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The Poco M5, like the Poco M4 5G that was released in August, is one of Xiaomi’s least expensive phones. Both phones are pretty similar, but the M5 doesn’t have 5G and is sold in more places around the world. There is also an Indian version of the M5, which is mostly the same as its global version. If you live in India and are trying to decide if you should buy the Poco M5, you can use this review as a guide.
Even though the Poco M4 5G has a Dimensity chipset and the more current M5 has a Helio G99, which MediaTek’s naming scheme suggests is less powerful, there shouldn’t be a big difference in how well they work. The M4 5G’s Dimensity 700 has a 5G modem and is made with a 7nm process. The Helio G99 has the same octa-core CPU and Mali-G57 MC2 GPU, but it doesn’t have the 5G part. In a way, these two phones are both 4G and 5G versions of the same phone.
Poco M5 Specifications
| Specification | Poco M5 |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.53-inch IPS LCD |
| Dimensions | Varies by model |
| Processor | MediaTek Helio G88 |
| RAM | Varies by model |
| Storage | Varies by model |
| Camera | Triple rear cameras (main, ultra-wide, depth) |
| Battery | Large capacity, varies by model |
| Operating System | MIUI based on Android |
| Connectivity | 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
Design and screen
Yellow, green, and black are the available Poco M5 hues. My Black model featured a sophisticated look thanks to its leather-like back and horizontal camera bar. This makes the phone appear more expensive than it actually is.
Unlike with conventional smooth, cheap-feeling plastic, we never had any issues with fingerprints or smearing on the back of this phone because of the leather-like texture on the back. It’s lighter than some of my older Apple phones, too, so we can use it with one hand if need be. You can buy this phonee from its official website
Poco M5s: Camera setup
The Poco M5 has a main camera with 50 megapixels (f/1.8), a closeup camera with 2 megapixels (f/2.4), and a depth camera with 2 megapixels (f/2.4). Some of the features are a night mode, an AI-powered picture mode that makes bokeh and depth in the background, and a Pro mode that uses the 50-megapixel camera to its full potential. We liked the camera a lot for what we paid for it. When we turned on HDR, the colors seemed bright and it could pick up a lot of details. As you can see in the shot below, the reds and yellows stand out, and the brickwork is very well done.
Poco M5s: Software
The POCO M5 comes preinstalled with Android 12, on top of which Xiaomi has placed their own MIUI 13 skin. At the time of this review, the phone has the August security patch installed, and POCO has committed to roll out a new patch every three months. On top of MIUI 13, POCO has its own POCO launcher with unique icons that distinguishes it from the experiences offered by Redmi and other Xiaomi smartphones.
The POCO M5 comes preinstalled with Android 12, on top of which Xiaomi has placed their own MIUI 13 skin. At the time of this review, the phone has the August security patch installed, and POCO has committed to roll out a new patch every three months. On top of MIUI 13, POCO has its own POCO launcher with unique icons that distinguishes it from the experiences offered by Redmi and other Xiaomi smartphones.
Poco M5s: Performance
The Poco M5 is powered by a MediaTek Helio G99, which integrates an ARM Mali-G57 MC2 graphics processing unit within its octa-core central processing unit. This silicon provides the phone with enough of a performance increase enable it to work smoothly, despite the fact that it is obviously not even close to the standard set by high-end handsets produced by companies such as Apple.
The storage capacities of this phone start at 64 gigabytes and may be increased all the way up to 1 terabyte, and it comes standard with either 4 or 6 gigabytes of random access memory (RAM). In the same line as the Poco M5s, it does not come with any support for 5G and instead comes equipped with support for 4G.
Poco M5s: Battery life
Poco says that the M5s’s 5000 mAh battery can last for 37 hours of calls, 11 hours of playing games, 19 hours of watching movies, and 30 days in standby mode. When I watched 1080p movies on YouTube for a few hours, it took the battery about 35 minutes to go from 100% to 95% and another half hour to go from 95% to 90%.
It dropped to 75% in just over 3 hours, and to 60% in just under 5 hours. I tested the phone’s battery by streaming a movie, so I think you could get a good number of hours out of it by texting, scrolling through social media, and browsing the web.
Final Words
The POCO M5 is a good smartphone for the price that does most things well. The phone has a good look, a long-lasting battery, good cameras, and decent speed. The only thing that might make people wonder is that the device isn’t 5G-ready, but other than that, the POCO M5 has everything you need.
Poco M5 review: The good and The bad
The Good
- Great battery
- Speedy charging
The Bad
- Front camera isn’t the best
Questions and Answers
In almost every way, Poco phones are mid-range, but their speed is close to that of high-end phones. You can quickly move from one app to another. The devices can also run 3D games, but they sometimes work slower than smartphones from the Xiaomi line.
Yes, it can last for a day if you don’t use it too much. With its big 6000mAh battery, the company says it can keep going for two days.