POCO M4 5G Review

Review

The affordable Poco range from Xiaomi scarcely requires an introduction. Due to their excellent value proposition, many family models have been experiencing tremendous success. The Poco M4 5G, the fourth generation of the Poco M series, is currently available for evaluation. Poco's current naming convention is a bit confusing; therefore, some clarification is required.

According to appearances, the Poco M4 5G is intended to be the most affordable model in the current Poco M4 family. Due to its 6.58-inch 90Hz LCD panel, which is a similar size to that of the Poco M4 Pro 5G, it is more akin to that device rather than the Poco M4 Pro. However, the Poco M4 5G is inferior to the M4 Pro 5G in virtually other respects. One more thing needs to be made clear, and it's pretty important:

The phone we're reviewing today is the Poco M4 5G's international model. Its camera configuration is less advanced than the previous Indian model, with a 13MP primary camera in place of a 50MP camera and a selfie camera with 5MP in place of an 8MP one.

Instead of using the Dimensity 810 chipset found within the Poco M4 Pro 5G, the M4 5G variants use the MediaTek Dimensity 700. It only has one speaker instead of two, only supports 18W charging rather than 33W, has lower-resolution main and selfie cameras, and only has an IP52 rating rather than an IP53 rating. Also left out is the ultra-wide camera. Without a doubt, the M4 5G has been significantly upgraded.

Naturally, the price differential between the two should reflect these downgrades. A 64GB, 4GB Poco M4 5G starts at roughly INR 13,000 on the Indian market as of this moment, while a Poco M4 Pro 5G costs about INR 13,500. That isn't much of a price difference, and on Amazon UK, the prices are even closer. The prices for the more reduced European version are also not significantly different. As a result, the Poco M4 5G is immediately placed in a challenging situation. Prices can change, and there are sometimes promotions.

Box and Package utilities

Considering the boxing & retail package, a two-piece, sturdy, neon-yellow cardboard box with the Poco M4 5G's logo is included. Ideal for keeping the phone safe during shipment and is pretty eye-catching. The accessory kit is comprehensive in a typical Poco manner. An efficient 22.5W Xiaomi charger takes care of the essentials. 5V@3A, [email protected], [email protected], and [email protected] are its maximum output ratings. A little bit too much is specified for the Poco M4 5G's 18W charging cap. You also receive a USB Type-A to Type-C cable with it. Just a brief white cable?nothing spectacular. As is customary with Poco phones, a substantial transparent TPU cover, and a thin screen protector are included in the box. Basically, everything you require to begin utilizing it with confidence immediately. A somewhat recognizable design may be found on the Poco M4 5G. Since the modern "slab" design seems never to change, which is becoming increasingly difficult to accomplish. It goes without saying that we are referring to the M4 5G's rear, which somewhat resembles a Google Pixel. More like a plate that extends from side to side, the camera island. The similarities are only fleeting because it is much higher and larger on the M4 5G pro.

Design Specs

The remainder of the M4 5G's back is constructed of plastic with a fine texture finish. With a matte finish, it provides a pleasant feel to the touch. That finish has a strong tendency to attract dirt and grease. Additionally, a fine texture makes it difficult to maintain the surface clean because objects are prone to getting stuck in the grooves.

Three colors?Power Black, Cool Blue, and POCO yellow?are offered for the Poco M4 5G. Power Black, where our evaluation unit is located, is unquestionably the dullest of the group. Both yellow and blue have a really fresh, youthful appearance. We value having choices. The M4 5G's sides are flat and rather contemporary. Additionally constructed of plastic is the centre frame. When done well, the finish on the top does a really good job of mimicking metal, which is typically a pleasing sight. It feels premium to hold the Poco M4 5G. It weighs in at a manageable 200 grams and has dimensions of 164 by 76.1 by 8.9 mm. The primarily plastic construction is largely responsible for the weight reduction.

Building materials and quality

There is nothing fundamentally wrong with using plastic for building. It is strong and lightweight. It is less susceptible to showing scratches and scuffs than many alloys and doesn't dent like metal. With virtually no overall structural flex, the M4 5G has a strong feel to it. The distribution of weight vertically is also good. The only problem we have is that, like many less expensive products, the back side seems hollow when tapped. However, it has no impact on the phone's overall structural rigidity.

Corning Gorilla Glass 3 is used on the front of the Poco M4 5G to safeguard the screen. Despite the fact that this product version is rather old, it nevertheless provides great scratch prevention. In recent years, Corning has increased its optimisation of shatter resistance. The phone also features some ingress protection, albeit a very poor one. Given that it is IP52, it should be able to withstand brief water and dust splashes.

Connectivity and controls

The controls and general design of the Poco M4 5G are quite conventional. The power button is located on the right side, as is the volume rocker. Both have pleasant clicks and great tactile feedback. They are also nicely and ergonomically positioned vertically. Using a capacitive fingerprint reader, the power button serves as both. It is really concise and precise. Additionally, it is always on and can unlock the phone through actual button presses or not. Regarding it, we have no problems. Only the SIM tray is located on the phone's left side. There are two designated Nano SIM slots on the long tray, and a second micro SD slot is also there. There's no need to choose and choose, then.

An increasingly rare feature, the M4 5G's top features a 3.5mm audio connection. That also applies to the IR blaster, which is situated on the phone's top. The majority of big manufacturers have stopped including IR in their products, with Xiaomi being the most recent. It is quite practical as an alternative to the remote control for appliances. The device's primary microphone and bottom-firing speaker are in the bottom bezel. The Type-C port is located between the two. It can fast charge up to 18W, as was already announced. Additionally, it includes OTG capability and is connected for data transmission at USB 2.0 rates. There aren't any more features, though. There is no video or other media available.

Speaking of connectivity, both of the slots on the Poco M4 5G support 5G in SA and NSA modes. Additionally, hotspot-capable dual-band Wi-Fi ac is included on board. Additionally present are GPS with GLONASS and BDS, as well as Bluetooth 5.1 with LE compatibility. In the same way, NFC and an FM radio receiver. A remarkable number of sensors are included in the Poco M4 5G, given that it is a low-cost gadget. Nothing is mimicked or virtual in any way. A real TDM2755 proximity and light sensor are included, along with an accelerometer, compass, gyroscope, and magnetometer.

Screen

With a 6.58-inch screen and 90Hz refresh rate, the Poco M4 5G uses IPS technology. On paper, that seems very good. However, don't let good-looking figures deceive you. The display on our Poco M4 5G testing unit is among the worst we've seen recently. Even when automatic brightness is disabled, the brightness is all over the place, with the phone changing levels on its own. After much tinkering, we finally obtained some reliable readings. When the slider was set to its highest setting, our M4 5G could only reach a meagre 326 nits, and its absolute maximum auto value was 410 nits. In the sun, the M4 5G is hardly usable. It's a really unpleasant experience.

The display doesn't appear too awful when viewed indoors, but colour accuracy is inconsistent as well. Three other colour modes?vibrant, saturated, and standard?are available in the settings. Positively, the Poco M4 5G is compatible with the highest Wide Vine L1 DRM, enabling access to HD & higher-quality streams on websites like Netflix. The latter was actually more than happy to deliver FullHD quality and saturate the phone's resolution.