midrange killer A 120HZ DISPLAY FOR $200: The Pocophone X2 Launch

[Results45]

 

"Everything you need, nothing you don't."

 

That is now their motto since becoming independent from Xiaomi and prioritizing their focus on the Indian market where over 70% of consumers cannot afford more than $250 for a new phone. So does the Poco X2 live up to that? Well take a look:

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At a starting price of 15,999Rs/$225, this Pocofied Redmi K30 looks killer:

• MIUI 11 w/ POCO Launcher (there's sure to be Nova Launcher and 3rd-party ROM support from LineageOS and others for those of us who don't like the MIUI feel)
• 6.67-inch 2400x1080 IPS 120hz display
• 3.5mm jack
• Snapdragon 730G + Adreno 618
• 6-8GB LPDDR4X RAM
• 64-128-256GB UFS 2.1 storage (expandable)
• 64MP f/1.9 Sony IMX686 Exmor main camera (rear)
• 8MP f/2.2 120^o wide + 2MP f/2.4 portrait mode + 2MP f/2.4 macro cameras (rear)
• 20MP hole-punch selfie cam
• 4K30, 1080p @ 120fps, & 720p @ 960fps video recording
• Side-mounted physical fingerprint reader (below volume rocker)
• IR Blaster
• 4500mAh Battery
• 27W included fast charger (any Quickcharge 4.0 charger will also work)
• Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, 2x2 Wi-Fi 5 (ac)
• Available colors: Blue, Red, & Purple
• $225 for 6GB/64GB, $240 for 6GB/128GB, $280 for 8GB/256GB
• Hits shelves ~ Flipkart initally ~ on February 11th (may be a few months off for most of us if initial shortages occur) 

 

And here are some of the key slides from the launch event:

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coverage, Reviews, & Sources:

• https://www.androidcentral.com/poco-x2-review
• https://www.androidauthority.com/poco-x2-review-1079613/
• https://www.kimovil.com/en/where-to-buy-xiaomi-pocophone-x2
• https://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/news/poco-x2-price-in-india-specification-launch-event-flipkart-mobile-features-live-updates-2174450
• https://www.xda-developers.com/poco-x2-india-launch/
• https://www.notebookcheck.net/Bad-news-about-the-Pocophone-F2-Poco-fans.451091.0.html
• https://www.notebookcheck.net/POCO-confirms-that-there-will-be-no-POCO-F2.451243.0.html
• https://twitter.com/IndiaPOCO/status/1220704944061202438?
• https://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/news/poco-x2-february-india-launch-f2-coming-soon-c-manmohan-2169056
• https://twitter.com/IndiaPOCO
• https://www.poco.in/in/

 

Now that it's all out, I'm not sure whether to buy an F1 right now for $236 from Aliexpress, catch the X2 on sale, or hold-out for the F2. A few gripes I have are that the Poco team opted for a physical 2MP depth-of-field lens dedicated to portrait photos instead of a 8MP 3-5x telephoto lens. Cuz honestly I believe they could have added a telephoto lens and just optimized the main camera sensor for portrait shots on a firmware level ~ like Google. I also wish they used the 765G instead of the 730G and an OLED display instead of IPS, but I understand that they were stuck with what the Redmi K30 offered and lowered the price instead. The third and final gripe of mine is that they could have pre-installed any other Android 10 skin (i.e. ColorOS, OxygenOS, etc.), but stuck with what Xiaomi offered by default. All such things aside I'm pretty excited and happy that a $200 phone with a 120hz dynamic refresh display and 4500mAh battery now truly exists for the masses.

 

As far as the Pocophone F2 goes (aka "Killer of All Flagships"), Poco said today's launch is strictly for the X2. They have registered the "Pocophone F2" trademark and mentioned it in social media late last year. I wouldn't mind if Poco partners with Realme and brings us a $350 X2 Pro or the  K30 Pro from Xiaomi but we'll have to wait and see 

[Levent]

Adreno 618 and 120hz display. Yeah, that dream aint happening.

[minibois]

24 minutes ago, Results45 said:

• 3.5mm jack

Not the hero we deserve, but the hero we need.

I am totally not in the market for a new phone, but this phone does seem to have pretty compelling specs.

 

Personally I don't like the whole notch/holepunch things, but I am afraid all the phones companies will be moving to that at some point..

[Djole123]

How can this 730G based phone even have a Poco badge attached to it? Such a lame device. I really hope Poco releases an 865 phone, otherwise it will be a disasterous year for them.

[Doobeedoo]

4 hours ago, minibois said:

Not the hero we deserve, but the hero we need.

I am totally not in the market for a new phone, but this phone does seem to have pretty compelling specs.

 

Personally I don't like the whole notch/holepunch things, but I am afraid all the phones companies will be moving to that at some point..

Personally I don't care for lack of 3.5mm jack, but yes phones with punch holes I ignore instantly. 

[Doobeedoo]

Seems solid so far, my friend has the first one and it's ok. 

[EL02]

That back glass/camera design is making me sick. Why couldnt they go with a cleaner look?! 

Other than that it seems like a pretty good option.

[EL02]

Also the pocophone f1 you want to by off of aliexpress doesnt seem like a good buy. The item has very few orders and the seller's rating is a little low. Try to at least get one with 300+ orders and >98% rating.

[paddy-stone]

Cool. Just got the MIUI upgrade today based on Android 10 on my 1st gen Poco.

[Brooksie359]

8 hours ago, Djole123 said:

How can this 730G based phone even have a Poco badge attached to it? Such a lame device. I really hope Poco releases an 865 phone, otherwise it will be a disasterous year for them.

Idk why everyone is so obsessed with having the most powerful chipset out there when for 99% of people the extra performance isn't needed. I have found that mobile processors have gotten so fast that it honestly doesn't matter if you get something like the 730g because it is more than fast enough. I mean what do people even do on their phone that requires more than the 730g?

[iglance tech]

What is he point of this phone?

[dizmo]

I...hate the design. The camera bump is massive. The odd round circle swirl on the back is pretty ugly, though that could be covered up by a case.

Other than that it all looks pretty basic tbh. Spec doesn't really make a flagship a flagship these days, it's also the performance of the entire package.

You can throw camera modules in, but it doesn't make the camera good. It'll be interesting to see how reviews find it.

 

I wouldn't get one based on the IPS display alone.

 

OP: If I were you, I'd just hold off and wait for the F2. It'll likely have better build quality at the very least.

I don't see why PoCo would use a skin from the OPPO family when they've been a branch of Xiaomi for so long, and have experience with that software.

OLED, 765G etc would have just added to the overall cost of the device, and that's not what they were going for with this model.

 

Haha, Killer of All Flagships....not going to happen. Sure, it might have some spec that is similar, but the cameras won't be anywhere near as good.

 

10 hours ago, Levent said:

Adreno 618 and 120hz display. Yeah, that dream aint happening.

I'm pretty sure there are more things to a phone than games

8 hours ago, Djole123 said:

How can this 730G based phone even have a Poco badge attached to it? Such a lame device. I really hope Poco releases an 865 phone, otherwise it will be a disasterous year for them.

I know, how dare they try to make phones for different price points! They're only limited to one a year what are they thinking?!

52 minutes ago, LEVIATHAN CO-OP said:

While we really liked the original Pocophone, it came with Facebook preinstalled, which is a major privacy concern. It can be disabled, but there is a chance that background programs are running. While we applaud Xiaomi for their budget centered ideals, there is no reason to give up privacy for a cheaper device. Cheap does not always equal safe or good.

That's the one gripe I have about Samsung devices. I don't want Facebook, I should be able to uninstall it.

21 minutes ago, Brooksie359 said:

Idk why everyone is so obsessed with having the most powerful chipset out there when for 99% of people the extra performance isn't needed. I have found that mobile processors have gotten so fast that it honestly doesn't matter if you get something like the 730g because it is more than fast enough. I mean what do people even do on their phone that requires more than the 730g?

It's not all about clock speed, though. That's a very small part of what the flagship SoCs provide. They have better image processing, they last longer performance wise if you keep your devices for more than a couple of years, and in general they're just more snappy.

[EL02]

50 minutes ago, iglance tech said:

What is he point of this phone?

To make money obviously.

[EL02]

2 hours ago, paddy-stone said:

Cool. Just got the MIUI upgrade today based on Android 10 on my 1st gen Poco.

I'm starting to dislike xiaomi for what they're doing with the updates. My Android one phone still hasn't got the update...

[Brooksie359]

2 hours ago, dizmo said:

I...hate the design. The camera bump is massive. The odd round circle swirl on the back is pretty ugly, though that could be covered up by a case.

Other than that it all looks pretty basic tbh. Spec doesn't really make a flagship a flagship these days, it's also the performance of the entire package.

You can throw camera modules in, but it doesn't make the camera good. It'll be interesting to see how reviews find it.

 

I wouldn't get one based on the IPS display alone.

 

OP: If I were you, I'd just hold off and wait for the F2. It'll likely have better build quality at the very least.

I don't see why PoCo would use a skin from the OPPO family when they've been a branch of Xiaomi for so long, and have experience with that software.

OLED, 765G etc would have just added to the overall cost of the device, and that's not what they were going for with this model.

 

Haha, Killer of All Flagships....not going to happen. Sure, it might have some spec that is similar, but the cameras won't be anywhere near as good.

 

I'm pretty sure there are more things to a phone than games

I know, how dare they try to make phones for different price points! They're only limited to one a year what are they thinking?!

That's the one gripe I have about Samsung devices. I don't want Facebook, I should be able to uninstall it.

It's not all about clock speed, though. That's a very small part of what the flagship SoCs provide. They have better image processing, they last longer performance wise if you keep your devices for more than a couple of years, and in general they're just more snappy.

Snapper sure but not enough to matter. It's like the difference between a nvme ssd and a sata ssd. Is the nvme ssd faster and snapper? Sure but not enough to make it worth spending a ton more for. I will be honest I don't take a ton of photos so imagine processing isn't really high on my priority list when phone cameras are already good enough for me. I would even argue that there are a fair amount of people where phone cameras have been good enough for awhile. Also idk everyone is so invested in using oled displays over ips? I mean I just do not get what difference it makes tbh. I guess mostly I just would rather save money on a phone and use the money saved on something actually useful rather than a blowing 500 dollars for a "better image processor". 

[FakeCIA]

This may sound weird, but I actually prefer IPS displays. They take less power and you don't get burn-in. As for cameras, I could care less. That's not a priority for me. For my daily driver, I use a rugged phone made by CAT. For work and gaming, I have the OnePlus 7. The IPS display on the CAT actually has better color reproduction than the OLED on the OnePlus. Course, it all depends on how good your eyesight is for color and resolution.

[dizmo]

29 minutes ago, Brooksie359 said:

Snapper sure but not enough to matter. It's like the difference between a nvme ssd and a sata ssd. Is the nvme ssd faster and snapper? Sure but not enough to make it worth spending a ton more for. I will be honest I don't take a ton of photos so imagine processing isn't really high on my priority list when phone cameras are already good enough for me. I would even argue that there are a fair amount of people where phone cameras have been good enough for awhile. Also idk everyone is so invested in using oled displays over ips? I mean I just do not get what difference it makes tbh. I guess mostly I just would rather save money on a phone and use the money saved on something actually useful rather than a blowing 500 dollars for a "better image processor". 

Do you mean snappier? A snapper is a fish. Mmm sure, but I can definitely notice the difference between say UFS storage and eMMC. Not to mention UFS is significantly more durable. If you don't take pictures and you don't game, then really, any SoC, even the most basic entry level ones (SnapDragon, at least) will do you. Once the phone is on and running, other than slow app switching it's hard to notice the difference. I don't really agree with the camera either, as even going to a newer phone from my S8 you can see significant gains. Better autofocus, better low light performance, not as soft, etc etc. It's not massive leaps and bounds, but expecting that every generation is, frankly, incredibly unreasonable. If you take the small gains over the course of a few years, it adds up to quite a difference. OLED displays are significantly better than an IPS panel. They use less power, they have better colors (when properly calibrated), I think they get brighter. It's not just a better image processor though, when you're spending more on a phone you're getting a package, not simply a better SoC. You're getting better materials, better fit and finish, better displays, more RAM, better vibration motors, and depending on the company, better software.

5 minutes ago, Lauren Harper said:

This may sound weird, but I actually prefer IPS displays. They take less power and you don't get burn-in. As for cameras, I could care less. That's not a priority for me. For my daily driver, I use a rugged phone made by CAT. For work and gaming, I have the OnePlus 7. The IPS display on the CAT actually has better color reproduction than the OLED on the OnePlus. Course, it all depends on how good your eyesight is for color and resolution.

That's actually incorrect. AMOLED panels use less power. Have you tried adjusting the settings on the OnePlus? Highly doubt a cheap CAT phone has a better display.

[FakeCIA]

Meant to say AMOLED, not OLED. As for the CAT phone, it it not cheap. It cost me over 1K USD. It has a Samsung IPS panel.

[Blademaster91]

47 minutes ago, Brooksie359 said:

Snapper sure but not enough to matter. It's like the difference between a nvme ssd and a sata ssd. Is the nvme ssd faster and snapper? Sure but not enough to make it worth spending a ton more for. I will be honest I don't take a ton of photos so imagine processing isn't really high on my priority list when phone cameras are already good enough for me. I would even argue that there are a fair amount of people where phone cameras have been good enough for awhile. Also idk everyone is so invested in using oled displays over ips? I mean I just do not get what difference it makes tbh. I guess mostly I just would rather save money on a phone and use the money saved on something actually useful rather than a blowing 500 dollars for a "better image processor". 

I guess it depends if you have a ton of apps open at once, or play games. The midrange SOC's are fine, although I would rather the phone had a faster SOC and a plastic back, because I don't care about the nice feeling shiny glass when I put my phone in a case anyway. An OLED display is nice for watching videos on, though I prefer IPS, no worrying about burn in or pixels getting dim.

[Fnige]

40 minutes ago, Lauren Harper said:

Meant to say AMOLED, not OLED. As for the CAT phone, it it not cheap. It cost me over 1K USD. It has a Samsung IPS panel.

What CAT phone?

[TetraSky]

Interesting specs to say the least.

Not sure if I'd be able to trust it for my daily device though, because China. (Yeah yeah, I'm paranoid)

[Brooksie359]

1 hour ago, dizmo said:

Do you mean snappier? A snapper is a fish. Mmm sure, but I can definitely notice the difference between say UFS storage and eMMC. Not to mention UFS is significantly more durable. If you don't take pictures and you don't game, then really, any SoC, even the most basic entry level ones (SnapDragon, at least) will do you. Once the phone is on and running, other than slow app switching it's hard to notice the difference. I don't really agree with the camera either, as even going to a newer phone from my S8 you can see significant gains. Better autofocus, better low light performance, not as soft, etc etc. It's not massive leaps and bounds, but expecting that every generation is, frankly, incredibly unreasonable. If you take the small gains over the course of a few years, it adds up to quite a difference. OLED displays are significantly better than an IPS panel. They use less power, they have better colors (when properly calibrated), I think they get brighter. It's not just a better image processor though, when you're spending more on a phone you're getting a package, not simply a better SoC. You're getting better materials, better fit and finish, better displays, more RAM, better vibration motors, and depending on the company, better software.

That's actually incorrect. AMOLED panels use less power. Have you tried adjusting the settings on the OnePlus? Highly doubt a cheap CAT phone has a better display.

Again I wasn't arguing that the photos aren't better on newer flagship phones I am just saying that for alot of people it is not worth the extra cost especially when cameras on entry level phones to midrange phones are decent enough for alot of people. I am not a professional photographer so the current quality of pictures you get with lower end phones is good enough for me. I get that OLED is supposed to have better blacks and color reproduction and use less energy but that doesn't really make ips suddenly crapy like people make it seem. Both those things don't matter much to me as well so I really could care less if it has oled or ips especially because oled does come with it's own set of drawbacks. 

[kakik09]

The Poco brand is dead. They just rebranded the K30 and slapped the Poco name on it. It doesn't have the flagship SoC that made the F1 a sucess, and regardless of what you think of the 730G (and yes, it is a good performer), that's all what the Indian market will look for and care about. It's a spec war out there in the Asian market where AnTuTu scores mean more than day to day usability. They should've just names this the Mi 10T and saved the Poco name when they have something better to show for it.

 

TL;DR A Pocophone without a flagship SoC is pointless.

[Fnige]

1 hour ago, kakik09 said:

The Poco brand is dead. They just rebranded the K30 and slapped the Poco name on it. It doesn't have the flagship SoC that made the F1 a sucess, and regardless of what you think of the 730G (and yes, it is a good performer), that's all what the Indian market will look for and care about. It's a spec war out there in the Asian market where AnTuTu scores mean more than day to day usability. They should've just names this the Mi 10T and saved the Poco name when they have something better to show for it.

 

TL;DR A Pocophone without a flagship SoC is pointless.

Poco is independent now I'm sure

16 hours ago, Results45 said:

That is now their motto since becoming independent from Xiaomi and prioritizing their focus on the Indian market

yep

[kakik09]

20 minutes ago, SlimyPython said:

Poco is independent now I'm sure

yep

That really doesn't mean much now that they're just rebranding their parent company's products.