The mid-range phones of a phone manufacturer are the backbone of their offerings. They are fine-tuned to be better than the economical-to-performance ratio, but marginally less overpowered than their flagship high-end model companion. The power of POCO in 2024 reaches new heights for mid-range phones with its latest in the X series of phones—said to offer newly-upgraded flagship level performance display and camera capabilities.
The POCO X6 is lauded for its design and performance appeal for the Gen-Z consumers—delivering top-notch notch entertainment experiences. This is why the POCO X6 contains a next-gen Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 processor with a 640,170 AnTuTu score, meaning more power distribution for mid-range phones.
Based on the benchmarks in Geekbench 6, this 8-core smartphone has a humbling score of around 2500, placing itself around the same area as the POCO X3 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S21 FE. It may not be the most impressive upon comparison and on paper, but it shines in various ways that matter to the everyday consumer.
This monolith of a mid-tier phone is powered by a large 5,100mAh battery that supports 67W turbo charging—about the same as the POCO X5 last year that housed a 5,000mAh battery, but did not have a turbo charging feature. If there is anything Gen-Z consumers hate more is for them to be binging their favourite shows or movies on Netflix, and their phone dies unexpectedly.
“The POCO X6 houses a 64MP main camera with optical image stabilization (OIS), an 8MP ultra-wide camera, a 2MP macro lens camera and a 16MP front camera.”
Disappointedly though, it does not support 90W turbo charging like the POCO X6 Pro—which could roughly charge a phone from 0% to 100% in just 34 minutes. Another fever dream from POCO and its parent company is making a more international charger-friendly battery charger. Those in North America looking to get this phone will have to get a nifty wall charger converter, or use a different compatible charger.
Scrolling through TikTok and Instagram reels, on top of watching YouTube videos and bingeing shows and movies on Prime Video, the POCO X6 has enough juice to last the day before dropping under 20% in time for bed. While it may not seem like a multi-day use phone for some, it manages to get about 5-6 hours of consecutive watching time.
One of the biggest leaps from the POCO X series is in their memory department. The maximum internal storage has doubled from 256 GB with 8 GB RAM to 512 GB with 12 GB RAM. Okay, maybe not double the RAM, but still a whole new level of speed at the mid-range level. With 512 GB of internal storage memory, users can store loads of photos and videos from their latest parties and/or concerts. Never run out of storage when you are recording Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour!
“Even with a lot of sunlight directly shining on it, the POCO X6 excels at keeping the display visible with its peak brightness of 1800 nits…”
The super-slim bezel design and 6.67-inch CrystalRes 1.5K Flow AMOLED DotDisplay packs a big punch to the eyes on clarity and vivid display—ensuring an immersive experience with big picture size. Even with a lot of sunlight directly shining on it, the POCO X6 excels at keeping the display visible with its peak brightness of 1800 nits—read your favourite eBooks like Dune and The Hunger Games: A Ballad of Songbird & Snakes with a peace of mind. On top of its clear, sharp display, the display also has a really cool in-screen fingerprint sensor for easy unlocking.
For Gen-Z consumers, having a phone camera that is versatile, quick to shoot, and offers the best image quality is key. The POCO X6 houses a 64MP main camera with optical image stabilization (OIS), an 8MP ultra-wide camera, a 2MP macro lens camera and a 16MP front camera. It can shoot video up to 4K at 30fps and 1080p at 60fps, which definitely had a silky smooth, even viewing experience.
This is the first time for the X series to be offering support for OIS, which ensures sharp steady images even in lower lit conditions. Of course, the newer generation of users are notorious for recording almost everything—from Pokémon card unboxing videos to capturing Olivia Rodrigo live in Toronto this year. A great phone camera system is essential to capturing those monumental moments.
“The real selling point for the POCO X6 is its ability to fully utilize 5G networks, its turbo charging capacities, the huge RAM and storage increase, and its superb slim bezel display.’
In terms of data service and connectivity, the POCO X6 is compatible on 5G networks and other tiers below—meaning low latency calls and download/upload speeds. It also has Bluetooth 5.2 for all those music heads with their JBL or Sony headphones. Unfortunately, it does not offer Wi-Fi 6 capabilities like the POCO X6 Pro but still has great connectivity features regardless.
While this was not specialized for gaming like its higher-end sibling, it still provided a fun, fluid gaming experience. Games like COD Mobile, Apex Legends and Genshin Impact consistently ran at 60fps—the AMOLED display only creates a more inviting viewing session that keeps players more fully immersed.
The Dolby Atmos sound system truly tops off the full gaming and entertainment delights. The overall matte sides make it easy to grip, and the narrow rectangular frame fit perfectly in my hands—whether it was for gaming or scrolling on social media.
Smooth, fluid-moving viewing aspects were in abundance with this Android smartphone. Whether it was watching anime shows like Blue Eye Samurai on Netflix or catching the latest episode of Percy Jackson & The Olympians on Disney+, the POCO X6 delivered a very eye-pleasing experience. It has immediately moved its way up from the uses of the POCO M5 and Huawei P20 Pro.
It really handles everyday tasks well, with seamless transitions between apps and screens. The real selling point for the POCO X6 is its ability to fully utilize 5G networks, its turbo charging capacities, the huge RAM and storage increase, and its superb slim bezel display. It keeps the user ensured they are covered on all their bases, with a price that does not break the bank at around $350 (USD).
