POCO M3: Hands On with the Budget Battery Monster
Retail Price: $170
Buy on AliExpress
DISCLAIMER: POCO SENT US A REVIEW UNIT OF THE M3 BUT ALL THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ARE OUR OWN
A Refreshing Start
Here at The Sypnotix, we are huge fans of budget phones. In a world of expensive devices, it’s refreshing to see a cheaper alternative that offers excellent specs without compromising quality. We were super excited to get the Poco M3 sent to us to review here at the studio and with some very appealing specs on paper, there’s a lot of potential here for a smartphone within the $170 USD range. Let’s take a closer look.
Poco was a sub-brand of Xiaomi* and although we’ve reviewed a number of budget Xiaomi devices in the past including the Redmi 5 Plus and Mi 9T, we’ve been really curious about the Poco brand itself. The M3 is the latest entry-level phone to the Poco line. It comes in three colors, including yellow which is the one we have, blue, and also black. There’s two versions sold: 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage selling for approximately $150 USD and a 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage version that we have here at an MSRP of about $170. If you’re looking to purchase from the US, they’re both available via AliExpress. The M3 features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 662, which is also used in other phones like the Motorola Moto G Power and the more expensive Xiaomi Redmi Note 9. Honestly for this sub $200 price point, I think the 662 process gives this device a huge upper hand compared to the rivals in this price range.
*Poco Global requested we clarify that as of 2020 they are now a fully independent brand
Initial Thoughts
On first impressions, I’m already a fan of the sporty looking yellow color. There’s a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and soft-push volume rockers in addition to a 3.5 mm headphone jack. The back material is a textured yellow plastic that isn’t the most premium of materials, but has a very solid weight and feel to it. The triple camera on the back with a plastic POCO logo window really adds a nice sporty touch that looks both expensive and unique at the same time. With the phone comes a jelly silicone case and a pre-installed screen protector protecting a Corning Gorilla Glass 3 screen. At 6.53” FHD+ with an IPS LCD display, the M3 looks like it would be a great size for consuming media on. The display has a resolution of 2340x1080p and a 19.5:9 aspect ratio good for 395ppi. There’s also dual speakers and so far, they sound quite loud and clear.
The Poco M3 runs on MIUI 12 on top of Android 10. It’s been a while since I’ve used MIUI but I’m pleased with the aesthetic improvements they’ve made in my first impression so far. Customization also appears to be easier and the animation is a nice touch to have. One important factor to note is there is a good amount of bloatware that comes with the phone including a slew of games and apps such as Netflix, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Other than that, I am noticing some lag, as would be expected with 4 GB of RAM and a 60 Hz refresh rate, but it will take a full review period to see how performance goes with time and more usage. As long as you’re being reasonable with expectations for a sub- $200 phone, I think this device is more than capable of day to day performance.
Another bonus to this budget phone is a triple rear camera and 8 MP teardrop front camera. With a 48 MP main camera, 2 MP macro camera, and 2 MP depth sensor, this is another feature I’m impressed with that Poco was able to add to the M3. There’s more to come in my full review so be sure to stay on the lookout for that.
More to Come
Finally, what is arguably the most impressive feat in the Poco M3 is the battery size. This phone has a 6,000 mAh battery and supports 18W fast charging and even reverse-wired charging as well. Most phones don’t even come anywhere near this size in terms of battery and there’s a lot to look forward to here and I’m really excited to see how this phone performs in the long haul. Keep in mind once again that all of this is in a sub-$200 offering!
Lida
Always the number cruncher, the former narrative journalist turned data scientist, can’t help but find herself bursting with excitement with each new generation of tech gadgets. After all, predicting future trends is Lida’s forte. Any gadget that survives Lida’s torturous, adult working woman itinerary of over 700 notifications a day deserves praise!