Redmi 9 Power and POCO M3 are the same phones but under a different brand. This is the same thing as what happened with Redmi 9 Prime and POCO M2. Xiaomi is launching the same phone again and again but with a different brand name.
Recently Xiaomi has launched an all-new POCO M3, that OnePlus 8T Cyberpunk look-like. So let’s review this phone and find out whether you should spend Rs 9,999 on POCO M3 or not?
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POCO M3 Price in India
POCO M3 price in India starts from Rs 9,999 for 6GB of Ram and 64GB storage while 6GB + 128GB variant is priced at Rs 10,999. The phone is available in Cool Blue, POCO Yellow, Power Black colour options and it will go for sale on 9th February 2021 at noon via Flipkart.
Key Specs:
| Display | 6.53 inches FHD+ LCD Display |
| Cameras | 48 MP Primary + 2 MP Macro + 2 MP Depth | 5MP Front |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 Processor (11 nm) |
| OS | Android 10 (MIUI 12) |
| Battery | 6,000 mAh (18W Charging Support) |
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Display Quality
| Display Size | 6.53 inches FHD+ LCD Display |
| Display Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Resolutions | 1080 x 2340 pixels resolution |
| Display Brightness | 400 Nits |
| Dimensions | 162.3 x 77.3 x 9.6 mm |
| Screen Refresh Rate | 60Hz refresh rate |
Like many other budget smartphones, POCO M3 also comes with a waterdrop notch which is not a big problem for most people. The display is also good, it has 400 nits of brightness which means, the phone should be visible under the sunlight but that’s not the case with this phone.
Related: Redmi 10 Prime Review
The screen does look good but sometimes, I feel, it’s not visible enough to see, movies or playing games outdoors. On paper, the display is great but when it comes to real-life tests, it doesn’t justify the data which you see on paper.
As I said, the display is good and the specs also say the same thing. Now, this problem could be because of UI or maybe POCO can fix this problem with OTA update but the question is? is it a software or hardware issue?
By the way, it’s not like, you won’t be able to use POCO M3. You will but it’s not the best display to get at 10k. By the way, POCO M3 does have Wide video L1 support that means you can stream FHD+ content on Netflix and Prime Video.
Now, if I get an update and that problem got fix then I will let you know but for now, the screen brightness is not very high.
Build Quality and Design
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), plastic frame, plastic back |
Most of the phone comes with a plastic back these days and POCO M3 also has the plastic body but that’s no big problem. Of course, whether the phone has plastic or glass or even a metal body, almost everyone uses a cover case and also, this is a 10k phone, so can’t expect everything.
Talking about the design, this is where I feel, POCO has done a good job. The phone looks different or you call it refreshing. By the way, this is the same design as OnePlus 8T Cyberpunk.
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I know, some people will hate that huge rear camera cut-out but I loved it. It looks better than all the other budget centric smartphones. In short, you will use something new.
Performance
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 Processor (11 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 610 |
| CPU | Octa-core (4×2.0 GHz Kryo 260 Gold & 4×1.8 GHz Kryo 260 Silver) |
| OS | MIUI 12-based on Android 10 |
| 5G | NO |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 is a good processor and it can handle almost all the games without any problem, so there won’t be any problem while playing games. You will be able to play games like COD Mobile at Medium Graphics.
As I said, the chipset is good enough to handle games but when it’s game to closing and opening apps, you will see frame drop here and there and it’s all because of the MIUI 12. This is a heavy UI with tons of customization and I feel, POCO needs to optimize the UI.
By the way, it’s not a big problem but for those who have used 20k phones, they will see what’s the problem with the UI. The processor can handle everything without any problem but MIUI is not well optimized like Mi 10i 5G.
Also, this is a 10k phone, so don’t expect much from performance but considering the price tag, POCO M3 is performing well. I just hope, POCO fixes the UI problem very soon with an OTA update and once they do, I will let you know, right here.
Cameras
| Camera (Rear) | 48 MP Primary Sensor 2 MP Macro |
| Video Recording (Rear) | [email protected] |
| Camera (Front) | 5MP Selfie Shooter |
| Video Recording (Front) | [email protected] |
The POCO M3 has a triple rear camera setup featuring a 48MP primary sensor, 2MP depth and 2MP macro lens from which 48MP sensor will be useable, the other two cameras are just here to make up numbers.
The phone does have a 48MP sensor but that’s it, this is what the phone gonna use most of the time. That’s not the big problem as a 48MP sensor takes good quality images and also, that 2MP sensors will give good images but that’s just numbers. So don’t expect much from those two sensors.
I don’t know why, brands need to add those 2-2MP sensors if they give one good sensor but now, they want to say, we have a triple & Quad camera setup on our smartphone. They can’t just say, our phone has a single or dual rear camera setup. It’s all for marketing that’s it.
Still, I feel considering the price tag, POCO M3 has a good camera setup.
Talking about image quality, sometimes, the images do come out overexposed and it also has dynamic range issues but as I said, this is a 10k phone and you can’t expect everything in the budget segment. To get something, you have to let go of some things.
In short, if you want that 6,000 mAh battery and new design then you have to compromise in cameras because POCO M3 doesn’t have an ultra-wide lens like Redmi 9 Power or Redmi 9 Prime. Also, if you want, you can use GCam once, developer release the GCam app for POCO M3 which means, it has support for Camera2api.
So if you want that ultra-wide lens and if you live with a smaller battery then just go with Redmi 9 Prime or POCO M2 is still a good option.
Battery Life
| Battery Size | 6,000mAh battery (non-removable) |
| Charging Port | Type-C Port |
| Charging Speed | 18W fast charging support (18W charger will be included in the box) |
Redmi 9 Power and POCO M3 have the same battery life and both are from the same brands, so let me add paragraphs from Redmi 9 Power Review…
This is where Redmi 9 Power POCO M3 sines, the phone has a massive 6,000 mAh battery with 18W fast charging support. This time, an 18W charger is included in the box unlike, Redmi 9 Prime, where you have to buy an 18W charger separately.
The phone has a massive battery that will last for two days but if you’re a heavy user then it could last for a day.
“the battery life depends on your phone use if you every day play games for 6 hours then you need to charge a phone every 6 hours but if you’re like me and don’t use the phone very often then it will last for a day or so”
Yes, that was it. There won’t be any problem with the battery as this has a 6,000 mAh battery which will last longer than your current smartphone.
Audio Quality
The phone has stereo speakers that said, this is one of those budget phones who has the best speakers. So yes, if you don’t use earphones much and just love to use mobile speakers then this would great option for you.
Even outdoors, you will be able to watch YouTube videos without any problems.
The POCO M3 also has a second noise-cancelling microphone which is a big feature these days as most of the budget smartphone doesn’t have the second microphone.
The call quality is also great and here, that second microphone comes in place. It will give the best possible audio quality even if you’re in a crowded place, another person on call will be able to hear your voice without any problem.
Conclusion: POCO M3 Review
Xiaomi POCO M3 offers everything from best camera to best performance at a budget price range. It has a massive 6,000 mAh battery, an FHD+ display, fast charging support, good cameras and it’s priced at Rs 9,999 which is a perfect price for this device. Overall, if you’re looking for a smartphone under 10k then POCO M3 is the best option to look at.
Do I Recommend POCO M3
Yes, I do recommend POCO M3 to those people who want a bigger battery and refreshing design but if you want better cameras and stable UI then I think, you should look at POCO M2 or Redmi 9 Prime which is also priced at 10k.
POCO M3 Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Massive Display Size | Laggy UI |
| Huge 6,000 mAh battery | 2MP+2MP Sensors are useless |
| Dedicated SD Card Slot | Needs to work on UI Optimization |
| Good for Gaming | |
| 18W fast charging | |
| IR Blaster |
POCO M3 Full Specifications
| Specification | Xiaomi POCO M3 |
|---|---|
| Launch Date | February 02, 2020 |
| Available From | February 09, 2020 at noon via Flipkart |
| Display | 6.53 inches FHD+ LCD Display |
| Display Brightness | 400 nits |
| Screen Refresh Rate | 60Hz |
| Resolutions | 1080 x 2340 pixels resolution |
| Dimensions | 162.3 x 77.3 x 9.6 mm |
| Build Quality | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), plastic back, plastic frame |
| Ram | 6GB |
| Storage | 64GB | 128GB |
| Camera (Rear) | 48 MP Primary Sensor 2 MP Macro 2 MP Depth |
| Video Recording (Rear) | [email protected] |
| Camera (Front) | 8MP Selfie Shooter |
| Video Recording (Front) | [email protected] |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 (11 nm) |
| OS | MIUI 12-based on Android 10 |
| GPU | Adreno 610 |
| CPU | Octa-core (4x2.0 GHz Kryo 260 Gold & 4x1.8 GHz Kryo 260 Silver) |
| 5G | No |
| Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, proximity, compass |
| Battery | 6,000 mAh (non-removable) |
| Charging Speed | 18W fast Charging support |
| Charging Port | USB Type C 2.0 |
| 3.5mm Jack | Yes |
| SIM slote | Two SIM + Dedicated SD Card Slot |
| Fingerprint | Side-Mounted Fingerprint |
| Weight | 198 |
| Performance (via gsmarena) | AnTuTu: 177904 (v8) GeekBench: 1398 (v5.1) GFXBench: 5.9fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
| Colors | Cool Blue, Poco Yellow, Power Black |
| Price | 6GB Ram + 64GB storage: Rs 9,999 6GB Ram + 128storage: Rs 10,999 |
| Available At | Flipkart |
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