POCO M3 Pro 5G Review

Overview

The POCO M3 Pro 5G is created following the massive success of the M-series in general and the POCO M3 in particular. Designed especially as an enticing budget offering with 5G connectivity, it is the first POCO phone to be powered by a MediaTek chipset that's available globally. The Dimensity 700 system-on-chip at its core is meant to provide ultimately better performance than the Snapdragon 662 powering the POCO M3. Adding in 5G connectivity and a really affordable price tag makes a predisposition for the POCO M3 Pro to become the 5G smartphone for the masses. Of course, the main target is the younger audience and the young at heart. The 90Hz option on the big screen, well-sized battery, 48MP main camera, and great design offer an overall balanced smartphone with an excellent price/quality ratio. Let's delve into the details beginning with an in-depth look at the official specifications and what's in the box.

Specifications

POCO M3 Pro is fitted with a 6.5-inch DotDisplay with an in-cell IPS panel, FHD+ resolution (1080 x 2400), and a 2.5D curved Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for protection. The display works at up to a 90Hz refresh rate. With DynamicSwitch technology, it is able to automatically switch between 30Hz, 50Hz, 60Hz, and 90Hz depending on the content. Details about the brightness, contrast, and color space coverage can be found in the Display section of this review where we provide detailed display measurements. There' a big punch hole in the top-center of the display for the 8MP OmniVision OV8856 selfie snapper with an f/2.0 aperture, while the rear shell features a triple-camera module comprising a 48MP OmniVision OV48B main shooter with an f/1.8 aperture, a 2MP SK Hynix HI259H macro camera with an f/2.4 aperture, and a 2MP GalaxyCore GC02M1B mono unit for depth-sensing. The smartphone is powered by a 5000 mAh battery paired to a 22.5W fast charger included in the box.

The POCO M3 Pro is based on the 7nm MediaTek Dimensity 700 system-on-chip. It has an octa-core CPU with 2x 2.2GHz Cortex-A76 cores and 6x 2.0GHz Cortex-A55 cores. The graphics department is managed by an ARM Mali-G57 MC2 GPU clocked up to 950 MHz. There are 4GB or 6GB of LPDDR4X RAM by SK Hynix and 64GB or 128GB of UFS 2.2 storage by SK Hynix on board. The latter can be further expanded via a microSD card slot. The chipset supports 5G-CA (2CC) and dual 5G SIM.

The POCO M3 Pro supports the following network bands: 2G GSM (B2/3/5/8), 3G W-CDMA (B1/2/4/5/8), 4G LTE-FDD (B1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/17/20/28/32/66), 4G LTE-TDD (B38/40/41), 5G NSA and 5G SA (n1/n3/n7/n8/n20/n28/n38/n40/n41/n66/n77/n78). The wireless connectivity options of the model include Bluetooth 5.1, Wi-Fi Hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Display, dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11ac. The smartphone also arrives with NFC support and is equipped with a 3.5 mm jack, a USB Type-C 2.0 with OTG support, a side-mounted fingerprint sensor by Goodix. The POCO M3 Pro supports GPS, GLONASS, and Beidou and runs on Global MIUI for POCO 12.0.5 based on Android 11.

Complete POCO M3 Pro specifications.

What's in the box

Our POCO M3 Pro review unit arrived in a yellow box with the brand and model name imprinted on the top and sides of the lid. Inside the box, the smartphone lies on top of all accessories covered in a protective foil. The envelope below it contains the standard documentation and a silicone case, while at the bottom of the box, you will see the charger and cable. The charger complies with the EU standard for electric sockets. Here's the full list with the box contents in addition to the handset:

• 5V/3A~9V/2.23A~12V/1.67A~10V/2.25A fast charger (EU plug)
• USB Type-C data cable
• Transparent protective case
• Pre-applied screen protector
• SIM tray pin
• Quick start guide
• Warranty card
• Safety information
• Logo stickers