Mid-range Poco X3 packs only the necessities, including NFC

Xiaomi's sub-brand, Poco, is here with their signature mid-range device for 2020 - the Poco X3 . Poco said that the phone's design focuses only on what phone users generally need, without going overboard or under-delivering on the crucial bits of what makes a daily-driver phone.

For example, Near Field Communication (NFC) is an uncommon feature at mid-range or lower tiers of smartphones despite the prevalence of cashless payments methods that uses them in Asia.

The Poco X3 doesn't leave out this important feature, joining peers like Google Pixel 4a , Oppo Reno4 Pro , and Vivo X50 Pro .

As a spec-focused mid-range device, Poco decided to give the X3 a Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G processor, putting it somewhere between the Vivo V19 and Vivo X50 Pro in terms of processor performance.

It runs on Android 10, but it comes with Xiaomi's MIUI 12 for Poco devices. It comes in two storage configurations - 6GB RAM + 64GB storage and 6GB + 128GB storage (LPDDR4X RAM, UFS 2.1 storage).

The display is a 6.67-inch Full HD+ (2,400 x 1,080 pixels resolution) LCF DotDisplay with 240Hz touch sampling rate and 120Hz refresh rate . It covers 84per cent of the NTSC colour gamut and 87.4 per cent of the DCI-P3 colourscape.

The display also supports HDR10, and is TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light Certified. The display also supports adaptive refresh rate (called DynamicSwitch) where the phones adjusts its max refresh rate depending on the content or app.

Games get higher refresh rates, while text-based apps have significantly lower refresh rate to save power.

The Poco X3 also tries to pack plenty into its camera prowess. It has a quad-camera setup on its rear , led by a 64MP main camera that has a Sony IMX682 sensor. The other three are a 13MP ultra-wide-angle shooter with 119-degrees field of view (FOV), 2MP macro sensor with 4cm shooting distance, and a 2MP depth sensor for bokeh shots.

The front camera is a 20MP shooter with 4-in-1 Super Pixel, a pixel binning technique that combines adjacent pixels for better image clarity.

Other key features are its IP53-rated splash resistance, side-mounted fingerprint sensor, IR blaster, support for 33W fast-charging on its massive 5,160mAh battery, dual-stereo speakers, hybrid dual-SIM (up to 4G networks, second slot can be MicroSD card), Bluetooth 5.1 and Wi-Fi 5 support, and a 3.5mm audio port.

Truly, it seems like Poco packed all the necessary bits into one device.

The Poco X3 retails globally at €229 (~S$369.99) (6GB RAM + 64GB storage) and at €269 (~S$434.62) (6GB RAM + 128GB storage), with global pre-order and sales beginning on 8 September 2020.

In Singapore, the Poco X3 will be officially available at the following prices:

• 6GB RAM + 64GB storage: $329
• 6GB RAM + 128GB storage: $399

The 64GB storage variant will be exclusively available on Shopee between Sept 9 to 12 at an early bird pricing of $299 alongside a free BlackShark Fun Cooler phone accessory. The 128GB storage variant's early bird pricing is at S$329, and it also comes with a free Poco mousepad and a free BlackShark Fun Cooler.

This article was first published in Hardware Zone.