Xiaomi’s POCO brand has recently launched two new mid-range smartphones, which make up the brand’s “X5” series handsets. The POCO X5 5G and POCO X5 Pro 5G are aimed at users who are after good specs at relatively-affordable prices.
First up is the X5 Pro 5G – in terms of hardware, the POCO X5 Pro 5G comes with a 6.67-inch “Flow” AMOLED screen, which features a more slimmed-down design and a 120Hz refresh rate, which makes it ideal for content consumption, alongside also Dolby Vision for a well-rounded viewing experience.
Speaking of processing power, the X5 Pro 5G runs a Snapdragon 778G 5G chipset, a mid-range chip with an extra emphasis on improved photographic capabilities, and this is paired with up to 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of internal storage, which to be honest isn’t too bad for a mid-range smartphone. This means that users will be able to run a lot of games from the Google Play Store, as well as speedy day-to-day usage and multi-tasking.
As for cameras, we get a 108MP main sensor, with support for 4K video recording, an 8MP ultrawide sensor, a 2MP macro lens, and a 16MP main camera. Powering the phone is a 5000 mAh battery with support for 67W turbo charging, which is a much-welcome addition.
Meanwhile, the POCO X5 5G features a 6.67-inch AMOLED screen which also includes a 120Hz refresh rate as well. On the rear you’ll find a triple-lens set-up with a 48MP main camera, 8MP ultrawide lens, and a 2MP macro lens, with a 13MP selfie camera in front. The phone also comes with a Qualcomm chip in the form of the Snapdragon 695 chipset, with up to 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of internal storage, and will be powered by a 5000 mAh battery with support for 33W fast charging.
The POCO X5 and X5 Pro come with very familiar designs, which adopt the same styling we’ve seen before on previous POCO smartphones. While the front of the phones might look like any other Android handset, the rear panel is where POCO’s unique branding stands out, with the bright colours, accented by a camera island separated by a differently-coloured panel. While nothing groundbreaking, the design helps to set the phones apart from other Android devices out there.
As for software, both phones will come with Xiaomi’s MIUI skin, layered on top of Android 12. While it would have been better to see Android 13 on both devices, the considerably low price meant that there would be some compromises with hardware and software, although this could easily be addressed via a future software update should users really desire to use Android 13.
The POCO X5 Pro 5G will come in three different colours consisting of Black, Blue, and Yellow, and will also be available in two variants with 6GB+128GB and 8GB+256GB configurations. Meanwhile, the POCO X5 5G will come in three colours including Green, Blue, and Black, and will also be available in two variants with 6GB+128GB and 8GB+256GB set-ups.
