Xiaomi Poco M4 Pro 5G Review | Is It Still A Good Budget 5G Phone?
Are you looking for a smartphone that offers the latest 5G connectivity without breaking the bank? The Xiaomi Poco M4 Pro 5G might be the answer.
This phone promises smooth performance, a long-lasting battery, and a capable camera system, all at an attractive price point. But does it deliver on these promises?
In this review, we'll take a close look at the Xiaomi Poco M4 Pro 5G to see if it lives up to the hype. We'll explore its design, display, performance, camera capabilities, battery life, and software, giving you a comprehensive picture of what this phone has to offer.
So, buckle up and get ready to find out if the Poco M4 Pro 5G is the perfect budget-friendly 5G phone for you.
Also Read: Xiaomi Poco F4 GT 5G Review | Is The Poco F4 GT Worth Buying?
Xiaomi Poco M4 Pro 5G Review
In my review of the Xiaomi Poco M4 Pro 5G, I found it to be an impressive smartphone with a lot of features that are usually found in higher-end devices. The 6.6-inch IPS LCD display was clear and had a 90Hz refresh rate that made scrolling smoother.
The Mediatek MT6833P Dimensity 810 processor delivered smooth and responsive performance, even when multitasking or playing games.
The 5000mAh battery was long-lasting and supported fast charging. The camera system was also great, with a 50MP primary camera and a 16MP front-facing camera that took stunning photos and videos.
Overall, the Xiaomi Poco M4 Pro 5G offers excellent value for money and is a great option for budget-conscious buyers.
Keep reading to check out my review in detail.
Highlights of the Xiaomi Poco M4 Pro 5G
Beautiful Design - I personally loved the sleek design and build of the Poco M4 Pro 5G. It has a large 6.6-inch display and has a big camera housing at the back. The M4 Pro 5G also is quite lightweight and slim making it easy to hold while gaming.
Stereo Speakers - The stereo speakers bring everything to life and it sounds amazing when watching videos or movies. They are guaranteed to deliver an immersive experience regardless of the volume levels.
Solid Battery Life - Equipped with a powerful 5000mAh battery, I found the Poco M4 5G to last upwards of a day on a single charge which is more than enough to run games, movies and handle day to day tasks like a breeze.
Decent Processing Capabilities - One of the main highlights of the Poco M4 Pro is the ability to process tasks like a piece of cake. It’s loaded with a Dimensity 810 5G processor and runs on an ad-free version of MIUI which is pretty decent in my opinion.
The Poco M4 Pro is easily one of the best budget smartphones available in 2023.It delivers good performance, has a really sleek and premium design and is equipped with a large and powerful battery enough to grant you a full day of use.
Xiaomi Poco M4 Pro 5G Design
Considering the cheap and affordable pricing, I felt that the design of the Poco M4 Pro 5G to be quite flashy and sleek.
Unlike some of the other Xiaomi smartphones we’ve reviewed, the Poco M4 has a plastic body which might put some people off, but I personally liked how snug the phone fit in my hands. There’s ample amount of grip so the phone doesn’t fall or slip.
The M4 Pro 5G is available in 3 colors and while it might not be the handset to go for if you’re looking for something a little more minimal, it sure is an eye catcher and I felt that Xiaomi has not followed their signature design and that’s what is unique about the M4 Pro 5G.
The physical volume and power buttons are located on the right side of the M4 pro and the left houses the hybrid SIM slot. Charging and data transfer is carried out via USB-C and there’s even a 3.5mm headphone jack positioned at the bottom.
While the M4 Pro is not waterproof, it does come with IP52 protection that keeps the device safe from dust and light splashes.
Xiaomi Poco M4 Pro 5G Display
While the M4 Pro 5G does not have a display that can match the vivid brightness and contrast as an OLED panel can, its large 6.6-inch IPS LCD does a decent job and keeps everything pretty fluid.
I found the colors to pop and the brightness to be quite refreshing since it was pleasantly clear during the day. The bezels are nice and slim with a circular-cut selfie camera embedded in the display positioned at the top.
Xiaomi Poco M4 Pro 5G Performance
The performance of the M4 Pro 5G is pretty good but the Dimensity 810 doesn’t offer an upgrade from the Dimensity 700 used in the M3 Pro 5G. It’s capable of easily running high-spec apps and games as well as runs Android with ease.
Along with the Dimensity 810, the M4 Pro comes with 4GB, 6GB and 8GB RAM as well as storage options of 64GB, 128GB and 256GB which is more than enough to store all your games, songs and photos.
It also has an option to upgrade the storage by using a microSD card in the hybrid SIM slot. While I did notice some lag when switching between apps it’s safe to say that the issue would be fixed with a software update.
Xiaomi Poco M4 Pro 5G Camera
On to the camera now, the dual lens rear camera is not something that’s considered pro-grade, but it does a decent job off taking day time photos and videos. The colors are really good and the details are quite sharp in contrast to the Note 11T we reviewed earlier.
The selfie camera on the other hand performs fairly well while taking photos, but it does not do a great job with videos. The quality of the videos taken on the selfie camera is grainy even with HDR enabled and it would have done a better job if Xiaomi would have paid more attention to the users of the M3 Pro 5G.
Main Camera
| Dual | 50 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), PDAF 8 MP, f/2.2, 119˚ (ultrawide) |
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Video | 1080p@30/60fps |
Selfie Camera
Xiaomi Poco M4 Pro 5G Battery
I found the battery of the M4 Pro 5G to be quite promising. The 5000mAh battery was more than capable of delivering up to 2 days of runtime from a single charge.
For most of the time, we found the battery to last up to a little over a day after streaming videos, playing games and using GPS navigation.
Unfortunately the M4 Pro does not have wireless charging, but the 33W fast charging helps replenish the battery in under an hour.
Xiaomi Poco M4 Pro 5G Specifications
| Xiaomi Poco M4 Pro 5G | |
| Announced | 2022, March 15 |
| Status | Released |
| Display | |
| Type | IPS LCD Display Capacitive Touchscreen, 16M Colors, Multitouch |
| Size | 6.6 Inches |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 px |
| Protection | Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Body | |
| Dimensions | 174.1 x 78.6 x 9.5 mm |
| Weight | 208g |
| Water Resistance | IP53 |
| SIM Slot | Dual SIM(Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) |
| Expandable Storage | No |
| Colors | Mysterious Black, Milky Way Blue, Mint Green |
| Internals | |
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 810 5G Octa-core (2x2.4 GHz Cortex-A76 & 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) Processor |
| Graphics | Mali-G57 MC2 |
| RAM | 4GB / 6 GB / 8 GB RAM |
| Storage | 64GB / 128 GB / 256 GB |
| Cameras | |
| Rear Cameras | 50 MP + 8 MP, |
| Camera Features | AF, LED Flash |
| Front Camera | 16 MP (Selfie Camera) |
| Camera Features | LED Flash, HDR, Panorama |
| Software | |
| Android | 11, upgradeable to Android 12 |
| MIUI | |
| Connectivity | |
| Network | 4G - LTE Band 1: 2100, Band 2: 1900, Band 3: 1800, Band 4: 1700, Band 5: 850, Band 7: 2600, Band 8: 900, Band 12-14, 17: 700, Band 20: 800, Band 28: 700, Band 31: 450, Band 71: 600 MHz5G - FR1: 450 MHz - 6 GHz , 5G FR2: 24.25 GHz - 52.6 GHz |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS |
| NFC | Yes |
| Infrared Port | Yes |
| Radio | No |
| USB | USB: microUSB 2.0 Type-C,, OTG support |
| Battery | |
| Capacity | Non-Removable Li-Po 5000mAh Battery |
| Charging Technology | Fast Charging |
| Sound | |
| Loudspeaker | Stereo Speakers |
| 3.5mm Jack | Yes |
| Features | |
| Sensors | Fingerprint(side-mounted), Accelerometer, Proximity |
Xiaomi Poco M4 Pro 5G Pros and Cons
Pros:
-
Budget-friendly: This is a major plus! You get 5G connectivity at an affordable price point, which is great if you're looking for a future-proof phone without breaking the bank.
-
Long battery life: The 5000mAh battery is a beast, and you'll easily get through a full day of use on a single charge.
-
Smooth display: The 90Hz refresh rate makes scrolling and gaming feel fluid. It's a nice upgrade you don't always see in budget phones.
- Decent performance: The MediaTek Dimensity 700 processor is capable of handling everyday tasks and even some lighter games without issues. There are options with 4GB, 6GB or 8GB of RAM, so you can choose how much multitasking power you need.
Cons:
-
Software quirks: Some reviewers mentioned bugs and unpolished software with the MIUI 12.5 interface. It's always a good idea to check for recent reviews to see if software stability has improved.
-
Middling camera: While the 50MP main sensor sounds good on paper, reviews suggest photo quality is just average. If you're a big photo snapper, this might not be the best choice.
- No expandable storage on lower RAM version: The 4GB RAM variant only has 64GB of storage, and there's no microSD card slot for expansion. If you store a lot of photos, videos, or music, you might want to consider the 6GB or 8GB RAM version that offers expandable storage.
Should You Buy the Xiaomi Poco M4 Pro 5G?
If you prioritize a large battery, smooth display, and 5G connectivity at a budget-friendly price, then the Poco M4 Pro 5G is a strong contender. However, if you require top-notch camera quality or are worried about software bugs, you might want to look elsewhere.
Also Read: