At a glanceExpert’s Rating
ProsOutstanding efficiency for the moneyAdvanced displaySubtle design improvementsFast charging with adapter includedConsCamera not an enormous enchancmentNew HyperOS UI very similar to MIUIRather bland appears, at the very least in blackOur VerdictThe Poco X6 Pro makes some significant design enhancements and ramps up the efficiency ranges to new heights, leading to a superb budget-friendly gaming telephone. It’s not fairly the consummate all-round expertise that a few of its rivals can provide, nevertheless.
Xiaomi’s Poco sub-brand has led the best way in providing sturdy efficiency at a massively aggressive worth. While the Poco F-series is all about sticking it to the flagships, the Poco X-series goals to undercut the aspiring mid-range brigade.
The Poco X6 Pro is right here to steer the newest assault on the Google Pixel 7a, the Samsung Galaxy A54 and co. With a worth of £369, it’s definitely a compelling worth proposition, although it additionally appears relatively just like final 12 months’s Poco X5 Pro at first look.
However, with a brighter, sharper show and quicker efficiency, it appears as if there have been appreciable inside enhancements. Let’s check out whether or not Xiaomi has gotten the steadiness proper with its newest inexpensive barnstormer.
Design & Build
Reduced bezel measurement
Still very plastic
Upgraded to IP54
Fingerprint sensor now in-display
For the Poco X6 Pro, Xiaomi has subtly developed the design language used within the Poco X5 Pro, which itself wasn’t 1,000,000 miles away from the X3 Pro.
The again of the telephone is that this time dominated by a big slab-like digicam platform that spans a lot of the width of the telephone. This 12 months’s mannequin additionally raises all three digicam lenses, in addition to the flash, in identically proportioned rings, organized in a sq. configuration.
My mannequin is available in black, and as soon as once more it makes use of an unsightly, smudgey, reflective plastic materials that neither appears nor feels particularly good. After just some minutes of dealing with, I discovered it to be coated in greasy paw prints.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
Jon Mundy / Foundry
Jon Mundy / Foundry
The Poco sub-brand has all the time had a manner with yellow, and as soon as once more the garish yellow vegan leather-based mannequin appears to be the best way to go right here. With that stated, this signature mannequin is marginally thicker (8.35mm vs 8.25mm) and heavier (190g vs 186g) than the plastic mannequin I’ve been testing right here.
Other than these measurements being increased, the Poco X6 Pro has a barely smaller footprint than final 12 months’s Poco X5 Pro. This could be attributed to the smaller bezel across the show, which is all the time a great way to make your telephone appear extra premium. It marks a fairly important transfer from an 86.8% screen-to-body ratio within the X5 Pro to a 94% one.
Talking of being extra premium, Xiaomi has bumped up the water resistance score from IP53 to IP54, which means it’s now proof against water spray from any course. Given that the Motorola Edge 40 Neo is providing IP68 for much less cash, that’s not a lot to shout about.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
Jon Mundy / Foundry
Jon Mundy / Foundry
The refined however quietly important design enhancements proceed with the swap from a side-mounted fingerprint sensor to an under-display one. Again, it makes the Poco X6 Pro really feel simply that little bit classier than its predecessors.
Xiaomi telephones usually stand out from rivals with their implementation of an IR blaster, and the X6 Pro isn’t any totally different. Once once more, you need to use the preinstalled Mi Remote app to regulate your Hi-Fi system or TV.
Screen & Speakers
6.67in AMOLED
120Hz refresh price
Sharper ‘1.5K’ decision
Xiaomi has provided a familiar-sounding 6.67in 120Hz AMOLED show right here. However, look a bit nearer and there are some notable enhancements.
Most notably, Xiaomi has bumped up the decision to 2712 x 1220. The firm calls it a CrystalRes show, and in addition refers back to the decision as ‘1.5K’ – or half manner between Full HD+ and Quad HD+ (aka 2K). It definitely makes for a pleasant crisp image, although the distinction over good Full HD+ screens isn’t precisely night time and day.
Xiaomi has additionally bumped up the brightness, at the very least in excessive brightness mode. Stray exterior on a vibrant day with auto-brightness switched on, and it will probably get to 1300 nits relatively than the X5 Pro’s 900 nits.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
Jon Mundy / Foundry
Jon Mundy / Foundry
Those with lengthy reminiscences and a head for specs will realise that Xiaomi is actually heading again to the highest brightness of the X3 Pro after dropping it down with final 12 months’s mannequin. Still, it’s progress of a form.
In common utilization, the Xiaomi X6 Pro will nonetheless hit round 518 nits, in line with my measurements, which is about the identical because the X4 Pro. It’s additionally extraordinarily color correct – or at the very least, it may be when you delve into the Display settings and mess around a bit.
With a zippy 2,160Hz contact sampling price, it’s additionally a remarkably responsive show for aggressive players on a price range, which actually is the core demographic right here.
Xiaomi has carried out twin audio system, identical to final 12 months. And as soon as once more, they’re extraordinarily crisp and clear for such an inexpensive telephone.
Specs & Performance
Dimensity 8300-Ultra chip
Up to 12GB LPDDR5X RAM
Up to 512GB storage
As we’ve simply talked about, Xiaomi has all the time positioned its Poco telephones as price range gaming specialists. The inside set-up of the X6 Pro definitely continues that sturdy heritage.
It utilises a brand new MediaTek Dimensity 8300-Ultra chip backed by 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM. Despite sitting a rung under MediaTek’s flagship Dimensity 9300 chip, it’s nonetheless a mighty performer.
While the worldwide mannequin begins from 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, the UK mannequin (just like the one I’m testing) will get 12/512GB – all for a similar worth because the entry-level X5 Pro. That’s excellent worth.
the telephone is able to operating Genshin Impact fairly easily on the ‘Highest’ graphical settings and 60fps, which most sub-£400 (and plenty of costlier) telephones would wrestle to realize
Jon Mundy / Foundry
Jon Mundy / Foundry
Jon Mundy / Foundry
As is often the case with these Xiaomi sub-brands, I used to be unable to run our common GPU benchmark instruments forward of launch, which is profoundly irritating. All I can say is that the telephone is able to operating Genshin Impact fairly easily on the ‘Highest’ graphical settings and 60fps, which most sub-£400 (and plenty of costlier) telephones would wrestle to realize.
In CPU phrases, the Geekbench outcomes are in, and so they’re fairly darned spectacular. An common Geekbench 5 multi-core rating of 4221 obliterates final 12 months’s Poco X5 Pro 5G, in addition to newer – and costly – mid-range telephones just like the Pixel 7a and the Galaxy A54. Meanwhile, the Geekbench 6 scores are just like these I now get from the Pixel 8, which it ought to be famous are a lot increased than these we obtained throughout our evaluate interval. That’s a flagship telephone that prices a number of hundred kilos extra.
This can also be a chip that may help on-device Generative AI, just like the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and certainly the aforementioned Dimensity 9300. If that is all coming throughout as distinctly flagship-esque, properly, that’s precisely the way it feels.
Poco X6 Pro benchmarks
Has that calculation paid off? On steadiness, sure, but it surely’s removed from a house run.
Cameras
64Mp major
8Mp ultrawide
2Mp macro
16Mp selfie
With the Poco X6 Pro’s digicam system, Xiaomi has combined issues up in fairly an attention-grabbing manner. Out goes the headline-grabbing 108Mp 1/1.52-inch major sensor of the Poco X5 Pro and the Poco X4 Pro, and in comes a smaller and fewer pixel-packed 1/2-inch 64Mp major sensor.
It’s ostensibly a rollback then, however Xiaomi appears to be calculating that the supply of OIS (optical picture stabilisation), along with a extra superior processor with enhanced AI capabilities, will lead to superior pictures.
Has that calculation paid off? On steadiness, sure, but it surely’s removed from a house run.
Getting the Poco X5 Pro out and capturing facet by facet, there’s a pronounced distinction in tone, with the Poco X6 Pro capturing a barely extra pure palette because the X5 Pro tended to pump up the blues on a transparent day. I additionally observed extra visible artefacts with the older telephone when zooming in on panorama pictures.
Conversely, the Poco X6 Pro snaps have been softer and suffered a bit extra from overexposure.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
Jon Mundy / Foundry
Jon Mundy / Foundry
Given the dearth of a devoted telephoto, the X6 Pro as soon as once more crops in on that major sensor, however in fact it doesn’t have the identical variety of pixels to play with as its predecessors. The outcomes stay fairly clear, nevertheless – at the very least at 2x.
Where the X6 Pro digicam is notably improved is in its low gentle efficiency, with OIS working exhausting to maintain the telephone regular throughout the mandatory prolonged shutter instances. That’s partially offset by a smaller sensor, in fact, however an identical side-by-side Night mode pictures highlighted superior element on the X6 Pro, even when it’s nonetheless wanting the very best mid-rangers.
The ultrawide digicam seems to make use of the identical part as earlier than, although variations in picture processing and efforts to match the tone of the primary sensor imply that they give the impression of being fairly totally different when positioned side-by-side. Selfie pictures from what seems to be the identical 16Mp entrance digicam appeared broadly comparable too – that’s, not too shabby for a less expensive telephone.
All in all, the Poco X5 Pro presents an ample digicam system for the value, with useful progress made in low gentle efficiency. Even so, it’s evidently not the place Xiaomi’s priorities lie for the Poco line.
Battery Life & Charging
5000mAh battery
67W charging
No wi-fi charging
As has develop into the norm with the vary, the Poco X6 Pro packs in a 5000mAh battery and fast 67W wired charging. There’s no wi-fi charging facility, which isn’t too shocking at lower than £400.
In reality, the dearth of motion on these specs isn’t a problem. Previous Poco X telephones had sturdy stamina and nippy charging speeds, and so does the X6 Pro.
You’ll nonetheless have the ability to get by means of a full day of pretty heavy utilization on a single cost, whereas lighter utilization will get you deep right into a second day
Jon Mundy / Foundry
Jon Mundy / Foundry
Jon Mundy / Foundry
You’ll nonetheless have the ability to get by means of a full day of pretty heavy utilization on a single cost, whereas lighter utilization will get you deep right into a second day.
The PCMark Work 3.0 battery check resulted in a rating of 11 minutes 2 minutes which is a couple of minutes longer (however broadly in keeping with) the Samsung Galaxy A54 and the Google Pixel 7a, and a number of other hours forward of the Motorola Edge 40 Neo.
Charging speeds are stronger than all however the latter rival, racing from empty to 46% in quarter-hour, and to 81% in half-hour. You can anticipate an entire cost in 45 minutes – and all this with a 67W charger that comes bundled within the field which is a bonus.
Software & Apps
Ships with Android 14
New Xiaomi HyperOS, however similar to MIUI
Three OS upgrades and 4 years of safety
Traditionally, the one widespread weak spot you may rely on throughout the broader Xiaomi vary has been its ugly MIUI software program. For this 12 months, Xiaomi has scrapped that and delivered to bear its new HyperOS.
Except, it hasn’t actually. To all intents and functions, HyperOS seems to be a rebranding train and understandably so given MIUI’s unhealthy press. Practically talking, it’s very a lot a continuation of the MIUI aesthetic.
Holding the Poco X6 Pro operating on Android 14 and HyperOS 1.0 alongside the Poco X5 Pro operating on Android 13 and MIUI 14 (which is oddly what the common Poco X6 is on), the 2 are clearly minimize from the identical fabric.
The house display screen is nigh-on an identical, with the identical widget, primary format, font and app icons. The app tray appears the identical, whereas there’s the identical iOS-indebted (and relatively convoluted) cut up notification menu.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
Jon Mundy / Foundry
Jon Mundy / Foundry
There are some refined format variations with the latter, particularly in the case of the Control Centre-like display screen with its shortcut toggles, however not all are for the higher. I appreciated Xiaomi becoming extra toggles (or certainly all the toggles) onto this display screen, however I didn’t recognize the removing of the Settings shortcut.
You get the identical suite of bespoke Xiaomi apps, a couple of Poco-specific apps, a folder-full of garbage video games, and an unwelcome bundle of preinstalled third-party apps. Do you need Trip.com, AliExpress, or Booking.com in your telephone? They’re all right here, in addition to three – sure, three – net browser apps.
As earlier than, you may customise your private home display screen by means of the Themes retailer, and a few of these themes are even fairly tasteful.
In higher information, you’re going to get three new generations of Android OS upgrades in addition to 4 years of safety patches which is first rate, if not market main.
Price & Availability
The Poco X6 Pro retails for £369, identical to the Poco X5 Pro earlier than it. This is for the only mannequin (within the UK) with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of inside storage, which is significantly spectacular.
If you’re fast, you may get it for the early hen worth of £349 Poco web site till 17 Jan.
At simply south of £400, Xiaomi is undercutting mid-range mainstays just like the Pixel 7a, the Samsung Galaxy A54, and the Honor 90, all of which value £449. They’re classier, extra rounded telephones every one, with superior digicam methods, although they will’t match the Poco X6 Pro for uncooked efficiency – and naturally they value a good bit extra.
Perhaps extra problematic for the Poco is in case you head in the wrong way, the place you’ll encounter the modern and composed Motorola Edge 40 Neo. That telephone presents a far superior design, an honest major digicam, and cleaner software program for simply £299 – albeit once more, with out the identical stage of efficiency.
The freshly launched Honor Magic 6 Lite can also be value a glance with a classy design and lengthy battery life. It prices £349.
Check out our rating of the finest mid-range telephones for extra choices.
Should you purchase the Poco X6 Pro?
The Poco X6 Pro makes various small however doubtlessly significant tweaks to a well-recognized formulation, with a tighter design, an improved show, and a major digicam that takes higher pictures in low lighting.
Meanwhile, the brand new Dimensity 8300-Ultra processor presents almighty efficiency for such an affordable telephone, and the telephone’s stamina and wired charging provision stays extraordinarily aggressive.
It ought to be famous that Xiaomi’s price range efficiency model finds itself surrounded by classier, better-rounded opponents nowadays. For a bit more cash you may get the flagship-troubling delights of the Pixel 7a, whereas those that need to spend much less can seize the startlingly full Motorola Edge 40 Neo. Both provide a a lot nicer software program setting, too.
However, the Poco X6 Pro earns its elevated place on the mid-range market, notably for gaming followers on a price range. It’s extra of a devoted specialist relatively than a gifted all-rounder, but it surely does what it does very properly certainly.
Specs
Android 14 with HyperOS
6.67in, 1.5K, OLED, 120Hz, flat show
In-display fingerprint sensor
Mediatek Dimensity 8300-Ultra
8/12GB LPDDR5X RAM
256/512GB storage
64Mp major digicam
8Mp ultra-wide digicam
2Mp macro digicam
Up to 4K @ 30fps rear video
16Mp front-facing digicam
Stereo audio system
Dual-SIM
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6
Bluetooth 5.4
5000mAh battery
120W charging
160.45mm x 74.34 x 8.25mm
186g
Launch colors: Black, Yellow, Grey
https://www.techadvisor.com/article/2198140/poco-x6-pro-review.html
