Purchased 3 days ago for around €250 from a well-known chain, for my mother (who doesn't have high demands) who had a Samsung Galaxy A3 2017 which still works and the battery holds up, but the 2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage, small screen but Super AMOLED, and the old Android 8.0 operating system without security updates made the phone practically slow for today's standards of common applications (FB, Youtube, Viber, Chrome, Netflix). The Poco X5 5G is a fantastic phone, night and day compared to the A3, and economical for what it does.
Let's go to the positives:
- It has a 5G antenna for future investment, but coverage in Greece is not yet complete, for better battery autonomy I have turned off 5G in the settings and it runs on 4G+.
- It has 6GB of regular RAM along with a setting for 3GB Virtual RAM, totaling 9GB, and with the super-fast Snapdragon processor, it runs smoothly and doesn't lag with the applications of an average user, and the 128GB of internal storage holds everything along with an additional 64GB microSD.
- It also has a regular FM radio without needing to connect to the internet.
- Easy menu with customization options, it had some bloatware but they can be easily removed.
- It has NFC for contactless payments as well as infrared to function as a remote control with the appropriate app.
- In terms of security, Xiaomi, like Apple, with the corresponding Xiaomi Account and the locked bootloader, locks the phone in case of a hard reset.
- The fingerprint sensor opens quickly, the screen has a refresh rate setting of 120Hz for smooth gaming but consumes more battery.
- The high-resolution screen has rich colors (OLED panel) in this price category.
- The 48MP camera along with the 8MP camera on the back of the phone are quite decent in good natural lighting only for photos; for videos, it does basic things (due to lack of stability and white balance issues and many others...), it struggles in low light as is logical in this price category; also, the 48MP is for marketing reasons; on iPhone or Galaxy S series with 12MP, the shots and videos are much, much superior.
- The box contains the essentials that all mobile manufacturers should provide; it really includes a transparent case, the phone has a thin protective film already applied when you take it out of the box, and the 33W fast charger with its cable inside.
- Strong speakers and excellent call quality.
- The battery is 5000 mAh; for my mother's usage, it lasts 3 to 4 days and charges in an hour from empty with the 33W fast charger, but you should use the original Type-C cable or if you lose it, get the genuine one from the dealership because if you use another, the charger will cut the power and instead of 33W, it will charge at 18W. The Poco X5 5G has a special contact in the USB port of the fast charger and its cable internally (anyone who knows the GND Drain) which is also red/orange and in some OnePlus phones or purple in Huawei Super Charge as an identifier to allow more than 3A of current and greater power for faster charging, but also the different voltages and currents that the charger outputs during fast charging (5V, 9V, 11V, 12V, 20V) depending on the battery percentage. The slow charging from 20% to 80~85% (from a simple and quality 5V @ 10W charger) as well as the removal of the plastic case during charging, due to the lower temperature, is good for the battery's health, but it will take a very long time to charge and the putting on and taking off of the case is not convenient....
- It came with Android 12 out of the box and immediately received a 3.3 GB update to Android 13, as well as an update to Hyper OS (Android 14).
For now, I don't see any negatives, we'll see how it goes...
In conclusion, it is an excellent phone for this price (around €250) for the average user and not only, who wants a phone with modern communication needs like 5G, NFC, good browsing speeds and social media, basic daily uses, and has low requirements for the cameras. Make sure to secure it with a screen protector and case because the one it comes with will yellow....