Earlier this month, our friends at POCO sent me a POCO M3 Pro 5G device to test, and here’s my take on the device after a two-week spin.
The POCO M3 Pro 5G is the very first POCO device to use the MediaTek Dimensity technology promising an enhanced performance and speed. Powered by an octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 700 (I covered the chip’s launch last November 2020 and it promises to bring 5G technology to the masses). The addition of the 7nm SoC Dimensity 700 to MediaTek’s Dimensity family of 5G chips gives device manufacturers like POCO a full suite of options for 5G smartphone models — from the flagship and premium to the mid-range and mass-market devices — to make 5G more accessible for all types of consumers.
First Impressions & Physical Attributes
The body of this device is made of glossy finish plastic (for both front and back sides), but it does not diminish the overall stylish look and feel of the unit. This device sports a 6.5-inch FHD+ display for faster visuals and a smoother experience up to 90Hz (the DynamicSwitch feature enables the display to automagically switch between 90Hz, 60Hz, 50Hz, and 30Hz refresh rates while saving power). The POCO M3 Pro 5G upgraded the POCO M3’s Dot Drop to a DotDisplay.
With a unique 3D curved black design, the POCO M3 Pro 5G has a 91% screen-to-body ratio that adds to the immersive experience and premium smartphone feel. The device also has an updated Reading Mode 3.0 with paper texture mode that helps reduce eye strain. It also has the new dual ambient sensors (front and rear) to ensure a 360˚ light detection for natural brightness adjustment.
Charging Time & Battery Life
The POCO M3 Pro 5G comes with a 22.5W charger and a USB-C cable out-of-the-box to power its massive 5,000mAh (typ) battery. With a completely drained smartphone unit, full charging the device only took 150 minutes (75% battery charge mark reached after 120 minutes of charging).
With two (02) SIM cards on active mode (both 5G capable), I was able to use the device almost the entire day on a single charge for social media, email, and a little bit of surfing. Of course, I was snapping photos from time to time — to test the unit’s capabilities as a shooter.
Camera Tests
The POCO M3 Pro 5G is equipped with a triple camera kit: 48 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/2.0″, 0.8µm, PDAF; 2 MP, f/2.4, (macro); and 2 MP, f/2.4, (depth). The selfie camera has 8 MP, f/2.0, (wide) configuration.
On broad daylight, using the camera on Photo mode with AI set to ON will give you something like this:
Using the POCO M3 Pro 5G’s camera on Macro mode with household lighting will result in something like this:
The built-in camera app of the POCO M3 Pro 5G has a Night mode preset to capture shots like this one:
Further testing the unit’s capabilities, turning the AI on the stock camera app to OOF will make food shots into something like this:
…
MY TAKE: using the camera of the POCO M3 Pro 5G for mobile phone photography will result in above-average expectations for experienced gadgeteers — just turn the AI OFF. The video shooting capabilities of the device have an impressive stabilizer, but the quality of footage can be improved in future iterations.
Performance & Gameplay
Powered by MIUI 12 (Android 11) out-of-the-box, the POCO M3 Pro 5G’s responsiveness screams after the initial boot. Also, did I mentioned that his device is probably the most inexpensive 5G-capable smartphone available in the Philippine market as of this writing?
Inside our house, I normally have a very faint signal with Globe Telecom using a 4G-capable device. Using the POCO M3 Pro 5G with the same SIM card resulted in something like this:
For the gamers out there, sorry but I don’t consider myself as one 😉 But I do “play” flight simulation on my mobile devices — particularly, RFS – Real Flight Simulator from RORTOS. Been “playing” RFS for quite some time now, on different Android devices, and this was the very first time that I had a lag-free experience with the game! Flight simulation apps/games have been notoriously popular with the device resources that they require to experience optimum gameplay.
Here’s a recording of one flight in RFS – Real Flight Simulator using the POCO M3 Pro 5G:
Specifications
| Display | 6.5-inch FHD+ (2400 x 1080) Dot Display |
| Rear Camera | 48MP F1.79 (main), 2MP F2.4 (macro), 2MP F2.4 (depth) |
| Front Camera | 8MP Front (Selfie) Camera |
| Dimension & Weight | 161.81mm x 75.34mm x 8.92 mm; 190g |
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensty 700 |
| RAM+ROM | 4GB, 6GB LPDDR4X RAM; 64GB, 128GB UFS 2.2 Storage |
| Audio | 3.5mm Headphone Jack Hi-Res Audio Certification |
| Security | Side Fingerprint Sensor |
| Charging | 5,000mAh Battery with 18W Fast Charging |
| Connectivity | Dual SIM; IR Blaster |
| Variant | 4+64GB; 6+128GB |
| Available Colors | POCO Yellow, Power Black, Cool Blue |
Availability & Pricing
The POCO M3 Pro 5G is available at the POCO Official Store Global in Shopee with a 4GB+64GB configuration priced at PHP8,990 and the 6GB+128GB configuration priced at PHP11,990 and comes in POCO Yellow, Power Black, and Cool Blue colors.
Conclusion & My Final Take
Several things to consider if you intend to buy yourself a POCO M3 Pro 5G:
- Will you be using it as your daily driver for calls, SMS, social media, etc?
- Do you live in a place with 5G signal activated already by your telco and wish to take advantage of its speed?
- Do you love photography using mobile devices?
- Do you love experimenting with the latest technology and gadgets?
If you answered at least three (03) YES to my questions above, then the POCO M3 Pro 5G could be the device for you. But don’t take my word for it… go try it for yourself, for one, it is one (if not the) most inexpensive 5G-capable device available in the Philippines as of now.