Poco X7 Pro review: So near, yet so far

Making an attention-grabbing smartphone isn’t any imply feat in 2025. There’s a sea of competitors globally, with producers releasing dozens of fashions at each worth bracket in any given month.

Placing collectively a tool that doesn’t get rapidly forgotten about is already an achievement. However producing one thing that stands out takes a cautious mixture of {hardware} and advertising and marketing that few constantly obtain.

However Xiaomi sub-brand Poco isn’t any stranger to creating headlines. The Poco X7 Professional might need an reasonably priced price ticket, however it has lots to supply.

As ever, the aim is to outsell the competitors and get as a lot consideration as potential, and so an awesome many claims have been made, relating to its energy and prowess. I’ve been utilizing it as my very own telephone to see if it’s price you spending cash on.

Design & Construct

• 8.29mm
• 195g
• All plastic construct

Not like with flagship smartphones, the place designs are inclined to observe clear traits and supply solely iterative modifications, on the mid-range, issues are typically a bit of completely different. Yr in and yr out, shapes, colors and supplies can change on the drop of a hat; final yr’s mannequin could be completely completely different to what’s launched this yr.

Thus, it comes as little shock that the Poco X7 Professional is kind of completely different from its predecessor, and exceedingly not like its cheaper sibling, the X7. 

To begin, although the rear is plastic, it’s of the sort entrepreneurs name ‘vegan leather-based’ (learn ‘textured plastic’). No matter nomenclature, it’s a internet constructive, because it offers the gadget a pleasing really feel within the hand, and extra importantly, oodles of grip.

The place on one finish of the spectrum there are glass-backed smartphones which dive from any obtainable floor at a second’s discover, the X7 Professional exists as a karmic reverse.

On my overview unit, the feel was divided right into a yellow part and a black part, every with completely different textures, giving it the looks of a rangefinder digital camera. You may also purchase it in inexperienced or black.

At 195g it was heavier than anticipated after I first picked it up, however because the gadget is balanced effectively, one-handed utilization didn’t show to be an excessive amount of of an issue – removed from a given with an enormous telephone like this.

Basic usability is aided in no small half by the 8.29mm thickness and the truth that, not like its cheaper sibling, the Poco X7, its sides are flat.

Although this isn’t a telephone you’ll confuse for one thing twice the worth, it’s sensible and usable in a manner that many should not. It’s a kind of uncommon choices you could possibly even theoretically use with no case (perish the thought), given the comparatively non-fussy supplies used.

To cap off the durability, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 is used on the entrance of the X7 Professional, that means it ought to theoretically take a tumble higher than different choices, and it comes with IP68 mud and water resistance, removed from a given with Xiaomi.

Display & Audio system

• 6.67-inch
• 1.5K AMOLED show
• 120Hz refresh price

As could be anticipated from a tool with Xiaomi branding, the Poco X7 Professional is just not wanting advertising and marketing jargon proclaiming the prevalence of its display screen above all others. Ignoring all of that, nonetheless, it’s a pleasure to say that by itself deserves, the show on the X7 Professional is somewhat good.

With a decision of 1.5K, only a tad greater than the omnipresent 1080p, just about any sort of content material was crisp and simply legible. There’s a number of modes promising to ‘upscale’ content material, however they supply little to no profit in my expertise, so can simply be ignored.

Because the display screen is AMOLED, it has deep inky blacks, nice distinction and I discovered that color copy is a powerful swimsuit, neither too washed out nor too saturated. There’s HDR10 help, that means that supported content material appears nice.

Sean Cameron / Foundry

Refreshing at 120Hz, the display screen isn’t the quickest in the marketplace, however the distinction between these and 144Hz choices is negligible. Most video games don’t help something greater than 60Hz, that means that, for essentially the most half, solely the interface will transfer at this velocity. Regardless, the telephone feels quick as could be anticipated.

With a typical brightness of as much as 700 nits in handbook mode, and as much as 100 nits in excessive brightness mode (triggered by brilliant lights), there was no lighting situation I discovered that the X7 Professional didn’t get brilliant sufficient for.

That brightness was one thing of a double-edged sword, nonetheless, because the lowest brightness setting nonetheless was too brilliant for studying in mattress and different low gentle conditions, which can trouble some.

Lastly, and fortunately, the X7 Professional comes with stereo audio system, which aren’t essentially the most detailed on the planet however get loud sufficient to make watching video round the home a enjoyable expertise.

Specs & Efficiency

• Mediatek Dimensity 8400 Extremely processor
• 8GB of RAM at least
• 256GB storage minimal

‘Professional’ as a moniker is overused nearly to the purpose of meaninglessness in smartphones – who’re these professionals? What makes a telephone ‘Professional’? For essentially the most half, and with the X7 Professional, energy is the differentiator.

The place the Poco X7 makes do with a much less succesful processor, the X7 Professional utilises a Mediatek Dimensity 8400 Extremely chip, fabbed on a 4nm node and with an octa-core design. That’s backed up by 8GB of RAM by default and 256GB of storage, nonetheless, you too can get a 12GB/512GB, which you’ll have to resolve upon buy as there’s no expandable storage.

In on a regular basis use, the X7 Professional usually flies, from heavy video games to productiveness duties, there was nothing I may throw at it which might see it fazed even barely. That’s largely par for the course for mid-range smartphones these days; the instances of chugging and struggling have lengthy since handed.

Although it doesn’t fairly have as a lot energy as a flagship (you’ll have to drop graphics settings to get the very best body charges in some video games), it’s nonetheless a tool that can have sufficient energy for almost all your wants. 

I used to be in a position to play PUBG on the highest settings with no hitch, and Genshin Impression equally carried out effectively even at greater settings. If you realize you want completely essentially the most efficiency potential from a smartphone, look elsewhere however that is glorious bang on your buck.

An upside is thermal efficiency, even in case you push this telephone exhausting for a very long time it’s tough to get it scorching below the collar, which speaks effectively of the skills of the cooling tech in-built.

Poco X7 Professional benchmarks

Cameras

• 50Mp Most important
• 8Mp Ultrawide
• 20Mp Selfie

It’s a well known adage that typically extra is much less, and compared to its sibling, the X7, the Poco X7 Professional is ample proof that it stays true.

The place the X7 has a 3rd digital camera like a superfluous vestigial nipple, the X7 Professional has two sensors, sensibly specializing in absolutely the high quality of 1 digital camera somewhat than making an attempt to overcompensate.

That major sensor is identical as on the X7, a 50Mp Sony IMX882, however it has the benefit of the ISP constructed into the extra highly effective processor of the X7 Professional, briefly, that means nicer images. It has an aperture of f/1.5 and is accompanied by an 8Mp ultrawide and an aperture of f/2.2, whereas the front-facing sensor is 20Mp.

This all makes for a reasonably normal setup, however fortunately, efficiency was past what I had initially anticipated. 

Sean Cameron / Foundry

To start, pictures from the principle sensor have loads of element with out as a lot of the oversharpening which might accompany pictures from funds smartphones. It doesn’t match the heights of the likes of the iPhone 16 Professional, nonetheless, for the worth bracke,t it’s a stable exhibiting.

For essentially the most half, color is well-represented too, with a pleasant diploma of saturation with out going overboard, that’s, except you activate the ‘AI Digital camera’ mode. A quad-bayer sensor, pictures are captured at 12.5Mp by default by way of pixel binning.

Dynamic vary is equally good, with the auto-HDR working to steadiness out the publicity in tough scenes, with out flattening out distinction an excessive amount of. In low-light, the constructive image continues, with the Night time Mode doing a very good job of balancing saturation, brightness and element in darker situations.

As could be anticipated, the ultrawide, being a smaller sensor, doesn’t fare fairly as effectively. Photos produced have cheap color and dynamic vary, however poor element and as such are finest used solely in a pinch, with low-light conditions prevented fully.

A nice shock was the selfie sensor, which has no advertising and marketing connected to it, however which produces pictures which have nice ranges of element with out going overboard, pure color rendition and vast dynamic vary.

It’s unlucky that video recording on the selfie digital camera is capped at 1080p/30fps, a specification from ten years in the past.

Footage from the principle sensor, alternatively, could be taken at as much as 4K/60fps, with the ensuing video popping out as detailed, with good saturation and good dynamic vary and comparatively minimal noise.

The X7 Professional doesn’t got down to be a camera-first smartphone, and it isn’t. What it’s, nonetheless, is a tool that which you’ll belief in most conditions for capturing recollections and may simply report a vacation.

Battery Life & Charging

• 6000mAh battery
• 90W quick charging

Battery sizes in smartphones are inclined to observe traits. There was the primary gadget to hit 3000mAh, then all of them had that, then 4000mAh, then 5000mAh and now we now have hit 6000mAh. The X7 Professional comes sporting such a monstrous cell, promising battery life the likes of which mortals have nary seen.

Throughout my testing, it was unlucky that I didn’t expertise something life-changing, the runtimes of the X7 Professional have been merely excellent. In our PCMark battery benchmark it lasted a formidable 15 hours and 23 minutes.

In the actual life, waking at 7am and going via a full day of working, messaging, watching video and the like, by 11pm I had 30% or so within the tank, which is superb given how exhausting it was pushed.

In case you’re a medium to gentle person, you’ll be very happy with the sort of battery life you may obtain. Backing up the massive cell is a pleasantly quick recharge velocity, of as much as 90W with the provided charger. 

From zero, and utilizing the ‘Enhance’ cost perform when prompted, the battery hit 94% inside 27 minutes, which is kind of spectacular and undoubtedly sufficient to make a distinction when the scenario requires it.

Software program & Apps

• Android 15
• Runs Xiaomi HyperOS

Like each telephone of Xiaomi heritage, the X7 Professional comes operating a selected ‘flavour’ of Android, on this case titled ‘HyperOS’, and like many such choices, it’s a seize bag of some good concepts, and plenty of unhealthy ones.

What’s instantly obvious is that iOS was a big supply of ‘inspiration’, with many parts of Apple’s software program being copied outright. An instance is the notification shade, a swipe down from the highest proper will as a substitute convey up a ‘Management Centre’ whereas from the left will summon the precise shade, very complicated.

Sean Cameron / Foundry

A variety of proprietary and system apps are baked in and sit alongside equal choices from Google. There are two app shops two browsers and this continues on and on.

Lots of the Xiaomi apps are poor imitations and show advertisements by default. In reality, you’ll discover quite a lot of advert notifications all through the telephone, clearly a sacrifice to maintain prices down, however one which has disagreeable penalties.

What it leaves you with is a tool that’s simple sufficient to navigate in your day-to-day, however which throws up duplicates of apps and advertisements, offering problems to the person expertise which simply shouldn’t exist. The place the likes of Nothing have pared all the things again however nonetheless saved a touch of character, Xiaomi has added the kitchen sink, doorways, pipes and stopcock. 

Given how good the {hardware} is, and the way usually performant the gadget proves to be, it’s an unlucky stumbling block to come across.

Value & Availability

The Poco X7 Professional is accessible now with costs starting at £309 for the bottom 8/256GB configuration, whereas the max 12/512GB possibility prices £349, which is lot additional for simply £40 so do it in case you can.

You should buy it from the official Mi Retailer in addition to retailers comparable to Amazon UK.

The telephone isn’t formally obtainable within the US however you should buy unlocked fashions for round $400 on Amazon.

For a similar worth, you could possibly get a Motorola Moto Edge 50 Neo, which has a superior digital camera system, software program and a pocketable dimension. Or there’s the Nothing Cellphone (3a) which affords improved software program and a particular design for nearly the identical worth.

When you have a bit of extra to spend, you would possibly think about the Samsung Galaxy A56 or considered one of our different finest mid-range telephones.

Must you purchase the Poco X7 Professional?

The Poco X7 Professional, is a smartphone that will get an terrible lot proper.

The fundamentals are all current and proper, it has a very good show, nice cameras, greater than sufficient energy, stereo audio system and nice battery life. It may well cost in a short time, and it takes good selfies too,

The massive caveat is the software program. Of the choices in the marketplace right now, HyperOS is among the most polarising and for good cause. It’s bloated, overstuffed and desperately wants a sense-check utilized.

For lots of people, that gained’t matter as a lot. If you’re coming from an older telephone, you’ll respect the ability and value, nonetheless, in case you’re a power-user, the software program will do its finest to drive you away.

As such, if you’re in search of an all-rounder and don’t care an excessive amount of about tinkering together with your telephone, the X7 Professional will serve you effectively. In case you like to customize your telephone, and to make it your individual, it’ll do nothing however frustrate.

Specs

• Android 15
• 6.67-inch, 1220 x 2712, OLED, 120Hz
• Below-display fingerprint sensor
• MediaTek Dimensity 8400 Extremely
• 8/12GB RAM
• 256GB / 512GB storage
• Cameras:
  • 50Mp major digital camera
  • 8Mp ultrawide
  • 20Mp selfie digital camera
  • As much as 4K @ 60fps rear video
• Stereo audio system
• Twin-SIM 
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be
• Bluetooth 5.4
• 6000mAh battery
• 90W charging
• 160 x 75 x 8.29 mm
• IP68 licensed
• 195g
• Colors: Black, Inexperienced, Yellow