Poco X6 5G review

In 2024, there will be both a standard and a Pro model available, as was last year. The Poco X6 5G is the less expensive of the two, including a Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 engine, a bold and vivid display, and 67W rapid charging. However, the mid-range phone market is saturated, making competition strong.

Design & Build

• Similar design to last generation
• Feels cheap
• IP54 rating

The X6 draws inspiration from last year’s Poco X5 5G. The huge camera module with the statement twin circular lenses remains, but its matte finish has been replaced with a glossy plastic one. While the back appears excellent when left alone, fingerprints and smudges can be easily picked up. It also seems cheap and fragile to the touch.

The black and blue variants have a glossy surface, but a white marble-effect variation is also available. The Poco logo next to the cameras is now horizontal rather than vertical, and its size has been decreased to make it less invasive. Fortunately, Poco appears to have abandoned the practice of displaying its logo/catchphrase across the whole device.

On the left there is the volume rocker and power button, and on the bottom there is the USB-C charging port and dual-SIM slot – no extra expandable storage is offered, nor is eSIM support.

Screen & Speakers

• 6.67-inch display
• 120Hz refresh rate
• Stereo speakers

The Poco X6 has a 6.67-inch 1.5K (2712 x 1220) AMOLED display with strong Corning Gorilla Glass Victus and up to 1800 nits of peak brightness. It indicates the phone is colorful and crisp enough to operate in a range of settings, including strong sunlight. The screen is excellent for watching films and playing games, especially with Dolby Vision support.

It features a refresh rate of 120Hz, but you may also utilize the lower 60Hz option or the default mode, which automatically alternates between the two. Swipes are really responsive, and scrolling is mainly smooth.

The phone boasts an immediate touch sampling rate of 2160Hz, although this is only activated when Game Turbo mode is enabled. During games, it responded to push and swipe gestures. Haptic feedback may be adjusted on a sliding scale, and at full power, it feels rather rattly.

The X6 comes with dual speakers (an increase from last year’s single speaker), which generate powerful and punchy sounds. It lacks depth and bass, but this is to be anticipated given the lack of extra audio processing software like as Dolby Atmos.

Specs & Performance

• Snapdragon 7s Gen 2
• 8 or 12GB RAM/256 or 512GB storage
• 5G support

The Poco X6 comes equipped with a Snapdragon 7s Gen 2, a 2023 Qualcomm processor geared for mid-range phones.

The version I tested had a huge 12GB RAM and 512GB storage, which is ample for images, games, and programs. However, you may save money by choosing either the 8GB/256GB or 12GB/256GB option – availability varies by location.

For the price, this smartphone delivers excellent performance. I’ve been able to multitask, stream, and play games with no lag, and the phone boots up quickly.

My review unit appears to have a bug where it starts making a rapid tapping sound at random. At first, I was able to solve it by closing the YouTube app that was running in the background, but that no longer appears to be working. I’ve reported it to Poco, and the company is looking into the issue – hopefully it’s not a widespread problem.

Poco X6 5G Benchmarks

Here’s how the phone stacks up against competitors in our benchmarking testing. I was unable to record GFX Bench results since the program would not operate on my phone.

Genshin Impact took many hours to install on this phone. I could still play on low visual settings without overclocking, but there was some popping, so if you enjoy heavy-duty mobile games, you’ll want to get a more capable phone.

If the name didn’t make it clear, 5G support is provided.

Cameras

• 64Mp main camera
• 8Mp ultrawide
• 2Mp macro
• 16Mp selfie

The Poco X6 (5G) features a triple rear camera setup. This is headlined by a 64MP primary camera with OIS, followed by an 8MP ultra-wide camera and a 2MP macro camera. There is a 16-megapixel front-facing camera. Like prior phones in this series, the array offers advantages and disadvantages.

As you might assume, the Poco shoots the finest images outside in full sunshine. It captures crisp details (even at a distance) and enhances shadows with an appealing lens flare when necessary. Colors are true to reality, rather than being too bright or dull.

Indoors, photos aren’t as stunning, especially in low light circumstances when tones look much warmer on the screen than they do to the eye. At night, the phone struggles to maintain the same level of resolution, with many photos becoming fuzzy and soft; the software-based night mode raises regions that are already lighted up, but accomplishes nothing else.

The Poco X6 has up to 10x zoom, but there is no telephoto lens, thus everything is digital. I wouldn’t bother going above 4x zoom because details get considerably louder at this level. Even 2x zoom produces more washed-out hues than the primary camera.

There is a specific macro mode, but I prefer using the main camera for close-up images. This captures details more clearly and allows for easy focussing. However, it has a harder time keeping things clear in longer exposures (especially on food photos).

For selfies, the 16MP camera is a significant boost over the X5. Skin features are significantly more evident, and the bokeh effect in portrait mode can reveal stray hairs with more clarity.

Video recording is possible in 4K, 1080p, and 720p resolutions, all at 30 frame rates. A combination of OIS on the primary lens and Poco’s’steady video’ option reduces shaking while moving around, but the movie still appears sluggish and strange.

Battery Life & Charging

• Large 5100mAh battery
• 67W charging

Simply put, the Poco X6 has outstanding battery life. It has a 5100mAh cell that is very resistant to wear, even at the maximum 120Hz refresh rate.

On average, I could get two days of use out of this phone in between jobs, using it for Twitch, Netflix, and snapping photographs. This was also evident in our PCMark battery test (with the brightness set to 200 nits), where the phone lasted an outstanding 13 hours and 24 minutes.

What’s even great is that you don’t have to sacrifice that large battery for delayed charging. The accompanying 67W brick charges it from flat to 87% in 30 minutes, so a short five-minute charge might last all afternoon. The phone gets rather hot while charging, and there is no wifi option available.

If battery life is crucial to you, consider the Poco X6 5G for your next smartphone.

Software

• Cluttered MIUI 14
• Three years of OS upgrades
• Four years of security updates

The Poco X6 5G runs MIUI 14, Xiaomi’s version of Android 13. This is not the most recent version of the OS, but there are other mid-range Poco phones that are a generation behind.

If you’re used to pure Android or even Samsung’s One UI, Xiaomi navigation may seem unfamiliar. Swiping down from the right opens your quick settings, while the left displays your notifications. This is the same setup seen on iPhones.

Once again, Poco disappoints by bundling a slew of bloatware and games during installation. There are other titles, such as ‘Block Puzzle Guardian’ (a Tetris-like game) and ‘Dust Settle’. These can be removed, however they clutter your home screen when you first turn on the phone. There are also Xiaomi versions of Google apps, such as an app store and a picture gallery.

Poco confirmed that the X6 will receive three years of Android OS upgrades and four years of security fixes. This is very common for phones in this price range, but competitors like as Samsung and Google have longer warranties.

Price & Availability

In the UK and Europe, the Poco X6 5G starts from £319/€329 for the 12/256GB variant. You can currently buy it from the Poco store, the Mi store and Amazon or cheap price on Aliexpress– the latter is offering a discounted price at the time of writing.

Should you buy the Poco X6?