Test Reviews
Poco X3 test / review
Published on: 04-09-2020 / Modified: 31-01-2026
I was one of the first in Europe to test the Poco X2 Pro and this excellent smartphone came to crush the competition in the price range between 350 and 400€.
I think a lot before choosing a phone to test because I don't have the time to test everything, so I have to make the right choice. However, I chose to test the Poco X3 without knowing anything about the device. The launch of the Poco X3 was prepared in secret and very little information leaked before the official launch. So I made a blind choice but I'm not taking too many risks.
The Poco machine is on its way, let's see if it will clean up in the 200-300€ segment like the Poco F2 Pro did in its segment.
What will the Poco X3 be equipped with?
A Snapdragon 732G (+/- 300,000 points on Antutu)
Camera 64 million pixels
Quick charge 33W
Battery 5160mAh
NFC
I will complete the details when I receive the phone.
Start of sales: 8 September 2020
Pre-sale available here:
Poco X3
Updated 07/09:
The price of the Poco X3 is known and it starts at less than 200€ !
I have some coupons that allow to lower the price a little bit:
POCOX3DDM5 5$ discount (limited quantity)
POCOX3DDM10 10$ discount (limited quantity)
You must add the coupon code to your shopping cart.
To get the phone and the code:
Poco X3 / Aliexpress
Structure of my tests
I test the phones according to a pre-established structure (see below) to provide you with as much information as possible. Unfortunately, this takes a long time. Some tests like network performance tests take several days and for photo tests I sometimes have to wait until the weather is suitable to take pictures in good conditions. I am therefore obliged to publish the tests step by step, so I invite you to come back if the test is not complete at the time of your visit.Price Poco X3
The list below shows the prices for the Poco X3 from more than 50 sites around the world. If you are not satisfied with any price, you can subscribe to a price alert to be the first to be notified when the price drops.The above links are affiliate links from companies such as Amazon, Gearbest, Aliexpress,... If you appreciate my work, I would be grateful if you could purchase these products through these links. It costs you absolutely nothing but I get a small commission that allows me to buy the material I test. Thank you very much!
Timeline
31/08/2020: awaiting delivery of the Poco X304/09/2020 I have received the Poco X3, I can now start my tests
Why this phone?
I really liked the Poco F2 Pro, it was the first Poco I tested. That's what motivated me to test the Poco X3 without giving it too much thought.The Poco X3 will come with a SnapDragon 732G, it may not tell you much but it gives an indication of the phone's performance and positioning. With such a processor, the Poco X3 will come close to the performance of a Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite which sells for around €300. If the Poco X3 offers liquid cooling, it will be a joy for gamers who don't want to pay a fortune for a phone.
The Poco X3 offers a screen refresh rate of 120hz, which is unique in this price range. Most phones have a refresh rate of 60hz. A higher frequency ensures greater screen fluidity, the frequency brings a visual comfort that is usually only available on phones priced over 400€.
The Poco X3 will sell for less than 300€, so it will be much more accessible than the Poco F2 Pro, so it is highly likely that this phone will sell very well.
Unpacking
The Poco X3 uses the same packaging as the Poco F2 Pro. The box is black with yellow letters, the inside is also yellow to clearly mark the identity of the Poco brand.
In the box you will find the phone, a charger, a usb cable, a transparent cover, the needle for the sim drawer as well as the usual documents. Here too, it is the same as for the Poco F2 Pro.
First configuration
The Poco X3 is marketed with MIUI 12, the start-up procedure is quite fast and Xiaomi has managed to find a balance between what is necessary and what is not. Apart from the usual wifi and sim card configuration, you will be able to choose your favourite search engine and configure the screen lock.There is a little subtlety at the end of the process when Xiaomi will propose you to access its cloud. Usually Xiaomi simply offers to register but here Xiaomi offers a Google button that makes you think you're going to use a Google service. This is not the case, you can now use your Google account to create an account with Xiaomi. It's clever of Xiaomi, I'm sure many users will register without realizing it.
The profile retrieval procedure works very well because it avoids having to completely reconfigure the device. As I'm testing several phones at the same time, it saves me a lot of time.
Finish
I created this article before receiving the phone, so I had to use an official image as an illustration. This image did not give me a good impression, I thought the phone looked weird.
When I received the phone, I changed my mind very quickly. The Poco X3 has the same basic shape as the Poco F2 Pro, the main difference being the photo sensor on the back. Instead of being circular as on the F2 Pro, it is rectangular and stands out quite strongly from the back of the phone. I'm sure this choice will provoke a lot of discussion.
Overall the finishes are good for a phone in this price range. The Poco X3 seems to be positioned like a gaming phone with its striped patterns on the back. This gives it a stronger identity than the Poco F2 Pro.
The Poco X3 uses a fingerprint sensor on the side of the phone, I had already had the opportunity to test phones using this mechanism. It takes a bit of searching for the right method to unlock the screen but you get used to it pretty quickly and the unlocking is fast. The disadvantage of this type of configuration is that the buttons are very smooth and flat, so you have to look for them with your fingers. Here too it's a matter of habit.
The sim drawer is on the left and can hold two sim cards in dual sim standby mode, which means that both sim cards are listening and if one card is used, the other is paused.
At the bottom of the phone, there is a classic configuration with a c-type usb port and a grille for the speaker (mono) and audio jack connector.
The screen occupies 84% of the available space, the borders are thin but visible, this is a normal score in this price range. The screen is pierced with a small black dot to let the front camera through, its presence is very discreet.
Overall I think the Poco X3 is quite elegant, it has a style that reminds me of the Redmi Note 9s/9Pro range but with a little touch that sets it apart.
Specifications
The information below comes from the Device Info HW application. The application provides detailed technical information about the tested phone.The Poco X3 is not a technical revolution, it takes what exists on other phones but its strength is its price and what you get for it.
As I wrote above, the Poco offers a good level of performance that should satisfy the vast majority of users but it offers a 120hz screen that is only found on top of the range phones. The screen is also optimised for the in-game experience by offering even greater responsiveness.
Other features include
- NFC
- Stereo speaker
- 4 internal antennas for a better signal
- a huge 5160 mAh battery
- a Sony IMX 682 photo sensor
And all this for a price of around 200€ at launch, it's unheard of!
CPU / GPU Performance
The Poco X3 is equipped with a Snapdragon 732G processor, it is the first phone to come out with this processor. This new Snapdragon processor should position the Poco X3 slightly above the Redmi Note 9 Pro. The Poco offers more performance for a much lower price than the Redmi Note 9 Pro.
On the graphics side, the Poco X3 is equipped with an Adreno 618 graphics processor, it is the same processor as the Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Lite which is sold for almost 100€ more.
With this level of performance you can play most games with a good level of graphics.
The Poco X3 follows in the footsteps of the Poco F2 Pro by moving the walls in its price segment and putting even more pressure on the competition.
Benchmark Antutu/3DMark
I scored just under 300,000 points with Antutu. For this level of power, the Poco X3 is the cheapest at the time of launch.The Poco is at the level of the Redmi Note 9s in terms of processor, it is at the level of a Realme 6 for the graphics part (but costs 50€ less) and it is particularly fast in terms of memory. This memory performance will give it a fluidity in use (ex: switching from one application to another) which could make the difference in use.
Gaming
To test the performance in game, I download the mobile PUBG game and evaluate the in-game experience, graphics level and depth of vision. This game is quite demanding and should help you evaluating the performance of a phone.
With a score of almost 300,000 points on Antutu, you will be able to play any game in good conditions. PUBG Mobile is perfectly fluid on the Poco X3 and with the 120hz screen you will enjoy a visual comfort superior to most phones.
Network performance
The Poco X3 covers all 3G and 4G frequencies used in Europe and where the B28 was often set aside by Xiaomi, it seems to be present in all of the brand's recent phones.I am surprised that the Poco X3 is not 5G compatible as this would have made it one of the cheapest 5G phones on the market. At the time of writing, another Xiaomi is in that position (Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite). I guess that shouldn't slow down buyers as 5G is not widely deployed in Europe.
Signal 4G (before december 2020)
The ability to pick up the network correctly is an essential element for a phone but it is only very rarely measured. To measure a phone's ability to pick up the network, I perform a large number of measurements on the same cells to be able to compare phones under similar conditions. The signal is measured in dBm, a value of -90dBm indicates a worse signal than -70dBm. These measurements are therefore taken under real conditions and not in a laboratory, they are not scientific but give a good indication of performance.
The Poco X3 is the first phone I'm testing with my new 4G test protocol. So I don't have a lot of comparative data but I can easily identify a trend.
Methodology:
After taking more than 30,000 measurements with about 15 phones, I found that the 4G network was not as stable as I thought it would be. I was unable to explain any irregularities in my results. So I set up a 4G antenna that interrogates the 4G network 24 hours a day, taking a whole series of parameters every minute. This gives me a solid basis for comparison and I can isolate network fluctuations.
I then take measurements with the phone by placing it right next to my antenna. I leave both devices running for more than 24 hours and then compare the measurements.
The signal is measured in dBm, the values are negative, a signal of -90dBm is better than a signal of -100dBm. Above 110dBm, the signal is considered bad and could lead to a cut-off if no alternative antenna is available.
This first graph shows the antenna signal measurement in comparison with the Poco X3. The Poco X3 clearly captures the network less well than the reference and this does not surprise me. My previous test protocol had already shown that the Xiaomi were only champions for the network signal.
I obtained an average signal of -103.19 dBm with the Poco X3 and -94.89 dBm with the reference. This difference looks quite important but as I have not tested other phones with this protocol, I don't know if this difference is problematic or not. I have not encountered any problems in my communications with the Poco, so I will assume that there are no major problems.
I have measured greater fluctuations on the network than with the Poco, which would imply that the Poco manages to keep a more stable signal level. This probably explains why I haven't had any audio quality problems.
This graph shows the signal difference between the reference signal and the Poco X3. The difference is not the same all day long, I have the impression that the difference is greater during peak hours but I could only check it after testing several phones.
Signal 4G (from December 2020)
I decided to change the methodology for measuring the network because I noticed that the configuration of the mobile network changes over time. This makes it more difficult to compare phones because the conditions are no longer exactly the same.
To overcome this problem, I set up a device that captures 24 hours a day about ten parameters from the mobile network (ex: cell id, rssi, rsrq, snr, frequency,...). I then place the phone next to the device for 24 to 48 hours taking the same measurements so that I can compare them.
Overview of the phones tested with this methodology
Download/Upload speed
To test the download speed, I have identified some 4G cells offering good performance where I test all my devices several times to see what download and upload speed they can achieve.
The Poco X3 is not compatible with 5G but it is able to combine 4G frequencies (4G+ or LTE+) to obtain a very good download speed.
I got a download speed of 232 Mbps and an upload speed of 55 Mbps. The Poco X3 can theoretically go much higher but the speed is strongly determined by network congestion, I had no luck at the time of my tests.
The Poco X3 is therefore very fast in 4G, it is one of the fastest phones I tested this year.
Wifi performance
To test a phone's ability to receive the network properly, I take measurements near my router and then remotely (and always at the same place). This gives me an average in dBm where a value of -90 dBm indicates poorer performance than a value at -30 dBm.Wifi signal
I measured a signal of -17 dBm near the router, this is a good score that ranks the Poco X3 above average. The Poco F2 Pro got a better score with - 11 dBm. At a distance from the router, I measured a signal of - 61 dBm, which is the best score I have obtained so far.
The Poco X3 therefore offers a good sensitivity to the wifi signal and should be able to pick up wifi where other phones have difficulties.
Download/Upload speed
To test the speed in Wifi, I connect to my router in 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz (if available) and use the Ookla application to measure the speed.I got a download speed of 251 Mbps and the phone can probably do better than that. With a score like that the Poco X3 is at the top of the charts and will allow you to stream in HD and download large files fairly quickly.
GPS performance
To test the quality of the GPS signal I use the Offline Maps application and I make the same train trip in pedestrian mode. Why? In pedestrian mode, the GPS does not artificially correct the signal to stick to the road, it has no markings, so you can see the actual position. I then use an application to measure the accuracy of the signal.
I obtained a precision at 3m with the Poco X3, it's a score in the average. I generally obtain this score with all Snapdragon type processors where Mediatek processors get a better result.
Most gps applications are capable of correcting accuracy deviations of 3m, so you should not notice any deviation from the road (except in pedestrian mode).
Battery range
The brightness and size of the screen are determining factors for battery life. The Poco X3 has a large, bright screen. I have a factor of 2.53 between a screen lit at 50% and a screen lit at 100%, which means that by doubling the brightness of the screen, the consumption is multiplied by 2.53. I have observed the same thing on other phones, the Poco is in the middle range.The graph clearly shows that the autonomy with the screen at 100% decreases much faster than at 50% but this does not mean that the autonomy is bad, it only shows that the Poco X3 is not the most efficient in terms of energy consumption.
With 10 hours of autonomy at 100% and 25 hours at 50%, you should be able to last 2 to 3 days in normal use.
Photo camera test
To test the quality of photos produced by a phone, I do a technical test (resolution, sharpness, chromatic aberration,...) in studio (identical conditions) to evaluate the technical part objectively. From the second half of 2020, I built my own laboratory to take completely objective technical measurements. I then take pictures in real conditions to see how the camera performs. I then evaluate these photos according to my criteria but I publish the photos so that you can evaluate the result according to your criteria.Hardware
The Poco X3 is equipped with a Sony IMX 692 main sensor, this sensor is not yet widely used and once again the Poco is the cheapest of the phones using this sensor.The Poco F2 Pro uses a Sony IMX 686 which is also used in the Huawei P30 Pro, this sensor is one of the best on the market.
What is the difference between the Sony IMX 682 and the Sony IMX 686? The main difference is the ability to capture 4k video. With the IMX 686 you can capture 4K video at 60 frames per second while the IMX 682 can capture 30 frames per second.
This means that for the photo part, the Poco X3 will produce images with a quality equivalent to what you find on much more expensive phones (2 to 3 times more expensive!).
Default app
The default application for taking pictures is the same on all Xiaomi cameras running MIUI 12. There are sometimes some differences from one model to another but the functionalities are generally the same.
Xiaomi has done some cleaning in the input menu but most of the features are available in the "more" menu. New features have been added such as the light painting that allows you to take creative pictures during the night.
The settings for each photo mode have also been revised, everything is now available as an overlay on the screen.
This new version is in my opinion better than the previous one, the menus are clearer but I regret that Xiaomi persists in displaying semi-transparent icons overlaying the photo area because these icons are unreadable when the light is strong.
Photo quality
Photo test / studio
Main sensor
Exposure: slightly underexposed
Sharpness: good
Colours: slightly too dark
Depth of field: good
Distortion: none
Chromatic aberration: none
Vignetting: none
Digital noise: none
For this first studio test I observed a result quite similar to what I obtained with a Poco F2 Pro, the difference between the Sony IMX 682 and the Sony IMX 686 is not perceptible. The photo is sharp, the colours are slightly too dark but this is often the case for studio photos. The blue even tends to slide towards purple, this will be seen on the colour test a little further on.
Ultra wide angle sensor
Exposure: correct
Sharpness: very localised
Colours: correct
Depth of field: shallow
Distortion: very strong
Chromatic aberration: none
Vignetting: none
Digital noise: none
Wide-angle sensors usually catch less light than the main sensor but here it does very well. The area of sharpness is very narrow, but a studio photo does not lend itself to this type of sensor, the sharpness is better for landscapes. The distortion is very present for the objects close to the lens, it's quite normal too but it is necessary to know it before using this kind of sensor.
Colorimetric test of the main sensor
This is the first time I have applied a colour test to a phone, so I don't have enough experience to make comparisons yet, so I will just evaluate the Poco X3 against an ideal situation.
The graph above shows the colour difference for 24 colours. It can be seen in particular that blue deviates very strongly from its reference colour, green also deviates strongly from the reference. This deviation should be perceptible for photos of the sky and vegetation but as I do not have enough hindsight I cannot yet judge whether this problem will be important or not.
Colorimetric test of the ultra wide angle sensor
Blue and green deviates more than the other colours, this is also the case with the main sensor but the deviation from the standard is less than with the main sensor. The sky and vegetation should have a more natural colour with the wide angle. I still need to do some outdoor tests to confirm this point.
Photo test / sunny
I took this picture in the late afternoon with the main sensor, the AI and HDR were disabled. Before going into the analysis, I will post the same photo taken with another phone at the same time to compare the result.
Samsung Galaxy S20
Poco F2 Pro
The Poco X3 costs 2x less than the Poco F2 Pro and 3x less than the Samsung. However, the photo it manages to produce is not 2x or 3x worse. The photo of the Poco X3 is richly saturated but it is above all the Samsung that forces the colours. The Poco F2 Pro has a more neutral rendering whereas it uses a very similar sensor.
The Poco X3 is the first phone that has undergone my technical test for photography. This test showed a colorimetric deviation from blue to purple and a deviation from green. I am pleased to see that my test works because if you compare the sky and the water in the photo of the Poco X3, you can see that the blue turns slightly towards purple where the Samsung reinforces the blue.
The sharpness in the foreground is comparable to other phones but the vegetation in the background loses sharpness and the colours blend together. The treatment seems too pronounced.
The following photo was taken in the same place with the ultra wide angle sensor of the Poco X3.
The first thing I notice is that the colorimetry is more correct and the treatment is less aggressive, which is quite rare for a photo module of this type. On the other hand, I also find the usual defects of this kind of sensor. The sharpness at the periphery is less good, the image is distorted and there is chromatic aberration. There is nothing dramatic here but the warned oei will see it rather quickly. I still find that the ultra wide angle sensor of the Poco X3 does quite well.
Here are two more examples with first the main sensor and then the ultra wide angle sensor:
Main sensor
Ultra wide angle sensor
I also tested the Poco X3 with Gcam 7.2 to see if these colour defects were related to choices made by Xiaomi.
With Xiaomi's photo application:
With Gcam 7.2
The photo with Gcam is less exposed but the colours are more neutral, the sharpness is also better.
Before finishing this photo test under the sun, I wanted to make a little diversion for the raw mode (RAW). The Poco X3 is able to take photos in raw mode (.dng) which allows you to do retouching with Photoshop. The photo sensor thus captures a maximum of information to improve the image according to your preferences and the result is really good.
The Poco X3 is capable of taking good photos with sometimes a few flaws that will be forgiven thanks to its very competitive price.
Photo test / cloudy
Main sensor (5.43mm)
Exposure: correct
Sharpness: good
Colours: good
Depth of field: good
Distortion: none
Chromatic aberration: none
Vignetting: none
Digital noise: none
The weather was cloudy when I took this series of photos, a small ray of sunlight had managed to pierce through to give a warmer colour to the scenery, this will no longer be the case for the photos that will follow. The Poco X3 manages to correctly capture the differences in brightness, it correctly restores the warmth of the sunlight at the end of the afternoon, the sharpness is good. I just find that the sky has been treated a little too hard, the AI mode sometimes produces improbable results in terms of colour.
Ultra wide angle sensor (1.86mm)
Exposure: slightly underexposed
Sharpness: good but not uniform
Colours: good
Depth of field: good
Distortion: light
Chromatic aberration: minimal
Vignetting: none
Digital noise: none
The difference in photo quality is often very different between the main module and the ultra wide angle module. I find that the ultra-wide angle sensor on the Poco X3 does very well. The exposure is less good, the sharpness is not uniform but overall the photo is of good quality and I find that the processing of the sky is less aggressive than with the main sensor.
Main sensor
Exposure: slightly underexposed
Sharpness: good
Colours: too dark
Depth of field: good
Distortion: none
Chromatic aberration: none
Vignetting: none
Digital noise: none
A few minutes after the first photo, the sky darkened and made it harder to take good pictures. The exposure level of the photo dropped a notch to slightly underexposed, but the overall picture remains correct. The Poco obviously makes the choice to capture as much detail as possible based on the brightest areas (sky) and this results in the vegetation being darker without it being completely dark.
Ultra wide angle sensor
Exposure: slightly underexposed
Sharpness: good in the centre but average in the periphery.
Colours: too dark
Depth of field: good
Distortion: slight on the periphery
Chromatic aberration: light
Vignetting: none
Digital noise: none
I am once again surprised by the ultra wide angle sensor which produces above average results. Most ultra wide angle sensors produce photos that are much too dark in these conditions. The distortion is not too great and the sharpness does not degrade too much at the periphery.
The other photos follow a similar trend. These are not ideal conditions for taking beautiful photos with a phone but the Poco does relatively well.
Test photo / night
Main sensor / normal mode
With an exposure time of 1/5 seconds and ISO 1660, I didn't expect to make a very sharp picture and yet the result is not bad. The main sensor is able to illuminate most areas of the photo while limiting digital noise. The edges are not always very sharp especially when looking at light sources and foliage but at 1/5 seconds you really need to have a very steady hand or use a stand to avoid this kind of problem.
The night mode allows in principle to correct this kind of problem by superimposing several images taken one after the other.
Main sensor - night mode
The level of detail in this photo is higher than the previous one, the foliage is more detailed, the lights no longer turn into a halo of light but I notice that the recomposition of the images is not always successful. Some areas are sharp, others less so. The colours are correctly restored and the lighting is globally quite good.
Ultra wide angle sensor
The ultra wide angle sensor cannot be used at night, it cannot capture enough light, the photo is not exploitable.
The Poco X3 is not a champion of night photography but it allows you to make photos of acceptable quality for this price range. I advise you to use the night mode as much as possible with a bracket to benefit from a more efficient recomposition. This is an advice that works on all phones but for the Poco X3 it is sometimes really necessary.
The following photos were all taken with the main sensor and the ultra wide angle sensor using the default Xiaomi photo application.
I took the following pictures with the Gcam application in version 7.1. Gcam uses a sophisticated algorithm to improve the quality of night photos.
Main sensor / Gcam 7.1
Gcam is able to produce more detailed and brighter photos. The result is not perfect but Gcam manages to do a little better than the default photo application. I had used the basic settings of the application to produce these photos. By changing the settings a little bit, I get for example this:
In this photo, the greenish veil has disappeared, the colours are more realistic, the sharpness is better distributed. It is undoubtedly possible to do even better by playing with the numerous settings proposed by the application and with a tool like Photoshop but obviously this requires a little more work.
Video quality
Stabilisation
The Poco X3 has a video stabilization system that helps to dampen some of the vibrations. It's quite rare to find a phone offering stabilisation in this price range but the stabilisation is not as effective as on a Poco F2 Pro or Samsung Galaxy S20 but given the price difference, I don't think you can complain.
Pixel recalculation is visible in movement but the Poco manages to correct the image very quickly.
Video normale conditions
The weather wasn't very nice when I took this video but anyway, the video shows pretty well what the Poco is capable of. The video was taken in 4k and 30 frames per second.
In spite of the overcast weather, the Poco manages to capture the light well and recreate the atmosphere. It recalculates the differences in brightness fairly quickly but these are still visible. The sharpness of the foliage is really good and overall the video is of good quality.
Video low light
The Poco X3 is not a champion for night video, the captured video lacks brightness and sharpness. The Poco X3 is not able to focus on the right depth and you can see that it is constantly looking for the right place to position itself.
Audio quality
To test the quality of the phone's audio output, I connect the device's audio output to a measuring tool, then play sounds on all frequencies and measure the differences between the original sound and the sound produced by the phone. In this way I measure the phone's ability to correctly reproduce all sounds.I always start my audio tests with a subjective ear test. I don't pretend to be an expert, but from testing smartphones I can hear the differences between good and bad phones quite clearly.
The Poco X3 is to be ranked among the good phones, it more than likely shares the same audio equipment as the Poco F2 Pro but is equipped with two speakers. The Poco X3 is therefore capable of reproducing stereo sound (without headphones) which is quite rare in this price range.
How good is the sound from the speakers? It's really excellent! The bass sounds lack a little bit of power but that's normal, it's the same for all smartphones. The treble sounds are very well reproduced.
Listening through the headphones and the technical test that will follow will confirm what I thought, the Poco X3 follows the curves of the Poco F2 Pro perfectly. So I added one of the best phones for audio (the Samsung Galaxy S10+) to compare the 3 phones.
Frequency Response
This test is intended to test the device's ability to correctly reproduce all frequencies. The white line in the middle of the graph is the ideal situation and the other colors come from tests on different phones. A deviation from the reference line indicates a deviation from the ideal situation. To see good sound at all frequencies, it is therefore necessary to get as close as possible to the reference line.
The Poco X3 is capable of reproducing all frequencies with a good degree of fidelity, it is a little behind the Samsung Galaxy S10+ in the low frequencies but it reproduces the other frequencies more consistently. The Samsung allows itself a few deviations.
The curve of the Poco X3 faithfully follows that of the Poco F2 Pro, which confirms that the audio hardware is the same.
Dynamic Range
This test is designed to test a phone's ability to play sounds at different volume levels. Here too, the phones must be as close as possible to the reference.
The Poco X3 is capable of sustaining good volume on all frequencies, its curve follows that of the Poco F2 Pro with here and there a few passages below and above. The Poco is able to deliver a powerful sound but it is not the strongest at this game. The Samsung is able to deliver a more powerful sound on all frequencies.
Noise Level
This test aims to identify if the device under test is able to reproduce sounds without too much noise. A high score indicates a low parasite rate, a lower score indicates a higher presence of parasites.
The audio output of the Poco X3 seems to be of better quality than that of the Poco F2 Pro but the difference is not very important. The difference with the Samsung is minimal here.
The Poco F2 Pro was an excellent phone for audio and the same goes for the Poco X3. They are not yet at the level of Samsung but you will probably have to have very good ears to perceive the difference.
Screen quality
To test the screen, I use a colorimetric probe that measures the color accuracy of a screen, as well as other parameters to see if a screen is able to correctly reproduce an image. I also test the brightness level to determine if the screen will be able to display an image in full sunlight.Colorimetry
Like most recently released Xiaomi, the basic screen settings are not correct. Xiaomi has chosen to saturate the default colours, colors are more vivid but from a colorimetric point of view, these colours are not correct. To improve the colorimetry, the display must be switched to standard mode.
With the colorimetric probe, I measured a colorimetric deviation (dE) of 4.4. This score is lower than what I have been able to obtain on other Xiaomi in the same price range. Looking at the test results more closely, I can see that the score on red, green and blue is rather good, it is the secondary colours that deviate the most from the norm. This is probably why the colour deviation is less striking.
Whites have a temperature of 6785K, so they are not too far from the norm at 6500K. The whites will be slightly warmer than the standard.
The Poco X3 challenges the established order on many criteria but not on colourimetry where it offers average performance but this should not affect your phone use.
Brightness / Contrast
The Poco X3 has a maximum brightness of 466 cd/m² which can be achieved by activating the "light/sun" mode in the settings. This mode has recently appeared on the Xiaomi and is available on all models running MIUI 12 which I have been able to test so far.
With 466 cd/m² you can use the phone in full sunlight without any problem. I had attached the Poco X3 to the handlebars of my bike with full brightness, I was wearing sunglasses and could read the screen perfectly.
The Poco X3 uses an LCD screen, which means that the contrasts will be limited and therefore the blacks will never be really black. I measured a contrast of 1658:1, which is a very good contrast for an LCD screen.
Biometry
The Poco X3 is equipped with a fingerprint sensor on the side of the phone. This type of sensor requires a bit of getting used to because the ignition button is in the same place.It is not always noticed because the fingerprint sensor is seen as something basic but it is probably one of the most used features of a phone. If this sensor does not work well, it can ruin your phone experience.
This is the third phone with this kind of mechanism that I have had the opportunity to test and the Poco X3 is probably the best. The unlocking is very fast and I find it even better than the screen unlocking of the Poco F2 Pro.
Operating system
The Poco X3 runs on MIUI 12, so the experience is exactly the same as on other Xiaomi phones using the same version of MIUI 12.I have taken below a video I made for the Xiaomi MI 10 Lite, the Poco X3 uses the same interface.
Encoutered bugs
I haven't encountered any bugs when using the Poco X3 but there is one thing that irritated me a little. The loudspeaker at the top of the phone is positioned on the edge of the phone and emits the sound upwards. This may seem trivial, but it forces you to position the phone low enough on the ear to hear the sound properly. I don't find this positioning very comfortable but it is a very subjective opinion.Accessories Poco X3
Compare Poco X3 with the others
Test / Review conclusion
The Poco is positioned like a gaming phone and it is a pity because this phone can be suitable for a wide audience. I received many questions from interested people who didn't feel that this phone was for them because they weren't playing. So forget about the marketing positioning of the phone, this phone will meet the expectations of a very large audience.The Poco is big, it's heavy and its camera comes out quite strongly at the back...it's true but I've never had a problem with that. I have much smaller telephones and I can switch from one to the other without regretting the switch from one to the other. I even prefer this Poco to my Samsung Galaxy S20 as the screen size offers a more immersive experience.
The Poco offers a very good price/performance ratio and this performance is useful for gamers but not only. The performance offers comfort of use, there is almost no latency, you don't have to wait too long to load applications. The Poco is also fast in 4G and wifi.
The Sony photo sensor on the Poco X3 produces good daytime photos with a small deviation on the blues but overall it produces better photos than the Redmi Note 9s. For night shots however, the night mode is not as effective as on some other Redmi. Gcam partially compensates for this problem.
The sound produced by the Poco X3 is probably the best in this price range. You have to go up in price (250-300€) to find something equivalent.
The Poco's screen and more particularly its refresh rate is one of the marketing arguments put forward for this phone. It is clearly an asset and not only for those who play with their phone. On the other hand I find it a bit of a pity that the phone is not equipped with an Amoled screen because the contrasts are not as good and the Poco's colorimetry is not the best, the Redmi Note 9s does better.
Strengths
- price/performance ratio
- screen frequency
- autonomy
- daytime photo quality
- speed 4G/wifi
- sound quality
Weaknesses
- night photo
- loudspeaker/ear position
Alternatives to this product
The most direct competitors in the same price zone are the Redmi Note 9s and the Redmi Note 8 Pro.
The scores of these phones are very similar (RN9s: 98 points, RN8 Pro: 100 points, Poco X3: 102 points).
The Redmi Note 8 Pro offers a lower battery life but provides sharper (and cooler) pictures.
The Poco does a little better in photo quality (but less sharpness than the RN8 Pro), it does better in sound, its screen frequency is much higher and it is faster in 4G / Wifi.
LAURENT WILLENHead of myself on this blog
I share my passions on my blog in my free time since 2006, I prefer that to watching nonsense on TV or on social networks. I work alone, I am undoubtedly one of the last survivors of the world of blogs and personal sites.
My speciality? Digital in all its forms. I have spent the last 25 years working for multinationals where I managed digital teams and generated revenues of over €500 million per year. I have expertise in telecoms, media, aviation, travel and tourism.
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