Smartphones

POCO X5 5G : test / review

Published on: 06-02-2023 / Modified: 15-04-2023
The Poco family has grown even further with the POCO X5 5G which announces the arrival of the 5th generation. The POCO M5 was released discreetly last year but I think the release of the X5 will be a little more visible and will probably be followed by a POCO F5 if we follow POCO's usual logic. This new POCO takes up features from the previous generation, including a Snapdragon 695 borrowed from the Poco X4 Pro and a few other elements such as the 50 million pixel Samsung sensor. The first visible novelty is its exterior appearance, the POCO X5 is very thin, the back has a uniform surface with a metallic effect with just a rectangular block to house the 3 photo sensors. Let's see together what this new generation of POCO X has in store for us!

Introductory offer

The POCO X5 5G is available on the official website with 2 gifts (a watch and a POCO bracelet) worth 104 €:
PO.CO / POCO X5 5G

Test video

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 X5 5G

The list below shows the prices for the Poco X5 5G 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

January 11, 2022: POCO X5 5G received ahead of expected release later in the month. The test can then begin.

Why this phone?

I'm not a natural collector but with some brands you could almost consider me a collector and POCO is clearly one of them. I have tested almost all the models released for 3 years, this may seem normal to you for someone who tests phones but remember that I am alone. I don't have a whole editorial team behind me to help me, so I have to make choices and POCO has often been one of my choices.

Why? POCO has never really disappointed me, I preferred certain models as with all brands but I never ended up with a model that made me want to throw it out the window. The brand has lost some ground in terms of innovation but it's the same observation for everyone, we are reaching a stage where all the brands are at the same level with the same characteristics. So what's left for POCO? The price / performance ratio remains a safe bet with them and unlike the first generations, POCO is no longer aimed at a gamer audience, they put performance in favor of a good daily experience for a very wide audience. This POCO uses the same processor as the POCO X4 GT which was a benchmark in this price range, so we can expect the entire fifth-generation X range to take a step higher in terms of performance.

Unpacking

POCO is a brand that has tried many things with all the models they have launched in recent years, but there is one thing that has remained stable over time and that is the packaging. Here we find the black box, its yellow lettering, its yellow packaging which contains the documentation and a transparent soft silicone shell, the telephone protected by a plastic film, a 33W charger and its USB cable.

I was a little surprised to find a 33W charger, it's a little more than what was found in the box of the third generation POCOs.

First configuration

The POCO X5 is released with MIUI 13 (version 13.0.2) and unlike many phones I test, I did not have to update after the first boot. The procedure for setting up the phone is the same as other phones using MIUI 13, I just saw an additional screen for creating a child profile.

Finish

POCO (and Xiaomi) tend to produce quite thick and massive phones but the first thing that struck me with this phone was its lightness, it weighs 190 grams. It remains a significant weight compared to some other models (from other brands) but if this is the first feeling I had when taking it in hand, it is that there is a difference with what I usually test. The POCO X5 is also thinner than previous models and this without sacrificing battery size.

I tested the anthracite gray model, I don't know if other colors will be available. This color gives it a smooth metallic effect quite successful. Below we find the usual USB-C port with a sound sensor and an audio output. This audio output is also the only one and it's quite surprising because most phones in this price range have two outputs to produce stereo sound.

At the top we find the usual infrared port, a sound sensor and a jack-type headphone output. On the right side we find the volume buttons and the power button which also serves as a fingerprint sensor. These buttons are located more or less at the same height as most phones.

On the back there is an imposing photo sensor that comes out slightly from the back of the phone. This photo block is made up of 2 sensors (wide angle and ultra wide angle), an extra sensor (accessible with Gcam) and a led flash.

The screen is just interrupted by a selfie sensor in the form of a punch in the middle of the screen, this one is a bit smaller than this that I'm used to seeing in this price range. The screen is protected by a plastic film placed at the factory, so you won't have to stick it yourself.

The SIM drawer can hold 2 SIM cards and a memory card, it is accessible on the left side of the phone in the usual place.

The borders are quite similar to the previous generation of POCO, it is very likely that this screen has already been used on a previous model.

This POCO X5 does not bring a revolution in terms of its finish or its aesthetics, we are very far from the gamer design of the X3 but that is not a bad thing. The X5 is more consensual and will undoubtedly appeal to a wider audience. It is a sober and elegant phone that has its place in the mid-range POCO.

Specifications

The information below comes from the Device Info HW application. The application provides detailed technical information about the tested phone. At the time I received this phone, the official tech specs hadn't been released, so I relied on what I was able to glean from the phone. I tested the 8Gb / 256 Gb version, I don't know if other versions will be available but if this model becomes the basic model (but I doubt it), it would mean that POCO's generosity in terms of memory is moved up one level. With 8Gb of RAM, POCO detaches itself from the usual 6Gb and although it will be useless for a large majority of users, it will give you comfort for a future where open applications will occupy more and more space. With 256 Gb, we are also above average here, but I imagine that a 128 Gb version will be available. Anyway, it is possible to associate a memory card so it is not the storage that will pose a problem.

For the CPU, I see that this POCO uses a Snapdragon 695 like the POCO X4 Pro, it shows that the base model will go up in performance and that is to be expected that the Pro and GT version are even more powerful. The POCO X5 comes in the mid-range with a performance that allows it to do pretty much what you want, there are just 3D games with a high level of graphics that could be a little less fluid.

The screen has the same dimensions as the POCO X4 Pro but it is not the same manufacturer. The POCO X5 is technically able to use the frequencies of 60, 90 or 120hz but in the menu I only saw the possibility of changing from 60 to 120. This may be something that could be subject to change. 'an update.

Although there are many similarities with the POCO X4 Pro, this POCO X5 still has enough particularities not to consider it a recycled version of the X4 Pro. CPU related components (GPU, wifi, bluetooth, gps,...) are the same but most other components are different.

CPU / GPU Performance

As I wrote in the previous paragraph, this phone is equipped with a Snapdragon 695 CPU and an Adreon 619 GPU, it is the same as the POCO X4 Pro or the Redmi Note 11 Pro. It's mid-range but offers sufficient performance to meet the needs of the vast majority of users. We must not be too quickly influenced by the arguments of power touted by the manufacturers because in the vast majority of cases, a mid-range telephone like this offers very largely sufficient performance.

Benchmark Antutu/3DMark

I got a score of 325654 points with Antutu v8, it's a very similar score to the POCO X4 Pro which uses the same components, the memory just seems a bit better on the POCO X5. This should offer a little extra for everyday use when switching from one application to another for example. If you like to play with your phone, you should be able to play most games with sometimes a small sacrifice on the level of graphics but only for very demanding games.

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.

The POCO X5 is powerful enough to run PUBG Mobile in good conditions, the level of detail is good and we can see the details of the scenery from quite a distance since from the plane, the trees on the ground are visible. The gaming experience is good, I didn't encounter any jerkiness or slowdowns. The textures load gradually but fast enough not to have empty areas while moving the character. The POCO X5 offers sufficient performance to play any game in good conditions. Some games more demanding than PUBG Mobile may require an adaptation of the level of detail but for a phone in this price range, it will be suitable for a very large audience.

What I suspected when unpacking the phone is true here, however, the sound only comes out from the speaker at the bottom of the phone. This reduces the immersive side of the game and as long as your hand is positioned on the speaker, you will not hear anything.

Network performance

Not yet available / tested

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

I performed more than 2000 measurements to evaluate the 4G sensitivity of this phone (I don't have 5G at home) and I obtained an average signal of -99 dBm. Over the same period I obtained an average signal of -92.3 dBm with the probe, the difference is therefore very significant, which indicates that the POCO X5 has a sensitivity to the network below the average. It's clearly not the worst phone I've tested, but it will end up quite low in the rankings. If you live in an area with poor network coverage, this phone may not be for you.

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.

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 got an average signal of -17dBm near the router and an average signal of -64dBm at a distance, this puts this phone in the good average of the ranking.

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.

GPS performance

To test the accuracy of the GPS signal, I use two positioning applications to evaluate the difference between the actual position and the position indicated by the phone. This test is done outdoors with nothing to obstruct the signal. An accuracy level of up to 3 meters can easily be corrected by an application (e.g. Google Maps).

I got an accuracy level of 3 meters and average satellite coverage, I also checked the actual positioning against the advertised level of accuracy and indeed I end up at around 3 meters from where I was for the test. It's a usual level of accuracy for this kind of phone but don't worry about 3 meters because GPS applications are generally able to get you back on the road, there is just for hikers that this could to pose a problem.

Battery range

To test battery life I developed an application that measures the battery level minute by minute until the battery is empty. This application consumes about ten percent of the phone's resources and I do a test with 100 brightness. This test aims to reproduce a contemplative use of a phone (e.g. surfing the internet, reading articles, spending time on social networks). These results are not valid for intensive gaming/streaming use.

The POCO X5 uses the same hardware as the POCO X4 Pro, it also uses an equivalent capacity battery but I notice differences in battery performance. The charging time represents the first different but the explanation is simple, the X5 has a fast charge of 33W where the X4 Pro goes up to 67W. The battery charging time is therefore inevitably longer, I measured a charging time of 228 minutes with my UGREEN 100W charger. This either means that this phone is not compatible with the PD charging standard or that it is not very fast in charging. The graph below shows the evolution of the load and as you can see the load is perfectly linear, it is very rare.

I measured the battery life of the POCO X5 under the same conditions as the POCO X4 Pro and here too I got a slightly different result with a battery that offers less battery life on the POCO X5. I got 493 minutes of battery life with 100% brightness and 1058 minutes with 50% brightness. The consumption of the screen is therefore perfectly linear because the autonomy is almost divided by 2 with 100% brightness. I looked at the consumption of each component of the phone in detail and I do not see a major difference between the X5 and the X4 Pro. So the battery is less efficient or maybe I was unlucky in the battery lottery.

Power performance

I measured CPU, GPU, FPU and screen consumption for several minutes, first one by one and then all together. I get scores quite similar to what I got with the POCO X4 Pro. When the CPU is pushed to the maximum I have an average consumption of 4.26W, for the GPU I obtain 2.29W under the same conditions. With all the components used at the same time, I observe a very moderate rise in temperature of the battery with an average of only 26°C over more than 7 minutes of testing without interruption.

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 X5 is equipped with a 48 million pixel Samsung S5KJN1 sensor as the main sensor. I have already tested this sensor on POCO M5, Redmi 10, TCL 30 SE and POCO M4 Pro. It is usually available in a 50 million pixel version while it produces 48 million pixels on this POCO X5. It is a priori the same sensor with perhaps a different configuration. In any case, I find it a shame that POCO chooses a sensor of this type for the mid-range because it is a sensor that is usually reserved for entry-level phones.

The second sensor is an Omivision ultra wide angle sensor. There is a third sensor on the phone but this is not accessible from the photo app but I see it appearing in the list of sensors with the Gcam photo app. This application also works very well on this POCO.

Photo quality

Photo quality (indoor/studio)

The studio test is carried out under the same conditions so that the results can be compared on an equal basis. I calibrate my lighting for each test to obtain the same brightness and colour temperature. This test is a preliminary analysis of the technical qualities of a camera. Most phones fail this test, so you should also read the results of the other tests in the following paragraphs.

Main sensor: Samsung S5KJN1 48 million pixels

I have already tested this sensor on other phones like for example the POCO M5 but this one has a configuration slightly different and since it was the last phone I tested, I still have the results in mind. The POCO X5 has some difficulty finding the right exposure under artificial light, the photo is too dark and the colorimetry is not correct. If I look at the result with the POCO M5, I see that the exposure level is better on this model and where blue dominates with the M5, green dominates on the X5. I tried to compensate for this problem with the manual mode but I still have this dominance of green. I will test this phone in daylight as soon as the weather permits and also compare the result with Gcam to see if the problem is with the app or the sensor. AI, HDR or night modes did not solve the problem as you can see in the image gallery below in this paragraph.

This test assesses the level of sharpness produced by the photo sensor. I also find the same level of sharpness as for the POCO M5, the difference in colorimetry is still visible but the sharpness is good. The fine print on the Canadian note is perfectly legible. The sharpness decreases at the periphery but remains of an acceptable level in this price range.
Secondary sensor: Omnivision OV08 8 million pixels

I don't think I've tested this sensor before, I can't find it in my database. If I compare this photo with those taken with the main sensor, I find that this Omnivision sensor manages better in the choice of exposure time, the photo is brighter than with the Samsung sensor. The deformation is clearly visible but there is nothing abnormal here, this is the case with all sensors of this type. The colorimetry is more neutral than that of the Samsung sensor, it is usually the opposite. The sharpness is not extraordinary and it degrades quite strongly in the periphery. I also see a lot of digital noise too, especially in the periphery. This ultra wide angle sensor will be average with the same flaws as most sensors of this type, it is not better or worse, it should only be considered for landscape photos on a clear day.

The lack of sharpness was already visible on the first photo and it is even more the case on this photo. The small characters of the Canadian banknote are readable but we can already distinguish a blurry zone around the contours, the effect worsens when we move away from the center but as I wrote in the previous paragraph, that's all completely normal for this kind of sensor.

Photo: technical test

I was inspired by industrial technical tests to create my own technical test to evaluate the technical quality of a camera. This test is an objective assessment of a camera's ability to render a scene correctly.

I test the following elements:
- centre sharpness, peripheral sharpness
- colour fidelity based on 24 reference colours
- level of chromatic aberration
- dynamic range (ability to capture dark and light areas without loss)
- distortion

The technical evaluation may differ from the subjective evaluation as the feeling of a photo will be influenced by the processing provided by each manufacturer.

Main sensor: Samsung S5KJN1 48 million pixels

Outdoor photo quality

Main sensor: Samsung S5KJN1 48 million pixel

I tested this Samsung sensor on a sunny day in winter, the sun's rays were sometimes completely blocked by clouds . These are interesting conditions for testing a camera. When the sun is shining, the photos are of good quality with good color balance, good exposure and good sharpness. The dynamic range, on the other hand, is not very high because even when the sun is shining, the darkest areas of the photo are darker than they should be. This is seen even more when the cloud cover is greater, the photos are often underexposed and here we see the limitations of this sensor.

I also took pictures with the Gcam app to see if the photo processing of this app would improve the photo but it didn't. The photos taken with Gcam have a too warm coloring, these photos are easy to recognize.

Secondary sensor: 8 million pixel Omnivision OV08D10

The secondary sensor from Omnivision is an ultra wide angle sensor and this kind of sensor generally produces lower quality photos than the main sensor. Under identical conditions, this sensor will produce less bright photos than the Samsung sensor, the dynamic range is also smaller. This will therefore lead to areas that are too dark or too bright as soon as the light conditions are no longer ideal. The sharpness is also less good, it is not visible on a phone screen but if you look at your photos on a computer screen, you will quickly see that the edges are not sharp. These results are not surprising at all, it is the same for the vast majority of ultra wide angle sensors.

Test photo / night

The POCO X5 has a night mode on the default photo app and it also works with the night mode of the Gcam app. I will show you sample photos taken with both apps, the first set of photos were taken with the default photo app and the second set was taken by Gcam. The files have another name, the photos taken by the Gcam application all start with "pxl_", this will allow you to distinguish them better if you want to take a closer look at the photos.

Night mode photos allow you to capture scenes in a partially lit environment with great ease, but you also have to understand the limitations of this kind of photo. The photo taking time is reduced to avoid making blurry photos but this is done at the cost of an increase in ISO. On a phone screen it is not very visible but when the photo is dark, the digital noise is quite visible, it is not as well corrected as what I have seen on other phones. The other point that should be noted is that the foreground often benefits from a sharpening treatment which will improve the rendering but it is the opposite with the background where the details are smoothed and there is a fairly visible loss of quality if you zoom into the photo.

The POCO X5 is not the phone of the year for night photography, but it's still very decent. Most users undoubtedly have anecdotal use of night mode and for occasional use, the POCO will fulfill its mission perfectly. For more demanding users, it is necessary to move towards other models. Photos with POCO photo app:

Photos with Gcam photo app:

Video quality

Stabilisation

I was expecting this phone to be able to stabilize 1080p videos but that's not quite the case. As you can see in this video, the shock caused by walking is not completely dampened, so the video is shaken with each step. This phone is however powerful enough to manage the stabilization but it is undoubtedly here the sensor which does not offer this possibility.

Video normale conditions

This phone is capable of filming in 1080p with 30 frames per second, which is quite common in this price range. The quality of the video is not extraordinary because the sensor is quickly put in difficulty when the luminosity drops. I recorded this video on a cloudy day and you can see for yourselves that this video is too dark. Focusing is fast but noticeable, I see micro-adjustments with every movement. The dynamic range is not very high because we clearly see areas of underexposure or the opposite depending on the orientation of the phone. I had already made these remarks for the photo part of this test but these remarks are even more visible for the video.

Video low light

The POCO X5 does not have a night mode for video. The result is therefore quite average because the presence of digital noise is very visible, the video is very grainy. The phone also struggles to find focus, so it tries to establish its focus with every movement and as a result the details in the video aren't very sharp. Night video remains a challenge for most telephones, it is generally necessary to move towards the high end to hope to obtain a quality result.

External audio quality

This test is intended to give you an overview of the volume and sound quality during calls and when listening to music through the external speakers.

Audio / music quality

The POCO X5 is equipped with a single speaker located on the lower part of the phone, it therefore leaves with a deficit compared to previous generations which produced stereo sound. It's quite a shame because sound propagation is less good and the overall volume is affected depending on the position of the phone. The sound produced is of good quality but quite comparable to what is done in this price range and the volume is also average.

Audio quality / call

The POCO correctly restores the sound in call, the quality is good with a balance between low and high frequencies. The call volume is slightly above average and if I switch to speakerphone mode this phone goes into a fairly loud volume for a phone of this type. It is clearly above average here without a big degradation in sound quality.

Audio quality (headphones)

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.

The POCO X5 is able to reproduce most frequencies quite faithfully and it does it quite well. The low frequencies are very close to the reference and the dropout of the high frequencies is quite minimal (0.2db). The volume is average and the sound does not suffer from distortion even if the volume is pushed to the maximum.

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

To obtain excellent colorimetry with this phone, you must select the standard mode in the screen settings. With the standard mode, I get a dE of 1.38, which is an excellent level of colorimetry. The color coverage is also greater than 100% of the REC709 space, which will further enhance the qualities of this screen.

I measured a white temperature of 6411K, so here we are very close to the ideal measurement with 6500k. The image is neither too hot nor too cold.

Brightness / Contrast

I measured a brightness of 408 cd/m² in normal mode and by activating the sun mode, I went up to 640 cd/m². This is a very good level of brightness that will allow you to use this phone outdoors (provided you use the sun mode).

Contrast
This screen produces excellent contrast, almost infinite, so the blacks are very black and the minimum black level is so low that my probe has n was unable to give me an exact figure. The contrast may vary depending on the tilt of the screen but I think it comes from the protective film placed on the screen. I even see pink highlights in the image when I tilt the phone.

Biometry

The fingerprint sensor on the side works very well, the detection is reliable and fast. Facial recognition only works in 2D, it works well but in controlled conditions (good light, no mask, glasses,...)

Operating system

If you are used to using a phone from the Xiaomi group (POCO, Redmi, Black Shark, etc.), you will not be at all disoriented by this phone. The MIUI interface is rich in features, it allows you to go further than the native Android interface but with the number of possibilities, you might need a little time to adapt. The usual criticisms are still relevant, including the presence of advertising or the use of antivirus after downloading an application, but that has never bothered me.

I noticed two changes compared to the last POCO I tested. There is in particular the association of the ignition button with the Google assistant and I do not find that very funny because I never use the Google assistant and you have to keep your finger longer on the button to turn off the phone . The other point that bothered me is the presence of this little waiting animation that fits everywhere between two actions on the phone. I had seen this animation for the first time on the POCO M5 and it is the case again on this POCO. The performance of this phone should make it possible not to go through a waiting animation, so I don't understand this choice.

Encoutered bugs

Not yet available / tested

Accessories Poco X5 5G

Compare Poco X5 5G with the others

Test / Review conclusion

I use many criteria to evaluate a phone in order to provide you with as complete information as possible. I suspect that these criteria do not all have the same importance in your eyes, so you will have to select what is important to you because the ideal phone does not exist.

Who is this POCO X5 for?

We are clearly talking about a mass phone here for a very large audience, it's a very generalist phone that aims first and foremost to create volume. You have to see the POCO iX 5 as a versatile student where it is neither first nor last in the class.

If I have to sum up the qualities of this phone, I would say that it has an excellent screen, good battery life, good level of performance, good sound quality with headphones, good heat dissipation, a successful but all-purpose design or even a good wifi and GPS signal.

The quality of the photos and videos is decent when the light conditions are good, but... it's not the phone that will be taken as a reference.

Unfortunately, this phone does not only have qualities. It has some weaknesses, sometimes technical, sometimes related to its price positioning.

The biggest weakness is its average sensitivity to the network and this is not the first time that I have noticed this kind of problem with POCO, it was also the case with the POCO X3.

Then this phone only has one external speaker, it's a throwback and in this price range it's not very common in POCO. Charging speed is also down, the X4 Pro was twice as fast. And finally there is also this little waiting animation that appeared on the latest version of MIUI, this phone is fast enough to be able to do without a waiting animation so I don't really understand this choice.

That's it! I hope my test answered your questions, if not, ask them in the comments. If you liked my test, don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel or buy your products from my links.

Strengths

Not yet available / tested

Weaknesses

Not yet available / tested

Alternatives to this product

Not yet available / tested