When I look at a new phone, there are certain criteria that I need fulfilled to be satisfied. This is why I enjoy the Google Pixel line so much, because they are so feature heavy, that I can do pretty much anything I can think of. The POCO X7 Pro Iron Man Edition came across my desk and after a brief period of admiration for the design, I put the device through the paces to see if it could elbow its way into my daily life.
As always, the unboxing comes first, and POCO really spared no expense here (I really had to channel my inner John Hammond from Jurassic Park there) as the device comes in a handsome red box that contains the device, a case, and all the other miscellanea that one receives with a smartphone. The case included is what caught my eye initially, as it leaves the back of the device largely unprotected. I realize that this is a design choice to show off the brilliant Iron Man aesthetic on the back, but it does feel like the device is at the mercy of your sure handedness and grip on the thing.
Speaking of aesthetic, the X7 Pro features a brilliant matte red finish on the back with some Iron Man-inspired design elements, including a glossy Iron Man head in the middle. It also has a glossy-finished Marvel Avengers logo at the bottom as well, which is a little confusing as it’s an Iron Man phone and not an Avengers phone, but it’s not a dealbreaker, and how often does one spend looking at the back of the device anyway?
“Staying with the physical device itself, the X7 Pro weighs in at a paltry 195g, which is 3g lighter than my current Pixel 9.”
Staying focused on the physical device itself, the X7 Pro weighs in at a mere 195g, which is 3g lighter than my current Pixel 9. The Pixel 9 already felt light in hand, so the X7 Pro feels like a pebble by comparison. Not only is the device light, but it’s also quite large. Featuring a 6.67” CrystalRes 120Hz AMOLED display with a peak brightness of 3200 nits, the X7 Pro has successfully combined a larger physical footprint with less weight, allowing you to hold it for longer and see the screen more easily.
All of this is well and good, but I do feel like the X7 Pro is a little too big at times. I don’t exactly have small hands, as a dude over 6’ tall, but there were many times that I would be holding the device and struggle to stretch my thumb far enough to reach the far corners on the device if I wanted to tap on a button or perform a similar function.
Performance-wise, the X7 Pro Iron Man Edition is fantastic. It features POCO flagship Dimensity 8400-Ultra processor, so each app performs at its peak capability. I experienced no slowdowns or lag of any kind in relation to app function or performance, and when you combine that with POCO’s HyperOS2, you get a device that can handle almost anything you can throw at it, while retaining peak-level performance. In my testing, I was able to take and edit pictures, play games, and all of my regular social media distractions with no issues, and most importantly, maintaining decent battery life and the device never overheated, thanks to the LiquidCool Technology integrated inside.
“Performance-wise, the X7 Pro Iron Man Edition is fantastic.”
Battery life is always a contentious point amongst smartphone users, and the X7 Pro has it in spades. The X7 Pro Iron Man Edition features the largest battery capacity that POCO have ever fit into a smartphone: a 6000 mAh battery. From fully charged, I was able to get a full day’s usage out of it, between social media and gaming and everything else. POCO claim that the battery can last for almost 14.5 hours from fully charged, under constant usage, and I wouldn’t say that’s too far off from what I experienced.
The battery also features a 90W HyperCharge system that can take the device to 100% battery in just 42 minutes, so it’s fantastic if you need a quick charge before you head out of the house for the day or enough to make sure you can get home. POCO also say that the device will support charging at temperatures reaching as low as -25°C, so if you are planning an expedition to the Arctic Circle and need the phone for GPS, you can still get a full charge at the end of the day.
As with all smartphones, the capability of the camera is a very important factor in choosing what phone to buy. The POCO X7 Pro features two rear-facing cameras and a standard front-facing camera. On the back, there is a 50MP main camera that features a f/1.5 aperture and Sony’s IMX882 sensor that will capture more light, giving you clearer and brighter pictures, even in low light environments.
An 8MP ultra-wide camera lens is also available so you can capture more of the surrounding area. And the standard 20MP front-facing camera is available for all of your selfie-taking needs. In addition, the X7 Pro will record 4K video at 60fps with OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) and EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization) to ensure you get the clearest quality videos possible.
I would have liked a flagship phone to feature a third camera lens on the rear of the device, as many of its competitors do. I would also have liked to see a more intuitive interface for pulling down your notification tray/system tray from the top of the screen. As it stands, one needs to pull from either of the top two corners to get the tray down and then swipe either left or right to get to the desired tray. I was too used to being able to pull the tray down from anywhere on the screen on my Pixel 9, and I never quite got the hang of the system in the X7 Pro.
Overall, the POCO X7 Pro Iron Man Edition is a fine smartphone. It performs beautifully and looks amazing, but I feel like it’s missing something that makes a flagship smartphone feel like a flagship smartphone. I was also unable to find a price on the device at the time of writing, so it is a little harder to compare to its industry brethren in terms of monetary value. If you are already a fan of POCO devices or like the aesthetic of the Iron Man Edition, then this is the phone for you.
