In a bid to challenge the supremacy of OnePlus in India, Xiaomi launched its sub-brand called Poco in 2018 in the country. The sub-brand’s focus was to offer premium features at lower prices. After almost a year and a half since its first offering, Poco launched its second device called “X2” in February 2020.
The three RAM+ROM variants of the “X2” Android smartphone – 6GB+64GB, 6GB+128GB, and 8GB+256GB – fall under the price range of INR 15,999 to INR 20,999 ($200-$280) in India. The handset also comes in three colours: atlantis blue, phoenix red, and matrix purple.
We tested the premium 8GB+256GB variant of the smartphone in the matrix purple colour. Here is how it fared for us.
Look and Feel: Almost Premium
With rounded edges, the handset features a 6.67 inch Full HD+ (FHD+) display. The display, along with the glossy back body of the device comes with gorilla glass protection – saving it from quick and easy scratches.
The smartphone comes with a rear quad camera set-up encircled by a fancy concave pattern followed by the flash. The dual selfie camera sits flush with the display of the device in the latest punch-hole format.
While the left side of the device carries the hybrid dual SIM tray, the right side features the volume rockers along with a very snappy fingerprint sensor.
The lower edge of the device hosts the audio speakers, charging port, and a port for audio jack.
The phone is slightly heavy, although it looks and feels close to a premium device.
Display: Why Not AMOLED?
The phone's FHD+ display is disappointing especially because Xiaomi offers better AMOLED displays in their devices that are cheaper than Poco X2 like the MI A3 smartphone which costs around INR 14,000 ($190).
Due to the lack of AMOLED display, the shades of black on the screen do not come out punchy enough, making pictures appear a tad bit dull.
The refresh rate of the display is 120Hz (Hertz), which ensures the phone manages to keep up with rigorous gaming and constant multi-app usage.
However, watching content and playing games is very comfortable on the X2 smartphone, owing to the huge screen size and 1080p high definition screen resolution.
The brightness of the almost bezel-less display is appropriate enough for the screen to display vivid colours, even under direct sunlight which makes using the device outdoors convenient.
Camera Performance: Snappy and Satisfactory
X2 comes with four camera sensors on its back body – 64 megapixels (MP) for clicking clear images of far off objects, a 2MP sensor for depth, an 8MP lens for ultra-wide angle, and another 2MP lens focused on capturing close-up shots. In addition, the dual front camera comes in a 20MP+2MP lens combination.
The buil-in camera app on the handset supports several features and modes like Slow Motion, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Video, Portrait, Night, High Definition Resolution (HDR), Panorama, and Pro. The AI mode rectifies dull colours in the picture to appear more vibrant.
The camera app is snappy and does not lag while launching.
The performance of both front and back cameras, including the 64MP sensor was quite satisfactory in all kinds of light settings. The images captured were neither fragmented nor grainy.
Processor: Facilitates Efficient Working
The processor, which is responsible for the overall performance of the device is undoubtedly one of the most important specification for buyers who are looking to invest in a mid-range smartphone.
X2 runs on the Snapdragon 730G octa-core chipset. The processor was launched by US-based chipmaker Qualcomm in April 2019 – and is known for its efficient functioning in smartphones.
The Snapdragon 730G chipset worked well in compatibility with the device and ensured a smooth user-experience under heavy usage and continuous app-browsing.
Battery: Boss-Power
The real superstar of the Poco X2 smartphone is its massive 4,500mAh battery that supports fast charging. The smartphone comes bundled with a 27 Watt type-C fast charger that fuels up the device to 100 percent battery in just a little over one hour – which is really useful especially between everyday home, work, travel, and social commitments.
One drawback is that the phone heats up a little on being used while it is plugged in on charging.
Highlights and Conclusion
The handset runs the Google-developed Android 10 operating system (OS) that offers an all-device dark theme and also saves battery of the device from draining out quickly. On one full charge, the smartphone functions for almost an entire day.
Both the fingerprint sensor as well as the face recognition unlock feature performed top notch. Since the fingerprint sensor is on the side edge of the phone, it may take some getting used to for some users.
The audio of the handset is loud and clear.
In conclusion, the Poco X2 is a decent option for consuming content and gaming enthusiasts, who aim to use the device for at least a couple of years.
While OnePlus is still to launch its next highly priced flagship offering for 2020, X2 performs well as a fair substitute.