The last few weeks have been relatively quiet in the smartphone sector, with most companies keeping quiet.
The month of February brought with it a boom in the field, with the launches of Samsung's Galaxy S23 models and also a pair of new Xiaomi devices, sold under the Poco brand, which is associated with relatively affordable prices.
The pair of devices, which includes the X5 and X5 Pro, continue with Xiaomi's regular trend in the Poco models, which includes relatively high hardware in a smartphone intended for the mid-range market with an affordable price tag.
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Design: thin, plastic and shiny
The X5 Pro that arrived for review was black in color, when at different angles of the light - its back became shiny.
The smartphone has a plastic feel, but despite this it includes Gorilla Glass 5 that should maintain some protection, and it also has protection against moisture and dust (IP53 standard).
The thickness of the mobile is 7.9 mm, and together with a relatively light weight of 181 grams, it is a smartphone that is easy to carry.
Screen: Large screen with a high image refresh rate
The X5 Pro is designed for fans of large screens: it boasts a 6.67-inch screen with the successful AMOLED technology, which allows it to offer rich and sharp colors, this is in addition to a high image refresh rate of 120 Hz, which provides it with smooth movement in the interface.
The resolution of the screen is 1080 x 2400 pixels, while the backlight was strong enough to handle direct sunlight (900 nits).
Xiaomi Poco X5 Pro, photo: Tzachi Hoffman
Interface: Android 12 with call recording
This model comes with built-in Android 12, on which Xiaomi's interface is dressed - MIUI 14. Although it is an interface that should be the same as other models of the company, it is different.
Unlike MIUI 13, where one screen centers the notification screen and the control panel (slide from the top of the display), here Xiaomi separates it into two screens (slide from the top right or left).
In our opinion, it is less convenient.
Beyond that, you will get a home page with an app drawer like on most Android devices or a home page where the apps are already located, iOS style.
Even if you choose the app drawer option, Xiaomi will insist on putting all the apps on the home pages (in addition to the drawer).
On top of everything, the interface has the ability to record calls (Google's recording system) and also make WiFi calls through the cellular operators (WiFi Calling).
The amount of notifications Xiaomi made trying to convince us to use its wallpaper application was unbearable.
On the other hand, the fingerprint sensor integrated on the side of the device works well.
Xiaomi Poco X5 Pro, photo: PR
Hardware: good, but a software update is needed
The Chinese electronics company integrated Qualcomm's Snapdragon 778G processor into the device, along with a respectable working memory (RAM) (relative to the category) of 8 gigabytes and a storage capacity of 256 gigabytes.
The device worked well most of the time, but sometimes suffered from slowness when we woke it up, that is when the lock screen could appear as a black image - and then show a data loading mode.
Beyond that, there is support for 5th generation mobile browsing and of course NFC, with which you can make payments with your smartphone in stores.
Xiaomi has also incorporated a 3.5 mm connection, which is used to connect wired headphones, a rare thing to find in smartphones these days.
Camera: 108 megapixel sensor
In the photo category, the X5 Pro offers a photo array of 3 sensors: 108 megapixels with f/1.9 aperture key without optical image stabilizer, but with automatic focus;
A sensor for wide shots (120 degrees) that comes with 8 megapixels and f/2.2, and a 2 megapixel macro sensor with f/2.4.
In daylight, even on cloudy days, the camera provided good images with natural colors and not bad detail, but there were other cases where the colors were too rich and the image felt too processed.
In short, there was no uniformity in the images.
In night shots, the camera was able to produce images with a lot of lighting, but it is still a mediocre result with smears.
The macro shots were not good and suffered from a lack of sharpness.
Xiaomi Poco X5 Pro, photo: Tzachi Hoffman
Battery: fast charging with a charger in the kit
The battery in the device comes with a large capacity of 5,000 mAh, which easily manages to provide more than a working day.
For us it lasted from 07:00 until 23:30, when we had 38% energy left (total time of 3 hours and 20 minutes).
Xiaomi includes a 67-watt fast charger in its kit, which managed to charge 46% of energy in 15 minutes - and 78% in 30 minutes.
A wireless charging option feels a bit lacking.
Price:
NIS 1,550 (official importer Hamilton)
Bottom line, as with many other Xiaomi smartphones, in the Poco X5 Pro the company has made an effort to provide good hardware at an affordable price.
There is indeed a good screen here, a strong battery with fast charging and even a charger that comes in the kit (an unusual thing these days), but it is not perfect: its weakness is expressed in the camera, which only does a reasonable job, so you should not be dazzled by the fact that it comes with a 108 megapixel sensor.
Posted on
The Gadget Reviews website
Xiaomi Poco X5 Pro, photo: Tzachi Hoffman
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