There are more and more mid-range phones that are already beginning to offer next-generation connectivity to access the internet through 5G networks. Just a week ago, Xiaomi’s POCO line of devices presented a new mid-range smartphone that joins this new 5G party, the POCO M4 Pro 5G.
A phone that for $283 more or less offers 5G connectivity thanks to the Dimensity 810 chip, 4GB of RAM, a powerful battery, NFC, stereo speakers, and a 6.6-inch FullHD + screen.
POCO M4 Pro 5G in analysis, a mid-range with 5G and NFC but without notification LEDs
One of the most curious details of the POCO M4 Pro 5G is that the manufacturer has decided to dispense with the classic LED that alerts you when you have a pending notification. Not that this makes it a worse mobile, but if you are used to using this function without a doubt it is the first thing you will miss.
Design and display
In any case, at the design level, the truth is that it is a very attractive phone. It has an almost frameless screen that occupies almost the entire front and a rear area that stands out for the large camera module that it incorporates in the upper part of the case.
The screen has a 6.6 ”FullHD + resolution that provides great image quality, although its brightness level is not very high, which can make viewing difficult in certain outdoor lighting environments. What is really positive is the sound section, with stereo speakers that stand out above the average in these price ranges.
For the rest, the M4 Pro 5G has dimensions of 75.8 x 163.6 x 8.7mm, a fairly standard weight of 195 grams, and is available in black, yellow, or blue.
Power and performance
Internally we find the aforementioned Dimensity 810 octa-core chip running at 2.4GHz, with 4GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 64GB of internal storage expandable via SD. At the system level, we find the Xiaomi MIUI for the POCO customization layer which is based on Android 11 Red Velvet Cake.
With these components, you achieve a very interesting level of performance, capable of running apps, watching videos, and playing games with a more than acceptable graphic load. To give you an idea of its power, it has a result of 355,000 points in the Antutu benchmarking tool.
In addition to this, the POCO M4 Pro also incorporates FM radio function, NFC connectivity, and Widevine level 1 to be able to play HD content from streaming platforms such as Netflix and the like.
Camera and battery
One of lime and another of sand. Everyone more or less agrees that the M4 Pro’s camera is not one of the best in its range. It features a dual rear camera with a 50MP main lens with f / 1.8 aperture and a 0.64 µm pixel size. The selfie camera offers a resolution of 16MP, aperture f / 2.45, and a pixel size of 1.00 µm. They are not bad, but it is the usual problem: in low-light environments, the results are almost always better.
At the battery level, however, the POCO team has done a great job, assembling a powerful 5,000mAh battery with a 33W fast charge to pull without having to worry about the autonomy of the phone.
Price and availability
The POCO M4 Pro 5G was presented at the beginning of November, and it can already be obtained for about $283 on sites like AliExpress.
In short, you have a mid-range smartphone with some premium features such as the 5G connection and the possibility of making payments via NFC, but some shortcomings such as brightness or the camera, something that for some may be inexcusable. In any case, if it meets your needs, it can be a good purchase, since it has power and good performance, as well as excellent autonomy.
