POCO X2 REVIEW

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With the kind of fan following Poco brand enjoys in India, the advent of a successor or a Season 2 was only inevitable. The momentous and long overdue arrival of the new Poco is finally done with and we now need to answer if the Poco X2 got crushed under the elephantine expectations or whether it managed to emerge victorious. (Poco X2 Review हिंदी में पढ़िए)

Before we proceed with our Poco X2 review, let’s address what all Poco fans must already know – The X2 is rebranded Redmi K30 4G and it’s not a successor to the F1 (review). We might, after all, see the more powerful Poco F2 materialize soon. Poco has positioned its X2 against the Realme X2 and that explains, well, the ‘X2’ moniker.

Of course, none of that naming chatter should matter if all you are looking for is to buy a decent phone that offers excellent value and can hold well in the long run. Is the Redmi K30 4G deserving enough to be the Poco X2? Is it a phone that you can buy? Let’s now talk details and present our take on Poco S02E01.

Page Contents:

POCO X2 REVIEW: PRICE & SPECIFICATIONS

ModelPoco X2
Display6.67-inch Full HD+ (1080 X 2400), HDR10, 120Hz; Gorilla Glass 5
Dimensions and weight165.3 x 76.6 x 8.8 mm; 208 grams
Rear Camera64MP Quad-cam: 64MP Sony IMX686 (F1.9), 8MP Ultra Wide Angle, 2MP Macro Lens, 2MP depth sensor
Front camera20MP + 2MP
Core hardware6GB + 64GB ; 6GB +128GB ; 8 +GB 256GB
Processor and OSOcta-core Qualcomm SDM730 Snapdragon 730G (8 nm) with MIUI (Android 10)
Battery and Charging4500mAh; 27W fast charging
OthersSide-mounted Fingerprint, magnetic sensor, light sensor, distance sensor, gravity, Accelerometer, TYPE-C, USB 2.0
Price6GB + 64GB – Rs. 15,999;
6GB + 128GB – Rs. 16,999;
8GB + 256GB – Rs. 19,999

POCO X2 REVIEW: DESIGN & DISPLAY

Over the last year, our phones have evolved to be yet bigger and bulkier which is why we felt at home with the Poco X2 in spite of its 8.8mm thick waistline and 208 grams of heft. The phone has a plastic side frame and a glass back with a Mate 30-like circular accent around the quad-camera array that looks good. The camera module sticks out quite a bit and the bundled cover barely evens out the hump. 

The X2 comes in three flashy gradient options – Atlantis Blue, Matrix Purple, and Phoenix Red. We were at least hoping for Poco-exclusive colors for India, or a more sober option, but these are the same gradients that are available for Redmi K30 in China.

On the front, it’s mostly display and a dual-camera punch-hole notch that makes the phone stand out. Now we have had wide punch-hole notches before and even appreciated them, but something about the cut-out on the Poco X2 doesn’t feel quite right. We could make out that the edges aren’t very neat and this can get a bit annoying. 

The IPS LCD panel can’t quite compare to the AMOLED punch, but it’s still a fine panel. Colours appear well-calibrated, contrast is high, the screen is HDR10 compliant, and HD streaming is supported across apps, and the outdoor visibility is above average if not outright impressive.

The star highlight is the 120Hz refresh rate which makes screen transitions and scrolling amazingly smooth on the X2. We believe this enhances the experience even for people who aren’t particularly into gaming, but not so much over the 90Hz screens. 

The side-mounted fingerprint sensor, which is also the power button, proved to be surprisingly good. It’s quite convenient to access, snappy and very reliable. The fingerprint scan kicks in right when you place your thumb on the sensor and we never had to rely on the face unlock (which, too, works fast).

The handset has a USB Type-C port and retains the good old audio jack. The speaker placement to the left is a bit odd, though. Many a time we inadvertently blocked the speaker grill while holding the phone in landscape mode and had to realign. 

Poco X2 has an IR Blaster and that’s an extra you wouldn’t find on the Redmi K30.

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy A51 Review

POCO X2 REVIEW: PERFORMANCE & SOFTWARE 

I know Poco fans would have expected a Snapdragon 855 or Snapdragon 855+ powered phone to match the Realme X2 Pro, but the Snapdragon 730G powering the Poco X2 is in itself quite capable and welcome for the aggressive price – especially since it’s backed by oodles of RAM and storage (UFS 2.1).

The day-to-day usage and gaming performance is quite impressive. The Android 10-based MIUI 11 isn’t our favourite custom interface, but it’s feature-rich, stable and gets the job done. The default launcher is Poco launcher, which is again in line with our personal preferences.

We did notice bloatware and numerous app stubs, but are yet to come across ads (surely can’t rule them out). We haven’t noticed any call or connectivity related issues.

Also Read: Realme XT vs Realme X2 vs Redmi Note 8 Pro Comparison

POCO X2 CAMERA REVIEW

The Poco X2 is the first phone in India to employ the 64MP Sony IMX686 sensor. The primary camera is accompanied by the usual suspects – 8MP wide-angle camera, 2MP depth sensor, and 2MP macro camera.

The Sony sensor that takes center stage operates on the same principle as the 64MP Samsung GW1. To judge how much better the Sony IMX686 is over the Samsung GW1, we compared samples clicked by Redmi Note 8 Pro with Poco X2. We noticed that image processing software on the two phones doesn’t act the same and thus the comparison between the two isn’t ideal. 

Anyways, we could still make out the Sony IMX686 gives Poco an edge in HDR shots and in images clicked outdoor. The Redmi Note 8 Pro has more consistent metering and delivers better results indoors and in tricky lighting. The Redmi Note 8 Pro also has a significantly better selfie camera. 

In daylight, the Poco X2 can capture great details and images reproduce close-to-natural colors, but in low light and indoor lighting, the images are nothing to write home about.

The wide-angle camera has significant distortion. The macro camera is fun, but it struggles to focus and don’t expect perfect snaps in single attempts.


Wide-angle camera shots show significant distortion. Images we captured indoors had too much noise and muddle up colors, and this is very noticeable when you view them on a bigger screen.

 

Portrait camera works great more often than not, but it is a bit inconsistent.

The Poco X2 won’t deliver a camera advantage over phones like Realme X2 or Redmi Note 8 Pro. At the same time, the performance doesn’t fall short of what we usually see in this price segment.

POCO X2 REVIEW: BATTERY & AUDIO

Even with the display tuned to refresh at 120Hz, the battery does take a hit however the 27W adapter bundled within the box covers up the shortcoming. It takes just about one hour for a full charge. Of course, the Realme X2 has faster 30W charging, but what the Poco X2 offers is more than enough for our needs. 

The audio output from the speaker is quite decent, but as mentioned earlier, the speaker placement is far from perfect and the grill often gets blocked in the landscape orientation.

ALSO READ: Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite Review

POCO X2 REVIEW: VERDICT

Poco X2 crams an extraordinary amount of trends and hardware for a very affordable price and that is what makes it impossible to ignore and incredibly hard to pass over.

The Poco X2 is an excellent phone for gamers and power users, and one of the best available options for its price. But we wouldn’t go as far as saying that it’s ‘the best’ option in its class or that it should be the default choice in the sub-20K price segment.

To sum it up, the X2 has a powerful chipset, runs the latest Android version, offers an impressive battery backup. The big, broad and bulky body that comes in flashy colours is what kind of let us down. And we are not sure if the wide notch would suit to everyone’s taste. But yes, if you are a Xiaomi or Poco fan, the X2 certainly won’t disappoint.

Pros 

  • Powerful performance
  • Android 10-based software
  • 120Hz display refresh rate for an unprecedented price

Cons

  • The extended notch looks and feels weird
  • Colours options are all flashy
  • Big and bulky

POCO X2 FAQ ANSWERED

Q: Can you switch off the notch in Poco X2?

A: Yes, you choose a black status bar and turn off the notch altogether.

Q: Does Poco X2 show ads in the interface?

A: Poco has explicitly stated that there won’t be ads in the UI. Pre-loaded Xiaomi apps may still push ads.

Q: Does Poco X2 have HD streaming support?

A: Yes, Poco X2 has DRM L1 certificate and supports HD streaming across Netflix and Amazon Prime.

Q: Does Poco X2 have stereo speakers?

A: No, the phone doesn’t have stereo speakers.

Q: Can you change the display refresh rate on Poco X2

A: Yes, you can choose between 60Hz and 120Hz refresh rate options. There is no option to go with 90Hz.

Q: Does Poco X2 support Wi-Fi calling?

A: Yes, the phone supports VoWiFi.

Q: What is the SAR value of Poco X2?

A: Poco X2 SAR value is 0.62 W/kg (body) and 1.08 W/kg (head).

Q: Does Poco X2 have a dedicated card slot?

A: No, the card slot is hybrid.

 

Deepak SinghDeepak Singh
Deepak has more than 8 years of experience in covering technology for several eminent publications in India. He currently leads an enthusiastic team of young writers at Smartprix and tries to uphold the highest quality standards.

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12 Comments
User
Sasi
Anonymous
1 year ago

Any heating issues regarding to pocox2 and can it supports 5g

Reply
User
Sasi
Anonymous
1 year ago

Any Heating issues

Reply
User
Rajesh Kumar
Anonymous
2 years ago

Paid paid paid review…😁😁 Almost all the genuine users like me are facing battery drain issue with this phone. Even in flipkart, rating given for battery is lowest but this site is praising battery life…paid paid paid review…

Reply
User
Venkateswara
Anonymous
3 years ago

Sir I’m samsung m31 and poco x2 have some same features and same price I not play games for more hours but I play like pubg call of duty game and I read news chats with friends for more hours which phone suitable for me

Reply
User
SALVIR
Anonymous
3 years ago

Does poco x2 support aptX audio codec?

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User
Akanksha Prajapati
Anonymous
3 years ago

Does poco hai front camera slowmo 🙄

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User
zlatan
Anonymous
4 years ago

Comment:i am an audio fan….please tell me about the speaker quality …bass….richness …?

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Show Replies (2)
User
Happy
Anonymous
4 years ago

sdafafaf

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