The POCO X7 Pro: A Battery Beast with Compromises You Can Feel
Let’s cut through the marketing fluff: The POCO X7 Pro isn’t here to win beauty contests. It’s here to last all damn day – and then some. But like any phone under €300, it’s a game of tradeoffs. Let’s break it down like we’re dissecting a used car in your driveway.
The Screen: Bright Enough to Blind a Satellite
That 6.67” AMOLED panel hits 3,200 nits peak brightness – a number so comically high, I half-expect it to start a campfire. In reality, you’ll only see that eye-searing intensity in HDR highlights. But even the typical 700 nits means you can actually read texts at high noon. Combine that with Dolby Vision and a 120Hz refresh rate, and you’ve got a Netflix machine that makes your old iPad look dusty.
Here’s the kicker: That 1920Hz PWM dimming means less eye strain during late-night TikTok binges. It’s the kind of detail spec sheets ignore, but your eyeballs will thank you for.
Performance: Speed Demon with a Cheap Leather Jacket
The Dimensity 8400 chipset is MediaTek’s middle finger to Snapdragon. That 1.66M Antutu score? It shreds through Genshin Impact at medium settings, though you’ll feel the back warm up like a pocket hand-warmer after 20 minutes. The vapor chamber cooling helps, but this ain’t no gaming flagship – it’s more like your reliable Civic with a turbocharger bolted on.
Daily use? Buttery. HyperOS 2.0 on Android 15 feels cleaner than past MIUI iterations, though you’ll still find Xiaomi’s signature app duplicates. Pro tip: Uninstall the “GetApps” store immediately unless you enjoy Chinese shovelware.
Battery Life: The Marathon Runner
6,000mAh. Let that sink in. This thing outlasts my willingness to stay awake. With moderate use, you’re looking at two full days – a week if you’re one of those “I only check my phone at lunch” weirdos. And when you finally do plug in? 90W charging hits 50% in 12 minutes. It’s so fast, I burnt my fingertips once on the USB-C port. (Note: Don’t use the included charger as a hand warmer.)
Cameras: Competent, But Bring Your Own Lighting
The 50MP main sensor (Sony IMX882) takes decent daylight shots – colors pop, details are crisp. But step into a dimly lit bar, and it turns into a watercolor painting. That f/1.5 aperture helps, but tiny 0.7µm pixels gather light like a colander holds water. The 8MP macro lens? Delete it. The selfie cam’s 20MP sensor oversharpens like a paranoid Insta influencer.
Video’s the surprise star here. 4K with OIS looks shockingly stable – I once filmed a biking POV shot that didn’t induce motion sickness. Just don’t expect iPhone-level dynamic range.
The Elephant in the Room: It Feels Cheap
That plastic frame and polyurethane back? They’re why POCO hit this price point. At 195g, it’s lighter than most bricks its size, but the hollow thunk when you set it down screams “budget.” The saving grace? IP68 rating – I’ve dropped mine in a pint twice, and it emerged like a soggy champ.
Who Should Buy This?
- The Road Warrior: If you need 2-day battery and can’t be chained to an outlet
- Media Binger: That screen + speakers = budget home theater
- Clumsy Humans: IP68 means survivalist-level durability
Skip it if: You’re a camera snob, need wireless charging, or hate plastic phones that could double as hockey pucks.
My Verdict: The Backup Generator of Phones
This isn’t a love-at-first-sight device. It’s the phone you begrudgingly respect when your friend’s iPhone dies at 3PM. For €288? Hell yes, I’d rock this as my daily driver. The battery life alone is life-changing – I’ve stopped carrying a power bank. Just slap a case on it to mute the plasticky vibes, and you’ve got a workhorse that’ll outlast your attention span.
POCO’s playing the long game here. The X7 Pro isn’t sexy, but like a good pair of boots, it’ll grind through the miles when flashier phones tap out.
