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POCO X7 : test / review

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Published on: 10-01-2025 / Modified: 11-01-2025
I tested my first POCO in 2018 and in six years, the world has changed, and the same is true for the POCO brand. From its beginnings, POCO has kept its DNA for performance, but has opened up to a wider audience by offering less divisive phones at a still affordable price. What POCO lacked, in my opinion, was a stronger visual identity and a more versatile camera. With the POCO F6 Pro, the brand had managed to take its level of finish up a notch, but I was disappointed by the camera. With the launch of the POCO X7, POCO's X range may be about to take a big leap forward

I had no idea what POCO would come up with for this new model, so I was really positively surprised when I took it out of the box. The POCO X7's visual identity is stronger, the level of finish is far superior to that of the POCO X6, and the good news doesn't stop there. This new POCO X7 is equipped with a Sony photo sensor, something that hasn't been seen in the POCO mid-range for a long time, and which could put POCO back in the race for photo quality!

Where to buy?

The POCO X7 is available on Mi.com (official Xiaomi website) for €249 (launch price). In addition to this offer, a purchase on Mi.com gives you further advantages:

- free earphones

- €20 discount on a future purchase

- 15% discount for students

- 2 months free access to YouTube Premium

- the possibility of paying in instalments without charge

To take advantage:

POCO X7 on Mi.com

Manufacturer web site:

https://www.mi.com

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 X7

The list below shows the prices for the POCO X7 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.

Timeline

December 2024: pre-launch phone reception

January 2025: launch of the POCO X7

Unpacking

POCO phones change their visual identity almost every year, but the packaging is the same. The boxes are all the same, and the contents are also very similar. The box contains the phone, a soft silicone protective shell (the shell is gray), a needle to open the SIM drawer, a manual, a 45-watt charger and a USB cable

Finish

As I wrote in the introduction to this article, POCO has changed its visual identity yet again. This new X7 is undoubtedly the best-looking phone POCO has released in the mid-range segment, and I think it's also one of the best-looking POCOs in the brand's history. Obviously, this is all very subjective, but no-one will deny that the aesthetics have changed a lot compared to the previous model



The camera unit on the back is huge but fairly well balanced, it doesn't generate too much of an offset with the back of the phone and its integration seems more natural with the metallic aspect of the back of the phone



The back of the phone is covered with a metallic-looking surface that reminds me of the automotive world and certain car dashboards. I quite like this type of texture, it gives it a more dynamic look



On the top, there's a sound sensor, an infrared emitter and a speaker. There's no headphone output, either here or at the bottom, which is a shame for wired headphone fans, but it does make for a slimmer phone



The phone's perimeter is covered with a unique metallic texture, and the special feature of this model is the curvature of the screen. I haven't seen a curved screen like this in a long time, and it gives it a more elegant look. The curvature is not very pronounced, so this will avoid a different behavior on the edges of the screen. There's no brightness leakage around the edges either



Underneath we find the usual USB C port with another sound sensor and speaker



The buttons for turning on the phone and controlling the volume are in the usual places with a metallic-looking finish like the rest of the phone



The border around the screen is very thin at the top and bottom. It's not a revolution, as other phones have the same kind of screen, but I think it's the first time a POCO mid-range phone has had a screen like this



The sim card is inserted from the underside of the phone, and the sim drawer is a small, double-sided drawer

If I'd had to erase the POCO brand with Photoshop to play guessing games, it's highly likely that you wouldn't have guessed the brand of this phone, such is the change between the X6 and X7. The overall level of finish is better, the edges are thinner and the use of a metallic look gives it a more premium feel

Specifications

The information below comes from the Device Info HW application. The application provides detailed technical information about the tested phone. It's not just the exterior of this phone that's changed, its technical architecture is also totally different. The POCO X6 used a Snapdragon architecture, the POCO X7 goes completely in another direction with a Mediatek Dimensity architecture. I'm going to dwell on the CPU/GPU and performance in the following lines, but there are other interesting things to note about this phone. For example, the screen resolution is highly unusual at 2712x1220 pixels. The screen uses 3 different frequencies (60/90/120) for greater visual comfort. Memory is of the LPDDR4X/5 type, with 12 Gb of basic RAM and 512 Gb for storage (for the version I tested).

On the connectivity side, we find 6 Ghz wifi, Bluetooth 5 and a GPS chip that I haven't yet had the chance to test

I've included all the features in the following screenshots:

CPU / GPU Performance

The POCO X7 is equipped with a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Ultra processor. I hadn't yet tested this CPU, but it's classed as a mid-range CPUS. It has more or less the same performance level as the POCO X6 or the Redmi Note 13 Pro, which were in the same price range at the time of their launch. The Samsung Galaxy A55 does just a little better

For graphics, the POCO X7 uses a Mali-G615 MC2 GPU, again a mid-range GPU that offers slightly better performance than the POCO X6 and Redmi Note 13 Pro. The Samsung Galaxy A55, on the other hand, performs much better.

Benchmark Antutu/3DMark

I obtained a score of 487651 points with Antutu v8, which is a good level of performance in the mid-range. It's more or less the same level of performance as the previous model. This may sound disappointing, but this level of performance is more than sufficient for the majority of users. The race for performance only makes sense for hardcore gamers. For the rest of us, I can't think of any use that would put this kind of phone in difficulty

The temperature rise is fairly moderate. Over the duration of the test, the phone's temperature rose from 27 to 31°C. This is a good indicator of heat dissipation





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 X7 offers a good level of in-game performance, making it possible to play games like PUBG Mobile in excellent conditions. The high screen frequency and game turbo mode enhance the gaming experience, keeping frame rates high. This may not be the phone for hard-core gamers, but it's good enough for a very broad demographic.

Mobile network sensitivity

To test the sensitivity to the mobile network, I use a probe which measures the quality of the mobile signal 24 hours a day (eg: cell id, rssi, rsrq, snr, frequency,...) for more than 3 years. I then measure the phone signal under the same conditions to compare them to the probe's reference signal.

Phones tested:



To assess signal quality, I took 6954 network measurements to obtain an average signal of -107.48 dBm with the probe and -109.24 dBm with the phone. I therefore have a small signal deficit of 1.76 dBm. This difference is not significant, and a result close to that of the probe indicates a good level of reception. With POCO it's almost 50/50, sometimes the reception is very bad, sometimes it's good. This time it's a model with good reception

The signal level is very low, which surprised me because my signal level is usually around -95 dBm. With a little hindsight, I think I've understood why. I did this test from December 30 to January 1, and during this period the mobile network is more saturated than usual, which could explain the overall score. I can also see that the signal level fell back to around -95 dBm a few days later.

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 the wifi signal close to the router and at a distance, and obtained a signal of -14 dBm close by and -56 dBm at a distance. This is a very good signal level, indicating good wifi sensitivity.

I also measured signal stability over a period of just over 40 minutes and obtained a very stable signal, as you can see from the following graph:





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 measured the accuracy of the GPS signal using 2 sources to measure the actual GPS accuracy. First, I retrieved the geolocation data provided by the phone (accuracy app), which includes latitude, longitude and accuracy information. I then calculated the difference between these coordinates and the phone's actual position (accuracy calc). This allows me to measure the phone's actual accuracy level, and it's often higher than what the phone will show you

I took 1023 GPS measurements and obtained an accuracy level of 2.91 meters from the phone's data and a calculated accuracy of 4.91 meters by calculating the deviation from the actual position. This is an average deviation that can easily be corrected by a GPS application. The calculated (real) signal is very stable, varying very little, whereas the data from the phone fluctuates much more.

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.
Energy efficiency

To measure a phone's energy efficiency, I put it through a load test where I push all the components to the max for over 5 minutes, alternating the load on the CPU, GPU and FPU



With the CPU ramped up, the phone consumes 6.63 watts on average. The GPU consumes 3.75 watts on average, and when I push everything to the maximum I get a consumption of just over 6 watts, which is the maximum the phone can handle. So it can't let you enjoy the full power of the CPU and GPU at the same time. This is very often the case, so there's nothing extraordinary here. Energy performance is average.

With this somewhat extreme test, I estimate that you could last 3.15 hours using the phone at its maximum. This is a theoretical estimate, as you'll also have to take into account the battery's temperature rise and any protections on the phone to prevent it from overheating. The rise in battery temperature during my test was very reasonable, indicating good heat dissipation

Charging time

The POCO X7 has a fast 45-watt charge with a suitable charger supplied in the box. I tested charging the battery with a UGREEN 100-watt charger and obtained a charge time of 73 minutes



The charge speed is highest for the first 20 percent where it takes only 12 minutes, but the charge speed decreases thereafter. It's usually noticeably slower above 80%, but I find that this POCO X7 does quite well, as the slowdown above 80% isn't as great as I'm used to seeing. It's also the first time I've seen an indication of the number of battery cycles in Android's technical interface, so you'll be able to estimate the state of your battery over time by keeping an eye on this indicator

Autonomy



I obtained an autonomy of 790 minutes with the phone occupied for around 10% of the time and with the screen switched on to maximum. This is a good result, but there are two things to bear in mind. The first is the start-up test, which took a few minutes, and you can see that the phone remains at 100% for a few minutes. The other point is more or less at 20% battery, where the power-saving mode kicked in and artificially limited consumption. Without this feature, autonomy would probably have fallen to around 700 minutes or even a little less

Autonomy is quite similar to that of the POCO X6, but the latter had a fast charge of 67 watts, as opposed to 45 with this new model

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 X7 is equipped with several sensors:

- Sony IMX 882 with 50 million pixels as the main sensor

- Sony IMX 355 with 8 million pixels as the ultra-wide-angle sensor

- Omnivision OV20B with 20 million pixels for selfies

- Omnivision 02B with 2 million pixels for macros

The sensor I'm most interested in is clearly the Sony IMX 882. The last POCO Xs were equipped with Omnivision sensors which, while not bad, were not exceptional either. The Sony IMX 882 is also used in the POCO F6 and other phones such as the Realme 12 Pro and the Oppo K12.

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.

Sony IMX 882



I tested all the available configurations (day, night, 50 MP, AI, HDR,...) and didn't notice any notable difference. Colors were sometimes a little different, the use of AI sometimes gives unpredictable results. Overall, colorimetry is quite warm and representative of reality. This is one of the benefits of the Sony sensor, as Samsung sensors tended to cool the image. I obtained the best level of precision in normal mode, the 50 million pixel mode is curiously not the one with which I obtained the best result





The sharpness produced by the main sensor is really good. The small print on each bill is clearly legible, both in the center and around the edges. Although I took this photo freehand, without support, the result is really good

Sony IMX 355



This Sony IMX 355 is without doubt the sensor I've tested most often, it's used in a great many phones and that's a good thing because in the ultra-wide-angle sensor department, it does a good job. Of course, there's the usual distortion, but color rendition is good. Sharpness is average, but that's always the case with this kind of sensor



Unsurprisingly, the sharpness of this photo is not as excellent as with the main sensor. Those of you who regularly read my reviews may think I'm a parrot, writing the same thing over and over again. As this sensor is used in many phones, the result is always the same. Sharpness is very average

Outdoor photo quality

Not yet available / tested

Test photo / night

Sony IMX 882



Like most phones, the POCO X7 features a night mode. This night mode takes several photos to superimpose them and obtain the best result. This combination works quite well. The brightness is good, the smoothing is not too pronounced, I don't see any digital noise and the halos of light are well diverted. The level of precision is lower than a daytime photo, but on the scale of a phone screen, you won't see a thing. I also find that the colors are quite realistic, because the night mode on phones is usually bathed in an orange hue



Sony IMX 355



Ultra-wide-angle sensors aren't usually at home with night shots, but this one does very well. Exposure levels are good, even surprising because photos taken by this kind of sensor are often totally black. Colors are also realistic. It's mainly the sharpness that's a problem, but this was already the case for daytime photos. The only problem is that night photography with this sensor is slower than with the main sensor. It's not logical, but that's the way it is, so you have to stand still for longer



Night video



Night video represents a big challenge for entry-level and mid-range phones because, in addition to the complexity of the photo, you have to manage movement and constantly recalculate the image. The POCO X7 is powerful enough to handle regular movement while maintaining a good level of exposure. The video is correctly exposed, colors are good and focus is fast. If I speed up the movement a little, a jerk is visible, but the sharpness calculation is fast enough to stabilize the image as soon as the movement slows down. For a mid-range camera, this is a good result.

Video quality

Stabilisation



The Sony IMX 882 is capable of shooting AND stabilizing in 4k and 30 fps. It's not a revolution, because other phones do it very well too, but I'm surprised that the result is so good. In the mid-range, 4k stabilization is often disappointing. Shocks are fairly well absorbed on this video, with just a few exposure jumps and visible calculation, but nothing really dramatic. The previous model was also capable of 4k stabilization, but I find that the rendering is better with this Sony sensor.

Video normale conditions


The POCO X7 can shoot in 4k and 30 fps as well as 1080p and 60 fps. This video was shot in 4k and 30 fps. As with the photo, the exposure level could have been a little higher. The rendering is quite warm and details are clearly visible. Movements do not cause exposure jumps or overly visible pixel recalculations.

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.

Musical quality



The POCO X7 is equipped with two external speakers delivering sound of more or less equivalent power. The power delivered by these speakers is average, and when the volume is pushed to maximum, a little distortion is audible. The loudspeakers are at ease on just about all frequencies, with obviously some restrictions on the extremes on either side of the spectrum. This is to be expected from speakers of this size, and there's nothing abnormal here.

In-call quality



In-call sound quality is good, with accurate sound that doesn't overemphasize high frequencies, and good voice reproduction. Volume on the internal call speaker is average. Volume levels on the external speaker, on the other hand, are fairly high, with peaks above 80 dB. The sound saturates a little but remains of very good quality, so you could hold a conversation in a slightly noisier place by using the external speaker, as the gain in volume is significant.

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.
This test allows me to measure sound quality via headphones, but I couldn't get this phone to pass my full test because my test software wasn't receiving a sync signal. I don't know why, so I don't have all the usual data. Nevertheless, I was able to obtain two interesting pieces of information. Firstly, there's the sound power, where the POCO X7 is considerably less powerful than its predecessor. This is not a handicap unless you like to listen to music at high volume. The other piece of information concerns distortion. I measured a slight distortion when the sound was turned up to maximum, which disappeared if you turned it down to 85%.

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



The POCO X7's screen is set to "intense" mode by default, and as is often the case, color fidelity is not optimal. I got a delta E on white above 6 and the image is overall too cold

To correct this problem, go to the advanced screen settings, choose P3 mode and modify the colors as follows:

Red: 4 notches from the left

Green: 3 notches from the left

Blue: 2 notches from the left

With these settings I get a delta E on white at 1.2 with a temperature of 6638k. I also obtain a delta E of 1.43 for colors and 1.2 for grays. The POCO X7 is therefore capable of perfectly rendering the colors of the DCI-P3 space to provide you with excellent image quality for photos and videos

Contrast

This phone uses an AMOLED screen and I obtained infinite contrast, so black is indeed black.



Brightness / Contrast

I measured a brightness of 525 cd/m² with the brightness set to maximum, and by activating sun mode or auto brightness, you should be able to exceed this value. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to flood the capture with light, so it's probably somewhere other than the usual location. With this level of brightness, you'll be able to use the phone outdoors while maintaining good legibility.

Accessories POCO X7

Compare POCO X7 with the others

Test / Review conclusion

I've had a long history with POCO, and I've had the same test protocol from the start. So I can compare the evolution of the brand without having to call on the neurons I've lost since I started testing phones

This POCO X7 isn't going to revolutionize the performance race, it doesn't do any better than the previous model. That's okay, because for the vast majority of you, it's totally unnecessary. The price/performance ratio of this phone is good, and unless you're a hardcore gamer, you'll probably never put this phone through its paces

There are two things, however, that have evolved well from the previous generation. The first, and most visible, is that the level of finish and aesthetics have taken a quantum leap. I'm being a little subjective here, but I think this POCO is the most beautiful POCO I've ever tested.

The other evolution is the camera. By equipping this POCO X7 with a Sony IMX 882 sensor, POCO is back in the mid-range race. This Sony sensor delivers a much better image quality than the previous model. It has a slight light deficit when the light is not good, but on the other hand, the level of detail and colors are a clear improvement on the POCO X6. With this sensor, POCO can finally compare itself with other phones in this price range

Among this phone's other strengths, I'd mention the excellent screen. It covers a fairly wide color space, colorimetry is good, contrast is impeccable and brightness is good.

There's also the mobile network sensitivity, which is sometimes a POCO weakness, but not the case with this model. Sound quality is good, wifi signal sensitivity is excellent, CPU cooling is efficient and battery life is good

The POCO X7 has no major faults, but it does have a few points of attention. I noticed a regression in wifi speed compared to the previous model. GPS accuracy is just average. Sound quality is good, but less powerful than the previous model, and there's also a bit of distortion when the volume is at maximum, which you have to pay attention to notice

For a price of around €250 (at launch), this phone will meet the expectations of a fairly wide audience, and its level of finish might just make you switch to a POCO for the first time

Strengths

Price/Performance

Excellent screen

Sound quality

Photo quality in clear weather

Video stabilization

Wifi sensitivity and stability

Mobile network sensitivity

Battery life

Efficient cooling

Weaknesses

Wifi speed lower than previous model

Slight sound saturation at maximum volume

Sound via USB less powerful

Lack of brightness when taking photos under cloudy skies

The screen's protective film may peel off quickly due to the curvature of the screen

Gain of 50 million pixels anecdotal

Alternatives to this product

Not yet available / tested

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