Xiaomi’s sub-brand POCO has introduced the POCO M6 Pro to the global stage, including the Philippines, and it’s a show-off. But it shouldn’t be a surprise considering it’s a Xiaomi product.
The new POCO device is one of the first to be powered by a MediaTek Helio G99 Ultra processor and offers a high-end AMOLED screen, sharp main camera with OIS, and flagship-level charging speed. We’ll test them all out and see if it’s the one for you and your budget. Let’s start our POCO M6 Pro review.
POCO M6 Pro Specs
- Android 13, MIUI 14 (HyperOS available)
- Dual SIM, Dual standby, Hybrid
- 6.67-inch FHD+ Flow AMOLED DotDisplay, 2400 x 1080 pixel resolution, ~394ppi
- 120Hz refresh rate, 2160Hz touch sampling
- DCI-P3, 5,000,000:1
- 1920Hz PWM dimming
- Corning Gorilla Glass 5
- 2.2GHz MediaTek Helio G99 Ultra octa-core processor
- 8GB/12GB LPDDR4X RAM
- Mali-G57 MC2 GPU
- 256GB/512GB UFS 2.2 internal storage, expandable via microSD up to 1TB
- 16-megapixel front camera
- 64-megapixel (OIS) + 8-megapixel (ultra-wide) + 2-megapixel (macro) rear cameras, LED flash
- In-display fingerprint scanner, AI Face unlock
- Stereo speakers, Headphone jack
- IP54 splash resistant
- HSPA+, 4G LTE
- WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band
- Bluetooth 5.2
- GPS, A-GPS
- NFC
- IR blaster
- USB-C
- Dimensions: 161.1 x 74.95 x 7.98mm
- Weight: 179g
- Colors: Purple, Blue, Black
- 5,000mAh non-removable battery, 67W fast charging
Design and Build Quality
The POCO M6 Pro has a familiar design with a clean camera island, the POCO logo printed on the back, and dual-tone colors: the top one is reflective while the rest is matte. The said textures are beneath the glass-like material. It’s really shiny and looks flashy until it gets bombarded with fingerprint smudges, which happens pretty easily.
You can slap the free all-black case if you want to keep it tidy, and also protect the device from accidental drops and hairline scratches.
The M6 Pro 4G joins the trend of phones with flat edges which improves grip when you’re using the device. However, unlike other 7.98mm phones we’ve tested that have curved edges, this flat one made the M6 Pro 4G feel thicker than it actually is. Also, the said flat frame has a dark color, which we find odd as the Purple variant has a matching Purple frame.
On the upside, it does feel light at only 179g. We were able to comfortably play games, watch content, and video conference for hours just by holding it.
Overall, we’re satisfied with the POCO M6 Pro 4G’s flashy design and firm build. We just wish that the rear panel had a material that’s resistant to fingerprint smudges.
Now, let’s examine the whole outer shell closely. On the front, we have the 6.67-inch AMOLED display with thin bezels, a punch-hole for the selfie camera, and Corning Gorilla Glass 5. A screen protector has been pre-applied out of the box.
The top is pretty busy. We have the noise-isolating microphone, the second speakers, an IR blaster, and something we haven’t seen in a while — a 3.5mm headphone jack on top of a smartphone.
At the bottom, we only have the USB-C port, the primary microphone, and the main loudspeaker. We’re still not a fan of the opposite height placements of the two speakers as your palm can easily block one if you’re playing games in landscape orientation, no matter which side is up.
On the left side, we have the hybrid SIM card slot that can house either two nano SIMs or an option for a microSD card.
The physical buttons are on the right. They are tactile and clicky. The flat profile looks clean and matches the flat edges, but we wish they stick out higher so they can be easily distinguished and pressed.
On the rear, we have the triple cameras. The lenses and bezels for the main and ultra-wide cameras look unnecessarily large while the placement of the macro lens and the LED flash, while level with each other, looks a bit off.
Display and Sound Quality
The POCO M6 Pro 4G has a 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 2400 x 1080 resolution for a good 394ppi, high 120Hz refresh rate, 2160Hz touch sampling for touch sensitivity, and 1920Hz PWM dimming to protect your eyes at night.
For the display settings, we have the option to change the color scheme, color temperature, refresh rate, and configure the Reading Mode. Support for HD streaming on Netflix is currently not available, but a software update in the future should fix that.
Display quality is great, especially when you consider the price. It’s rare to see an AMOLED panel in this category. The colors are striking and the blacks are deep, albeit screen brightness could be higher for better outdoor visibility. But other than that, everything looks great.
For audio, we have impressive stereo speakers that offer deafening volume at max, especially on shooter games. The stereo separation is audible thanks to the large display. The bass is decent and the clarity is above average.
Hardware and Performance
The POCO M6 Pro is powered by a 6nm 2.2GHz MediaTek Helio G99 Ultra processor, with Mali-G57 MC2 GPU, and an option between 8GB/256GB and 12GB/512GB of RAM and storage configurations. Unfortunately, no 5G connectivity for this one.
POCO M6 Pro 4G Benchmark Scores
Performance was very satisfactory and is one of the fastest for the price. There are occasional split-second stutters and lags, but other than that, everything feels speedy.
Whether you’re talking to friends via messaging or video calls, snapping photos, streaming videos, or browsing through Facebook speeds, the M6 Pro held up pretty well.
Gaming was also great on this one, albeit don’t expect you can set the graphics quality to the highest. Under Mid to High graphics, the POCO M6 Pro didn’t disappoint. Farlight84, Call of Duty Mobile, PUBG Mobile, and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang ran smoothly under said settings.
Another good thing about it is that the thermals are managed well. As you know, thermals do inevitably increase after a few minutes of gaming, but on the POCO M6 Pro, the temps crept in later compared to other midrange phones we’ve tested.
Software and User Interface
The POCO M6 Pro unit that we got runs on Android 13-based MIUI 14.0.1 version. However, in their official announcement, they did say that it will ship with Xiaomi’s latest HyperOS.
This version of MIUI has the POCO Launcher enabled by default. Personally, it feels a bit much and can be overwhelming for those who are new to MIUI. The app icons feel large and over-styled and we’re seeing a bunch of preinstalled apps, the majority of which can be uninstalled.
But if you’re an enthusiast, you’d enjoy all the shortcut buttons, customizations, and other things the interface offers.
One of its most striking features is the comprehensive app drawer. As you can see in the image above, a lot is happening here. On top, you have your categories that can instantly sort the apps depending on your needs. The next two rows are your App Suggestions, which get better as the phone learns your usage habits. Then, we have all your installed apps and a search tab below.
What annoyed us at first was, when opening the app drawer, the search tab was instantly activated, greeting us with an interface that we didn’t want to see. Thankfully, automatically launching search when you summon the app drawer can be disabled in the settings.
We like the features that take advantage of the AMOLED display. There’s the Always-on Display settings that lets you choose between different AOD styles and wallpapers.
There are also different styles for Notification Effects, which will light up the corners of the screen even on idle to indicate you have a notification.
If you are overwhelmed with the Control Center style, MIUI gives you an option to use the old version in the settings. Gesture Navigation is also available in the settings if you prefer it over the old on-screen buttons.
The camera app looks fine but needs some better organization. Meanwhile, the default keyboard is from Google, which is familiar and easy to use, heavily customizable to fit your taste, and has access to gifs and emojis.
Camera Quality
As for the cameras, the POCO M6 Pro 4G has a 64-megapixel main camera with optical image stabilization (OIS), joined by an 8-megapixel ultra-wide, 2-megapixel macro, and a 16-megapixel shooter on the front.
Image quality from the main camera has a lot of details and looks very sharp. Colors are not the most accurate but do look visually appealing and Instagram-ready.
However, the dynamic range does need some work as it struggles on challenging scenarios, especially when it’s very sunny outdoors. Portrait mode also works well.
Low-light shots are fine and passable for the price, but grains are noticeable and colors are a bit washed out.
The 8-megapixel ultra-wide has been very usable for capturing large subjects. Color quality and dynamic range are not the best but should be more than enough for most scenarios.
Finally, the 2-megapixel macro camera can be accessed via a button hidden in the settings. It lets you get very close to subjects, but the overall image quality is nothing to brag about.
Finally, we have the 16-megapixel front camera, which takes above-average selfies with fair colors and contrast. Low-light shots are also good enough and the portrait mode looks clean.
All in all, the POCO M6 Pro has impressive camera hardware for the price, and with the help of a few software updates, it could get even better.
Battery and Charging
The POCO M6 Pro global has a 5,000mAh battery — which is no big deal and standard for any phone today. What’s impressive is its 67W wired turbo charging, which is easily the fastest you can get for the price.
It lasted for 12 hours and 31 minutes in PCMark’s battery loop tests, which is not the best score we got but also not bad. In actual use, we would end the day with 15% to 20% of charge left with heavy web browsing, taking a bunch of pictures, and video calls.
If you’re a heavy gamer, you may have to plug in the charger before the day ends. Fortunately, the ultra-fast charger can get you back up and running again in no time. From 20%, we jumped to 55% with just 15 minutes of charging. 30 minutes in and we’re already in 83%. A full 0% to 100% charge only takes about an hour.
Verdict
Is the POCO M6 Pro the perfect midrange phone? Definitely not. Is it one of the best you can get for the price? It’s a big yes.
Xiaomi made some questionable design choices. However, most of it should be solved as it moves to the new HyperOS. The lack of 5G connectivity is quite disappointing, although it’s forgivable considering its asking price.
There’s no denying that the company hit another home run with this one. For a midrange device, you’re already getting flagship-level charging, RAM/storage, premium display, excellent stereo speakers, and good camera hardware — pros that are usually rare in this price range.
POCO M6 Pro pricing and availability in the Philippines
The POCO M6 Pro 8GB/256GB has a price of Php11,999 in the Philippines. Meawhile, the 12GB/256GB is priced Php13,999.
Pros
- Smooth, fast, and colorful display
- Generous RAM and storage
- Excellent stereo speakers
- Good camera hardware
- Flagship-level charging
Cons
- No 5G
- Software still needs work