Select City

Poco X6 Review: Xtreme Performance On A Budget

- Updated: 27th Jan 2024, 15:02 IST
  • 1
    Review Summary
  • 2
    Poco X6 Price In India And Variants
  • 3
    Poco X6 Box Contents
  • 4
    Poco X6 Specs At A glance
  • 5
    Poco X6 Design And Build
  • 6
    Poco X6 Camera
  • 7
    Poco X6 Battery And Charging
  • 8
    Poco X6 Display
  • 9
    Poco X6 Performance
  • 10
    Poco X6 Software And UI
  • 11
    Verdict
Review Summary

Poco’s X series is known for offering powerful specifications at aggressive prices, and the Poco X6 is the company’s latest attempt to disrupt the mid-range segment. Is the Poco X6 a true mid-range king, or is it just another rebadge of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro? Here is my review of the Poco X6 and why it stands a chance of becoming your next mid-range smartphone.

The phone has a plastic body on the back with a triple camera setup and the typical Poco branding. It features a gorgeous 6.67-inch 1.5K display with Gorilla Glass Victus for protection.

The Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 seems promising on paper, but how does it perform in real life? Is the 64-megapixel camera a major downgrade from the Redmi Note 13 Pro? To find out, read my detailed review of the Poco X6 Pro.

PROS

  • Beautiful 1.5K Display
  • Gorilla Glass Victus
  • Great Performance
  • 3.5mm Headphone Jack
  • IP54 Rating

CONS

  • Android 13 With MIUI out of the box
  • Bloatware
  • Average Low Light Camera Performance
  • Plastic Back Prone To Smudges
Key Specs
Battery Capacity5100 mAh
Operating SystemAndroid v13
Screen Size6.67 inches
Highlights:
  • 5100 mAh

  • Android v13

  • 6.67 inches

Poco X6 Price In India And Variants

The Poco X6 5G starts at Rs.21,999 for the base variant with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. Furthermore, the 12GB+256GB and 12GB+512GB models will retail for Rs.23,999 and Rs.24,999 respectively.

Poco X6 Price In India

The Poco X6 will be exclusively available in Snowstorm White and Mirror Black colours on Flipkart.

Poco X6 Box Contents

The Poco X6 packs the following items inside the box:

Poco X6 Box Contents

  • Handset
  • 67W Charger
  • Documentation
  • SIM Ejector
  • Case

Poco X6 Specs At A glance

Before we talk in detail about the device, let’s see what the on-paper specs look like:

  • Display: 6.67 inch AMOLED
  • Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2
  • RAM & ROM: 8GB 256GB, 12GB 256 GB, 12GB 512 GB
  • Software: Android v13
  • Rear camera: 64MP + 8MP + 2MP
  • Selfie camera: 16 MP
  • Battery: 5100 mAh
  • Weight: 181 grams
  • Dimensions: 161.2 x 74.3 x 8 mm

Poco X6 Design And Build

The Poco X6 has a plastic back, unlike its doppelganger, the Redmi Note 13 Pro which features a glass-back design. Moreover, the device has a plastic frame with a matte finish, and my black variant has a glossy finish.

Poco X6 Design 1

This is one area where the Poco X6 differs from the Redmi Note 13 Pro to hit a more affordable price point. Despite the plastic back, the phone does not feel cheap in any way, although the Mirror Black variant I have is prone to smudges and fingerprints, so I recommend using a case.

Poco X6 Design 2

On the back, you will find a triple-camera setup housed in a rectangular camera module surrounded by a black strip with Poco branding. Despite being large, the phone weighs 181 grams and has a thickness of 8mm.

Also Read: Poco X6 Pro Review: The OnePlus Killer Is Here!

Speaking of the case, Poco has bundled a premium rubberised black case that fits snugly and has a matte finish. It deserves appreciation for offering a good quality case in the box.

Poco X6 Right

Regarding ports and placements, the phone has volume rockers and a power button on the right, while the left remains clean. You will find the 3.5mm headphone jack, IR blaster, secondary microphone and speaker grille on the top.

Poco X6 Bottom

At the bottom, you will be greeted by the USB-C port, speaker grille and SIM tray. The phone also has an IP54 rating for water and dust resistance.

Poco X6 Camera

The Poco X6 features a 64-megapixel primary camera, an 8-megapixel ultrawide camera, and a 2-megapixel macro lens. On the front, there is a 16-megapixel sensor for taking selfies.

Poco X6 Camera

Also Read: iQOO 11 Long-Term Review: Pure Performance Monster

The shots taken during the day are good, with adequate details and accurate colours. However, the details start to fizzle once you zoom in.

Poco X6 Daylight Sample 1 Poco X6 Daylight Sample 2 Poco X6 Daylight Sample 3

Similarly, the 8-megapixel ultrawide can take good shots, although the colours don’t match the primary sensor and can sometimes be overexposed. The 2-megapixel macro lens is only good on paper, and the outputs are acceptable at best.

Poco X6 Night Sample 1 Poco X6 Night Sample 2 Poco X6 Night Sample 3

When it comes to lowlight photography, the photos are average, with plenty of noise and overexposed colours. However, it can occasionally take some good shots in scenarios with proper lighting.

Poco X6 Selfie Sample

The 16-megapixel selfie shooter takes good photos with good details and accurate colours. Regarding video recording, the phone can shoot 4K 30 FPS with a primary sensor and 1080p at 30FPS from the front-facing camera.

Also Read: Poco M6 5G Review: Bringing 5G To The Masses

If cameras are your priority, it’s best to look at other options, such as the Redmi Note 13 Pro, which offers superior camera performance.

Poco X6 Battery And Charging

The Poco X6 packs a 5,100mAh battery with support for 67W fast charging. It can last up to 6 to 7 hours on normal usage with a refresh rate set to 120Hz.

Poco X6 Battery Backup

Also Read: Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro Review: The Perfect Mid-Ranger?

Thanks to the 4nm chipset, you can expect better power efficiency despite the increased 1.5K screen resolution. Moreover, the device can be fully charged from 0 to 100 per cent in just 44 minutes using the 67W charger in the box.

Poco X6 Charger

Overall, the Poco X6 offers excellent battery life and can easily last a day, even with moderate usage.

Poco X6 Display

The Poco X6 boasts a 6.67-inch 1.5K AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Furthermore, the screen comes with Gorilla Glass Victus for protection and has a peak brightness of 1800 nits.

Poco X6 Display

It is currently the cheapest smartphone in India with a 1.5K display and Gorilla Glass Victus protection, so kudos to Poco for not compromising on the display. The screen has narrow bezels surrounding it and a centre punch-hole cutout.

Poco X6 Content Consumption

The higher resolution and large display makes it a treat for watching content. There is also support for HDR 10+ and Dolby Vision, which complements the viewing experience.

Also Read: Motorola Edge 30 Fusion Long-Term Review: Does It Still Have The Edge?

I enjoyed watching Season 1 of The Sopranos and liked the saturated colours on the Vivid mode. The screen is bright enough for outdoor usage, and I did not face any issues, even under harsh sunlight.

Poco X6 Refresh Rate

Navigating through the user interface feels smooth and fluid thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate. You can also enable 120Hz in unsupported apps in the Settings, which is excellent.

Poco X6 Display 3

The Poco X6 series also brings an in-display sensor to a Poco smartphone for the first time. The optical fingerprint scanner is fast and works most of the time. I am glad more companies now offer features like in-display fingerprint sensors in the mid-range segment.

Also Read: Poco M6 5G Review: Bringing 5G To The Masses

There is also a dual-stereo speaker setup with Dolby Atmos support, and the speakers are loud enough to fill an entire room. It does not distort even at full volume, and there is ample bass.

The Poco X6 also retains the 3.5mm headphone jack, a rare addition many users will appreciate. Moreover, the phone has an IR blaster, which you can use to control appliances such as AC and TVs.

Poco X6 Performance

The Poco X6 is powered by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 paired with up to 12GB of LPDDR4X RAM. It comes with up to 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage and 8GB of virtual memory support.

Poco X6 Specifications

Also Read: Oppo Find N2 Flip Long-Term Review: Can It Flip The Competition?

This is the same chipset found in the pricier Redmi Note 13 Pro, and the 4nm processor is snappy enough for day-to-day tasks. Most apps, such as Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, etc, remained open in memory, and I did not notice any lags or stutters during my usage.

Poco X6 Gaming

Furthermore, when it comes to intensive tasks like gaming, the Adreno 710 is capable of running most games at the highest possible settings. You can run BGMI at Ultra HD at Ultra (40 FPS) or HDR and Extreme Frame Rate. During my prolonged gaming sessions, it did not get warm during my usage, and the temperatures remained around 34-35 degrees Celsius.

Also Read: OnePlus 11 Long-Term Review: A True Flagship Killer

Similarly, CODM supports High and Max frame rate options. However, there is no support for 90FPS in either game, which is disappointing.

Poco X6 Benchmarks

Regarding benchmarks, the phone has a single core of 1032 and a multi-core score of 2982 on Geekbench. Moreover, the phone throttles to 90 per cent of its max performance in the CPU throttling, which is fantastic given its price.

Also Read: Nothing Phone (1) Long-Term Review: Still A Worthy Contender?

In addition, the phone has an AnTuTu V10 score of 641837 and a 99.5 per cent stability in the 3D Mark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test, which is excellent. Overall, the Poco X6 is a great performer that can handle most of your gaming needs.

Poco X6 Software And UI

The Poco X6 ships with MIUI 14 based on Android 13. Unfortunately, brands like Poco are still shipping phones without Android 14 in 2024 despite its elder sibling, Poco X6 Pro, being the first phone to come with HyperOS based on Android 14 in India.

Poco X6 Android Version

However, it is worth mentioning that Poco has promised an update to HyperOS with Android 14 soon. I can only hope that the company will provide the latest Android version out of the box with its future smartphones.

Poco X6 Bloatware

Also Read: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Long-Term Review – Worth to Buy in 2024?

The phone has plenty of pre-installed bloatware apps, such as Block Puzzle Guardian, Crazy Juicer, Facebook, Jewels Blast, Netflix, Phone Pe, Snapchat, Spotify, etc. Thankfully, you can easily uninstall most of them from the Settings.

Poco X6 User Interface

You also get plenty of customisation options, including themes, Always On Display support, live wallpapers and more. The usual MIUI features include Quick Ball, One-Handed Mode, Screen Recorder, Floating Window, Second Space and Dual Apps.

Poco X6 Virtual Memory

Like the Redmi Note 13 Pro, you can measure heart rate with the in-display fingerprint sensor by placing your finger on it for 15 seconds. It is a mere gimmick, and I recommend using a medical device such as an oximeter to measure heart rate.There is also support for up to 8GB of virtual memory extension on the smartphone.

Poco X6 MIUI Version

The Poco X6 will receive three years of OS updates and four years of security patches, meaning it will get up to Android 16. This is technically two OS updates as it should have arrived with Android 14 out of the box.

Verdict

Poco has always offered a fantastic price-to-performance ratio with its X lineup, and the new Poco X6 is no exception. It has a sharp 1.5K display with a 120Hz refresh rate and Gorilla Glass Victus, a first in this segment.

The Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 is capable of handling daily tasks and fulfilling your gaming needs. Cameras have always been the weakness of Poco devices, and sadly, the X6 continues this tradition.

The 5,100mAh battery can easily last a day, and the 67W charger can quickly top up the phone within an hour. Overall, the Poco X6 is a powerful smartphone that will fulfil most of your needs if you can look past its average cameras and bloatware-ridden software.

There are also other options in this segment that you can consider, such as the Poco X6 Pro, Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro, Motorola Edge 40 Neo and the iQOO Z7 Pro.



Tips & Tricks

5 Best Tips & Tricks To Enhance Apple iPhone 14 Screen
28th Feb 2024
How To Use ChatGPT For Free Without Phone Number
25th Feb 2024
How To Convert PDF To XLS For Free
23rd Feb 2024
Ultimate Material For Choosing The Best Mobile Phone Cover!
23rd Feb 2024
Best Accessibility Features On iPhone For Specially Abled People!
22nd Feb 2024