I rarely get late, but when I do get late, the resentment spills over the entire day. To be honest, most of the time I am held up because my phone is left to charge…forgotten in the maze that is my desk. In short, my current phone (not to be named) has a battery that runs out faster than Usain Bolt. Just when I began to think that phones with lasting batteries are a myth, the Poco X8 Pro Max arrived.
To begin with, the ‘sleek and slim’ trend is not reflected in this device; it’s colossal in size. I guess Xiaomi was not joking when it said ‘Pro Max’. This huge smartphone is packed with power and a range of features.
I have been using the Poco X8 Pro Max for the past few weeks. Cameras, design, battery life, and most importantly, how good is it as a daily driver? In this review, I will break-down the smartphone, and what makes the Poco X8 Pro Max stand out in its league.
Look and feel
The designer here seems to have taken a very minimalist approach, with simple colours and visual elements, from a pill-shaped camera island to a matte-finish, single-tone back glass. The Poco X8 Pro Max weighs 218 g and is sturdy, and with its range of IP ratings. In simple words, you can be carefree in light rains and on dusty days. The RGB lights, which are being overdone on phones lately, seems rather neat here and adding to the overall style quotient.
Poco X8 Pro Max has minimalist approach, with simple colours and visual elements, from a pill-shaped camera island to a matte-finish (Image: Ajay Hanje/ The Indian Express)
Next, the huge 6.83-inch AMOLED display put me in the seat next to awe. Well, streaming movies and shows had gotten so much better; Poco surpassed my expectations. The clarity and colours are well calibrated. The peak brightness reaches 3,500 nits and is clearly visible in direct broad daylight. The bezels are well integrated, not obstructing the viewing experience. And lastly, Dolby Vision support renders a visually rich viewing experience.
Performance
On the performance front, the phone doesn’t disappoint. Under the hood, the device is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 9500s and 12GB of RAM, and it can execute all the tasks flawlessly. Opening an app is smooth and instant. Even with extended usage, I seldom felt the phone getting warm, and this may be because of its balanced thermal conductivity.
(Under the hood, the device is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 9500s and 12GB of RAM, and it can execute all the tasks flawlessly.(Image: Ajay Hanje/ The Indian Express)
When it comes to gaming sessions, the thermal management is optimal, as the phone efficiently manages temperature during long hours of playtime. Thanks to its peak gaming performance, some days were longer than expected, so do not tell my mom that I was playing games this long. And light games like Pac-Man or Tetris are no pressure for the device.
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On the audio front, the speakers are placed on the bottom, and the top of the device is aptly placed to provide a cinematic experience. They do add to the viewing experience, and the speaker is loud enough to play in a noisy environment.
Battery life
The most important aspect of the Poco’s phone, the battery that is powering the house. The 9,000 mAh battery that lasts longer than a weekend trip. Before heading out for a recent adventure on Saturday morning, I charged the device with the 100W charger, and it juiced up to 100 per cent within the hour. The phone lasted till Monday with medium use.
The 9,000 mAh battery that lasts longer than a weekend trip(Image: Ajay Hanje/ The Indian Express)
However, during heavy usage (playing games continuously) the battery life was 14-16 hours during the day. The charging is also quick due to the 100W charger, and as mentioned, it charges from 0 to 100 in almost an hour. The reverse charging is a little slow, and it took a while to charge the secondary device from 0 to 20 per cent.
Camera
The main camera, while it takes decent pictures, the output is largely passable. The 50 MP camera clicks detailed pictures under direct light and captures details with ample lighting.
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(Image: Ajay Hanje/ The Indian Express)
Poco X8 Pro Max’s camera loses out on colour and clarity in dark environments. The phone features a 20 MP front camera, which is decent for video calls and conferences, yet lacks depth when clicking pictures; clicking selfies in low light is not suitable as the grains crawl into the image.
The 8MP ultra-wide camera provides flexibility, yet the device lacks a telephoto lens, which is not common in this segment. During recording, the stabilisation lacks smoothness; when the camera is panned towards a different object, the stabiliser moves at a slower pace.
Camera Sample (Image: Ajay Hanje/ The Indian Express)
Camera Sample 2 (Image: Ajay Hanje/ The Indian Express)
Camera Sample 3 (Image: Ajay Hanje/ The Indian Express)
Camera Sample 4 (Image: Ajay Hanje/ The Indian Express)
Camera Sample 5 (Image: Ajay Hanje/ The Indian Express)
Verdict
Poco X8 Pro Max is a well-balanced device if battery and performance matter to you. With the 9,000 mAh battery, Poco seems to have solved the power consumption of the device on a single charge, as it lasts a lot longer than expected. The MediaTek Dimensity chip is very well integrated, which supports both a long gaming session and a movie night (honestly, I did both and am very content).
If you are looking for something that you could charge and worry less about losing power, great performance and a decent camera, this is a perfect fit for you in the mid-segment.
