POCO is no longer a foreign brand in the smartphone industry, especially in the mid-range phone sector. They often launch phones at an affordable price, but with relatively good specs and the POCO X4 GT which launched in June 2022 appears to be another high-end device from the company.
Of course, you might be wondering if this phone is one we’d recommend over the dozens of other mid-range phones currently on the market. In fact, POCO itself offers several other smartphones at similar prices to the POCO X4 GT, such as the POCO F4. In this review we will see if the POCO X4 GT can hold its own.
Design – Looks simple with flat sides
The POCO X4 GT has a simple design on the back, with a flat matte surface. Next to the camera module you will find the standard logo branding and manufacturer information. The black color we received had a slight sheen to it and briefly reflected light when tilted at certain angles.
The matte finish also keeps most fingerprints from sticking to the back of the phone. But if your fingers are covered in oil or sweat, they can still leave a clear imprint. In terms of colors, the POCO X4 GT is also available in blue and silver.
Design back
You can see the POCO logo here
Triple rear camera
Visible camera bump
Also, the POCO X4 GT has flat sides with chamfered edges. On the right you will find the volume buttons and the power button. There is also a fingerprint scanner built into the power button.
At the bottom you’ll see a speaker, USB-C port and dual SIM card tray, while the top houses another speaker and the 3.5mm audio jack. Unfortunately, POCO has decided not to include a microSD memory card slot. Overall, the POCO X4 GT’s design doesn’t have any standout features, but it should appeal to customers who want a low-profile phone.
The sides are flat with chamfered edges
Right: volume and power buttons
Bottom: 1x speaker, USB-C charging port and SIM card tray
Top: 1x speaker and 3.5mm audio jack
Technical specifications and features – LCD display with a solid mid-range chipset
Here are the full specs for the POCO X4 GT:
- 6.6-inch LCD display, 20.5:9 aspect ratio, 2460×1080 resolution, 144Hz refresh rate, 270Hz touch read rate
- DCI-P3 color gamut, Dolby Vision, 650 nits peak brightness, built with Gorilla Glass 5
- MediaTek Dimensity 8100 chipset
- RAM LPDDR5 8GB
- 128 GB or 256 GB UFS 3.1 storage
- 64 MP main camera + 8 MP ultra-wide camera + 2 MP macro camera
- 20MP selfie camera
- 5080mAh battery
- Fast 67W charging, charger included in the box
- LiquidCool Technology 2.0 cooling system, 32% larger vapor chamber
- Integrated fingerprint scanner (power button), USB-C port
- Dolby Atmos stereo speakers
- IR Transmitter, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 6, NFC
- Choice of black, blue, silver
Moreover, this phone has relatively good technical specifications for its price. Most notably, it comes with MediaTek’s Dimensity 8100, a chipset manufactured using TSMC’s 5nm manufacturing process. While not the most advanced MediaTek chipset of the year, its performance is comparable to flagship smartphones launched in 2021. Therefore, you can expect fast gaming performance on this phone.
One thing that might disappoint you, however, is the LCD panel, which isn’t as good as an AMOLED display. First, it has a low contrast ratio of 1500:1. The colors produced aren’t that intense either, while the peak brightness of just 650 nits makes it difficult to use under sunlight.
On the plus side, the screen has a high refresh rate of up to 144Hz, so you’ll experience smooth movements while scrolling or gaming. It also has a 270Hz touch response, meaning your game controller should feel responsive.
The LCD screen of the POCO X4 GT
Looks good, but not the best screen we’ve seen
The perforated selfie camera is clearly visible
The bottom edge is slightly thicker
Left: Screen color settings; Right: Refresh rate options at 60Hz, 90Hz and 144Hz
As for the battery, the POCO X4 GT has a relatively large battery capacity of 5080mAh. It also supports fast 67W charging speed. More importantly, this phone comes with the charger in the box.
For the user interface, the POCO X4 GT comes with MIUI 13 for POCO, which is easy to use. It has a variety of settings so you can change the look of your user interface while playing games. You can also activate Game Turbo to access various gaming features such as screen recording or blocking messages and phone calls. There is also pre-installed bloatware on the phone, but luckily there are only a few that are easy to ignore.
Home screen and app drawer
Game Turbo provides quick access to various features related to gaming
For security, you can unlock the screen of this phone with the fingerprint scanner on the side or face scan with the selfie camera. Both work very quickly, even with wet fingers or in dark conditions.
Next, let’s talk about the cameras. On the back, you’ll find a three-camera setup consisting of a 64MP main camera, 8MP ultra-wide camera and 2MP macro camera. As for the front, there is a small hole for a 20MP selfie camera.
Camera Features in POCO X4 GT
Performance – No issues even with heavy gaming
Overall, we were happy with the phone’s performance over the time we used it. With the MediaTek Dimensity 8100 chipset, the POCO X4 GT can handle all your social media, messaging and video apps. Even with mobile games it was able to play the latest titles.
We installed Asphalt 9, COD Mobile, Genshin Impact and PUBG Mobile on this device for our standard gaming test. The results? It should be able to run most of them comfortably on the highest graphics settings except Genshin Impact. The MiHoYo game is known for its high graphics requirements, but the POCO X4 GT can still run the game on medium settings.
Geekbench Scores
3DMark Scores
To ensure that the phone is sufficiently cool while gaming, POCO has equipped it with the LiquidCool Technology 2.0 cooling system. Overall, it was effective in controlling the phone’s temperature. During our test, the phone’s temperature didn’t feel too hot, even after an hour of gaming. Performance also remained stable, meaning there was minimal thermal throttling (if any). It will get a little warm over time, but this is normal and nothing to worry about.
One thing that was a bit disappointing for us were the stereo speakers. The sound quality is good enough, but the maximum volume was not that high. Fortunately, POCO has decided to include a 3.5mm audio jack for headphone users. So for those who like music and gaming, it is recommended to use headphones or earphones.
As far as battery life is concerned, the phone usually lasts about a day without any issues. Most days we had about 20% of the battery left at the end of the day. But if you want to extend battery life, you can also activate Ultra Battery Saver and the phone should be able to last up to three days.
Thanks to the 67W charger, charging the phone is lightning fast. Our experience is that a full charge from 0 to 100% takes about 40 minutes. That is quite fast, since this is a mid-range device.
100% to 5% within 10 hours and 40 minutes
Charging from 4% to 99% takes 45 minutes
Now let’s move on to photography. Like most other mid-range smartphones, the POCO X4 GT’s camera delivers no problem delivering beautiful photos in good lighting conditions. In general, we were quite happy with the photos taken with the main camera, ultra-wide-angle camera and selfie camera. Unfortunately, the macro camera was disappointing as it produced a lot of blurry photos.
As expected, photos taken in low light were not as impressive. Picture quality was average at best, but that’s about what you’d expect from a phone in this category.
Examples of the main camera
Examples of the ultra wide angle camera
Examples of the main camera with night mode
selfie photos
For video, the POCO X4 GT can record in 4K 30fps and the video quality was comparable to the photo quality. We appreciated the electronic image stabilization feature, which works especially well when walking slowly.
Conclusion – Good chipset, average screen
The POCO X4 GT has a very interesting chipset for a mid-range phone and is a solid device for a variety of users. It also has a long battery life, fast charging speed and a good camera for everyday use. The biggest weakness, however, is the display, which isn’t nearly as good as the AMOLED panels we usually see these days.
If you want a mid-range smartphone that focuses on fast performance and cares less about screen quality, you can’t go wrong with the POCO X4 GT. Of course, there are plenty of options available at comparable prices. They even come with AMOLED displays, albeit with slower CPUs, GPUs, or charging speeds.
The POCO X4 GT is available in Malaysia with a starting price of RM1499 (8GB+128GB). But if you add RM100, you can get the POCO F4 (RM1599) which has an AMOLED display and a Snapdragon 870 chipset. You could also go for the Samsung Galaxy A33 5G (RM1499), but it does not have a built-in charger and 3.5 mm audio jack. Another option is the realme 9 Pro+ 5G (RM1499).
So what do you think? Do you agree with our opinion about this phone? Share your comments on Facebook and stay tuned to TechNave for more such reviews.
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