, but his smartphones regularly monopolize the top sales as well as those of the press. We have therefore tested the entire Poco offer very carefully in order to define for you which is the best Xiaomi Poco smartphone.

Summary

• Xiaomi Poco X5 Pro: for all gamers
• Xiaomi Poco F5 Pro: for demanding gamers
• Xiaomi Poco F4 GT: for gamers looking for the best value for money
• Xiaomi Poco M4: for gamers looking for versatility
• Xiaomi Poco C65: for less fortunate gamers

What is the best Xiaomi Poco smartphone?

Xiaomi Poco X5 Pro: for all gamers

While it remains very classic on the front, the back of this Poco is a completely different story. We have a beautiful plastic surface with a silky feel, which comes in black, light blue or, our favorite version, orange. The surface is slightly shimmering under the light and the camera block is very contained, accompanied by a black insert that brings a final touch of style to this smartphone. With dimensions of 162.91 x 76.03 x 7.9 mm and 181 g, it is one of the most compact and lightweight at this price. Its 6.67-inch pOLED screen, with a 20:9 ratio, offers a very fine display with a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels, for a resolution of 394 pixels per inch. It also offers an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate, a respectable brightness, but we noticed that the colorimetry is a bit cold as often in this price segment. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G at the heart of this product is backed up by 8GB of RAM, an Adreno 642L GPU and 128GB or 256GB of storage space. This gives us a smooth and responsive Android and for video games, Fortnite or Genshin Impact run at 30 fps at maximum quality level and display a stable 60 fps in medium graphics mode. In terms of battery life, we measured almost 13 hours in mixed use and just under eight hours in gaming mode alone. Finally, the photography is in the good average, even at night.

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Xiaomi Poco F5 Pro: for demanding gamers

Here is one of the most expensive Pocos in the catalog and yet despite its assets, it remains at a price of less than 700 euros. The design is not its strong point with very classic lines and a smooth plastic back with a glossy coating. The latter has the small flaw of being a bit slippery and its measurements of 75.4 mm x 162.8 mm x 8.59 mm for 204 g make it a beautiful baby. The photo block is neat, but quite prominent and stands out particularly with its two metal-effect stripes surrounding it. The 6.67-inch AMOLED panel offers a very nice resolution of 3,200 x 1,440 pixels and an adaptive refresh rate of 120Hz or 60Hz. We have a very nice brightness that allows it to be used in direct sunlight and if it drifts slightly towards blue, it makes up for it with excellent contrast and a nice color coverage. At the heart of this Poco we have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen processor, paired with an Adreno GPU, from 8 to 12 GB of RAM. The storage space offered is 256 GB or 512 GB depending on the configurations. The performance is unsurprisingly of excellent quality, with Android still running smoothly and games like Fortnite or Genshin Impact running smoothly at 60 fps with the maximum level of detail. The 50 MP sensor does the job, only the ultra-wide-angle is really behind. Finally, the battery life tested ranges from 22 hours in mixed use to about 8 hours and 30 minutes in gaming alone.

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Xiaomi Poco F4 GT: for gamers looking for the best value for money

Poco is doing everything here to get noticed with this beautiful smartphone that benefits from a particularly elaborate design. The front is quite classic and its back is a festival with triangular patterns, a vertical border and a flash that takes the form of a stylized lightning bolt. A stylistically bold product with generous measurements, measuring 62.5 x 76.7 x 8.5 mm and weighing 210 g. The glossy plastic coating is of good quality, but retains fingerprints quite easily. The screen consists of an OLED panel in 2400 x 1080 pixels, but if the refresh rate is 120 Hz, here it is not adaptive. Poco has calibrated this screen particularly well, which offers a very natural and balanced colorimetry. The brightness is a bit average, but sufficient in the majority of cases. On the other hand, we note the slight drift towards blue as on almost all Chinese brand smartphones. The onboard Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor is a powerhouse, which comes with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage space. On the gaming side, this gives us a smooth gaming machine at 30 fps with the graphics level at maximum on Fortnite or Genshin Impact, and in medium mode the 60 fps is not very stable. The camera block with its 64 MP main sensor is honest, but lacks brilliance and sharpness, especially at night. In terms of battery life, the 4,700mAh battery offers almost 11 hours in mixed use and seven hours in gaming only.

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Xiaomi Poco M4 Pro: for gamers looking for versatility

Although launched in 2021, this Poco M4 Pro is still relevant and at a very competitive price. Admittedly, its design may seem questionable to some with a prominent front and with smooth plastic borders and back. The latter is outrageously occupied by the very large camera block which, in fact, offers only two sensors while there is room to easily put four. However, it has its charm, especially with its pretty blue. It has reasonable dimensions: 75.78 mm x 163.56 mm x 8.75 mm and weighs 195 g, which is about average for smartphones with a 6.6-inch screen. The one present here consists of an LCD panel with 2400 x 1080 pixels and a refresh rate of 90 Hz. The calibration is good, with colors with a natural rendering, a good contrast, but the brightness will be a little too low to use it in direct sunlight. The technical configuration is structured around a MediaTek Dimensity 810 microprocessor accompanied by 4 or 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB or 128 GB of storage space depending on the configuration chosen. While Android runs very smoothly, there are sometimes slight and rare slowdowns. For video games, you'll be limited to the medium graphics mode for decent animation, but you'll have to switch to low to get the best fluidity. The 50 MP sensor is in good shape, in the middle of its price segment, no more and no less. Finally, you can count on it for easily 12 hours in mixed use.

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Xiaomi Poco C65: for less fortunate gamers

The C series may be dedicated to the entry-level segment, but this Poco C65 has significant finery. It starts with a fairly classic, not to say basic, design. It is, however, embellished by a rather elegant black insert that can be found on some of the brand's more high-end models. Its 6.74-inch screen offers a large display area and a resolution of 1,600 x 720 pixels. Despite its low price, the refresh rate is 90 Hz and the panel offers a nice brightness. The processor is a MediaTek Helio G85, paired with 6GB or 8GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of storage space. Be careful, this smartphone is not 5G, but 4G. The performance is respectable for an Android, generally smooth, with just a few slowdowns from time to time. On the gaming side, if 2D titles are like fish in water, 3D titles will struggle more. The camera offers a 50 MP main sensor, which is decent for daytime use, but much more so at night. Finally, its battery life reaches 15 hours in mixed use.

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How to choose the right gaming smartphone?

A gaming smartphone must offer a quality screen and have enough under the hood to run the most demanding video games. The display should be as wide as possible, between 6 and 7 inches, so it offers a nice playing surface. Definition is important, it affects the quality of the rendering of images. Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) seems to be a good compromise. The pixel density must be greater than 300 pixels per inch to enjoy the highest display thinness. The more pixels, the more system resources the game will demand. A latest-generation gaming processor is preferred. But that's not the only point, pay close attention to the GPU that will process the 3D instructions. Without it, there is no smooth animation. RAM is important. The more you have, the more space your games will have to express themselves and avoid slowdowns. Finally, note that gaming setups tend to heat up more than average, so look for products with good heat dissipation if you're going to play for hours at a time on your phone.

What is Adaptive Refresh Rate?

A screen's refresh rate is how often it updates the display. In gaming, the higher the better. This is because a smartphone with a 60Hz display will refresh the display 60 times per second. This helps to have smooth and smooth animation, or frame tearing, as the screen doesn't keep up with the capabilities of the CPU and GPU. Some mobiles go up to 120 Hz, or even 144 Hz at Poco, something that can be found on some high-end gaming PCs. However, a high refresh rate has an impact on power consumption. Look for products with an adaptive refresh rate. The screen will then vary the refresh rate according to your usage, low in reading, medium in video and high in gaming. This makes it possible to combine the best possible experience, while optimizing the service life.

Also read: Our top 5 best foldable smartphones 2023

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