Poco X6 Review: Xtreme Performance On A Budget

The Poco X6 5G starts at Rs.21,999 for the base variant with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. Furthermore, the 12GB+256GB and 12GB+512GB models will retail for Rs.23,999 and Rs.24,999 respectively.

The Poco X6 will be exclusively available in Snowstorm White and Mirror Black colours on Flipkart.

The Poco X6 packs the following items inside the box:

• Handset
• 67W Charger
• Documentation
• SIM Ejector
• Case

Before we talk in detail about the device, let’s see what the on-paper specs look like:

• Display: 6.67 inch AMOLED
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2
• RAM & ROM: 8GB 256GB, 12GB 256 GB, 12GB 512 GB
• Software: Android v13
• Rear camera: 64MP + 8MP + 2MP
• Selfie camera: 16 MP
• Battery: 5100 mAh
• Weight: 181 grams
• Dimensions: 161.2 x 74.3 x 8 mm

The Poco X6 has a plastic back, unlike its doppelganger, the Redmi Note 13 Pro which features a glass-back design. Moreover, the device has a plastic frame with a matte finish, and my black variant has a glossy finish.

This is one area where the Poco X6 differs from the Redmi Note 13 Pro to hit a more affordable price point. Despite the plastic back, the phone does not feel cheap in any way, although the Mirror Black variant I have is prone to smudges and fingerprints, so I recommend using a case.

On the back, you will find a triple-camera setup housed in a rectangular camera module surrounded by a black strip with Poco branding. Despite being large, the phone weighs 181 grams and has a thickness of 8mm.

Also Read: Poco X6 Pro Review: The OnePlus Killer Is Here!

Speaking of the case, Poco has bundled a premium rubberised black case that fits snugly and has a matte finish. It deserves appreciation for offering a good quality case in the box.

Regarding ports and placements, the phone has volume rockers and a power button on the right, while the left remains clean. You will find the 3.5mm headphone jack, IR blaster, secondary microphone and speaker grille on the top.

At the bottom, you will be greeted by the USB-C port, speaker grille and SIM tray. The phone also has an IP54 rating for water and dust resistance.

The Poco X6 features a 64-megapixel primary camera, an 8-megapixel ultrawide camera, and a 2-megapixel macro lens. On the front, there is a 16-megapixel sensor for taking selfies.

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The shots taken during the day are good, with adequate details and accurate colours. However, the details start to fizzle once you zoom in.

Similarly, the 8-megapixel ultrawide can take good shots, although the colours don’t match the primary sensor and can sometimes be overexposed. The 2-megapixel macro lens is only good on paper, and the outputs are acceptable at best.

When it comes to lowlight photography, the photos are average, with plenty of noise and overexposed colours. However, it can occasionally take some good shots in scenarios with proper lighting.

The 16-megapixel selfie shooter takes good photos with good details and accurate colours. Regarding video recording, the phone can shoot 4K 30 FPS with a primary sensor and 1080p at 30FPS from the front-facing camera.

Also Read: Poco M6 5G Review: Bringing 5G To The Masses

If cameras are your priority, it’s best to look at other options, such as the Redmi Note 13 Pro, which offers superior camera performance.

The Poco X6 packs a 5,100mAh battery with support for 67W fast charging. It can last up to 6 to 7 hours on normal usage with a refresh rate set to 120Hz.

Also Read: Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro Review: The Perfect Mid-Ranger?

Thanks to the 4nm chipset, you can expect better power efficiency despite the increased 1.5K screen resolution. Moreover, the device can be fully charged from 0 to 100 per cent in just 44 minutes using the 67W charger in the box.

Overall, the Poco X6 offers excellent battery life and can easily last a day, even with moderate usage.

The Poco X6 boasts a 6.67-inch 1.5K AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Furthermore, the screen comes with Gorilla Glass Victus for protection and has a peak brightness of 1800 nits.

It is currently the cheapest smartphone in India with a 1.5K display and Gorilla Glass Victus protection, so kudos to Poco for not compromising on the display. The screen has narrow bezels surrounding it and a centre punch-hole cutout.

The higher resolution and large display makes it a treat for watching content. There is also support for HDR 10+ and Dolby Vision, which complements the viewing experience.

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I enjoyed watching Season 1 of The Sopranos and liked the saturated colours on the Vivid mode. The screen is bright enough for outdoor usage, and I did not face any issues, even under harsh sunlight.

Navigating through the user interface feels smooth and fluid thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate. You can also enable 120Hz in unsupported apps in the Settings, which is excellent.

The Poco X6 series also brings an in-display sensor to a Poco smartphone for the first time. The optical fingerprint scanner is fast and works most of the time. I am glad more companies now offer features like in-display fingerprint sensors in the mid-range segment.

Also Read: Poco M6 5G Review: Bringing 5G To The Masses

There is also a dual-stereo speaker setup with Dolby Atmos support, and the speakers are loud enough to fill an entire room. It does not distort even at full volume, and there is ample bass.

The Poco X6 also retains the 3.5mm headphone jack, a rare addition many users will appreciate. Moreover, the phone has an IR blaster, which you can use to control appliances such as AC and TVs.

The Poco X6 is powered by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 paired with up to 12GB of LPDDR4X RAM. It comes with up to 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage and 8GB of virtual memory support.

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This is the same chipset found in the pricier Redmi Note 13 Pro, and the 4nm processor is snappy enough for day-to-day tasks. Most apps, such as Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, etc, remained open in memory, and I did not notice any lags or stutters during my usage.

Furthermore, when it comes to intensive tasks like gaming, the Adreno 710 is capable of running most games at the highest possible settings. You can run BGMI at Ultra HD at Ultra (40 FPS) or HDR and Extreme Frame Rate. During my prolonged gaming sessions, it did not get warm during my usage, and the temperatures remained around 34-35 degrees Celsius.

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Similarly, CODM supports High and Max frame rate options. However, there is no support for 90FPS in either game, which is disappointing.

Regarding benchmarks, the phone has a single core of 1032 and a multi-core score of 2982 on Geekbench. Moreover, the phone throttles to 90 per cent of its max performance in the CPU throttling, which is fantastic given its price.

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In addition, the phone has an AnTuTu V10 score of 641837 and a 99.5 per cent stability in the 3D Mark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test, which is excellent. Overall, the Poco X6 is a great performer that can handle most of your gaming needs.

The Poco X6 ships with MIUI 14 based on Android 13. Unfortunately, brands like Poco are still shipping phones without Android 14 in 2024 despite its elder sibling, Poco X6 Pro, being the first phone to come with HyperOS based on Android 14 in India.

However, it is worth mentioning that Poco has promised an update to HyperOS with Android 14 soon. I can only hope that the company will provide the latest Android version out of the box with its future smartphones.

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The phone has plenty of pre-installed bloatware apps, such as Block Puzzle Guardian, Crazy Juicer, Facebook, Jewels Blast, Netflix, Phone Pe, Snapchat, Spotify, etc. Thankfully, you can easily uninstall most of them from the Settings.

You also get plenty of customisation options, including themes, Always On Display support, live wallpapers and more. The usual MIUI features include Quick Ball, One-Handed Mode, Screen Recorder, Floating Window, Second Space and Dual Apps.

Like the Redmi Note 13 Pro, you can measure heart rate with the in-display fingerprint sensor by placing your finger on it for 15 seconds. It is a mere gimmick, and I recommend using a medical device such as an oximeter to measure heart rate.There is also support for up to 8GB of virtual memory extension on the smartphone.

The Poco X6 will receive three years of OS updates and four years of security patches, meaning it will get up to Android 16. This is technically two OS updates as it should have arrived with Android 14 out of the box.