POCO X5 Pro and POCO X5 test: two steps forward, one step back

Last year's POCO X4 Pro was only a pale shadow of the previous generations, because in exchange for a slightly better screen, it sacrificed the main component that has been the greatest feature of POCO phones from the very beginning, namely the processor. A year later, they did not repeat the same mistake. This time, the basic Snapdragon 695 is present only in the standard POCO X5, while the professional version got a much more powerful Snapdragon 778 5G. But not everything is rosy. While testing both X5 versions, we encountered some concerns.

Which phone makes more sense long-term investment? There is a 70-euro gap between them. Is that enough to perhaps set your sights on the classic POCO X5? More below.

POCO X5 and POCO X5 Pro prices in Slovenia?

• POCO X5 Pro 6GB/128GB: €379; available in black, blue and yellow
• POCO X5 6GB/128GB: 309 €; available in green, blue and black

For purchase options, visit the website www.mi-store.si, and you can also wait for the operators' offer.

In terms of shape, they are almost identical to double eggs.

With a free eye, you will very difficult to distinguish between POCO X5 Pro and X5 phones. In addition to a different selection of colors, you can orient yourself by the frame of the camera. Both phones share the same styling with a distinctive glass frame on a black base. On the POCO X5 Pro, this background is a little glossy, but on the classic X5 it is matte. Another difference is in the marking of the cameras. The POCO X5 Pro boasts a 108 MP sensor, while the POCO X5 has a 48 MP. Another difference is the position of the flash. These are actually the only design differences between them. They also differ in dimensions. The POCO X5 Pro is surprisingly 7 grams lighter (181 g) and also slightly thinner (7.9 mm vs. 8 mm), but you won't notice it in practice. In both cases, one-handed use is feasible and comfortable.

Both phones are fully charged underwent plastic surgery – the main sign that these are budget phones. It's not the plastic of the past that liked to bend. It is non-slip and has an anti-glare coating. Fingerprint stains are present, but not to the extent that we are usually used to with low-cost devices.

Flatness is the common denominator of the frame, front and back panels. The phone case is resistant to splashes, unfortunately there are no deeper levels of water resistance.

It is surprising that in 2023 we can still find a phone with 10-year-old Gorilla Glass 3 protection, which protects the POCO X5 phone screen. #141's point in favor of the Pro version is that it is slightly newer and more resistant Gorilla Glass 5. The frames around the screen are reasonably thin, inconspicuous, and the excess black appears to have moved to the chin of the phones, which is a little more prominent. At the top there is an even smaller opening for the selfie camera, which nicely completes the modern look of the phones.

POCO X5 and X5 Pro can boast that they are extremely practical. At the top is located almost extinct 3.5-mm connectorek for headphones, an IR blaster for controlling the television, and on the left side, in the case of the POCO X5 phone, we find another hybrid SIM slot and microSD card. We expect a lot of backlash from users on the missing microSD card support on the POCO X5 Pro, which has become a sacrificial lamb in an attempt to lower the price.

The POCO X5 Pro regains its #141;s point stereo speakers, while the audio on the X5 is played through a lone mono speaker.

The power button also hides a fast and responsive fingerprint reader.

Hudič it's in the details

At the screen, the game ends. POCO X5 Pro creates a significant advantage over its sibling with an excellent 6.67-inch AMOLED Flow screen, which supports 10-bit color depth and can display more like a billion colors. In addition to HDR10 standards, it now supports more Dolby Vision. ÄŒ although the X5 cannot boast of all the listed goods, it also has as a central component very vibrant AMOLED DotDisplay with a wide DCI-P3 color range and contrast ratio.

They share a very desirable 120 Hz refresh rate, a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels, 395 ppi and a 240 Hz touch response. The X5 Pro supports 1920 Hz PWM dimming to reduce eye strain in low light conditions. The two screens also differ in their maximum brightness – 900 nits (Pro) vs 700 nits (X5). In both cases, it is an average brightness, and the difference itself is noticeable when used in strong daylight, where the POCO X5 does not provide the most visible experience.

Both screens are color accurate. In the settings, you can choose between three color settings: default, saturated and vivid. You can also change the color temperature. By default, the vivid color display mode is selected, which in our opinion is also the best, as it does not exaggerate the shades and at the same time delivers the best accuracy.

POCO X5 Pro supports adaptive refresh between 60 and 120 Hz, while on the X5 you have to manually set the desired rate.

Performance is on the side of the POCO X5 Pro

Snapdragon 695 cannot compete with čip in any category Snapdragon 778, which strongly tips the scales in favor of the professional version. If we compare them side by side for the same tasks, we can notice (we are talking about milliseconds) slower animations, opening applications and the like. Playing games is much more enjoyable on the X5 Pro, as we can afford to play at medium or even high resolution. The Snapdragon 695 forces us to make compromises with the X5 if we want to spend more time playing games with stable graphics.

What we fault both phones is Slow UFS 2.2, which we wish companies would get rid of even in the lower classes. Vivo X80 Lite also made the same mistake recently. It is not just that we are talking about older technology. The drive is an important factor in the aging of the phone. After two years of use, when natural degradation does its job, they will still be relatively cheap The slow write and read speeds showed their teeth. In the case of a later X5, this will be even more of a problem.  

The capacity of the system memory is the maximum in both cases 8 GB with the possibility of virtual expansion (up to 5 GB).

5,000 mAh battery found in both versions, except that the Pro version is charged with 67 W and the basic version with 33 W. The POCO X5 Pro lasts a little more. working hours (thanks to the economical processor), but we had almost two days of worry-free use with both phones. With more intense gaming, we still used the charger only after a good day and a half.

POCO X5 Pro tests

POCO X5 tests

MIUI – for now “only” Android 12

POCO X5 is stuck on MIUI 13, while X5 Pro has already made the transition to newer MIUI 14. In both cases, it is the core Android 12 and not the latest Android 13. We expect the update to arrive in the coming months. We are disturbed by the fact that POCO has not yet publicly and officially committed to the number of years of software support they provide for their phones. It is usually for a period of 2 years, which means that the latest phones will remain after updating to Android 13 just one more upgrade, which is does not bode well for their longevity.

The differences between MIUI 13 and 14 are most noticeable in optimization and personalization. There is an always-on screen mode where you can choose between different themes. You can also be notified of new announcements by illuminating the pages. The home screen has not deviated from established guidelines. There are very few customization options, and the system divides applications into categories by default.

When it comes to apps, it is when the phones are first set up a little less than a dozen unnecessary and useless ones (Crazy Juicer, Bubble Shooter …). We had to remove them manually. There is still some system cover that cannot be removed without unlocking the phone and using ADB commands.

There is support for split screen and floating windows. As always, there is a lot of emphasis on themes. There is a lot to choose from, and you can even upgrade it with themes from the Xiaomi store. You can also turn it on live wallpaper Super Wallpaper.

In the security section, you have the classic functions of scanning the phone for malicious equipment, limiting data consumption, configuring battery operation and the option to free up RAM.

Shortcuts and gestures are user-friendly. There are plenty of choices, but even more important is that you can personalize in detail what the touching shortcut will do. Deep in the settings there is also heart rate monitor, which observes the blood flow in the veins of the finger with the help of a flash.

108 MP or 48 MP camera? A one-sided duel

Main 108 MP camera on POCO X5 Pro is to our surprise capable of capturing pretty good photos in daylight. Details are sharp, colors are natural and relatively lively. There is an automatic HDR function, but it does not make a noticeable difference. In poor light conditions, it is slightly more Crazy, but still good performance for this class. There is a 108 MP mode with which you can subsequently enlarge photos to view details.

The ultra-wide camera had more problem with shadows and details. In most cases, we would advise against its use and switch to the main page instead. The advantage of the powerful processor is 4K recording at 30 frames per second. Stabilization needs help user if you want to capture a shot without shaking. Portrait mode blurs the background well, and the exposed subject has a good level of detail. The front camera is one of the older sensors on the market, but we were not dissatisfied with it. Details are average, and color accuracy and dynamic range are satisfactory.

The POCO X5 delivers duller photos and pale colors in almost all areas, which is the result of either smaller sensors or a less powerful processor. There are still pictures more as useful, especially for the price of 300 euros, but don't expect high-end quality.

Photo gallery

Final opinion: Are POCO phones still the conquerors of flagship phones?

We fondly remember the first generation of POCO phones, especially the POCO F1, which we love more worked for the company for years. At that time, we were amazed that for less than 300 euros we got the same processor (Snapdragon 845) as the more expensive Samsung Galaxy S9, Note 9, Pixel 3 phones had. This was also the reason that POCO phones received the title “flagship killers“. Do they deserve it even today?

In terms of performance, less than in the past. The drive has also been stuck in recent years (same capacity and slightly better speed). In other respects, however, progress is noticeable. The screen and build quality are incomparably better, as is the performance of the cameras.

POCO phones have always been very popular among advanced users who start changing system settings even before the phone is first set up. Unlocking the phone (root, unlock bootloader) is extremely easy with POCO and Xiaomi phones, which is a big plus among enthusiasts. This possibility of easy intervention in the system led to the fact that, for example, users of POCO F1 phones changed the software module of the camera and equated the quality of photos with the more expensive Google Pixel 3 phones.

#140;While it is still extremely easy to hack into the POCO phone system, the Android community's passion for POCO phones is somewhat faded in recent years.

POCO X5 and X5 Pro are no matter what good phones, even excellent for its price. However, compared to the first generations of them that dot on the i is missing, because of which we were always on edge before every presentation. In any case, we advise you to forget the euro difference and opt for the X5 Pro, which is in almost every respect better candidate. We only hold grudges against the missing microSD card slot.