Poco X5 Pro vs Poco X4 Pro: Will the wait be worth it?

According to leaks and many teasers, POCO is about to introduce its next big thing for the POCO X series. The new generation comes under the name POCO X5 series and will provide convincing upgrades over last year’s generation. As usual, the POCO X5 Pro is the device that POCO fans are eagerly waiting for. The big question that remains, however, is whether it will be worth the wait.

The legacy of POCO X3 Pro

The POCO X series was already introduced in 2020 with the POCO X2. However, it was the POCO X3 that placed the series among the big stars of the smartphone industry. In September of the same year, POCO introduced the POCO X3 NFC with very appealing specifications. In 2020, it was rare to see mid-range smartphones with high refresh rates, fast charging and even NFC. POCO decided to make a “jack of all trades” with the POCO X3 NFC. The device brought a 120 Hz panel, a 5,160 mAh battery with 33W fast charging, a 64-megapixel camera and more. It was one of the most appealing mid-range smartphones of its time. However, POCO wanted more for this particular device, and a few months later, POCO introduced the X3 Pro.

The POCO X3 Pro hit the market under the $300 price tag with a very appealing Snapdragon 860. That chipset was basically a revamped Snapdragon 855+, which offers the flagship level of performance. It was miles above the Snapdragon 732 on the regular X3. Of course, POCO had to cut some corners and downgrade the 64-megapixel camera to a 48-megapixel unit. Also, it didn’t have 5G connectivity. However, it was not enough to jeopardize sales. POCO X3 Pro was affected.

The POCO X4 Pro’s performance didn’t surpass its predecessor, but the phone still came with some upgrades

Last year, expectations were high for the POCO X4 Pro. However, the device failed to surpass its predecessor in terms of performance. POCO had to bring 5G, and to keep the attractive price, decided to go with the Snapdragon 695. It was a good chipset, but the performance was not on par with the Snapdragon 8xx series. To make the smartphone more appealing, POCO brought a 108-megapixel camera to the phone.

This year, expectations are high for the POCO X5 Pro, but the big question that remains is, will it be better than the POCO X5 Pro? We find out through this comparison article.

POCO X4 Pro vs POCO X5 Pro

One thing is for sure, the POCO X5 Pro will not have the same appeal that the POCO X3 Pro had for the series. Apparently, in these tough times, it’s hard for a brand to get a flagship-level SoC at mid-range prices. So the POCO X5 Pro will not target a Snapdragon 8x series. However, the upgrade will still be significant.

Performance

We start this comparison with the performance, and I give a spoiler, yes POCO X5 Pro will be above POCO X4 Pro. Last year’s model has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G (6nm) SoC. It is a mid-range chip with 2 x Cortex-Ayu cores clocked at up to 2.2 GHz and 6 x ARM Cortex-A55 cores clocked at up to 1.7 GHz. When it comes to the GPU, it has an Adreno 619.

POCO X5 Pro will pack Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G. The chipset is getting old at this point but is still efficient enough and fast enough for the mid-range segment. This chipset has 1 x ARM Cortex-A78 core at up to 2.42 GHz, 3 x ARM Cortex-A78 cores at up to 2.2 GHz and 4 x ARM Cortex-A55 cores at up to 1.9 GHz . Performance here is better as the chipset has more BIG cores with higher clock speeds. It should be important, especially in games. Also, the Adreno 642L in this SoC is far beyond the 619. With this chipset, you get better performance on games and overall tasks.

In terms of performance, POCO X5 Pro will definitely win the match. It’s good for newcomers, but maybe for the POCO X4 Pro this shouldn’t be enough for an upgrade. It all depends on what you do with your smartphone. If you’re into gaming, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G is much better.

RAM and storage

POCO X4 Pro has up to 8 GB of RAM and up to 256 GB of internal memory. Plus, you can easily expand that amount with a micro SD card. POCO X5 Pro will get a higher variant with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Unlike its predecessor, the phone may lose the micro SD card slot. None of the phones in the Redmi Note 12 series have it, so we assume the POCO X5 Pro will also drop this signature feature.

Worth noting that we don’t know exactly which variants of the Redmi Note 12 Pro Speed ​​\u200b\u200bwill come like the POCO X5 Pro. Therefore, the arrival of the higher variant is not confirmed. That would put the POCO X5 Pro in the same territory as the X4 Pro, and the lack of a micro SD card could count as a drawback for some.

Camera

The next department is the camera. Overall, we think there will be a lot of similarities between the two phones. The global version of POCO X4 Pro has a 108-megapixel f/1.9 main camera, 8-megapixel f/1.8 ultrawide and 2-megapixel f/2.4 macro camera. The phone also has a 16-megapixel selfie snapper.

According to the leaks, the POCO X5 Pro camera setup will be almost identical. It has a 108-megapixel shooter with f/1.9 aperture, 8-megapixel ultrawide and a 2-megapixel macro camera. It will also bring a 16-megapixel selfie snapper.

Camera-wise, we have a tie. Unfortunately, the Redmi Note 12 Pro Speed, which the POCO X5 Pro is based on, does not provide OIS. It is the only Pro in the Redmi Note 12 series that lacks OIS. It would be a good upgrade over the POCO X4 Pro. Without OIS, the camera setup is basically the same. We can see some improvements here and there, but don’t expect miracles.

Either way, things should be better for the Indian market. The POCO X4 Pro that arrived there has a smaller 64 MP camera. So if the POCO X5 Pro does indeed come with a 108 MP unit, it will be an upgrade over its predecessor.

Show

In the display department, it seems that the POCO X4 Pro has some advantages. POCO X5 Pro is not yet official, so this is based on the Redmi Note 12 Pro, but considering the specifications, the X4 Pro has a better screen.

POCO X4 Pro has a 6.67-inch Super AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 120 Hz. The panel has 700 nits of brightness and 1200 nits of peak brightness. It has a Full HD+ resolution and a Gorilla Glass 5 coating.

The POCO X5 Pro display is described as “OLED”, so it’s probably not from Samsung. Brightness is lower with 500 nits of brightness and 900 nits of peak brightness. Also, there is no mention of Gorilla Glass there. In addition to these differences, we also get a 6.67-inch panel with a refresh rate of 120 Hz.

In terms of display, the POCO X5 Pro seems to be a downgrade compared to its predecessor. So we have to compare both devices.

Charging and Other

POCO X4 Pro has Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1, IR Blaster, NFC, USB Type C and FM radio. The phone has a side-mounted fingerprint reader. It draws power from a 5,000 mAh battery with 67W fast charging. The phone also has stereo speakers.

POCO X5 Pro will bring Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, IR Blaster and a USB Tpe-C port. We don’t know if it will bring FM radio or not. The device has the same side-mounted fingerprint reader. In addition, it draws power from the same 5,000 mAh battery with the same 67W charging.

We would appreciate 120W fast charging and a 5,000 mAh battery on the new smartphone. This set of specifications is available with the Redmi Note 12 Pro+, but it will not make room for the POCO X5 Pro.

The two smartphones are very similar, with incremental upgrades for the POCO X5 Pro. Wi-Fi 6 is probably the most notable upgrade here. However, for some users, upgrading may not be enough.

Pricing

The price of POCO X4 Pro is around $267 or INR 17,999 for India. Right now we don’t know how much the POCO X5 Pro will cost, but we don’t think it will be more expensive. POCO is likely to aim for a similar price tag. Its price can be between $270 ~ and $300. We don’t recommend paying more than $300 for these specs, honestly.

Conclusion – Is the POCO X5 Pro a real upgrade?

Well, given everything we’ve seen, we don’t think the POCO X5 Pro is a real upgrade if you’re looking for anything other than performance. The Snapdragon 778G is better than the Snapdragon 695, however, the smartphone is identical to its predecessor in other aspects. The POCO X4 Pro takes the lead in the display department, and its camera setup isn’t outdated compared to the newer model. POCO X5 Pro is mostly an incremental upgrade with newer technologies.

It’s up to you to decide if the POCO X5 Pro is worth waiting for, but apparently it’s mostly an incremental update. We can only dream of a new smartphone that matches what the POCO X3 Pro was in its day. The new smartphone would be a much better upgrade if POCO chose a mix between the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ and the Redmi Note 12 Pro Speed. The Snapdragon 778G with the same specs as the Pro+ (200MP camera, 120W fast charging) would make a significant difference here.