Poco launched its new X7 Series last month. The base variant in this series gets significant changes to its design and form factor along with a new chipset. These changes come at a small premium as the 256GB storage variant of the smartphone is priced at Rs 21,999. Poco has also introduced a 128GB variant for users who don’t want to splurge more than Rs 20,000 on a smartphone. We’ve been using this smartphone for the last week, putting it through our daily run of tasks. Here is our in-depth review of the Poco X7 5G.
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Poco X7 5G Review: Design and Display
Here’s what you get inside the Poco X7 5G’s retail box:
- Smartphone
- 45 power adapter
- USB Type-A to Type-C cable
- Opaque silicone case
- SIM ejector
- Phone seal stickers
- Quick start guide
Poco X7’s design is a complete departure from the aesthetic laid down by its predecessor. The back panel is now curved along the edges and comes in 2 variants – plastic and eco-leather. We used the latter variant for this review and quite liked its in-hand feel. However, the yellow and black colour combination on this variant seems quite gaudy and over the top. While these are the official Poco colours, they could have been implemented more tastefully.
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The square camera panel with rounded corners reminds us of iQOO 13 (our review here). There are 4 individual cutouts on top of this platform. The cutouts and the outer panel have a golden border. The Poco branding is positioned at the bottom of the panel and has a smooth golden finish. The plastic frame houses the volume rocker keys and side button along its right edge and the SIM tray, USB port, microphone, and primary speaker. Up top lie the IR blaster, secondary speaker, and secondary microphones.
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The 6.67-inch AMOLED display has a 120Hz refresh rate and can reach a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. In High Brightness Mode, it can go up to 1,200 nits, which is enough to maintain legibility in bright outdoor conditions. Since this is a curved panel, accidental touches are common while holding the phone in landscape mode. The in-display optical fingerprint scanner is snappy and works well even when your fingers are wet.
During the review period, we used the Poco X7 5G to stream content across OTT platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, and JioHotstar. The HDR10+ support did wonders for the viewing experience. We enjoyed consistent image quality across all streaming platforms. The vivid colours and deep blacks brought out the best in the content relayed on the screen. The audio output produced by the dual speaker setup was loud but slightly tinny.
An improved IP68 rating against exposure to dust and water is another big highlight of Poco X7. Poco says that the X7 ‘supports’ IP69 protection. It claims that the smartphone can survive being submerged up to 2 meters for 24 hours. These specs are further strengthened by Corning Gorilla Victus 2 protection for the display.
Poco X7 5G Review: Performance and Cameras
Powering the Poco X7 5G is the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Ultra SoC. The smartphone comes in 2 storage (UFS 2.2) variants. Both variants have an 8GB RAM (LPDDR4X).
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128GB: Rs 19,999
256GB: Rs 21,999
On the Geekbench 6 app, Poco X7 scored 1,032 points in the single-core test and 2,901 points in the multi-core test. The smartphone holds up quite well in everyday use despite not flaunting the fastest RAM and storage configurations. Apps don’t take much time to load, background tasks are nicely optimised, and the touch response is top-notch. Routine tasks like video calling, social media, browsing, media streaming, and IMing are handled expertly.
We played games like Call of Duty and Asphalt Legends Unite on our Poco X7 5G review unit and were satisfied with its performance. In medium graphics, the smartphone did a good job of eliminating lags and frame drops. However, some of these issues became more apparent after switching to high graphics. The 13,780mm² cooling graphite sheet does a good job of dissipating the heat generated while gaming.
Poco X7 5G runs the Android 14-based HyperOS out of the box, while its Pro sibling runs the Android 15-based HyperOS 2. While the updated HyperOS version would’ve been ideal, the X7 curates a good software experience. We are particularly fond of the iOS-inspired Quick Settings Menu layout. The device offers many customisation options, including magazine and rhombus-style lock screens.
The overall software experience feels light and snappy. The inclusion of Gemini Assistant is a nice touch, given the smartphone’s affordable pricing. The smartphone has lots of bloatware apps, which is to be expected from a device in this price segment. Thankfully, these apps can be easily uninstalled. Poco has promised three major OS upgrades for the X7, including Android 15 (HyperOS 2).
Poco X7 5G packs a bigger battery than its predecessor. The 5,500mAh unit has enough juice to power the smartphone through the day without inducing any battery anxiety. On moderate usage and 4-5 hours of screen time, we ended the day with a 20-30% charge still left in the tank. While the big battery has its perks, Poco has reduced its charging speed on the X7. It now supports 45W charging instead of 67W. It took us 55 minutes to fully charge the smartphone using the charger provided in the box.
The rear camera panel of Poco X7 5G features a 50MP Sony LYT 600 primary shooter, an 8MP ultrawide lens, and a 2MP macro sensor. The 20MP front-facing camera is parked inside a punch-hole cutout on the display.
The 50MP primary shooter takes good pictures in outdoor daylight conditions. The images showcase rich colours and decent sharpness. The colours assigned to the objects and the sky are accurate and representative of the scene in front of the camera. The dynamic range and contrast are also on point. However, in limited lighting conditions, the final results are a smidge softer. The Night Mode does a good job of brightening the subject and eliminating most of the grain, but the sharpness levels are far from ideal.
The 8MP ultrawide camera takes decent pictures in daylight conditions, matching the colour accuracy of the primary shooter. However, the images are notably softer. In limited lighting, the pictures taken with this camera are not as bright as we would have liked. However, this is something that most ultrawide sensors in this price range struggle with.
Poco X7 5G takes good portrait shots. The images are well focussed and showcase rich colours. The smartphone does a good job of detecting the edges of the subject and separating it from the background. The warmer tones in the portraits make them ‘social media ready’. The 20MP front-facing camera takes good selfies but goes a little overboard with smoothening the texture of the subject’s skin.
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Verdict
After using the Poco X7 5G for a week, we were quite happy with its reliable performance. The MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Ultra chipset remained unfazed by routine tasks and did not hit any roadblocks. The curved AMOLED panel produces a highly enjoyable viewing experience and has an incredible touch response. While the smartphone runs last year’s Android 14 OS out of the box, the HyperOS skin makes the software experience fun and snappy. To top it off, the primary shooter takes nice pictures in daylight conditions. Overall, this smartphone checks all the essential boxes and is a great deal under Rs 20,000.
Poco X7 5G: Pros
- Bright display
- Good chipset
- Amazing protection
Poco X7 5G: Cons
- Runs Android 14 out of the box
