POCO X5 review: the launch promo is served

Inside the package we find a USB / USB-C cable, a 33W power supply and a popular clear silicone cover to protect the device.

The design of LITTLE X5 it’s simple, in perfect company style. On the back is the POCO writing, as in practically all the company’s models. In the hand, the smartphone is quite light thanks to its 189 grams, not a few overall, but not many if we consider the generous dimensions of the device. The thickness is 7.98 mm and the company has also managed to make it splash resistant according to the IP53 standards.

POCO X5 is entirely made in plastic but it is a compromise that is obviously accepted when buying smartphones in this price range. The fingerprint reader is placed on the right handily enough for comfortable day-to-day use.

The hardware of this smartphone is in fact identical to that of POCO X4 Pro. We have a 2.2 GHz octa-core Snapdragon 695 processor with a 6-nanometer production process, a Adreno 619 GPU6 or 8 GB of LPPDR4X RAM and 128 or 256 GB of internal UFS 2.2 storage.

This memory is expandable using a microSD.

The smartphone then has a decent connectivity: 5GWifi B.C dual band, Bluetooth 5.1 and NFC chip for payments. We are also happy to find that the audio jack is still in place, as is the infrared port.

The performance of this configuration is certainly not amazing, but if we reevaluate everything according to the price range they are absolutely very good, practically never showing signs of slowdown and guaranteeing good performance even with 3D games.

A nice, real difference from the past is that the proximity sensor is “classic” and not virtual.

POCO X5’s camera kit is enough standard. We have one 48 megapixels ƒ/1.8, an 8 megapixel ƒ/2.2 wide angle and a 2 megapxiel ƒ/2.4 for macro. Although the focus is precise and fast we weren’t too surprised by the results of the shots.

In low light the images are always usable but some details are missing, while in good light there are no detail problems but the management of HDR in some cases is a bit rough and does not offer particularly balanced results. In fact, there are parts of the image that are too bright in outdoor shots. But take this criticism with a grain of salt. However, it is a cheap smartphone and for this reason we still have more than fair results for the price range. We just haven’t seen a particular generational improvement. The same goes for selfies from the front camera from 13 megapixels ƒ/2.5.

The FullHD videos from the main camera are decidedly uninspiring. We could have deferred without major problems for the lack of 4K or 60fpsbut unfortunately the quality of the videos did not appear to be very exciting.

Even on the display there are no differences compared to POCO X4 Pro.

In this LITTLE X5 in fact we have a 6.67-inch panel with FullHD + resolution (1080 x 2400 pixels) and a 120Hz refresh rate, settable from the settings. It’s easy to feel the smoothness of the screen increase in this mobility, but just like last year, here too the magic is sometimes broken by the occasional frame-rate slowdown. We then have support for touch sampling at 240Hz, which ensures rapid touch response during gaming sessions and a peak brightness of 1,200 nits. The glass is then of the Gorilla Glass 3 type to add a higher level of protection. The screen is certainly one of the strong points of this smartphone. Too bad for the always-on display that “always” is not, since it deactivates 10 seconds after receiving the notification.

LITTLE X5 arrives on the market with Android 12 updated with the November 2022 patches. MIUI is version 13. It is a bit of a shame to see how POCO has made the same mistake as last year by choosing to bring it to the market with a now old software base of more than a year.

Even out-of-date patches aren’t the best.

There MIUI 13, pending version 14, still performs well, going to customize the interface by adding some interesting features. We have the option to light up the edges of the display when receiving a notification, enable the video game turbo for maximum gaming performance and the ability to enable retractable floating windows. There is no shortage of “great classics” such as one-handed mode and the possibility of cloning apps. Too bad once again for the many pre-installed apps, which however can be easily uninstalled.

The battery remains (again comparing it with the X4 Pro model from which it descends) from 5,000mAh and together with the already extensively tested processor they make a good match. In fact, it is easy to get through the working day with stressful use, just as it is easy to get to two days of medium use or three of mild use.

If only smartphones were like this for autonomy. Charging is fast a 33Wbut has still been halved in speed compared to the model already mentioned.

LITTLE X5 is launched on the market at €299 in the 6/128 cut and at 349€ for version 8/256. These are two prices in line with those of last year and which have not particularly suffered from the inflation that has been hitting the technology market recently. Added to this is a promo early birds really greedy. In fact, the prices are reduced at the launch of €50, becoming €249 and €299. A very tempting offer, in line with POCO’s historical policy.