Introduction
Forget iPhones, Galaxies, Redmis, and whatnot. Meet the hottest phone of the season - the Poco M3. Everyone's talking about this model by the Xiaomi-backed brand, and rightfully so. It has everything needed to become a bestseller - good looks, a nice screen, excellent battery, stereo speakers, and a nice camera setup. And all these goodies come with a cheap price tag!
Poco is now an independent brand from Xiaomi though Xiaomi still manufactures everything that Poco designs. Even down to the software Poco phones run or the chargers they use - it all comes from Xiaomi, so the two brands' independence isn't as obvious, at least for now.
But Xiaomi or not, the Poco M3 has the typical bang for the buck spirit we've seen from many Xiaomi and Poco phones before. The first thing you'll notice about the new M3 is the not-so-typical looks, and we do appreciate the grippy leather-like plastic and the unique elements like the large POCO-marked glass at the back.
We would have expected specs to be watered down a bit at this price point, but the Poco M3 seems to tick all the boxes. It has a sizeable 1080p screen with a small notch, a good chipset, all sorts of connectivity, stereo speakers, and an impressive battery with 6,000mAh capacity and fast charging. Oh, and the fast charger is included in the box.
The triple-camera on the back is probably the only feature that took a hit to keep the price this low - while it's headlined by a high-res 48MP sensor, it omits an ultrawide cam and instead offers macro and depth shooters. There is no 4K video either, just 1080p. Then again, look at the phone's price! We'd say this setup is still overqualified for the money you'd be paying.
Finally, the Poco M3 runs on Android 10 with MIUI 12 for Poco. There aren't many differences from the standard MIUI12, and the phone is expected to receive the usual MIUI update treatment for the years to come.
Xiaomi Poco M3 specs at a glance:
- Body: 162.3x77.3x9.6mm, 198g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), plastic back, plastic frame.
- Display: 6.53" IPS LCD, 400 nits (typ), 1080x2340px resolution, 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 395ppi.
- Chipset: Qualcomm SM6115 Snapdragon 662 (11 nm): Octa-core (4x2.0 GHz Kryo 260 Gold & 4x1.8 GHz Kryo 260 Silver); Adreno 610.
- Memory: 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM; UFS 2.1 - 64GB 4GB RAM, UFS 2.2 - 128GB 4GB RAM; microSDXC (dedicated slot).
- OS/Software: Android 10, MIUI 12.
- Rear camera: Wide (main): 48 MP, f/1.8, 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF; Wide (main): 48 MP, f/1.8, 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF; Wide (main): 48 MP, f/1.8, 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF.
- Front camera: 8 MP, f/2.1, (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm.
- Video capture: Rear camera: 1080p@30fps; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
- Battery: 6000mAh; Fast charging 18W, Reverse charging.
- Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); FM radio; Infrared port; stereo speakers; 3.5mm jack.
The ultrawide camera and some basic water protection are the only things missing off that spec sheet. Yet, we are talking about a quite affordable smartphone that's jam-packed with features, and something had to give. But the Poco M3 seems to come close, really close to that.
Unboxing the Poco M3
The Poco M3 comes packed within a dark yellow box, and it's full of goodies. The phone is inside, of course, packed with a USB cable and a 22.5W QC3 charger by Xiaomi. The Poco M3 supports 18W fast charging, so its 22.5W adapter is a bit overqualified for the job.
The paper compartment contains the SIM ejection tool, a transparent silicone case, and a screen protector. Nice!
But wait, there is more! There is one final compartment at the bottom, where you'd find three Poco bracelets - one braided and two silicone bracelets done in the Poco's signature yellow and black hues.
Design, build quality, handling
The Poco M3 is not a reworked version of some Xiaomi Redmi phone. It was designed exclusively by Poco and has its own unique design.
What's even better is that the Poco M3 punches above its price class in terms of looks. It avoids looking cheap thanks to the smart choice of materials and accents. The M3 doesn't try to mimic a dual-glass sandwich phone as many others do. Instead, Poco has focused on making the best use of its all-plastic build, and the result is exemplary.
First, the Poco M3 is all screen at the front. The bezels are small enough, there is a waterdrop-like shaped notch, and everything is covered with a flat piece of Gorilla Glass 3.
The back panel is made of plastic and is slightly curved towards the frame. It has the somewhat forgotten faux-leather texture, and it looks good on the Poco M3, no matter if you get the black, yellow, or blue version. It is also very grippy and fingerprint resistant. Win-win, right?
Also on the back, you'll see this massive piece of black glass, which houses the camera setup and the large POCO logo. This piece has purely aesthetic purposes, and it gives the Poco M3 the unique touch it needs to stand out from a bunch of Redmis and Realmes.
Finally, we see the thick plastic frame, which has a matte finish and is rather smudge resistant as well. Its longer parts are not flat but rather pointy, which may not be the best shape for a great grip when holding the phone in landscape orientation. It's not that bad; it's just not perfect and makes the phone a little bit weird to pick up from your desk or table.
Now, let's take a closer peek at the front.
Here, you can see the 6.53" 1080p IPS LCD screen with the droplet-shaped notch. Inside this cutout is the 8MP selfies camera.
If you look closely above the front snapper, you'll see one very thin grille that hides the earpiece. Some of you might have expected to see a notification LED light here, but no dice, sorry.
The bottom bezel is thicker than the rest - that's common for LCD screens as the display driver is beneath that piece. We don't mind that, especially in a €130 phone.
The triple-camera and the LED flash are on the back sharing a piece of black glass that's a bit jutting out of a larger glass with the POCO logo. It doesn't make the phone wobble much, though.
The plastic frame houses a lot. On the left, you'd find the triple-card slot.
The right side has the volume keys and the power button that's also doubling as an always-on (and fast) fingerprint reader.
The top part of the Poco M3 accommodates one of the stereo speakers, the 3.5mm audio jack, the IR blaster, and a microphone. Indeed, the Poco M3 offers full-blown stereo speakers on its sides instead of designating the earpiece as a secondary tweeter like many flagships do.
Finally, at the bottom, you can see the other stereo speaker, the mouthpiece, and the USB-C port.
The Poco M3 spreads at 162.3 x 77.3 x 9.6 mm and weighs 198 grams. It's not the thinnest of phones, but it's not overweight. And considering the 6,000 mAh battery inside, we are quite pleased with the overall footprint.
We liked our time spent with the Poco M3. It's a solid and well-built phone with an excellent grip and excellent design. It omits all sorts of waterproofing, but nobody should expect such a thing from a hundred bucks or so phone.
Our only complaint is about the shape of the frame - its pointed design makes picking the phone from a desk a bit uncomfortable experience. But if that's an issue for you, the bundled case will fix it in a second.
Display
The Poco M3 employs a large 6.53 IPS LCD display with a waterdrop-shaped notch at the top to make room for the selfie camera. The resolution is extended 1080p - 2,340 x 1,080 pixels - making for a 395ppi density. That's a relatively high resolution for the budget segment, and it gives the M3 an edge over its competitors.
The screen is protected with a Gorilla Glass 3, but Poco M3 also ships with a screen protector inside its retail box should you choose to use it.
Poco promises a 1500:1 contrast ratio for the M3 screen and 400 nits of maximum brightness. In our measurements, the results were in the same ballpark.
The maximum brightness is 395 nits, while the black levels are deep enough at 0.25, and thus the contrast ratio exceeds 1500:1. The screen can be even brighter if the Sunlight Mode triggers - then it can light up as high as 440 nits in bright ambient light.
The minimum brightness we captured on the white color is 1.4nit - a perfect one for reading sessions in the dark!
| Display test | 100% brightness | ||
| Black, |
White, |
||
| 0.252 | 395 | 1567:1 | |
| 0.277 | 439 | 1585:1 | |
| 0.202 | 328 | 1624:1 | |
| 0.253 | 426 | 1684:1 | |
| 0.298 | 370 | 1242:1 | |
| 0 | 466 | ∞ | |
| 0.354 | 460 | 1299:1 | |
| 0.515 | 631 | 1225:1 | |
| 0 | 379 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 520 | ∞ | |
| 0.303 | 421 | 1389:1 | |
| 0.42 | 575 | 1369:1 | |
| 0.31 | 457 | 1474:1 | |
| 0.374 | 526 | 1406:1 | |
| 0.343 | 451 | 1315:1 | |
| 0.328 | 528 | 1610:1 | |
The Poco M3 offers three different Contrast settings for the display. With the Automatic contrast set to on, the screen output seems to be tuned for accuracy in the sRGB color space, and we measured an average deltaE of 4.8 and a maximum deviation of 9. Only in this mode you can choose the color saturation (default, warm, cool), and we measured a Delta E of 4.8 with the Default preset ON. Choosing the Warm preset will take care of some of that blue tint seen in Default.
The Standard Contrast setting has superb accuracy within the sRGB color space, and we recorded an average deltaE of 2.0.
Finally, the Increased Contrast makes the colors pop at the expense of reproduction accuracy.
Battery life
The Poco M3 is powered by a massive 6,000 mAh battery. The phone supports 18W fast charging, and that's good as it will probably take forever to charge this behemoth with a sluggish adapter.
The Poco M3, quite expectedly, scored an outstanding result in our battery test with a 154-hour Endurance rating - it conquered the third place in our all-time battery life chart. It did an excellent job across all test scenarios - video playback, calls, web browsing, and demonstrated long-lasting endless standby performance.
Our battery tests were automated thanks to SmartViser, using its viSerDevice app. The endurance rating above denotes how long a single battery charge will last you if you use the Poco M3 for an hour each of telephony, web browsing, and video playback daily. We've established this usage pattern so that our battery results are comparable across devices in the most common day-to-day tasks. The battery testing procedure is described in detail in case you're interested in the nitty-gritty. You can check out our complete battery test table, where you can see how all of the smartphones we've tested will compare under your own typical use.
Charging speed
The Poco M3 not only has a big 6,000mAh battery but also comes with a 22.5W fast charger to top it. Unfortunately, it is overqualified for the job as the M3 only supports charging up to 18W.
Using this charger, you can refill 25% of the battery in 30 minutes, 46% in one hour, while a full charge requires 2 hours and 59 minutes. Neither result is impressive in absolute terms, but let's not forget we are charging a massive 6,000mAh battery.
30min charging test (from 0%)
- Realme 7 Pro
94% - Realme 6
70% - Realme 7
58% - Poco X3 NFC
55% - Huawei P Smart 2021
42% - Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S
37% - Samsung Galaxy M51
35% - Xiaomi Redmi 9 (18W)
33% - Realme 6i
33% - Xiaomi Redmi Note 9
31% - Poco M3
25% - Xiaomi Redmi 9
20%
Time to full charge (from 0%)
- Realme 7 Pro
0:37h - Realme 6
0:51h - Realme 7
1:05h - Poco X3 NFC
1:15h - Huawei P Smart 2021
1:42h - Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S
1:45h - Samsung Galaxy M51
1:47h - Xiaomi Redmi Note 9
2:33h - Poco M3
2:59h
Speakers
The Poco M3 has a proper stereo speaker setup - the speakers are mounted on the top and bottom parts of the frame with a rather balanced output.
The Poco M3 scored a Good mark on our loudness test. The sound quality is outstanding, though - the M3 is one of the handful of phones to provide bass you can feel and hear; the mid-tones are superb, too. The high notes aren't as splendid as on other phones but still good enough. Overall, the Poco M3 has one of the best audio outputs we've heard in a while. Great job, Poco!
Use the Playback controls to listen to the phone sample recordings (best use headphones). We measure the average loudness of the speakers in LUFS. A lower absolute value means a louder sound. A look at the frequency response chart will tell you how far off the ideal "0db" flat line is the reproduction of the bass, treble, and mid frequencies. You can add more phones to compare how they differ. The scores and ratings are not comparable with our older loudspeaker test. Learn more about how we test here.
Android 10 and MIUI 12
The Poco M3 boots MIUI 12 out of the box. The launcher is based on Android 10 and has a streamlined interface with cool animations, new privacy options, floating windows, a dedicated Control Center, Super Wallpapers, and a brand-new app drawer, among other features.
Overall, MIUI 12 is not a massive overhaul over MIUI 11, but more of a refresh with new looks here and there, new cooler animations, and a couple of new features though it's up to you whether you'll use them or not.
You unlock the screen via the fast side-mounted fingerprint scanner. The reader is easy to set up, fast, and superbly accurate - it is on par with the best in business. 2D Face Unlock is available, too, but it is far less secure than the fingerprint option.
Security options
The homescreens are business as usual - they are populated with shortcuts, folders, and widgets. The leftmost pane, if enabled, is called Google Feed.
Homescreens
MIUI 12 offers an app drawer by default, and it automatically organizes your apps into categories. The first is All, meaning it contains all apps. Then follow Communication, Entertainment, Photography, Tools, New, and Business. You can edit these categories or even disable them altogether. You can't disable the App Drawer, at least not in the MIUI version made for Poco.
App drawer
An interesting feature introduced with MIUI 12 is the Notification shade split - a swipe downwards opens either the Notifications or the Quick Toggles. Similarly to how the iPhones do, you open them in the same fashion - pull down from the left part of the screen for the Notifications, or pull down from the right for the Control Center.
If you are not fond of this new split - you can disable the Control Centre for a more stock Android experience.
Notification Center • Control Center • Control Center • The old Notification Shade
The task switcher has not changed much. It shows all of your recent apps in two columns. Tap and hold on a card for the split-screen/floating shortcut, or just swipe it left or right to close it. There is a new Floating Windows button next to the Split Screen, an option introduced by MIUI 12. You can put some apps in a floating state above everything else. You can only have one floating window at a time, though.
Task Switcher • Floating Windows • Floating app • Split screen
Themes are a huge part of MIUI, and they are available on MIUI 12, too. You can download new ones from the Themes store, and they can change wallpapers, ringtones, system icons, system fonts, and even the always-on display style.
Themes
Xiaomi enhanced MIUI 12 with a couple of additional privacy options. When sharing stuff, like photos and videos, you can opt to remove the embedded location and/or other metadata (incl. device info) and thus protect your privacy better. Neat.
Gallery • Privacy Settings
MIUI also offers a Security app. It can scan your phone for malware, manage your blacklist, manage or restrict your data usage, configure battery behavior, and free up some RAM. It can also manage your installed apps' permissions and allow you to define the battery behavior of selected apps and apply restrictions only to the apps you choose.
MIUI 12 packs proprietary apps for Gallery, Music, and Video player. In some regions, the music and video apps include paid streaming options. Mi Remote for the IR blaster is available, too. In China, a new Mi AI assistant is part of MIUI 12, replacing the Google Assistant.
MIUI 12 also enhances the Notes app with even more Task checklists and subtask options.
FM radio app is available, too.
Security • Security • Music • Video • Mi Remote • FM radio
MIUI 12 supports Dark Mode, too, and you can even force it on wallpapers or restrict its application on incompatible individual apps.
Dark Mode
Ads are baked into some system apps - this is usually done to lower the phone's cost. We saw ads most often in the Security and Themes app, as well as part of the embedded virus scanner which pops up every time you install an app.
Performance and benchmarks
The Poco M3 is powered by the 2020's Snapdragon 662 chipset based on the 11nm manufacturing process. The SoC employs an octa-core CPU consisting of 4x Kryo 260 Gold cores clocked at 2.0 GHz and 4x Kryo 260 Silver cores running at 1.8 GHz. The Gold cores are based on the Cortex-A73 design, while the Silver derivatives are based on the energy-efficient Cortex-A53 cores.
The GPU inside this Snapdragon 662 is Adreno 610.
The SoC holds 4GB of RAM and 64GB UFC 2.0 internal storage. There is also version with 4GB RAM and 128GB UFS 2.1 storage. Both models offer microSD expansion.
And here is how the Poco M3 stacks against competing handsets with different SoCs.
The multi-core processor performance is up to par for this class.
GeekBench 5 (multi-core)
Higher is better
- Realme 7 Pro
1811 - Realme 7 5G
1794 - Redmi Note 9S
1785 - Realme 7
1681 - Sony Xperia 10 II
1413 - Motorola Moto G9 Play
1402 - Poco M3
1398 - Xiaomi Redmi 9 (Prime)
1325 - Realme 7i
1318 - Redmi Note 9
1292 - Samsung Galaxy A21s
1100
Unfortunately, the single-core CPU performance is quite sluggish. And you can feel that when using the Android OS for mundane tasks like scrolling homescreens or switching between apps - there is a noticeable lag, the phone does stutter here and there.
GeekBench 5 (single-core)
Higher is better
- Realme 7 5G
598 - Realme 7 Pro
576 - Redmi Note 9S
570 - Realme 7
536 - Xiaomi Redmi 9 (Prime)
362 - Redmi Note 9
361 - Sony Xperia 10 II
315 - Motorola Moto G9 Play
314 - Realme 7i
312 - Poco M3
308 - Samsung Galaxy A21s
184
The high screen resolution sure sounds like a premium feature for this class, but it takes a toll on gaming. In fact, if you can't lower a game's resolution down to 720p, it will be impossible to have a smooth experience. We aren't saying gaming is a no-go; you just need to adjust your expectation and game settings accordingly.
GFX Manhattan ES 3.1 (offscreen 1080p)
Higher is better
- Realme 7 5G
35 - Realme 7
34 - Realme 7 Pro
30 - Redmi Note 9S
30 - Poco M3
13 - Realme 7i
13 - Sony Xperia 10 II
13 - Motorola Moto G9 Play
13 - Samsung Galaxy A21s
9.4
GFX Car Chase ES 3.1 (offscreen 1080p)
Higher is better
- Realme 7
20 - Realme 7 5G
20 - Realme 7 Pro
18 - Redmi Note 9S
18 - Poco M3
7.2 - Sony Xperia 10 II
7.1 - Realme 7i
7 - Motorola Moto G9 Play
7 - Samsung Galaxy A21s
6
The onscreen benchmarks show the superiority of phones with 720p screens like the Realme 7i, Galaxy A21s, and Moto G9 Play over the Poco M3.
GFX Manhattan ES 3.1 (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Realme 7 5G
31 - Realme 7
28 - Redmi Note 9S
26 - Motorola Moto G9 Play
26 - Realme 7i
25 - Realme 7 Pro
25 - Samsung Galaxy A21s
19 - Poco M3
11 - Sony Xperia 10 II
10
GFX Car Chase ES 3.1 (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Realme 7
17 - Realme 7 5G
17 - Redmi Note 9S
15 - Realme 7 Pro
14 - Realme 7i
13 - Motorola Moto G9 Play
13 - Samsung Galaxy A21s
11 - Poco M3
5.9 - Sony Xperia 10 II
5.6
Finally, let's look at the AnTuTu combined score. It's not bad at all, all things considered.
AnTuTu 8
Higher is better
- Realme 7 5G
318535 - Realme 7
292828 - Realme 7 Pro
278414 - Redmi Note 9S
254000 - Xiaomi Redmi 9 (Prime)
201829 - Redmi Note 9
200414 - Sony Xperia 10 II
196545 - Poco M3
177904 - Realme 7i
172933 - Motorola Moto G9 Play
170064 - Samsung Galaxy A21s
107157
The Poco M3 is not the fastest of phones; this should be obvious. It is no slouch either as it is up to the task, be it an office app of gaming, provided you've adjusted the graphics settings and your expectations for speed.
You can see the phone lag and stutter here and there, but it's not a deal-breaker (like Cyberpunk 2077 on a vanilla Xbox One). You are buying a €140 phone with a high-res screen, and such things are to be expected and something you've accepted at the time of purchase.
The good news is that the phone does not get hot under load, and it won't drop its performance further when you are playing a game or using it with demanding apps. It always gives its maximum. It's just not a mid-range-smooth experience, but the Poco M3 isn't a mid-range phone, is it?
Triple-camera on the back
The Poco M3 offers a triple-camera on the back, but it's as basic as possible. There is a 48MP primary shooter accompanied by a 2MP macro snapper and a 2MP depth sensor. A single-LED flash is also around.
The Poco M3 packs a primary camera with a 48MP Quad-Bayer sensor with f/1.8 lens, 0.8µm pixels and PDAF. Night Mode is available on this camera.
The macro camera is 2MP with f/2.4 aperture, 1.75µm pixels, but lacks autofocus.
Finally, there is a 2MP depth sensor.
The selfie camera has an 8MP sensor behind an f/2.1 lens. The focus is fixed.
The default camera app is a typical MIUI affair - switching between modes is done by swiping left and right, and all available modes but Macro are on this rolodex. There are no zoom shortcuts here.
On the opposite end of the viewfinder, you have a flash mode switch, an HDR switch, an AI toggle, and a magic wand with beauty effects and filters. You'll find some more options behind a hamburger menu, including the Macro mode, plus the shortcut to the settings. What you won't find is an option to set the output resolution.
There is a Pro mode for the main camera. Manual 48MP pictures are also an option. You can use up to 30s shutter speed and ISO up to 4000.
Poco X3 NFC camera app
Photo quality
The default 12MP photos from the main camera are superb for this class, especially when shot in such challenging weather conditions. There is more than enough resolved detail, pleasant sharpness, and the contrast is high. The dynamic range is average but not low despite the winter weather (HDR was set on Auto but did not fire even once). The colors are warmer than they should have been but other than that - quite lively.
The noise reduction is gentle, and that's one of the reasons for the high level of detail - the processing leaves some noise but also detail in areas of uniform colors such as walls or windows on residential buildings.
There is visible corner softness, but other than that - we can only praise these photos. We expected a lot worse in this class.
Poco M3 main camera, 12MP
There is an AI camera option available on the viewfinder. It tries to recognize the scene and tweak some parameters accordingly. Unfortunately, the only thing this AI offers are over the top contrast and color saturation, and the photos are somewhat ruined by those. We advise leaving the AI off.
AI ON, 12MP
High-resolution 48MP mode is available - but there is no point using it. The 48MP photos are upscaled from 12MP and don't look good.
Main camera, 48MP
There is a 2MP depth sensor on the back of the Poco M3, which is used only when shooting portraits. And it seems to be utilized properly as the Poco M3 is a capable portrait shooter with proficient subject separation and natural-looking blur. The portrait shots are as detailed as the regular ones, and we think everyone will be happy with the M3's portrait mode.
Portraits, 12MP
The 2MP macro cam sounds good on paper, but it's a nightmare to use. It has a fixed focus at around 4cm, and it usually takes 6-7 tries to get one sharp photo. When there is enough light, the macro photos present enough detail and low noise, but the contrast isn't great. Unfortunately, when the light isn't ideal, the noise levels spike, and the shots become rather unusable.
Macro camera, 2MP
Overall, the Poco M3 turned out to be an excellent shooter in broad daylight, and we are surprised by its skills. Let's look at some low-light shots now.
The low-light photos from the main camera are mediocre. There seems to be enough detail, and the pictures aren't that blurry, but they are dark and quite noisy. The colors are often washed out, and the contrast is far from great.
Standard mode, 12MP
We decided to try the HDR mode and see if it improves the photos, as was the case with some previous Xiaomi phones. Well, the HDR isn't helping much in this case.
HDR on, 12MP
The AI camera boosts the contrast and colors, and it also works as HDR, and we think leaving the AI on by default at night is the smart thing to do. The photos are brighter, and with mostly restored highlights, they exhibit better color saturation, while the detail is okay - it's on par with the standard mode.
AI ON, 12MP
The Poco M3 main camera supports Night Mode, and we recommend using it after dusk. It brightens the whole scene and restores the blown highlights. It has a stronger noise reduction than the regular photos, and it completely wipes out fine detail, but we still prefer those photos. They look great on the phone's screen and in low resolution on social media.
Night Mode, 12MP
Here's how the primary camera on the Poco M3 stacks against the rest of the competition in the controlled environment of our Photo Compare Tool.
Poco M3 against the Realme 6i and the Redmi Note 9 in our Photo compare tool
Selfies
The Poco M3 features an 8MP selfie camera with an f/2.1 lens and fixed focus. The detail in the photos is mediocre, while the contrast and colors are okay. Noise is present, and the dynamic range is average at best. Sometimes when shooting indoors, the camera struggles with the exposure, and you may end up with a ghost face.
Selfies, 8MP
Portrait mode is available for selfies, too, and it is as competent as a single fixed-focus camera can be. If your haircut is not that complex, and you don't mind a smeared ear or two, it might produce passable results.
Selfie portraits, 8MP
Video quality
The Poco M3 captures videos up to 1080@30fps with its main camera. There is no 4K mode, 60fps shooting is not available either.
The video bitrate is 20Mbps, while audio is recorded in mono with a 96Kbps bitrate. There is no support for electronic stabilization on the Poco M3.
The footage from the main camera is average in detail and with low dynamic range. The contrast is okay, and so are the colors.
Once you are done with the real-life scenes, take a look at our video compare tool to see how it competes against the other phones we've reviewed.
1080p: Poco M3 against the Realme 6i and the Redmi Note 9 in our Video compare tool
The competition
The Poco M3 offers a lot of mid-range features at an entry-level price. The M3 packs a high-res screen and camera, impressive stereo speakers, a good chipset, and a massive battery with reasonably fast charging. And all these goodies are priced between €150 and €170 depending on your region and current promotions.
There are four phones that should be considered if shopping for the best bang-for-the-buck entry-level offer. And naturally, two of those are Xiaomi-made.
The Redmi 9 and Redmi Note 9 are some excellent offers with equally large screens, similar performance, some impressive batteries and power autonomy, and quad-camera setups on their backs.
The Redmi 9 is the cheapest fella, with the 3GB+32GB going for as low as €120 or less, though its 4GB+64GB model costs a bit more than the Poco M3 4/64 version. It trumps the Poco M3 with an additional ultrawide camera and wireless FM radio but can't offer Night Mode and stereo speakers.
The Redmi Note 9 has a better main camera than the Redmi 9 - 48MP vs. 13MP - and also offers an ultrawide camera over the Poco M3. This Note does offer Night Mode, but it still cannot match the stereo speakers and the extraordinary battery life of the Poco M3. The Redmi Note 9 is also a bit more expensive.
Then there are two Realme phones you should consider - the Realme 7i and Realme 6i. Those two have a bit spotty availability, but if sold in your country - you should check them out before making a decision.
The Realme 7i has a 90Hz 720p screen and runs on the same Snapdragon 662 chipset. It has a 64MP primary camera and an additional 8MP ultrawide shooter. The 7i employs a 5,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging and costs as much as the Poco M3. Because of its lower-res 720p screen, the Realme 7i UI is not only lag-free but thanks to the 90Hz refresh rate - it feels much smoother. It cannot offer stereo speakers and, as we said, its availability is rather limited at the moment.
If you can't find the Realme 7i on your market, there's at least the Realme 7. At €179, it's a rather tempting offer, too. It's got the same size 1080p LCD as the Poco M3 but with a 90Hz refresh rate plus an ultra-wide camera, a 5,000mAh battery, and a gaming-capable chipset (Helio G95T).
Xiaomi Redmi 9 (Prime) • Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 • Realme 7i • Realme 7
Our verdict
The Poco M3 is not a perfect phone, and it can't be, not at that price. While it omits NFC, an ultrawide camera, and its UI stutters occasionally, the Poco M3 impresses with a high-res screen, a hard-to-match battery life, remarkable stereo speakers, and its main camera does not disappoint.
The Poco M3 can do even for gaming, provided you lower the game resolution and graphics quality. Yes, you can play modern games like PUBG smoothly if you sacrifice enough.
The Poco M3 is a great all-rounder. The Realme 7i trumps it, but its regional availability is quite limited, so the only real competition on Western markets is the Redmi 9 (Prime) and the Redmi Note 9 Pro. Whichever one you choose, it will be a testament to the great job Xiaomi is doing at making great budget smartphones.
Pros
- Large 6.53" screen with 1080p resolution, great contrast
- Unique design
- Outstanding battery life
- True stereo speakers, excellent audio output
- Good photo quality, good portraits
- MIUI 12 is easy to use
- It can do well in gaming under 720p resolution and low graphics quality
- 3.5mm jack, standalone microSD, IR port, FM radio
Cons
- No NFC
- Not that fast to charge
- Occasional UI lag
- No ultrawide camera
- So-so macro camera
- The selfies are odd
- Mediocre video capturing
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