POCO started out as a brand that solely brings you that bang-for-buck smartphone experience. People really loved that POCO F1 (or “Pocophone”) when it came out in 2018. Last year, this Xiaomi-affiliated brand launched blockbuster bang-for-your-buck phones including the POCO F3. (It’s the phone that became the benchmark for mid-range phones in terms of performance.) At MWC 2022, POCO launched two new phones: the POCO X4 Pro 5G and the POCO M4 Pro. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much fanfare here. Read on to know why that is.
The POCO X4 Pro 5G Looks Good But Just Feels Fine.
Don’t get me wrong! This phone still brings a lot of value for what it can offer. It has a 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with that sweet 120Hz refresh rate. Gamers will appreciate the phone’s 360Hz touch sampling rate. Netflix viewers will be happy with the DCI-P3 wide color gamut support and dual speakers with Hi-Res audio. The 5000 mAh battery coupled with 67W turbo charging is a standout feature for power users out there. Photographers will also enjoy its 108MP main camera.
Unfortunately, its performance isn’t that compelling. The Snapdragon 695 processor that’s in the POCO X4 Pro 5G is a significant downgrade compared to its predecessor. (The latter carried a Snapdragon 860 processor. That’s basically a flagship processor from 2019!)
On top of that, there’s a price increase! We still get two configurations: the 6GB + 128GB model retails for P16,990, and the 8GB + 256GB model retails for P17,990. That’s a P4,000 price bump from the POCO X3 Pro for the base model! I just feel like it’s more justified to get the higher tier at that point or even the POCO F3.
The POCO M4 Pro Confuses Me Somehow.
At least the POCO X4 Pro 5G didn’t have a 4G version that released last year. That isn’t the case with the POCO M4 Pro. When I first heard of these new POCO phones, I had to do a double take. The reason is that POCO released the POCO M4 Pro 5G last year running a MediaTek Dimensity 810 5G processor.
Sure, we’re getting a 90Hz AMOLED display, a 64MP main camera, a MediaTek Helio G96 processor, and a 5000 mAh battery with 33W Pro fast charging. This may be a good thing if you don’t really care about 5G. But even considering what it has, I would much rather go for the Redmi Note 10 Pro. You get most of what makes this phone a good value, but get a faster display, a better processor, and a better main camera!
You can get the POCO M4 Pro in two configurations: the 6GB + 128GB model retails for P12,990, and the 8GB + 256GB model retails for P13,990.
It’s just sad to see a beloved value-for-money phone brand like POCO lose its appeal. We’re still feeling the effects of the worldwide chip shortage but I’m surprised that its effect on POCO just happened now. Here’s hoping they will succeed with their new phones!
Do you think POCO is getting pricier? Sound off in the comments.