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Introduction
The Poco X4 Pro 5G may not be the Poco(phone) you are looking for. We could literally hear these words in our head spoken in Obi-Wan Kenobi's voice as we sat down to gather our thoughts about the X4 Pro.
And indeed, if you came looking for a proper Poco X3 Pro sequel, you won't be getting it. If you are on the lookout for an affordable mid-range phone, a refreshed Poco X3 NFC, if you will, then you've come to the right place.
We can't and won't hide the true nature of the Poco X4 Pro 5G - it's a repackaged version of the global Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G with a redesigned rear panel. Here's how these two compare.
This is not the first and won't be the last time Poco has done this, so it's not surprising. But the Poco X4 Pro 5G design really stands out, as usual.
The Poco X4 Pro packs a 6.67-inch 120Hz Super AMOLED screen and employs the Snapdragon 695 5G chipset, a departure from the flagship-grade Snapdragon 860 within the Poco X3 Pro but a small improvement over the Poco X3 NFC's Snapdragon 732G. This mid-range SoC offers good CPU performance and 5G connectivity, though.
The camera is your usual tri-eye setup with a high-res 108MP primary, an 8MP ultrawide and a 2MP macro shooter. There is no depth sensor as opposed to other Redmi Note 11 models and the previous Poco X3 phones.
The Poco X4 Pro offers stereo speakers, and all sorts of fan-favorite features such as FM radio, a 3.5mm jack, a microSD expansion, and even an IR port. You can also charge its large 5,000mAh battery incredibly fast with the bundled 67W charger.
The Poco X4 Pro 5G runs on MIUI 13 for Poco, which is based on Android 11. We were a bit surprised to find the latest MIUI without the latest Android OS, but this is also not a first for Xiaomi, and we are sure the update will arrive soon enough.
So, let's scroll through the Redmi, sorry, Poco X4 Pro 5G specs now.
Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro 5G specs at a glance:
- Body: 164.2x76.1x8.1mm, 205g; Gorilla Glass 5 front, glass back, plastic frame; IP53, dust and splash resistant.
- Display: 6.67" AMOLED, 120Hz, 700 nits, 1200 nits (peak), 1080x2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 395ppi.
- Chipset: Qualcomm SM6375 Snapdragon 695 5G (6 nm): Octa-core (2x2.2 GHz Kryo 660 Gold & 6x1.7 GHz Kryo 660 Silver); Adreno 619.
- Memory: 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM; UFS 2.2; microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot).
- OS/Software: Android 11, MIUI 13 for POCO.
- Rear camera: Wide (main): 108 MP, f/1.9, 26mm, 1/1.52", 0.7µm, PDAF; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.2, 118˚; Macro: 108 MP, f/1.9, 26mm, 1/1.52", 0.7µm, PDAF.
- Front camera: 16 MP, f/2.5, (wide), 1/3.06" 1.0µm.
- Video capture: Rear camera: 1080p@30fps; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
- Battery: 5000mAh; Fast charging 67W, 70% in 22 min, 100% in 41 min (advertised), Power Delivery 3.0, Quick Charge 3+.
- Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); Infrared port; 3.5mm jack.
If we are to compare the €250 Poco X3 Pro to the €300 Poco X4 Pro, we can't but think of this as rather unfair. The whole economy has changed, and the world is still reshaping as you read this. So, yes, the Poco X4 Pro is not a phone with flagship speed at a bargain price; it can't even do 4K videos.
But it does look promising as being one of the new generations of phones that will soon replace the old bang for the buck deals as their stock will soon run out. And we can see that this Poco still has the same spirit by trying to pack every possible modern technology, 5G included, and offer it at an incredibly low price in 2022 terms.
Unboxing the Poco X4 Pro 5G
The Poco X4 Pro's retail box contains a 67W Xiaomi charger and a 6A-rated cable. This is the same charger you get with most new Xiaomi phones these days.
The bundle also includes a soft transparent case and a thin protective film for the display. Usually, Xiaomi's smartphones have that film applied in the factory, but this seems like yet another cost-cutting decision introduced for the new devices. We do appreciate this extra, but given how challenging it can be to apply these things, we can't but think of the factory application as the better choice.
Design, build quality, handling
The Poco X4 Pro 5G is easily distinguishable from the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G because of its uniquely designed rear panel, the camera island specifically. We do appreciate the shrunken Poco logo - it was quite large on the Poco X3 series.
Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G and the Poco X4 Pro 5G
The Poco X4 Pro borrows its shape from the Redmi Note 11 phones - it has a flat glass front, a flat glass back, and a grippy plastic frame with a matte finish. Gorilla Glass 5 handles the screen protection, but we have no information on the maker/brand of the rear glass.
The Poco X4 Pro is IP53-rated for dust and splash protection, which is appreciated, and we could see rubber insulation across important parts. Of course, these are both basic resistances - meaning the phone is neither dust-, nor water-tight and should not be submerged into anything. It should do fine in light rain, and that's about it.
Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G and the Poco X4 Pro 5G
We have the Laser Black version, which is incredibly good-looking for its simplicity. Of course, this is Poco, and you will get a unique effect on the back, however subtle, once some light comes into play, and its reflection begins shooting various laser-like rays across the back panel.
You can also get the Poco X4 Pro in Laster Blue and Poco Yellow. Both variants look like solid colors with glossy finish, but when they reflect light, the reflection also mimics lasers.
And with all the said, let's inspect the Poco X4 Pro up close.
The 6.67-inch display size has become like the gold standard for the Redmi Note Pro models. So, it's not surprising the Poco X4 Pro utilizes the same 6.67" Super AMOLED screen as the Redmi Note 11 Pro, Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G, and probably whatever Redmi Note Pro Xiaomi launches this year. But we don't mean that as criticism, on the contrary - this OLED panel has turned out to be incredibly good so far, and the Poco X4 Pro screen also appears to be of the same high quality.
The panel has small perforation centered around the top - this is where you'd find the 16MP selfie camera.
And above the screen, hidden within the thin top bezels, is this thin grille, which hides the earpiece.
Well, the Poco X4 Pro does come with stereo speakers, and you'd find two dotted grilles on its top and bottom sides. But since the top speaker also doubles as an earpiece, you obviously get three sound outlets when you count the front one.
Good news - the output is somewhat directional, and when you are in a call - the voice is coming mostly from the front part. When playing music though, the audio is coming from all three spots.
And while we are talking about the sides, the top also houses the 3.5mm jack, the IR blaster, and a microphone.
Meanwhile, the bottom of the Poco X4 Pro contains the USB-C port, the primary microphone, and the hybrid SIM/microSD tray, together with the second speaker. The ejectable card tray has noticeably good rubber insulation.
The left side has no controls. The volume and the power/lock keys are on the right.
The power key's surface incorporates the fingerprint scanner - it's always-on and blazing-fast. The accuracy is superb, too. You can set its trigger action to be either a touch or a press.
The flat frame is made of thick plastic, has a matching color to the back, but comes with a matte finish that helps for an okay grip.
The back is quite shiny, but in a good way. It contains a massive jutting-out camera island with the 108MP primary surrounded by a thick ring, as well as the flush 8MP ultrawide and 2MP macro cameras. A single LED flash is also around.
The camera glass is gigantic, but we like it better than on the Redmi Note 11 Pro. Thanks to this shape - the Poco X4 Pro does not wobble when used on a desk, and its rear panel is less prone to scratches.
And, if you look really carefully, you may find that the camera glass actually has two different shades that make for two subtle strips - one holds the primary camera together with the Poco logo, and the bottom one has everything else.
Different Poco camera islands (X4 Pro, M4, M4 5G)
So, the Poco X4 Pro measures 164.2 x 76.1 x 8.1 mm and weighs 205 grams - that's the same size as the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G, but 3 grams heavier, probably due to the larger camera island.
We enjoyed how the Poco X4 Pro 5G handles. It's a phone of a solid build, with secure enough grip thanks to its frame and a cool yet stylish rear panel that keeps its good looks even when it's smudged with fingerprints all over. The basic splash resistance is also a peace of mind we like to have with the more affordable smartphones.
Indeed, we liked the Poco X4 Pro, and we think most people will be happy with its shape, size and design.
Display
While the Poco X4 Pro 5G isn't exactly an upgrade over the Poco X4 Pro, its display has been improved with an AMOLED panel, higher brightness, and faster touch sampling rate. The cutout remains equally small, and the protection is once again handled by a Gorilla Glass shield.
So, the Poco X4 Pro packs a 6.67-inch Super AMOLED screen of 1,080 x 2,400 pixels with 120Hz refresh rate and wide color support. The panel offers up to 360Hz touch sampling rate.
The screen is not HDR10-capable, even if hardware-reading apps may find it as such. And, quite expectedly, there is no HDR streaming support.
Poco advertises the display for its 2047 brightness levels, 700 nits of maximum brightness and 1200 nits for the peak brightness.
We can confirm that the maximum brightness is 754 nits when using Auto Brightness or the manual one with the Sunlight Boost option active. When you are not under bright light, the OLED panel typical brightness is 477 nits - in line with most of the recent AMOLED panels.
The minimum brightness at point white is 2.5 nits - a great one!
| Display test | 100% brightness | ||
| Black, |
White, |
||
| 0 | 477 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 754 | ∞ | |
| 0.327 | 458 | 1401:1 | |
| 0.4 | 534 | 1335:1 | |
| 0.301 | 429 | 1425:1 | |
| 0.38 | 537 | 1413:1 | |
| 0.354 | 460 | 1299:1 | |
| 0.515 | 631 | 1225:1 | |
| 0 | 470 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 746 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 470 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 746 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 438 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 633 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 383 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 800 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 457 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 725 | ∞ | |
| 0.264 | 410 | 1553:1 | |
| 0.33 | 510 | 1545:1 | |
| 0 | 462 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 737 | ∞ | |
Color accuracy
The Poco X4 Pro 5G display supports DCI-P3 wide color space. The Settings app offers three different color models - Vivid (default, DCI-P3), Saturated (DCI-P3 with saturation boost), and Standard (sRGB). You can fine-tune the color temperature for each mode.
The Vivid (default) option reproduces DCI-P3 faithfully, and we found it to be fairly accurate, excluding the slightly bluish-white and gray hues. The Standard option corresponds to sRGB and offers accurate rendering, including the white and gray colors.
Color options • Color options • Refresh rate
Refresh rate
The display supports 60Hz (Standard) and 120Hz (Maximum) refresh rates; both are static options. The 120Hz option is the default one, and if you don't change it, 60Hz will be used only for video playback and across apps that cannot support higher than 60Hz screens. For everything else, the screen works at 120Hz.
While the phone does support high frame rate gaming, its GPU is probably too weak to make it happen in most games.
Streaming
The Poco X4 Pro 5G comes with Widevine L1 DRM support, and Full HD streaming is available across the popular platforms, Netflix included.
Battery life
The Poco X4 Pro 5G is powered by a large 5,000mAh battery, the same capacity as most of the recent Redmi Note Pro models. The phone supports 67W Mi Fast Charging.
The Poco X4 Pro 5G scored a 119h endurance rating with excellent scores across the board, 4h more hours than the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G with the same display, chipset and battery.
The Poco X4 Pro offers better standby performance compared to the Note, as well as more web time, but its video playback score, although impressive, is lower than the Note's.
All test results shown are achieved under the highest screen refresh rate mode. You can adjust the endurance rating formula manually so it matches better your own usage in our all-time battery test results chart where you can also find all phones we've tested.
Charging speed
The Poco X4 Pro supports 67W Mi Fast Charging, one of the most notable upgrades on the recent Xiaomi-made phones this year. The phone ships with the 67W brick and a 6A-rated USB cable.
So, this 67W power adapter recharged the Poco X4 Pro battery from 0% to 75% in 30 minutes - an incredibly fast performance for a budget mid-range smartphone.
30min charging test (from 0%)
Higher is better
- OnePlus Nord 2
98% - Realme GT 5G (65W)
87% - Realme 9 Pro+
77% - Poco X4 Pro 5G
75% - Poco X3 GT
75% - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
74% - Poco X3 NFC
55% - Poco M4 Pro 5G
54% - Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
53% - Realme 9 Pro
52% - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
51% - Poco X3 Pro
50%
A full charge took 48 minutes, in line with other phones with similar batteries and charging capabilities - and once again - plenty fast.
Time to full charge (from 0%)
Lower is better
- OnePlus Nord 2
0:31h - Realme GT 5G (65W)
0:39h - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
0:45h - Poco X3 GT
0:48h - Poco X4 Pro 5G
0:49h - Realme 9 Pro+
0:49h - Poco M4 Pro 5G
1:07h - Poco X3 Pro
1:08h - Realme 9 Pro
1:14h - Poco X3 NFC
1:15h - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
1:18h - Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
1:28h
The Poco X4 Pro has no support for reversed wired charging. Wireless charging is not supported either.
Speaker quality
The Poco X4 Pro 5G offers a proper stereo speaker setup, just like the one on the most recent Redmi and Xiaomi phones. There are two symmetrically placed speakers on the top and bottom sides, each behind dotted grilles. The top one has a second outlet just above the screen as it also doubles as your earpiece.
The sound is incredibly balanced, and you cannot tell that the top speaker is a bit quieter - the front outlet compensates for that in a clever way. They do sound equally good, too.
The phone scored a Good mark on our loudness test, not that far from the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G. The sound quality seems plenty good - we can hear rich sound across the board and well-presented mid-tones.
There is an automatic Dolby Atmos enhancement across various media apps like Gallery, Mi Video, YouTube, and whatnot, so you can expect an even better sound experience within those.
Use the Playback controls to listen to the phone sample recordings (best use headphones). We measure the average loudness of the speakers in LUFS. A lower absolute value means a louder sound. A look at the frequency response chart will tell you how far off the ideal "0db" flat line is the reproduction of the bass, treble, and mid frequencies. You can add more phones to compare how they differ. The scores and ratings are not comparable with our older loudspeaker test. Learn more about how we test here.
The latest MIUI 13 on top of Android 11
The Poco X4 Pro 5G, like most of the recent Xiaomi smartphones, boots Android 11 with the newest MIUI 13 version. It is touted as MIUI for Poco as there are a few minor differences. Most of the new MIUI features are under the hood, though they should make for a smoother, smarter, and more secure experience.
This version of MIUI 13 is based on Android 11, and it does not include any of the Android 12 features like the revamped widgets and their new widget page in the app drawer. There is no advanced Privacy Dashboard either with options like a protected clipboard, approximate location, updated Face Unlock algorithm. The updated File Manager and Clock app with Bedtime mode are nowhere to be found either.
Other notable missing features on Android 11 + MIUI 13 combo are the improved one-handed mode (iOS-style), and the improved camera app with zero shutter lag and motion photos.
Finally, the new live wallpapers showing microscopic stuff like how vitamin C and citric acid crystallize, as part of the Beauty of Science collaboration, are not available on the Redmi Note 11 series just yet.
Still, Xiaomi claims that MIUI has been reworked completely, even if you cannot tell that by the interface and its design alone - it looks and feels just like MIUI 12. But the new version reportedly focuses on much better resource distribution and should handle processor, RAM and storage usage better and smarter.
For example, MIUI 13 is supposed to keep track of the current use of the processor and RAM and suspend any currently unnecessary tasks to free resources and offer more fluid performance. Xiaomi promises a background process efficiency increase of up to 40% compared to the previous version.
Liquid storage is what sounds really cool and relevant for modern smartphones. Xiaomi says that in most phones, the storage performance is halved in 36 months due to inefficient storage management. And this is where MIUI 13 comes - it offers 60% better defragmentation efficiency than MIUI 12 and different competitors. So, the storage performance drop in 36 months should be merely 5%. This sounds impressive, so here is hoping this feature lives up to the hype.
The final optimization done within MIUI's core is power management - the new version's optimization should lead to a 10% drop in the power consumption compared to MIUI 12's.
There is also an improved Smart Sidebar for even more fluid multi-tasking with pop-up apps. And the privacy has been improved with a number of features - some of which - unique.
And now, let's take a closer look at MIUI 13 for Poco on the X4 Pro.
The Poco X4 Pro 5G supports an Always-on display - unfortunately, it can never be always on. It can only appear for 10s after a tap. At least, there are a lot of AOD themes you can choose from. A few of those can also be customized.
Always-on display
Breathing light is called Notification effect in MIUI 13. It can work with or without Always-on Display. Basically, that's a fancier version of the notification LED that uses the edges of the display - they flash with colors upon new notifications.
One more thing, you can choose the lockscreen clock style, too.
Notification light • Notification light • Notification light • Lockscreen clock style
You unlock the screen via the side-mounted fingerprint scanner. The reader is easy to set up, blazing-fast, and the accuracy is superb. You can set the unlock method to Touch or Press - the Press will spare you accidental misreads of your palm (that eventually lead to PIN input) if you are using the phone without a case. A 2D Face Unlock is available, too, but it is far less secure than the fingerprint option.
Biometrics
The homescreens are business as usual - they are populated with shortcuts, folders, and widgets. The leftmost pane, if enabled, is Google's Discover.
MIUI 13
MIUI 13 for Poco offers an app drawer, but unlike on regular MIUI launchers, here it cannot be disabled. It automatically organizes your apps into categories. The first is All, meaning it contains all apps. Then follow Communication, Entertainment, Photography, Tools, New, and Business. You can edit these categories or even disable them altogether.
App drawer
Just like in MIUI 12, MIUI 13 offers an independent Notification shade and Control Center. You summon them like on the iPhones - pull down from the left part of the screen for the Notification Center, pull down from the right for the Control Center.
If you are not fond of this iPhone-ish split - you can disable the Control Center, and the shade will revert to its normal looks and operation.
Notifications • Toggles • Settings • Old notification area
The task switcher is familiar, too, if you've ever used a Xiaomi. It shows all of your recent apps in two columns. Tap-and-hold on any card for the split-screen and pop-up shortcuts (where available), or just swipe it left or right to close it.
There is no Floating Windows button here - either on a card, or the top of the app switcher. The functionality is present on the Poco X4 Pro, though, but we will get to that in a bit.
Task switcher • Task switcher • Split screen
Themes have always been a huge part of MIUI, and they are available on MIUI 13, too. You can download new ones from the Themes store, and they can change wallpapers, ringtones, system icons, and even the always-on display style.
Themes
MIUI comes with its proprietary multimedia apps - Gallery, Music, Mi Video (with streaming options), FM radio. There is also an MIUI File Manager. And, of course, a Mi Remote app that uses the integrated IR blaster.
Gallery • Music • Video • FM Radio • File Manager • Mi Remote
MIUI also offers a Security app. It can scan your phone for malware, manage your blacklist, manage or restrict your data usage, configure battery behavior, and free up some RAM. It can also manage the permissions of your installed apps, define the battery behavior of selected apps, and apply restrictions only to certain apps.
Security
And speaking of memory, MIUI 13 offers Memory Extension option that's active by default (you can disable it if you like). It reserves up to 2GB of internal storage for RAM caching. Less important memory blocks should come here.
RAM Extension
The Smart Sidebar is quite familiar - a small visible mark on the edge of the screen that expands into a menu anytime you swipe on it. You launch apps in pop-up windows from here (you can have only one pop-up app at a time). Of course, you can customize the actions for this menu. If you are within a multimedia app (like YouTube, Mi Video, Gallery, etc.) you will get the Video toolbox next to the shortcuts - it contains a Dolby Atmos switch, plus shortcuts for Screenshot, Record screen, Cast, and Play Video with the screen off. And, oh yes, the last one works on YouTube, no Premium subscription needed!
Smart Sidebar • Smart Sidebar • Pop-up apps • Video toolbox
Other interesting MIUI 13 improvements you may not notice at first include a better screenshot editor, a brand-new battery page with performance mode, and an option for the camera app to shoot videos with the screen turned off.
When you take a screenshot, you will notice a modern-looking interface with brushes, erasers, text and selection tools, among others.
The Battery page offers four battery modes - two power-saving types, Balanced (default), and a new Performance option that may give a small performance boost for a while but then lead to throttling. Here, you can also check the battery temperature. Note that Performance Mode is not available for all Xiaomi phones, but it is present on the Poco X4 Pro 5G and the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G.
Finally, even if not new per se, the Camera app offers an option to Shoot with screen off. If you toggle this feature on, the screen will be turned off after three minutes of inactivity.
Camera options • Screenshot editor • Battery page and options
Some MIUI ROMs include ads in the default apps, it is a well-known thing, and our Poco X4 Pro 5G do come with baked-in ad "recommendations" across most of its system apps.
You can disable those even if it's a bit tedious to do it because you have to do it for every system app that has them. For example, if you are annoyed by the app scanner's ads, just hit the settings gear, and disable recommendations. Ads in the File Manager - Settings->About should do it. Themes - go to Settings and disable Recommendations. It's not ideal, sure, but at least you can get rid of them all.
Ads • Ads • Disable ads • Disable ads
MIUI 13 has a lot of under the hood improvements that promise a smoother and faster experience right now, as well as for the next couple of years due to many optimizations. The interface is pretty much MIUI 12 with a couple of tweaks here and there. So, if you didn't expect a groundbreaking redesign, you will feel right at home with MIUI 13. We don't expect Android 12 to change that either.
Performance and benchmarks
The Poco X4 Pro 5G runs on the Snapdragon 695 5G chipset, a massive downgrade from the Poco X3 Pro and its Snapdragon 860 SoC but for a small improvement over the Poco X3 NFC's Snapdragon 732G. SD695 is the same silicon powering the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G - a completely revamped mid-range chipset since the Snapdragon 690.
This Snapdragon 695 chipset is based on a modern 6nm manufacturing process by TSMC, and it has modern Cortex-A78 CPU cores.
The octa-core processor of the Snapdragon 695 5G offers two Kryo 660 Gold (Cortex-A78) cores clocked at 2.2 GHz, and six Kryo 660 Silver (Cortex-A55) ones, working at 1.8 GHz.
There is also Adreno 619 GPU, which is of the lower mid-range as far as performance is concerned.
The Poco X4 Pro 5G is available with either 6GB or 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM. The storage options are 128GB and 256GB, and the storage is of the UFS 2.2 kind. We have the 6GB/128GB model.
Finally, the SD695 chip supports dual 5G, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1, NFC, GPS. Some of the competing MediaTek chips come with Wi-Fi 6 support, so there is some room for improvement.
Let's run some benchmarks now.
The Snapdragon 695's processor offers a 15% performance increase over the Poco X3 NFC and its Snapdragon 732 chipset. It is also faster than the non-5G Redmi Note 11 Pro (and its Helio G96 chip). It is not even close to the X3 Pro's flagship-grade Snapdragon 860, obviously.
GeekBench 5 (multi-core)
Higher is better
- Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE
2832 - Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
2801 - Poco X3 Pro
2574 - Poco X3 GT
2310 - Poco X4 Pro 5G
2063 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
2063 - Poco M4 Pro 5G
1797 - Poco X3 NFC
1777 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro
1729 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
1662 - Poco M3
1398
GeekBench 5 (single-core)
Higher is better
- Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE
787 - Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
771 - Poco X3 Pro
735 - Poco X3 GT
693 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
688 - Poco X4 Pro 5G
687 - Poco M4 Pro 5G
597 - Poco X3 NFC
568 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro
511 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
376 - Poco M3
308
The Adreno 619 offers a minor performance boost over the Adreno 618 within the Poco X3 NFC, which is disappointing.
The Adreno 619 is no chart-topper, as you can see, though it's no slouch either. There are many phones in this price bracket that offer faster graphics performance, though.
GFX Car Chase ES 3.1 (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Poco X3 Pro
38 - Poco X3 GT
38 - Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
28 - Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE
28 - Poco X4 Pro 5G
17 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
17 - Poco X3 NFC
16 - Poco M4 Pro 5G
13 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro
12 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
6.8 - Poco M3
5.9
GFX Manhattan ES 3.1 (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Poco X3 GT
68 - Poco X3 Pro
67 - Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
49 - Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE
49 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
34 - Poco X4 Pro 5G
30 - Poco X3 NFC
27 - Poco M4 Pro 5G
23 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro
22 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
12 - Poco M3
11
GFX Manhattan ES 3.0 (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Poco X3 GT
97 - Poco X3 Pro
93 - Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
69 - Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE
68 - Poco X4 Pro 5G
42 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
41 - Poco M4 Pro 5G
37 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro
34 - Poco X3 NFC
33 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
18 - Poco M3
17
3DMark Wild Life Vulkan 1.1 (offscreen 1440p)
Higher is better
- Poco X3 GT
3991 - Poco X3 Pro
3401 - Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
2491 - Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE
1232
1211
1204
1101
439
368
Curiously, the AnTuTu benchmarks recognize the Poco X4 Pro as Poco X4 NFC, which, honestly, makes much more sense. The phone looks a lot more like a sequel to the NFC version and not the X3 Pro. Maybe it was considered as such at some point of its development but was promoted later for reasons unknown.
The AnTuTu benchmarks put the Poco X4 Pro 5G slightly above the Poco M4 Pro and its Dimensity 810 chip. It's not a slow phone, but it sits below many more powerful phones from within the same price segment.
AnTuTu 8
Higher is better
- Poco X3 GT
506800 - Poco X3 Pro
453223 - Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
429675 - Poco X4 Pro 5G
335353 - Poco M4 Pro 5G
296721 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
288914 - Poco X3 NFC
283750 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro
261309 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
228044 - Poco M3
177904
AnTuTu 9
Higher is better
- Poco X3 GT
578505 - Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE
527663 - Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
506432 - Poco X4 Pro 5G
384646 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
382902 - Poco M4 Pro 5G
353663 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro
319093 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
244526
At the end of our performance tests, we ran the CPU Throttle and 3D Mark Stress test. It turned out that the Poco X4 Pro 5G has great stability. It managed to keep 74% of its CPU performance under peak usage for an hour, and 99.6% of the GPU performance when using the GPU at 100%. These are some top-notch numbers.
CPU stress test • GPU stress test
The Poco X4 Pro runs smoothly most of the time, drawing its UI and compatible non-gaming apps with 120fps. And while theoretically, it can run games at up to 120fps, its GPU is too weak to do that. We witnessed some stutter and lag across the UI, and the weak Snapdragon chipset made for some camera app crashes during intensive shooting.
The phone offers no meaningful upgrades over the X3 NFC and is a big downgrade compared to the X3 Pro. It can stand its ground around other 2022 smartphones from within the same price bracket, but the 2021 models are blowing it out of the water.
One budget triple-camera on the back
The Poco X4 Pro 5G uses the same triple-camera setup found on the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G. It offers a 108MP primary camera, an 8MP ultrawide shooter, and a 2MP macro cam. There is a single LED flash.
The main camera has more resolution than the Poco X3 NFC's 48MP and the Poco X3 Pro's 64MP primaries. The 8MP ultrawide is a match to the X3 NFC's, but of lower resolution than the X3 Pro's. There is no depth sensor on the Poco X4 Pro, but the 2MP macro shooter is here to stay.
The main camera relies on a 108MP Samsung ISOCELL HM2 1/1.52" sensor with 0.7µm pixels and 24mm f/1.9 lens. The color filter is Nona-Bayer, which means 9 sensor pixels are combined into one 2.1µm, and the output resolution is 12MP. PDAF is available. This is the only camera that supports Night Mode.
The ultrawide camera uses an 8MP Sony IMX355 sensor behind a 16mm f/2.2 lens. The focus is fixed at infinity. There is no Night Mode here, just like there weren't on the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G.
The macro camera packs a 2MP GalaxyCore GC02M1 sensor behind an f/2.4 lens. The focus is fixed at about 4cm away.
The selfie camera uses a 16MP OmniVision OV16A1Q 1/3.06" sensor with 1.0µm pixels and a Quad-Bayer filter. It sits behind an f/2.4 lens, and the focus is fixed. While this camera is supposed to save 4MP images, it instead outputs upscaled 16MP selfies.
Camera app
The camera app is a rather straightforward implementation, though it does have its quirks. First, basic operation for changing modes works with side swipes (on the black bezel!), and you can also tap on the modes you can see to switch to those directly. Up and down swipes don't work for switching between the front and rear cameras; only the toggle next to the shutter release does that.
You can add, remove, and rearrange modes in the main rolodex by going to the More tab and navigating to the edit button, and you can access that from the settings menu as well. The unused modes will still be in that More tab, but you can switch to a (less intuitive) pull-out pane that's summoned from a line next to the shutter release.
The hamburger menu at the far end is where you'll find additional options, including the Super Macro mode (why here and not a mode in the rolodex?), plus the icon to access the settings. Next to that hamburger menu, you have a flash mode switch, an HDR switch, an AI toggle, shortcut to Google Lens, and a magic wand with beauty effects and filters.
On the near end, you have the camera zoom switch that operates in one of two fashions. The first one is simply tapping on one of the three dots that represent the ultra-wide, primary, and 2x digital options. Or you can tap on the active magnification and slide sideways to reveal even more zoom levels - 2x and 10x, plus a slider for intermediate magnifications.
Camera app
There's a nicely capable Pro mode, where you can tweak the shooting parameters yourself. You can use the primary and the ultrawide cameras here. You get to pick one of 4 white balance presets or dial in the light temperature with a slider, there's a manual focusing slider, and shutter speed (1/4000s to 15s/30s for main/ultrawide) and ISO control with the range depending on which camera you're using. A tiny live histogram is available, and a toggle for zebras can be found in the hamburger menu.
As expected, there's a host of extra modes, including Long Exposure with its own set of different presets - moving crowd, neon trails, oil painting, light painting, starry sky, and star trails.
Night mode is available on the main camera only. There is no Auto Night mode as on previous Xiaomi models.
Photo quality
The primary camera saves 12MP photos as intended, and they look okay. The resolved detail is acceptable for this class, and we can only praise the color accuracy and the white balance. The photos we took all have high contrast and a balanced dynamic range.
Unfortunately, the Poco X4 Pro photos are plagued by extra noise - the same issue we encountered on the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G. It is clearly visible across areas of random detail, like foliage, and often the sharpening makes it even worse.
The 12MP photos from this main camera will be okay for many, especially when looked at on the phone's screen or posted on social networks. But if anyone goes pixel peeping, they will quickly spot the inadequacy of the image processing algorithm - that could be due to the phone's limited processing power.
Main camera, 12MP
There is a dedicated 2x zoom switch on the viewfinder, but there is no telephoto camera on the Poco X4 Pro, and lossless zoom isn't available either. The digital zoom does try to work smarter with the 108MP output, like crop something from there and upscale it, but it ultimately fails badly by saving a noisy image that's overrun by various artifacts.
And when there is not enough power for this - say the algorithm is still working on processing the previously shot photos - then it just crops about 1.5MP from the regular photo and leaves it as is.
Main camera 2x zoom, 12MP
You can shoot in 108MP, and the photos do come with high resolution achieved with proper processing instead of simple upscale from 12MP. The photos offer outstanding color presentation, good dynamic range and high contrast. Of course, they are not that detailed and mostly soft and are overrun by noise.
Main camera, 108MP
We can advocate for shooting in 108MP, though, and they resize those stills down to 12MP. You will get more detailed photos with balanced sharpness and a natural look, and the noise is far less visible here. This is the only way to bypass the inadequate processing.
108MP-to-12MP
You can also crop from the 27MP center of the 108MP photo for 2x digital zoom and then resize it down to 12MP. This will give you much better 2x zoomed photos than the default 2x processing. If only the Poco X4 Pro had the power to do this by itself.
And here are the two photos we used for the crops.
Default 2x • Crop and resize from 108MP
We liked the 8MP photos from the ultrawide camera, as they are adequate for the budget segment. They offer high dynamic range as the Auto HDR often triggers HDR, while the contrast is enough. The automatic distortion correction does a great job (for the class) and straightens the warped corners.
The resolved detail is obviously average at best. When HDR is involved (most of the times), the detail gets a hit, and the photos are even softer. There is also visible noise across all photos, though not to a quality-ruining extent.
Ultrawide camera, 8MP
The Poco X4 Pro 5G packs a 2MP macro camera with a fixed focus - the most basic thing you can find on a smartphone. It makes for passable closeup shots provided you shoot from exactly 4cm away - otherwise, you'd get a rather blurry and out-of-focus image.
The 2MP photos offer good colors even if a bit desaturated, passable detail and good dynamic range. The contrast could have been a bit higher. The best you can do with these images is post them on Instagram but not before applying some filters.
Macro camera, 2MP
The Poco X4 Pro 5G shoots excellent portrait photos with its primary camera even if there is no depth sensor around. The subject separation is proficient, the person is incredibly detailed and well exposed, the colors are lively and likable, and the contrast is notably high. We liked the simulated bokeh, too.
Sometimes, if you shoot a couple of photos, the processing power may fall short and leave either smudgy or totally unprocessed (read non-blurred) spots around the photos.
Portraits, 12MP
The Poco X4 Pro features a 16MP selfie camera with a Quad-Bayer color filter. Just like other Xiaomi models, this one also saves 16MP photos instead of the expected 4MP ones.
And those 16MP stills are alright for a mid-range selfie experience. The resolved detail is adequate even if not on par with what you'd get from a non-QB sensor, the contrast is good, the colors are accurate, and the subject is always well exposed. The noise is low enough, too.
Selfies, 16MP
Portrait selfies are available, of course, but they are not good - the subject separation is average at best and gets worse with more complex haircuts. You can easily notice the background distortion around the head and the ears.
Portrait selfies, 16MP
The Poco X4 Pro shoots good low-light photos with its primary camera on the back. They have enough detail for the class, the noise is cleaned well enough, and the color saturation stays true to life. The exposure could have been tweaked a bit better, but we guess there is Night Mode for that.
Main camera HDR Auto, 12MP
Since most of the time the Auto HDR did choose shooting with HDR, we also snapped a few of the scenes without HDR. While the photos are sharper and with more detailed, they are overrun by noise and clipped highlights.
Main camera HDR off, 12MP
The Night Mode does a brilliant job at providing realistic, detailed and colorful photos at night, and we strongly advise for using it whenever possible. The photos have improved exposure and color saturation, lower noise levels, more detail, and even higher dynamic range with more developed shadows and restored clipped highlights.
Main camera Night Mode, 12MP
The 2x zoomed photos, whether Standard or taken with Night Mode, are cropped and upscaled from the regular output. Their detail is halved, obviously, but everything else is a match for the 1x photos.
2x zoom • 2x zoom Night Mode • 2x zoom • 2x zoom Night Mode
2x zoom • 2x zoom Night Mode • 2x zoom • 2x zoom Night Mode
The 8MP ultrawide photos at night are usable, but barely. They are dark, there is a lot of noise, and the color saturation isn't that good.
Ultrawide HDR Auto, 8MP
They can be worse, though, if you force the Auto HDR off. Then, you will get much noisier photos.
Ultrawide HDR Off, 8MP
There is no Night Mode available on the ultrawide camera.
And here are photos of our usual posters taken with the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G. You can see how it stacks up against the competition. Feel free to browse around and pit it against other phones from our extensive database.
Poco X4 Pro 5G against Poco X3 Pro and the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G in our Photo compare tool
Video recording
The Poco X4 Pro 5G video capturing capabilities max out at 1080p@30fps for the primary, ultrawide and selfie cameras. There is also an option to shoot 720p@30fps macro videos.
The chipset doesn't support shooting in 4K, which is a big step down from the Poco X3 series.
Electronic stabilization is available across all cameras, except for the macro, it is always active and does a good job at stabilizing the image when necessary.
The video bitrate is about 20Mbps. Audio is recorded in stereo at 192kbps bitrate.
The 1080p footage from the primary camera is good - the resolved detail is enough for mid-range 1080p clips, and the sharpening is rather balanced. The colors are realistic and lively, the dynamic range is adequate, and the contrast is high. The audio is good, too.
The always-on EIS takes a small toll on the sharpness, in case you were wondering if the videos could have been a bit sharper.
The Full HD low-light videos from the main camera are likable. They have enough detail for mid-range purposes, the dynamic range is adequate, and the colors are excellent.
The ultrawide camera shoots good 1080p clips. The detail is enough for such a camera, the noise is acceptable, the dynamic range is good, and the colors are accurate.
Finally, here is the Poco X4 Pro 5G in our video tool so you can make your own comparisons.
Poco X4 Pro 5G against Poco X3 Pro and the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G in our Video compare tool
The competition
The Poco X4 Pro 5G is a good smartphone with balanced specs. It has an attractive splash-resistant design, a brilliant 120Hz AMOLED, offers excellent battery life, fast charging, good camera specs and adequate performance for the class. Its 6GB/128GB model is now available on sale at €299, which makes it an attractive offer considering its all-around specs sheet.
The Poco X4 Pro 5G is a reworked version of the €370 Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G. It is an identical smartphone with a different back panel. Yet, it's €70 cheaper than the Redmi, which automatically makes it the better offer.
Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G and the Poco X4 Pro 5G
Of course, both Poco X3 NFC and Poco X3 Pro are still available for purchase for €200 and €250, respectively. While the X3 phones rely on 120Hz LCD panels instead of OLED, they can be more attractive offers. The Poco X3 NFC can offer 4K video capturing over the X4 Pro, but the X3 Pro has a flagship-grade Snapdragon 860 chipset, an HDR10-certified screen, and a somewhat better camera experience. Sure, the X3 Pro has no 5G connectivity, but we will still get it for its incredibly fast performance and the cheaper price.
Or there is the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE, with a much better Dolby Vision AMOLED screen, much faster Snapdragon 778G 5G chipset, and a triple-camera of superb photo and video quality across the board. The 11 Lite 5G NE also costs around the €300 mark, and it is the Xiaomi phone to buy in this bracket, not doubt.
However, if you are dead set on getting a Poco, then the €300 Poco F3 is the way to go. With the top-of-the-line Snapdragon 870 5G chipset, HDR10+ 120Hz AMOLED screen, and a similar triple-camera with a 5MP telemacro shooter, it can be the gaming phone on a budget you are looking for.
Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G • Poco X3 NFC • Poco X3 Pro • 11 Lite 5G NE • Poco F3
If a Xiaomi-made phone is not a must, then other makers can win you over with their 2021 phones. Take the Galaxy A52s 5G, for example - it is priced around €340, and for the extra €40, you will get an IP67-rated design, much more powerful Snapdragon 778G 5G chipset, a better camera experience with a 64MP OIS primary, a 12MP ultrawide shooter and 5MP depth and macro cameras. 4K video capturing is available even on the selfie camera, and you also get cool features like the under-display fingerprint reader. The only caveat - the charging is not that fast.
Another excellent smartphone for €40 over the Poco X4 Pro is the OnePlus Nord 2 5G that's still available across various retailers. It offers a 90hz Fluid AMOLED on top of the flagship Dimensity 1200 5G chipset. Its primary 50MP camera has OIS and 4K capturing and provides much better photo and video quality. Oh, and the Nord 2's 65W fast charging is equally impressive.
Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G • OnePlus Nord 2 5G
Our verdict
We already knew what to expect from the Poco X4 Pro 5G, after all, it's the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G with a different body. The good news is that this Poco is preferable to the Redmi because it's noticeably cheaper. The bad news - there are much better phones at that price.
Sure, the Poco X4 Pro 5G has a lot to offer - starting with its large OLED screen of high quality, on top of a likable splash-proof design and one large battery with super-fast charging. The X4 Pro performance is fine, it has a ton of connectivity options, and its camera kit sounds promising.
But the disappointments are piling up right from the start. The Poco X4 Pro is not at all like the previous Poco X series Pro models, and we think this is one of the things that will make it tougher to sell as people will see it as a continuation to the Poco X3 Pro and not the NFC. Then its performance has not improved an inch since the X3 NFC, though it can now connect to 5G networks.
Then there is the rather mediocre camera experience despite the 108MP primary sensor. Finally, we got MIUI 13, yes, but it's on top of Android 11 instead of Android 12 and that adds yet another question mark on top of everything else.
The Poco X4 Pro 5G is a good smartphone - it has adequate specs sheet and attractive pricing for 2022, all things considered. But the 2021 mid-range models are widely available and more affordable, and it just doesn't make sense buying it right now, not until a price cut is introduced or its competitors - retired. But what we know is that this Poco X4 Pro makes more sense than many of the recently launched Redmi Note 11 phones models.
Pros
- Likable glass design, IP53-rated.
- Outstanding AMOLED screen, bright, 120Hz, great color accuracy.
- Top-notch battery life, blazing fast charging.
- Loud stereo speakers, good audio quality.
- Up to par performance for the class, 5G.
- MIUI 13, 3.5mm jack, NFC, IR blaster, microSD.
Cons
- Not a sequel to the Poco X3 Pro, likely to the Poco X3 NFC but does not outperform it.
- Not based on the latest Android 12 like Xiaomi 12.
- Poor photo and video quality.
- No 4K video capturing.
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