Poco X8 Pro review: Looks good, works well enough

"Memflation" is the new word in the economist's town. In simple words, it refers to inflation caused by rising prices of semiconductor memory and storage components such as DRAM and NAND flash memory. This new word also explains a phenomenon currently unfolding in the smartphone market. As component prices continue to rise, smartphone manufacturers are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain their margins. The easiest solution is to add a few extra features and increase the price of the device. Last year’s iPhone 17 price is the case in point.

As an indirect result, many mid-budget smartphones have quietly entered the entry-premium segment, and competition here is only getting more intense.

Poco's latest bet in this segment is the Poco X8 Pro, which starts at Rs 32,999 for the base 8GB + 256GB variant. For reference, the Poco X6 Series launched at a starting price of Rs 19,999 while the X7 series after it started at Rs 21,999 though to be fair, there is no Poco X8 at this point in time in India.

The company is positioning the latest Poco X8 Pro as an attractive alternative to devices such as the OnePlus Nord 6, Samsung Galaxy A37 and Nothing Phone 4a. The Poco X8 Pro is also available in a 12GB + 256GB configuration priced at Rs 35,999, while the Iron Man Edition costs Rs 37,999.

I have been using the Poco X8 Pro for a few days now, and I have a few thoughts. While we'll get to the performance later, what I truly appreciate about this device is its design.

Not trying to be an iPhone is a compliment these days

What immediately stood out to me were the small colour highlights Poco has added across the phone. They are subtle, but they do enough to make the device look distinctive. On the back panel, there are red rings around the camera module that enhance its appeal, especially on the white colour variant that I reviewed. More importantly, they make the phone look unique.

What adds more to the appeal is the flat back panel. Apart from the camera module, there isn't any noticeable bump on the rear. The surface is so smooth that if you close your eyes and run your fingers across it, you'll probably struggle to figure out where the flash is.

At the same time, Poco hasn't left the back plain and boring. One side features a textured finish that is neatly separated from the rest of the panel with a straight line. It is a small detail, but one that makes the phone look more thoughtful than most devices in this segment. Even the Poco branding blends naturally into the design instead of screaming for attention.

The red accents continue onto the power button as well, which is a nice touch.

That said, I am not entirely sold on the placement of the volume keys. Reaching them with one hand requires a bit of finger gymnastics. Personally, I find the arrangement on my Pixel 7a, where the volume buttons sit below the power key, much more practical.

While the frame itself is made of plastic, the metallic finish on the mid frame does a good job of giving the phone a more premium appearance. The Poco X8 Pro isn't lightweight, but it doesn't feel heavy either. At 201 grams, the weight feels justified considering the display size and the massive battery packed inside.

A display that belongs on a more expensive phone

The clean and flat design carries over to the front as well. The 6.59-inch AMOLED display blends seamlessly into the frame of the smartphone. The bezels are impressively thin, and Poco has hidden the earpiece speaker so cleverly that it almost feels like the bezels are simply part of the frame itself.

The display supports a 120Hz refresh rate and honestly feels no less than a proper flagship-level panel. It produces sharp visuals, rich colours and excellent contrast.

Whether you're watching videos, scrolling through social media or simply admiring your own photos, the screen rarely disappoints.

Viewing angles are excellent too. Whether you're holding the phone straight in front of you or looking at it from an angle while lying on a couch, colours remain vibrant and text stays sharp.

The panel is also built for a variety of use cases. With a peak brightness of 3,500 nits, it is bright enough to take on Delhi's harsh afternoon sun. At the other end of the spectrum, the 3,840Hz PWM dimming helps reduce eye strain during those weekend late-night scrolling sessions that somehow stretch well beyond midnight.

The stereo speakers further add to the experience of this large display. While the sound quality isn't stellar at higher volumes, the speakers get impressively loud. And that's something you'll appreciate during summer when the AC and ceiling fan are both running at full speed.

The in-display fingerprint scanner is another small but welcome highlight. It is quick, responsive and rarely misses a scan. If you're someone who makes UPI payments using biometric authentication, you'll appreciate how quickly it unlocks and saves you from those awkward extra seconds standing in front of a shopkeeper waiting for the phone to recognise your thumb.

Performance that keeps up with the display

A good display and premium-looking design only get you so far. Thankfully, the performance of the Poco X8 Pro is good enough to back up the promises made by the hardware. The smartphone is powered by the Dimensity 8500-Ultra chipset paired with the Mali-G720 MC8 GPU. It is supported by up to 12GB RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.1 storage.

On paper, the specifications look impressive, and in day-to-day use they largely live up to expectations. Apps open instantly, multitasking feels effortless, and the overall experience remains smooth throughout.

If you're someone who rushes to an AI assistant at the slightest inconvenience, you'll appreciate how quickly Gemini responds on this device. Of course, cloud processing takes its own time, but the Poco X8 Pro does its part diligently and never feels like the bottleneck.

I played Call of Duty on the Poco X8 Pro, and the game ran smoothly even with HD graphics enabled. More importantly, the phone didn't become noticeably warm during long gaming sessions. Xiaomi says the device features its IceLoop cooling system, and whatever it's doing seems to be working.

Just when the hardware starts winning you over, Xiaomi's software – HyperOS 3 based on Android 16 – reminds you that no smartphone is perfect. Pre-installed bloatware is noticeable, but the silver lining is, most of it can be uninstalled or at least, can be hidden. Aside from the bloatware situation, everything else is nice and slick. The feature set is extensive, too.

For those interested in numbers rather than feelings, here are the benchmark scores. They largely reflect what I experienced in day-to-day use: plenty of performance with very few slowdowns.

Battery life that refuses to quit

The Poco X8 Pro packs a massive 6,500mAh battery, and thankfully it puts that capacity to good use. With my regular usage involving social media, YouTube, calls, photography and occasional gaming, the phone comfortably lasted more than a day on a single charge.

When you eventually do need to charge it, the bundled 100W charger gets the job done fairly quickly. A full charge takes roughly an hour, which is impressive considering the size of the battery.

Cameras: Good enough for most people

Even if a smartphone offers great performance and battery life, a weak camera system can quickly kill its appeal. Thankfully, that's not the case here.

The Poco X8 Pro comes with a 50-megapixel primary camera that captures sharp, vibrant and colourful images in daylight. In good lighting conditions, the camera produces detailed and pleasing shots that most users will be happy with.

If you compare the photos directly with flagship smartphones, you'll notice the difference. Colours occasionally lean towards the warmer side, but considering the price of the device, it's not something most buyers will complain about.

Low-light photography is acceptable too.

Images retain a decent amount of detail, and dark areas are handled reasonably well. However, the camera does struggle with glare. If there's a streetlight, lamp or any strong light source in the frame, image quality can quickly take a hit.

The good news is that low-light photos generally avoid excessive grain, which makes them look cleaner than you might expect from a phone in this segment.

There is no dedicated telephoto camera here, but you do get an ultra-wide camera for those situations where you want to fit more into the frame.

Selfies from the 20-megapixel front camera are generally good as well. Skin tones mostly remain natural, although the camera does apply a bit of smoothing from time to time.

Cameras are best judged by photos, not specifications. Here are some samples captured using the Poco X8 Pro that should give you a better idea of what the phone is capable of.

So, should you buy the Poco X8 Pro?

The Poco X8 Pro is one of those smartphones that gets most things right. The Dimensity 8500-Ultra delivers strong gaming performance and excellent day-to-day responsiveness. The 6,500mAh battery comfortably lasts more than a day, the 6.59-inch AMOLED display feels flagship-grade, and the overall design looks far more premium than the asking price would suggest.

The build feels solid, the speakers are loud, the fingerprint scanner is quick, and the overall package rarely feels compromised.

The bloatware situation could be better but at least HyperOS lets you tweak things to your use case.

Long story short, the Poco X8 Pro is easy to recommend and could be a viable bet for those looking for good looks and reliable performance.