Xiaomi Poco M5 Pros and Cons

Xiaomi Poco M5 Smartphone Review – The Xiaomi Poco M series phones are usually designed for affordable price segment phones. Generally, they provide impressive features under their hood that’s why many people love this phone. Apart from being, the company released the Poco M5 lineup in September 2022, which includes Poco M5, Poco M5s, and Poco M5 India. All of them fall under the budget segment, but they are offering some exciting features that are worth talking about.

We have already reviewed the Xiaomi Poco M5s, you can check that in the meanwhile. For today’s review, we have the Poco M5 that launched in September 2022. The phone is unveiled on the worldwide market so everyone can purchase this phone without any hassle. Besides this, the company also created a dedicated variant of Xiaomi Poco M5 (India) for Indian users with some changes. Let’s head toward the Xiaomi Poco M5 review to find out more details about this phone.

Xiaomi Poco M5 Smartphone Review

Highlights

  1. Poco M5 comes with a 6.58 inches IPS LCD panel that grants a 90Hz refresh rate.
  2. As for the software end, you will receive the MIUI 13 custom skin that will be equipped with Android 12.
  3. The Helio G99 chipset handles the performance section precisely with good GPU support.
  4. In terms of the camera module, you will receive a 50MP triple camera with a standard 5MP selfie.
  5. Under the hood, a massive Li-Po 5000 mAh battery with an 18W average charging support.

Design and Display

The Xiaomi Poco M5 has a boxy design that looks pretty unique when you hold the phone for the first time. Besides this, the camera module also appears to be interesting with a glossy texture that goes around to another end of the back panel. Furthermore, the company is offering this phone in three fascinating shade options from which you can choose the best according to your desire.

You can go with the Black variant if you prefer a professional look, while the Green and Yellow variants fall on the fancy side. The back panel texture looks like leather, but it’s actually a plastic body. As for the security aspect, you are getting a fingerprint sensor embedded in the power button. Following this, let’s talk about the build of this phone. It is roughly 8.9-mm thick and weighs around 201 grams, which is pretty much acceptable.

On the other hand, you will find a drop notch 6.58-inch IPS LCD panel that has thin bezels. With this, you won’t face any disturbance while watching content. Plus, the screen got corning gorilla glass 3 protection and it also offers 90Hz refresh rate support for a smooth user interface experience, while the brightness levels can reach up to 500nits easily. Sadly, the color contrast is looking slightly underwhelming compared to the AMOLED screen of the Poco M5s.

Memory and Internal

The performance aspect of the Xiaomi Poco M5 smartphone arrives with a 6nm MediaTek MT8781 Helio G99 chipset that will deliver daily usage decently. Besides this, the processing power can go up to 2×2.2Ghz cloaking speed which will handle regular gaming, social media consumption, and content streaming in a pretty hassle-free manner. Moreover, the Helio G99 chipset grants 4G connectivity, which is pretty much expected from affordable-range phones.

On the other hand, the gameplay experience is average because the company only added a Mali-G57 MC2 GPU from which you can only play games at low resolution and visual settings. However, casual games like Candy Crush, Subway Surfers, etc., will run smoothly. In terms of the software layering, the combination of the Android 12 based on the MIUI 13 skin does bring a lot of personalization options.

Aside from this, it also comes with lots of pre-installed bloatware apps. Yet, the company makes sure the users are getting diverse storage options. You can pick between 64GB to 128GB UFS 2.2 internal storage with 4GB to 6GBK RAM support. Furthermore, the phone includes a dedicated microSD slot as a secondary storage unit from which you can expand the storage limit to an extent.

Camera

The Xiaomi Poco M5 smartphone might not have the best camera results when it comes to lowlight because you will notice noise in the background, while the AI software doesn’t improve the night mode photos. However, you are getting tons of features inside the native camera app that will provide filters, modes, and functions that will enhance the overall quality. The camera test in the daylight is pretty good as it will provide decent colors and precise contrast.

Spec-wise, the 50MP primary lens leads the triple camera setup that will provide immersive colors and fine details. But as we said earlier, the lowlight photos are disappointing. As for the software support, the image processing unit does improve the colors, contrast, exposures, and many more things. Though, you won’t find any ultra-wide lens support on the triple camera module.

Instead of that, you will find a 2MP macro and 2MP depth lens, while they are just to showcase the number of lenses. But they do not provide any major impact on the camera results. Aside from this, the 5MP selfie camera capture oversaturated photos and videos. In terms of video recording, the phone support 1080p resolution.

Battery and Others

The battery optimization of the Xioami Poco M5 is pretty good as it will provide a decent screen for playing casual games, watching content at FHD resolution, and regular social media activities. In a usual condition, you will attain more than 6+ hours of screen time, and even after that around 10% battery will still be left. Aside from this, the phone can handle long-lasting battery life.

On the other hand, you will receive an 18W fast charger inside the box that will grant a full battery in less than an hour and a half. Though, the charging speed is comparatively low compared to the Poco M5s. Anyway, the sound output is mediocre. Now, last but not least, the phone will cost around $140 (Rs 11,591 in India) approx for the starting variant, which is a value-for-money deal.

Xiaomi Poco M5 Pros and Cons

Xiaomi Poco M5

Xiaomi Poco M5 Specifications Detail

Down below you can see the full specifications of the Xiaomi Poco M5 smartphone.

SpecificationsXiaomi Poco M5
Network2G, 3G, 4G
AnnouncedSeptember 2022
SIMDual SIM
Dimensions6.46 x 3.00 x 0.35 inches
Weight201 g
Size6.58 inches
DisplayIPS LCD
90Hz
500 nits brightness
20:9 ratio
~401 PPI density
ProtectionCorning Gorilla Glass 3
Resolution1080 x 2408 pixels
OSAndroid 12, MIUI 13
Chipset6nm – MediaTek Helio G99
CPUOcta-core
2×2.2 GHz Cortex-A76
6×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55
GPUMali-G57 MC2
Card slotmicroSDXC (dedicated slot)
RAM4GB, 6GB
Internal64GB, 128GB
UFS 2.2
Camera50 MP (wide), PDAF
2 MP (macro)
2 MP (depth)
LED flash, HDR, panorama
Max – 1080p@30fps
Selfie5 MP (wide)
Max – 1080p@30fps
LoudspeakerYes
3.5mm jackYes
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot
Bluetooth5.3, A2DP, LE
GPSYes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS
NFCYes
Infrared portYes
RadioYes
USBUSB Type-C 2.0, USB On-The-Go
SensorsSide-mounted fingerprint, accelerometer, proximity, compass
BatteryLi-Po 5000 mAh
Fast charging 18W
ColorsBlack, Green, Yellow
Expected Price$140 (Rs 11,591 in India) approx.
Disclaimer: We can not guarantee that the data available on this page is 100% correct.

Conclusion

After examining all of the factors of the Xiaomi Poco M5, the phone is looking a great deal as an affordable mid-range phone. It includes impressive performance, a long-lasting battery, and better refresh rate support. But at the same time, there’s no doubt that the phone also has several flaws such as average camera results, slow charging, standard display quality, and so on. Instead of that, the Poco M5s is looking for a more appealing option, except it got lower processing power.

We all know that smartphone makers do reduce some features to make the overall price more attractive. As for the alternative options, you can check out the Samsung Galaxy A13 5G since it offers all-rounder features with 5G connectivity. Though, you can choose any other option that fits your requirements.

Aman Patel
Aman Patel is a technology enthusiast and has excellent knowledge of smartphones. He writes for Oispice frequently about smartphones and reviews. Aman is available on email at [email protected].

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