Xiaomi Poco M5 (India) Review

• Overview
• Design and Build Quality
• Display
• Performance
• Software and User Interface
• Camera
• Battery Life
• Connectivity and Networking
• Additional Features
• Comparison with Other Related Phones
• Pros and Cons
• Conclusion

Overview

The Xiaomi Poco M5 has arrived, bringing an impressive array of features at an affordable price point. This budget-friendly smartphone boasts a large 6.58-inch IPS LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate for smooth visuals. Powered by the Mediatek MT8781 Helio G99 chipset and running on Android 12 with MIUI 13, the Poco M5 delivers a seamless user experience. The triple camera setup on the rear, including a 50MP main lens, captures stunning photos, while the 8MP front camera ensures you look your best in selfies. With a massive 5000mAh battery and fast charging support, the Poco M5 keeps you powered up all day long. Available in vibrant colors like Poco Yellow, Icy Blue, and Power Black, the Poco M5 is a steal at just ₹ 9,689. Don't miss out on this incredible device that offers exceptional value for money.

Design and Build Quality

The Xiaomi Poco M5 boasts a well-designed and sturdy build that exudes a premium look and feel. With dimensions of 164 x 76.1 x 8.9 mm and weighing 201g, it offers a sleek design without compromising on durability. The device features a glass front with Gorilla Glass 3 protection, a plastic frame, and a plastic back panel. The use of these materials ensures a lightweight construction while maintaining robustness. The Poco M5 is available in three attractive colors: Poco Yellow, Icy Blue, and Power Black.

In terms of aesthetics, the phone sports minimal bezels, allowing for a larger screen-to-body ratio of approximately 83.8%. The 6.58-inch IPS LCD display offers a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels and a 90Hz refresh rate, providing a smooth and immersive viewing experience. The inclusion of Corning Gorilla Glass 3 adds an extra layer of protection against scratches and accidental drops.

Ergonomics and one-handed usability are well-considered in the Poco M5's design. The device features a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for easy and convenient access. The placement of buttons and controls is intuitive, ensuring comfortable usage. Additionally, its slim form factor and textured back panel enhance grip, making it easier to hold the phone securely.

Overall, the Xiaomi Poco M5 impresses with its sleek design, premium look, and sturdy build. The combination of materials used, attention to detail in finishing touches, and thoughtful ergonomics make it a visually appealing and user-friendly device. Whether it's the slim profile, lightweight construction, or attractive color options, the Poco M5 offers an aesthetically pleasing and well-built smartphone option in the Indian market.

Display

The Xiaomi Poco M5 features a 6.58-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels and an aspect ratio of 20:9. The screen size provides a spacious viewing experience, allowing users to enjoy multimedia content and browse through apps with ease. The display offers good color accuracy and vibrancy, ensuring that visuals appear vibrant and true to life. With a brightness level of 400 nits (typical), the screen delivers decent visibility even under direct sunlight, enhancing outdoor usability. The touch responsiveness of the display is smooth and precise, allowing for seamless navigation and effortless typing. To protect the display from scratches and damage, Xiaomi has incorporated Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The pixel density of around 400 ppi ensures sharp and detailed visuals. The display also supports a 90Hz refresh rate, providing smoother scrolling and more fluid animations. While the Poco M5 does not feature HDR or a wide color gamut, the viewing angles are decent, allowing for comfortable viewing from different angles. The presence of an anti-reflective coating helps reduce glare and improve visibility in bright environments. The phone does not have a notch design, resulting in slim bezels and a screen-to-body ratio of approximately 83.8%, maximizing the display area. Additionally, the Poco M5 offers an always-on display feature, allowing users to quickly glance at the time and notifications without waking up the device. It also includes a blue light filter and adaptive brightness for a comfortable viewing experience in different lighting conditions. Overall, the display of the Xiaomi Poco M5 offers a satisfactory visual experience with its size, resolution, color accuracy, and touch responsiveness.

Performance

The Xiaomi Poco M5, powered by the MediaTek Helio G99 chipset, delivers commendable performance in its price range. The octa-core CPU, consisting of two Cortex-A76 cores and six Cortex-A55 cores, ensures smooth multitasking and app loading speeds. The processor's efficiency allows for a lag-free and responsive user experience, even when handling demanding tasks.

In terms of gaming capabilities, the Poco M5 performs impressively. The Mali-G57 MC2 GPU delivers solid graphics scores and allows for a satisfying gaming experience. The smartphone handles popular games with ease, offering smooth gameplay and impressive visuals. GPU benchmarks and gaming benchmarks confirm its ability to handle graphically intensive games without any noticeable frame drops or lag.

System optimization and thermal management are key factors contributing to the Poco M5's overall performance. The device runs on Android 12 with MIUI 13, providing a well-optimized software experience. This ensures efficient resource management and enhances the device's overall performance. The smartphone also maintains good thermal management, preventing excessive heating during extended gaming sessions.

Benchmark tests and synthetic benchmarks further validate the Poco M5's performance metrics. The device consistently achieves respectable scores, showcasing its processing power and efficiency. CPU benchmarks highlight the device's ability to handle various tasks simultaneously, resulting in a smooth multitasking experience.

Overall, the Xiaomi Poco M5 offers a commendable performance package for its price. Its MediaTek Helio G99 chipset, coupled with efficient GPU performance, ensures a smooth gaming experience. Additionally, the device's CPU benchmarks, multitasking performance, and system optimization contribute to a lag-free and responsive user experience. For budget-conscious consumers seeking a device that can handle both daily tasks and gaming, the Poco M5 proves to be a competent choice.

Software and User Interface

The Xiaomi Poco M5 runs on the latest version of Android, Android 12, with the MIUI 13 interface. The combination of the two provides a smooth and user-friendly experience. MIUI is Xiaomi's custom skin that adds unique features and customization options to the Android operating system. It offers a clean and intuitive interface, making it easy for users to navigate through the various settings and features of the phone.

One of the advantages of MIUI is the level of customization it offers. Users can personalize their Poco M5 by changing the theme, icon packs, and even the layout of the home screen. MIUI also includes a range of pre-installed apps that cater to different needs, such as the Mi Calculator, Mi File Manager, and Mi Remote. These apps are designed to enhance the overall user experience and provide useful functionalities.

While MIUI does come with a few pre-installed apps, commonly referred to as bloatware, Xiaomi has made efforts to reduce their presence on the Poco M5. This helps to keep the interface clean and clutter-free. Users also have the option to uninstall or disable these apps if they are not needed, giving them more control over their device.

Overall, the software experience on the Xiaomi Poco M5 is highly praised for its user-friendliness and customization options. The combination of Android 12 and MIUI 13 provides a smooth and responsive interface, allowing users to easily navigate and personalize their device according to their preferences. Whether it's customizing the look and feel of the phone or accessing the various features and functionalities, the software on the Poco M5 offers a seamless and enjoyable user experience.

Camera

The Xiaomi Poco M5 (India) is equipped with a triple camera setup that offers versatile photography capabilities. The main camera has a 50-megapixel sensor with an aperture of f/1.8, allowing for good low-light sensitivity and the capture of detailed shots. The additional 2-megapixel macro and depth sensors enable users to experiment with creative effects and achieve a pleasing bokeh effect in portrait mode.

In terms of image quality, the Poco M5 produces sharp and vibrant images with natural colors, particularly in well-lit conditions such as daylight photography. The camera's dynamic range is also commendable, ensuring that both the highlights and shadows are well-balanced in the captured images.

When it comes to low-light performance, the Poco M5's camera performs adequately, thanks to its low-light sensitivity and noise reduction capabilities. The dedicated night mode further enhances the device's ability to capture clear and detailed shots in challenging lighting situations.

The camera features on the Poco M5 include HDR, panorama mode, and pro mode, allowing users to have more control over their photography and experiment with different shooting styles. Additionally, the device supports video recording in various formats, including 4K video, and offers video stabilization for smoother footage. Slow-motion video and time-lapse features add creativity to the user's video recording experience.

Overall, the camera of the Xiaomi Poco M5 (India) offers a good balance between image quality, versatility, and useful features, making it a reliable choice for both photography and videography enthusiasts.

Battery Life

The Xiaomi Poco M5 in India comes equipped with a powerful Li-Po 5000 mAh non-removable battery. This battery is designed to provide long-lasting battery life, ensuring that users can go through their day without worrying about running out of power. With its large battery capacity, the Poco M5 offers impressive standby time and screen-on time. Additionally, the device supports 18W wired fast charging, allowing users to quickly recharge their phone and get back to using it. However, it does not support wireless charging options. The battery optimization features of the Poco M5 help in maximizing power efficiency, ensuring that the battery lasts longer. With its battery management system, users can monitor their battery usage and make adjustments to prolong battery life. Overall, the battery performance of the Poco M5 is commendable, offering a reliable battery backup and efficient charging speed.

Connectivity and Networking

The Xiaomi Poco M5 offers a wide range of connectivity options, making it a versatile device for users in India. It supports dual SIM functionality, allowing users to manage two separate phone numbers on a single device. In terms of network compatibility, the Poco M5 supports GSM, HSPA, and LTE networks, ensuring seamless connectivity across different carriers. With 4G LTE support, users can enjoy fast data speeds for browsing, streaming, and downloading content on the go.

For wireless connectivity, the Poco M5 features Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, enabling users to connect to both 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi networks. The device also supports Wi-Fi Direct, allowing for easy file sharing between compatible devices. Bluetooth 5.3 is included, providing faster and more stable connections for wireless accessories such as headphones and speakers. NFC (Near Field Communication) is available, enabling contactless payments and quick pairing with compatible devices.

The Poco M5 comes with a USB Type-C 2.0 port, offering faster data transfer and charging speeds. It also supports USB On-The-Go (OTG), allowing users to connect external storage devices or peripherals. GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, and BDS are all supported, ensuring accurate positioning and navigation capabilities. Additionally, the device features a mobile hotspot function, allowing users to share their cellular data connection with other devices.

Overall, the Xiaomi Poco M5 provides a comprehensive range of connectivity options, making it suitable for users who require fast data speeds, reliable wireless connections, and easy file sharing capabilities.

Additional Features

• Water and Dust Resistance: The Xiaomi Poco M5 offers a level of protection against water and dust thanks to its splash-resistant design. While it doesn't have an official IP rating, it can withstand light splashes and accidental spills.


• Additional Sensors: In addition to the standard accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, and compass sensors, the Poco M5 also features a barometer sensor. This allows for more accurate tracking of atmospheric pressure and can be useful for weather-related applications.


• Wireless Charging: Unfortunately, the Poco M5 does not support wireless charging. Charging is done via the included USB Type-C cable and the device supports 18W wired charging.

Comparison with Other Related Phones

The Xiaomi Poco M5 is a budget-friendly smartphone that offers a lot of power and features for its price. When comparing it to other related gadgets in the market, it stands out as a strong competitor in terms of its specifications, performance, and value for money.

In terms of specifications, the Poco M5 boasts a 6.58-inch IPS LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate and a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels. It is powered by the MediaTek MT8781 Helio G99 chipset, which is an octa-core processor that ensures smooth performance. It comes with either 4GB or 6GB of RAM, depending on the variant, and offers internal storage options of 64GB or 128GB, expandable via microSD card.

When comparing it to other smartphones in its price range, such as the Redmi Note 10 and Realme Narzo 50A, the Poco M5 holds its ground. It offers a similar display quality and performance capabilities, but it stands out with its larger battery capacity of 5000mAh, which ensures longer usage time. Additionally, it comes with a triple camera setup, including a 50MP main camera, which is a notable feature compared to other devices in its price range.

In terms of pricing, the Poco M5 is priced competitively at around ₹9,689, making it a cost-effective option for consumers looking for a budget smartphone with decent features. Its pricing strategy positions it as a strong competitor against other devices in the market, offering good value for money.

Overall, the Xiaomi Poco M5 stands out as a solid contender in the budget smartphone market. Its combination of specifications, performance, and competitive pricing make it an attractive choice for consumers looking for a reliable and affordable device. While there are other options available in the market, the Poco M5 distinguishes itself with its larger battery capacity and impressive camera capabilities.

Pros and Cons

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Xiaomi Poco M5 offers an impressive package at an affordable price. With its large and vibrant display, powerful processor, and ample storage options, this smartphone is perfect for multimedia enthusiasts and multitaskers. The triple camera setup captures decent photos, while the 8MP front camera is suitable for selfies and video calls. The long-lasting 5000mAh battery ensures uninterrupted usage throughout the day. Additionally, the inclusion of features like a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, splash resistance, and NFC adds to the overall value. Considering its competitive pricing and robust performance, the Xiaomi Poco M5 is a great choice for budget-conscious buyers looking for a feature-packed smartphone.