POCO X5 Pro 5G Impressions | More than Just a Gaming Partner

The POCO X5 Pro 5G is finally official, and ahead of its release in the Philippines, we got a chance to test out this promising new mid-ranger.

While it started as a Xiaomi sub-brand, POCO has now become a well-known brand in various countries all over the world thanks to its range of phones with impressive value for money, especially for avid mobile gamers.

Now, POCO just launched its newest smartphone, the POCO X5 Pro 5G. Releasing soon in the Philippines, this smartphone promises to once again be a great gaming device, all while having cameras and other near flagship-level features. All of these with a price tag that won’t break the bank.

Recently, we got our hands on an X5 Pro 5G review unit, and as we’re testing out its capabilities, here are our initial impressions of the phone.

Before we get to performance, the new POCO phone has a sleek matte finish. It also has a subdued look in its black colorway, though the fairly large camera module does give it some pop design-wise.

One thing to note is that the phone has flat edges. While some prefer a curved back, we quite like the flat edges on this phone as they make it easier to grip, especially when gaming.

For its display, the X5 Pro 5G features a large 6.67-inch AMOLED display with an FHD+ resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection (meaning it should be well protected from scratches).

We have yet to extensively use the phone’s display for watching movies/shows, but we’re already impressed with what we’ve seen of it as the colors are noticeably vibrant, even when just scrolling through the menu. We also tried it a bit to watch some music videos, and we can imagine that it would be a great binge-watching partner.

Powering the new POCO phone is a Snapdragon 778G processor, a 5G-capable processor that promises to run today’s popular games with ease.

Again, we’ve yet to try the phone out extensively for gaming, but based on our initial tests of popular titles like Wild Rift and Call of Duty: Mobile, the X5 Pro 5G shouldn’t disappoint for gaming. Plus, in our experience, Snapdragon 778G powered-phones should be great for playing popular games with no issues while the most demanding games can also be played albeit at lower graphics settings.

For its cameras, the X5 Pro 5G packs an impressive 108MP main camera that’s complemented by an 8MP ultrawide and a 2MP macro. Meanwhile, at the front is a 16MP selfie shooter.

On paper, these cameras should be capable of taking great photos. In our initial tests, the cameras did not disappoint, especially at night.

We prioritized trying out the phone’s low light capabilities, and the main camera’s shots are impressive, even when you don’t use Night Mode. While we still have to test the phone some more, the camera setup is already promising.

In terms of usability, one thing we appreciated with the new POCO phone is that it has a 3.5mm headphone jack. While wireless headphones are pretty much standard nowadays, having a headphone jack is something that we still like as it gives users another option if they forgot to charge or bring their wireless buds. Plus, as someone who still likes using wired headphones, I hope other brands bring it back, even if for just mid-range devices.

The POCO X5 Pro 5G, based on our initial time with it, does have what it takes to be the new mid-range smartphone to beat, especially at its starting price of PHP 16,999. We can’t give our final verdict on it yet as we are still testing it out for our full review, but from what we’ve seen so far, the X5 Pro 5G should be worth checking out for users who want a smartphone upgrade.

POCO X5 Pro 5G Specs:

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G Processor
• Adreno 642L GPU
• 8GB RAM
• 6.67-inch AMOLED FHD+ display, 120Hz refresh rate, with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection
• 256GB storage (expandable via microSD)
• 108MP f/1.9 main + 8MP f/2.2 ultrawide + 2MP f/2.4 macro triple rear camera setup
• 16MP f/2.5 wide front camera
• 3G, LTE, 5G Dual SIM
• WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, fingerprint scanner (side), USB Type-C
• 5000mAh battery with 67W fast charge support
• Android 12 with MIUI for POCO
• Price:
  • 6GB+128GB: PHP 16,999 
  • 8GB+256GB: PHP 18,999