prologue
It’s been 10 months since the Poco X4 Pro premiered. Naturally, with the breakneck pace of industry releases, the time has come for Poco’s next-generation smartphones. The X4 Pro has taken a big step back from the X3 Pro as far as performance goes, but the new Poco X5 Pro focuses on fixing just that. It also brings display and camera improvements and a new, more streamlined design.
The Poco X5 Pro doesn’t deviate much from the established formula. No major upgrades, but enough improvements across the board to make you want to switch to the new model.
Highlights of the new Poco X5 Pro are the return of a 1B color Dolby Vision display, a fast Snapdragon 778G 5G chipset, 128GB of base storage, and 4K video capture!
And it shouldn’t come as a surprise if this Poco X5 Pro reminds us of other phones. This Poco appears to be the international version of the Redmi Note 12 Pro Speed for China.
The Poco X5 Pro retains its 6.67-inch 1080p AMOLED panel, gaining 120Hz refresh and HDR10 certification from its predecessor. However, it has now been upgraded to support 10-bit color depth and Dolby Vision.
The most noticeable change, however, is the chipset. The Poco X3 Pro ran on a flagship-grade Snapdragon 860 SoC, while the X4 Pro used a lower-midrange Snapdragon 695 chip. Well, gaming performance is back on the table with the X5 Pro and its capable Snapdragon 778G platform. The base configuration is 6GB RAM with 128GB of non-expanded storage, but you can also opt for the 8GB + 256GB version.
The camera department looks identical to that of the Poco X4 Pro, a triple setup in the back with a 108MP primary, 8MP ultrawide, 2MP macro shooter, and 16MP selfie cam. 4K video capture for the primary camera is now possible, probably thanks to an upgrade to the Snapdragon chip.
Other familiar basics like stereo speakers, a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, and a 5,000mAh battery with 67W fast charging remain the same. The new Poco X5 Pro still runs Android 12, but has the latest MIUI 14 on top of it.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge the sophisticated design. The phone’s shape and giant black blotch around the camera remain the same, but the back panel isn’t as flashy as it used to be. The X5 Pro is available in simple black, blue and yellow colors. No effects, no gradients.
Summary of Poco X5 Pro specifications:
- body: 162.9×76.0x7.9mm, 181g; Gorilla Glass 5 front, plastic back, plastic frame. IP53, dust and splash proof.
- screen: 6.67 inch OLED, 1B color, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 500 nits (typical), 900 nits (HBM), 1080x2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 395ppi.
- Chipset: Qualcomm SM7325 Snapdragon 778G 5G (6 nm): Octa-core (1×2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 3×2.2 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4×1.9 GHz Cortex-A55); Adreno 642L.
- memory: 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM; UFS 2.2.
- OS/Software: Android 13, MIUI 14.
- Rear camera: wide (main): 108MP, f/1.9, 1/1.52″, 0.7µm, PDAF; super wide angle: 8MP, 119°, 1/4″, 1.12µm; big: 2 MP, f/2.4.
- Front camera: 16MP, (Wide), 1/3.06″, 1.0µm.
- Video capture: rear camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, 720p@960fps, Gyro EIS; front camera: 1080p@30/60fps.
- battery: 5000mAh; 67W wired, PD3.0, QC3+.
- others: fingerprint reader (side mount); NFC (market dependent); infrared port; 3.5mm jack; stereo speakers.
Looking at the specifications of the Poco X5 Pro, we don’t see many omissions. The phone has many fan-favorite features like dual SIM 5G, NFC, two speakers, an IR blaster and an audio jack. And like other Poco and Redmi smartphones, this one is also splash-proof.
However, one feature that has been discontinued since the Poco X4 Pro is the microSD expansion slot. And some people just can’t handle it.
Unpacking the Poco X5 Pro
The Poco X5 Pro is packaged in a black box with a 67W power adapter, a USB cable rated at 6A and a transparent protective case.
The X5 Pro arrives with an anti-scratch film already applied to the screen.
