Poco X4 Pro in test: Marketing or all-rounder?

The Poco X4 Pro is one of the most aggressive price-performance killers. It's a really good device, but there are things that seem a bit inconsistent. This device has very critical marketing. But is the device any good?

The Poco X4 Pro is a real beast in the hand. 6,67 inches is flagship size, plus this angular frame, the non-rounded display and the thickness due to the large battery. Plus this width. Even if the device is not for small hands, it has a lot to offer. In this article, we look at the points that speak for the Poco X4 Pro, but also those where Poco has made compromises.

Display

First of all: The display of the Poco X4 Pro is unbeatable for this price. They have obviously paid more attention to the specs here. Accordingly, there is a sharp FHD+ resolution, a 120 Hertz refresh rate and OLED technology for good contrast values ​​and perfect black. The overall package is completed with a nice bright brightness. This is a display that would look good in a 600 euro smartphone based on the specifications. The display edges are also surprisingly thin and that thick chin, like on some other devices at this price, is non-existent here. There is really only one thing that is not good here, namely the rainbow discoloration, which is very strong at oblique viewing angles.

And the front camera in this small hole, in my opinion, shouldn't be put on display with the help of this silver ring. It looks a bit like a protective film was badly applied. But well, these are really very specific requirements. Now if you look at it from a normal person's point of view, this display here is really excellent for this price. Also its size. If you watch videos on it, use WhatsApp or do similar things, you have a top device here. This display is even better than the one from the 499 euro expensive one OPPO Find X5 Lite, the Poco not even remotely costs that much. The display is not one of a flagship device, however, as it is not made of a flexible material. A flexible display would ensure that these rainbow colors are barely visible. Unfortunately, there is no such thing here, but that is common in this price range and beyond. And as soon as you activate the dark mode, the rainbow colors are hardly a problem. You won't find a better display for the price, at least not with current hardware. 

design and feel

Let's come to the back, which is often a point where savings are made in this price range. And Xiaomi, as always, delivered here itself. The frame and the back are made of high quality materials, the back is made of glass to be more precise and it feels much more expensive than the device actually is. This design reminds me a lot of My 11 Ultra from last year, only in edgy. And even if the main camera looks very out of place from the side, it still looks high-quality. However, one could have saved on the number of imprints and fonts. In addition to a large Poco logo and hints about the 108-megapixel resolution and the AI ​​triple camera, there is also a peculiar red dot.

The camera of the Poco X4 Pro. (Image: TechnikNews)

There are five cameras in this case - you think - but what Xiaomi has done here makes me wonder. They talked about a "pro grade camera", which is simply not true. Firstly, instead of five cameras, as the appearance suggests, there are only three cameras installed and the other is just a flash and the word "AI", which is already on the other side. Even if we look at the video quality, we cannot speak of a "pro grade camera". The resolution is limited to FullHD and the image noise is stronger than it should be with this sensor. Unfortunately, no effort has been put into optimization here. The ultra-wide angle is not particularly good in terms of hardware and is hardly optimized either. We should probably just ignore the macro camera, a simple crop with the main camera is much better quality. And another "pro grade" is missing, by which I mean OIS, i.e. optical image stabilization. The comparison in the video still shows how good the Poco X4 Pro still is for the price. Of course, the quality is not at the level of a 650 euro smartphone, but there are definitely worse ones for this price. 

hardware and performance

The Poco X4 Pro runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G, which Poco says delivers breathtaking performance. I compared the performance with a few smartphones that I'm currently testing, and the Poco does well with just under 2650 points in the combined Geekbench. That's not an outstanding performance, but for the price it's hard to find anything better, apart from the Poco F3, which comes from the same manufacturer. Apps start and close pleasantly quickly, games usually run well and smoothly, there are no major stutters, and the device is otherwise pleasant to use.

battery and charging

Another point that Xiaomi is promoting here is charging. 67 watts is really not bad, Xiaomi is actually a little ahead of almost all of its competitors, apart from more expensive, lower-priced devices. This battery charges fully in about half an hour, and then it lasts a really long time, with the energy-saving chip in here helping a lot. I can happily report that a runtime of a day is absolutely no problem. You can watch a whole series marathon and the battery will last. If it does run out, you can refill it by half in 10 minutes, because the power adapter is included in the box. Very good, Xiaomi.

Problems

Yes, there are also things that Poco has deliberately saved on here, which they also try to hide from you. This is mainly the case for points that do not appear on the data sheet, such as the software.

Xiaomi has preinstalled MIUI 13 here, which is great software on devices like the Xiaomi 12 Pro. It delivers smooth animations on this smartphone, accompanied by lots of haptic feedback, a ton of features, and the latest Android. But the Poco Launcher on the X4 Pro isn't any of that. Well, I can still give Poco credit for using haptic feedback, because the vibration motor is better than usual for the price. The recoil effects when pulling down the status bar are there at first glance, but are done a bit carelessly. The first time you do it, the effect is there, but not after that. Why?

Once we land on the home screen, animations slowly become a disaster. In the video you can clearly see the difference between the real Xiaomi devices with the uncut software and the Poco with the Poco Launcher. In addition, only Android 11 is available here! Like the OPPO Find X5 Lite, this device comes here with outdated software. Sure, for normal people, the camera and performance are probably more important than the Android version and the animations, but this Oppo Find X2 Neo feels much more mature to use despite a weaker chip. The software from this has two-stage, loving animations instead of these not physically correct animations, which the intern has sleeved shortly before the termination - to put it bluntly.

advertising in the system

And unfortunately I noticed advertisements in the system. To be more precise, this extra screen is often filled with ads when installing apps. It just makes it feel cheaper - not to mention that there's a fair bit of bloatware preinstalled here. There are two folders full of pre-installed apps, which are also filled with additional promotional apps at the bottom. Also, the Wi-Fi reception on my device could have been better, although I'm pretty sure that's really just an isolated case - at least I hope so. Having said that, I have to say that the software is still the weakest feature of the smartphone, although it's definitely better than it used to be.

positive things

On the other hand, and this both surprised me, there is splash protection. So you can use the X4 Pro to turn on the tap while washing your hands without worrying, and the stereo speakers should also be able to drown out a shower with their decent sound.

Poco X4 Pro. (Image: TechnikNews)

Conclusion

As much criticism as was expressed in this review, the Poco is an above-average device for the price, which we can definitely recommend. But you have to be aware of the disadvantages, because marketing doesn't tell the whole story behind a smartphone. For better performance, the Poco F3 could also be exciting, because it has a much more powerful processor and is only slightly more expensive. You can find the review here here.

• Buy Poco X4 Pro on Amazon