Last month, we reviewed the Poco X6 Pro and were highly impressed by its power-packed performance, clean design, and immaculate display. Now, we turn our attention to its non-Pro sibling, which is currently priced at Rs 22,000. There is a Rs 5,000 difference between the two variants. This brings up the most obvious question – is it worth paying the extra Rs 5,000 and going for the Pro variant? On paper, the biggest difference between the two smartphones is the chipset. The Poco X6 is powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 2 SoC while the Pro model houses MediaTek Dimensity 8300 Ultra. The latter proved to be a solid chipset that delivered a fast, snappy performance (read the full review here). Hoping to get a similar performance out of the Snapdragon chipset, we used the Poco X6 as our daily driver for a week – here is our review of the smartphone.
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In This Article
Poco X6 review: Design and Display
Inside the Poco X6 retail package, you get the smartphone, a 67W power adapter, a USB Type-C cable, an opaque plastic cover, a SIM ejector tool, and a quick start guide. The smartphone is available in two colour variants – Mirror Black and Snowstorm White.
There are some key differences in the design of the two X6 variants. On the Pro model, the top portion of the back panel has a rectangular plastic panel for the camera module. The standard Poco X6 has a square panel. The Poco branding can be found to the right of this panel, surrounded by a black shade. The primary lens and ultrawide sensor are enclosed in big circular cutouts. The macro lens has a small plastic ring around it while the LED flash is integrated into the panel without a cutout.
We used the black colour variant of the Poco X6 for this review. The camera section of the rear panel is a darker shade of black. This dual-tone scheme on the Snowstorm White colour variant also looks very appealing. We liked the feel of the curved ‘glasstic’ back panel on the Pro variant, but the standard panel has a flat back which feels like ordinary plastic. It is extremely glossy and a fingerprint magnet like its elder sibling. The in-hand feel of the device is significantly diminished by the choice of materials and the flat design.
On the right edge of the plastic frame, you will find the volume rocker keys and the power button. The SIM tray, primary microphone, USB Type-C port, and primary speaker grille are located on the bottom edge. Up top lie the 3.5mm headphone jack (missing on the Pro variant), a secondary speaker grille, a secondary microphone, and an IR blaster.
Moving on, the 6.67-inch AMOLED display on the Poco X6 is surrounded by slim bezels on all four sides. These bezels get every so slightly thicker at the top and the bottom. The selfie camera is housed in a punch-hole cutout at the centre of the display. In direct sunlight, this panel can reach a peak brightness of 1,800 nits, as claimed by Poco. We did not face any issues while using the phone outdoors. The display was legible and offered optimum brightness under different conditions.
The content viewing experience on the Poco X6 is also a delight. A screen resolution of 1,220 x 2,712p and Widevide L1 certification ensure that you can stream HD videos on the device across all the major OTT platforms. The colours produced by the display are vibrant and punchy. The images are bright and super detailed, leaving no stone unturned in bringing the ideal viewing experience. While the display has a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz, the media playback rate is capped at 60Hz.
An IP54 rating for dust and water resistance means the Poco X6 can handle minor splashes of water but may face damage upon submersion. We did use the smartphone under light rainfall, and it was completely unfazed.
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Poco X6 review: Performance and Cameras
Under the hood, the Poco X6 packs the Snapdragon 7 Gen 2 SoC. It is available in two RAM and storage variants – 8GB + 256GB and 12GB + 512GB. The latter variant is priced at Rs 25,000. In the Geekbench 6 app, the smartphone scored 1,022 points in the single-core test and 2,995 points in the multi-core test. In comparison, the Poco X6 Pro scored 1,445 and 4,506 points respectively.
For daily usage, the Poco X6 is a decent smartphone. We did not face any issues with multitasking or other power-intensive tasks. However, the Pro variant is marginally faster than the regular model. Even though the difference is minimal, it is noticeable. We tried loading the same apps on the two smartphones and the Pro variant (which is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8300 Ultra) beat the Poco X6 every time. This is something we expected from the faster chipset.
Taking the Pro model out of the picture, the Poco X6 is a fine smartphone in its segment. Its amazing display offers a very fluid touch reception, making it very easy to browse through the apps and stay on top of your tasks. This smooth experience is something we enjoyed a lot on the smartphone. Even with half a dozen apps open in the background, the X6 does not miss a step in performance.
We even tried a bit of gaming on the device and were pleasantly surprised by how well it handled titles like Call of Duty Mobile, BGMI, and EA Sports FC. After adjusting the graphics to a level below the highest settings, the gameplay was smooth and lag-free. There weren’t any unwanted jitters of any kind and the internal temperature of the smartphone did not rise to a concerning level even after 40 minutes of continuous gameplay.
OS duties on Poco X6 are handled by MIUI 14. Its Pro sibling ships with HyperOS out of the box, which the standard model will also get in a future update. At the time of writing this review, HyperOS has not arrived for the X6 yet, but you can check out how it performed in our review of the Pro model. MIUI 14 is not our favourite Android skin, but there are certain aspects of the software experience where it rises among its peers. We like Xiaomi’s clever way of separating the notification shade and the quick settings menu. A swipe-down gesture from the left side of the screen pulls down the notification shades while a similar gesture from the right side reveals the quick setting menu. You can also swipe on either panel to access the other one.
MIUI 14 also has a decent set of customisation options, although they are much more refined on HyperOS. The lock screen layouts and customisation options are very limited on MIUI 14. But what we do like is the integration of the hidden apps folder in the app drawer. Swiping twice on the app drawer lets you access all the hidden apps. One of the bigger letdowns of the OS is the tremendous volume of bloatware that comes with it. You’ll need to set aside some time to delete all the apps you don’t need on your device.
The battery capacity of the X6 is slightly larger than the Pro model. The 5,100 mAh battery pack can be charged in under 50 minutes using the 67W power adapter provided in the box. During the review period, our daily usage consisted of tasks like instant messaging, voice and video calling, web browsing, navigation, media playback, and gaming, which left us with a 15-20% at the end of the day on the Poco X6.
The rear camera panel on the Poco X6 houses a 64MP primary shooter, an 8MP ultrawide lens, and a 2MP macro lens. Images taken with the primary camera in outdoor daylight were vivid and detailed. We were happy with the depth and tone of the colours produced in the images. The dynamic range is close to ideal, and the phone does a good job of processing the contrast in the images. The quick shutter speed and efficient autofocus make the photography experience quite fun.
In low-light conditions, the pictures can be a hit or miss depending upon the intensity of surrounding light. The night mode does a decent job of limiting the grain and noise in the images, but it is far from ideal. What we can say about this smartphone is that you won’t hesitate to take it out to take pictures at night. The quality of pictures exceeds the baseline expectation one might have from a phone in this price range.
The ultrawide camera also produces good results in daylight conditions. While there is a little softness to the pictures, we like that the colours were tuned very well. Typically, ultrawide sensors in this price range produce washed images. That is not the case here. However, in limited lighting, we would suggest sticking with the primary sensor.
The camera app also has a Portrait Mode which produces good results. The camera does a good job of separating the subject from the background and applying the appropriate blur. The edge detection can be a hit or miss and you may have to take multiple shots before landing on the result you want.
The 16MP selfie camera takes good images in optimum lighting. We would have preferred if the images were a little more detailed and sharper. The good thing is that the phone doesn’t overcorrect the skin tone of the subject. This front-facing camera can record 1080p videos at 30/60fps. Meanwhile, the primary camera at the back can record 4K videos at 30fps.
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Verdict
During our time with the device, Poco X6 proved to be a gritty performer that delivers on every front. Its stunning AMOLED display with ultra-slim bezels is great for watching video content across the board – be it movies or live sports. The Snapdragon 7 Gen 2 SoC handles everyday tasks without any hiccups. The primary camera is fun to play with, producing detailed images in a wide range of lighting conditions. At Rs 22,000 the X6 is a great deal. However, we can’t help but compare it to its Pro sibling. Splurging an extra Rs 5,000 fetches you a superior back panel and a snappier chipset, which is well worth the money.
Poco X6: Pros
- Great display
- Good primary camera
- Crushes everyday tasks
Poco X6: Cons
- Macro lens doesn’t find a lot of use
- Contains a lot of bloatware
Information required for battery draining.