Xiaomi has been making some seriously interesting phones at a considerably low price. One such is the Xiaomi Poco M8 (of course).
Poco is Xiaomi’s affordable series that offers great features and specifications at a starting price of around 300 bucks in the US. You might not be impressed with the price, but wait until you read the full review to find out how great a phone the Xiaomi Poco M8 is.
If that sounds good to you, let’s cut to the chase and jump right into it.
How Do I Review Phones?
Before we jump into the detailed review of the Xiaomi Poco M8, I should share how I tested it, so that you can trust the information I will be providing.
So, here you go:
You cannot really test a phone unless you are using it as your daily driver. So, I put my SIM card in the new Poco M8 and used it daily to take phone calls, play games, stream videos, and do everything that an average user does on their mobile phone.
On top of that, I wanted the process to be seamless, so I subscribed to a high-speed internet plan with the help of LocalCableDeals, a one-stop platform for all your connectivity needs, ranging from cable TV plans to cutting-edge fiber internet. I could test gaming, streaming, and scrolling on Poco M8 without interruptions.
Anyway, how did I find Poco M8 while testing it with all necessary systems and apps in use? Let’s talk about that in detail.
How Good is Xiaomi Poco M8?
Performance is Okay-ish
Starting with the specs, it is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3. That Snapdragon is coupled with at least 8GB of RAM, which, on paper, sounds more than decent for a phone in this price range.
In real-world usage, the performance is doable for everyday tasks like scrolling through social media, replying to emails, browsing the web, and watching YouTube.
However, gaming is where I had to compromise.
If you play casual games like Subway Surfers or Clash Royale, you will be just fine. Heavy games like COD: Mobile and PUBG do run on Poco M8, but you might need to dial the graphics down a notch to keep things stable.
So yes, performance is okay-ish. It does what most people need it to do without trying to pretend it is a flagship. And it is something I appreciate at the price point of 300 bucks.
Display is Great
This is the aspect where the Poco M8 impressed me.
The phone comes with a large, bright display that is perfect for content consumption. Whether I was watching Netflix, scrolling through Instagram, or reading articles late at night, the screen remained comfortable because of the 3840Hz PWM, and I didn’t have any eye strain.
Colors on the Xiaomi Poco M8’s display look vibrant, and brightness levels are good enough for outdoor usage. I had no major issues using the phone under direct sunlight, which is not something I can say about every phone in this price category.
The refresh rate is another thing to adore about this phone: scrolling feels smooth, and the overall UI experience feels nice. Once you get used to this display, going back to other phones in this price range would be a bad idea.
If you consume a lot of content on your phone (I know we all do), the Poco M8’s display will not disappoint. This is easily one of the major reasons to switch to this phone.
Cameras Are Great (And Come with an Accessory)
Let’s talk about the cameras.
Out of the box, the Poco M8 takes good photos, provided that the scene is well-lit. Daylight shots have decent detail, balanced colors, and acceptable dynamic range. In simple words, for social media, casual photography, and everyday moments, the camera does a great job.
Low-light performance, however, is where things start to reveal that it’s not a flagship phone: photos tend to lose detail, and noise becomes noticeable. Night mode does help to some extent, but still, it has room for improvement.
Now, here is the most interesting part about the Poco M8’s cameras – it comes with an Auxiliary Lens.
It slaps on the back of the camera to significantly improve performance.
How does it improve the performance? Wide shots look more dramatic, portraits feel more refined, and overall versatility increases.
As for the video, it is also decent for the price. Stabilization is okay for handheld recording, and audio via its own microphone is clear enough for casual videos or quick vlogs.
So yes, the cameras are great, but with that auxiliary lens.
It’s time that we address the elephant in the room: should you buy it? If I had to buy an Android phone in this price category, I would definitely shortlist the Xiaomi Poco M8.
