Our Verdict
The Poco X6 Pro excels in some areas, such as its performance and display capabilities, while occasionally underwhelming elsewhere. Marketed as a premium gaming phone, the Poco X6 Pro is deceptively simple. With a brilliant battery and charging, and ultra-smooth performance while running demanding games, this budget option has the potential to be a crowd-pleaser while also catering to all your basic needs for a mobile phone. The compromises come in the quality of the design, the unimpressive camera, and the lack of wireless charging, which prevent the Poco X6 Pro from truly being on the same tier as the newest releases from prestige brands. If you don’t care about that, though, the Poco X6 Pro offers incredible value for money… if you can get your hands on it.
- Excellent value for money
- High performance levels can handle even the most challenging games
- Crisp display is as good as any competitors
- Strong battery life and ultra-fast charging
- IP rating for dust and water protection is lower than you'd expect
- No wireless charging option
- Hard to get in US market
When I covered Xiaomi’s live unveiling of the Poco X6 Pro, I couldn’t help but be impressed by the promise on offer: an extremely affordable phone (a fraction of the price of Samsung’s S24, an undoubtedly Apple’s iPhone 16) with the very best specs that can run even the most demanding mobile games. I wondered what the catch was. A few weeks later, I had the chance to get my hands on the phone and write a Poco X6 Pro review.
Now, after spending plenty of time with the Poco X6 Pro by my side, I’ve broken down the phone by every feature that matters to you, explaining how it measures up against the competition, and whether it fulfills its promise to be the best gaming phone around, and the new best Xiaomi phone. There’s a lot to discuss, but we’ll keep it straightforward and no-nonsense so you know exactly what you need to know and nothing less.
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Price and availability
The first mark against the Poco X6 Pro, and one of the most important, is that it doesn’t have US pricing because the phone isn’t available in the US. If you’re in the US market and are looking to pick up the X6 Pro, you’ll have to put the time in. That being said, where the phone is available (UK, Europe, and India) you can pick up the device for £369, or about $465. This is less than half the price of Samsung’s S24 Ultra, which is a fair equivalent to compare it to as another fresh release with high-end specs.
You don’t need me to tell you that, on the face of it, that’s a pretty brilliant deal, and it means that if you’re in the market for a gaming phone with good specs, you simply can’t ignore the Poco X6 Pro which comes in three color options (black, gray, and yellow). If you can get your hands on it, it’s undoubtedly great value. For £50 ($63) less, you pick up the slightly more basic Poco X6.
Specs
Features
With the Poco X6 Pro, equipped with the shiny new HyperOS operating system sitting atop Android 14, simplicity is the aim of the game. As you boot up the phone with its default settings, you’ll be greeted by an extremely smooth, iOS-lite system that is highly customizable depending on your preferences. Everything is slick and intuitive, and while everyone will relate to the experience of taking a while to adjust to a new interface when they pick up a new one, that adjustment period should be rapid for anyone picking up the X6 Pro for the first time. It’s a great balance of familiar and comfortable, with a fresh feel and sharp polish.
Less great is the deluge of unwanted and unnecessary preinstalled software that the phone comes with: games you’ve never heard of, chunky apps like Netflix and TikTok, and Xiaomi’s own homebrew management apps too. This isn’t uncommon, but it’s no less frustrating because of that. And, most annoyingly, I couldn’t figure out who this was for, or aimed at. The X6 Pro is marketed as a gaming phone for gaming enthusiasts, so you’d assume the target audience would be comfortable enough deciding what they do and don’t want to install on their devices. Equally, consumers who are less experienced with new tech a) aren’t the target market here, and b) could be overwhelmed by all the apps that are already on the device. It speaks volumes that the first thing I did, as someone who likes their phones to have minimal fuss and lots of customization, was uninstall everything and start from scratch.
Now that that rant’s over, there’s not too much more to say about features specific to the Poco X6 Pro. Mostly, the phone is pretty stripped back and flexible to be adapted to your own preferences, but it doesn’t have any standout new features like the S24’s AI: it’s mostly just what you’re used to, but slicker and quicker. That’s no bad thing.
Design
With a Gorilla Glass 5 sheet sitting on top of its display, the Poco X6 Pro is a tough, hardy device that should be able to withstand the grind of daily life. It’s not an ultra-thin, flimsy offering, and when you’re in the zone gaming you really don’t need to worry about the pressure of your thumb on the screen. It’ll be fine. That sheet protects a full, bright screen that extends all the way to the edges of the phone: something that helps the phone to feel more premium than its pricing would suggest. On the bottom side you’ll find the usual USB-C port and the loudspeaker, and above that is where you’ll scan your fingerprint (unlike some other, older devices, this fingerprint scanner is very reliable and quick).
Unfortunately, the finer details do let the Poco X6 Pro down slightly and are indicative of a stripped-back approach that allows for its budget price. For example, it carries an IP54 rating for dust and water protection, which is nowhere near the top of the range, and is less than what you’d typically expect from a new model. It’ll be fine in the rain, but not much more than that. Definitely don’t submerge it in water, or drop it in any deep puddles (or the bath, which I’ve done with previous phones). That rating also means you could find dust making its way under the screen, if you have the phone in your pocket for long enough.
Display
With fantastic resolution (1,220 x 2,712px) and the unexpected addition of Dolby Vision, the Poco X6 Pro’s 6.67-inch screen packs a serious, bright punch. Its brightness can light up a room, and its crisp clarity means that you can enjoy movies on the go without much sacrifice.
This display can duke it out with any other mobile, and from gaming to streaming, indoors and outdoors, I had absolutely no complaints whatsoever about the quality of what the X6 Pro had to offer. To really put the phone’s display through its paces, I watched 2021’s Dune (or, at least, a good chunk of it) and was impressed with how quickly I forgot I was watching the movie in my hands. It’s no IMAX, but it’s more than as good as you’d expect from your phone.
Of course, you can fiddle with all this in the settings, changing the default to suit whatever specific needs you have. But, in my experience, the Poco X6 Pro’s display was adaptive enough that I never felt the need to. This is all top-tier, and one of the phone’s biggest strengths.
Cameras
If you’re looking for a phone dedicated to photography, the Poco X6 Pro isn’t the one for you. Don’t get me wrong; if you’re strolling along the beach and fancy taking a snap of the waves you’re not going to be disappointed and you’ll get a nice combination of range and detail: it’s fine at capturing both landscapes, and close-ups of people (or, your pet dog), as well as the occasional unashamed selfie. It’s just that the cameras aren’t in themselves a standout reason to buy the phone. For example, it struggles a little in lower light conditions, and it seems to naturally want to make the color palette of the photo slightly warmer than it is to the eye.
But, then again, unless you’re specifically looking for a phone that does double up as a camera, you should be fine. It’s not that the cameras are bad, per se (in fact, they’re good! They were fine for my basic needs), but they’re not impressive by themselves and don’t compete with the options from other brands.
Performance
As a dedicated gaming phone targeted at wannabe pro mobile gamers, the performance level of the Poco X6 Pro is one of the areas most deserving of scrutiny, and this is an instance of the phone living up to its promise. Powered by the Dimensity 8300 Ultra chipset, the phone will load in rapidly, even with the most demanding games. For me, personally, the benchmark is Genshin Impact. This is a game that asks a lot of the hardware, especially if you want the best from it.
I’m happy to say that the Poco X6 Pro handles it better than any phone I’ve used before: it feels like you’re in the game in an instant, loading back in is equally rapid, the phone won’t get uncomfortably warm on your hand (or, even really noticeably warm, even after hours of gameplay) and the frame rate will stay consistently high and smooth in the most demanding instances of gameplay. Really, it doesn’t feel too far off what you’d expect from Genshin Impact if you were, for example, to play it on the Switch (it’ll happen one day, right?), and that’s as big of an endorsement as we can give.
Naturally, given how it handles games like Genshin Impact, the non-gaming experience is just as snappy. The responsiveness is great, and even after hours of use you won’t start to get that irritating micro-lag or pushback from the phone. It handles the day-to-day demands without pause, and will cruise through nearly anything you ask of it.
Battery
With a 5000mAh battery and a hyper-fast charger, the Poco X6 Pro will go from 0% to 100% in just under 50 minutes, and that battery can then last for several days, depending on use. If you’re busy traveling and working, and are just using the phone for messages, calls, and the odd photo, you can expect 2-3 days of battery life before you drop to 0. If you use it even less than that, it can stay alive for weeks.
But what about when you use the phone for dedicated gaming, as it’s been designed for? The good news is that unless you’re pulling a 12-hour session, your gaming will go uninterrupted by the need for charging. It can handle 4 hours of any Hoyoverse game without difficulty, and you’ll be left with charge to spare. In most instances, if you’re using the Poco X6 Pro throughout the day, with some gaming here and there, you’ll get through the day absolutely fine, and can then let the phone charge for 45 minutes before you go to bed, and it’ll be ready for the next day all over again. It’s a big tick in the Poco X6 Pro’s ‘plus’ column.
The obvious downside is that the Poco X6 Pro is not wireless charging compatible. Obviously, not everyone uses or wants to use wireless charging, but with a next-gen top-of-its-class model like the X6 Pro, it’s something that you might expect.
Should you buy the Poco X6 Pro?
If you enjoy gaming on your mobile, just want the basics done well, and aren’t overly fussy with the finer details, the Poco X6 Pro is a no-brainer. It’s an extremely affordable option (a factor which, alone, almost demands that it needs to be on your radar) given how excellent its display is, its ultra-smooth performance, and the impressiveness of its other specs. It can handle almost anything you’d ask of it, and with great battery life and charging it’s got stamina too. Whether you’re grinding it out on your favorite game or putting it through the day-to-day paces, it’ll live up to the job.
But, if you’re after something specific that isn’t gaming capability, you might encounter some bumps. The cameras are fine, but they’re not special, and you’ll get better with other options. The lack of wireless charging will be a frustrating issue for some, and could be a downgrade for a lot of potential consumers. And, the surprisingly unimpressive IP54 rating for dust and water protection is enough to make you think twice about its build quality too.
That being said, for the price, the compromises have to come somewhere. Even with those drawbacks, the Poco X6 Pro deserves your attention, especially if you’re looking for a next-level gaming experience.
Alternatives
If you’re looking for comparable phones to the Poco X6 Pro, you should consider the following options:
Samsung Galaxy A54
The Galaxy A54 is one of the best Samsung phones and as a strong all-round performer, it beats the Poco X6 Pro in a few measurable ways with its better camera system and IP67 rating. With that in mind, though, if you’re prioritizing performance, display, and battery, the Poco X6 Pro is the winner, though admittedly not by much. The Galaxy A54 will keep you happy in most instances. Read our Samsung Galaxy A54 review for more details.
Asus ROG 7 Ultimate
The Asus ROG 7 Ultimate is at the top of our list of the best gaming phones, and even beats the X6 Pro in a few areas, including with its increased 6000mAh battery. It’s a beast, and the two go toe-to-toe with a lot of their specs, and some similar flaws too. Naturally, it’s a pricier option than the X6 Pro, but if you can’t get your hands on the Poco due to its restricted international availability, the ROG 7 is the common sense alternative. Read our Asus ROG 7 Ultimate review for more details.
If you’re after more hardware articles read our recent Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review, and check out our speculation on what to expect from the Nintendo Switch 2. Or, see our list of the best Nintendo Switch games you can play right now.