Poco launches M5 and M5s for gamers and show-watchers

Poco, sub-brand of Xiaomi, launched two entry-level handsets to whet the appetites of those who don’t see a point in any of Apple’s new iPhones. 

The Poco M5 and the Poco M5s balance their display quality, performance prowess, camera quality, and fat batteries around a palatable price point. Both are dual-SIM, 4G network phones with multiple cameras. They offer different components despite sitting in the same price range, with nearly identical features.

Poco M5 uses a 6.58-inch DotDrop display (LCD) rated at FHD+ resolution (2,408 x 1,080 pixels) while packing a MediaTek Helio G99 chipset within. It offers 90Hz refresh rate and 240Hz touch sampling rate, making it look and feel fluid. It packs a 5,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging to keep it speedy.

The “AI triple camera” on the Poco M5’s rear consists of a 50MP main (f/1.8 aperture with PDAF), a 2MP macro camera, and 2MP depth camera.

On the other hand, you have the Poco M5s with a 6.43-inch DotDisplay (AMOLED) rated at FHD+ resolution as well (2,400 x 1,080 pixels). Inside this variant is a MediaTek Helio 95 chipset, and it also has a 5,000mAh battery with faster 33W charging. But, it doesn’t have the heightened refresh rate and touch sampling rate as seen on M5.

In return, you get quad rear cameras. It consists of a 64MP main (f/1.8 aperture, PDAF), an 8MP ultra-wide (f/2.2), a 2MP macro, and 2MP depth camera.

Both offer NFC support, a side fingerprint sensor, IR blaster, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Poco M5s gets more fringe features, like expandable 1TB storage via MicroSD card, IP53-rated resistance, and face unlocking.

Pricing and availability

The Poco M5 is available on Lazada and Shopee in the following configurations and prices:

• Poco M5 (4GB RAM, 64GB storage): $209 (early bird price $189) at Lazada and Shopee
• Poco M5 (6GB RAM, 128GB storage): $279 (early bird price $229) at Lazada and Shopee

The Poco M5s is also available on the same platforms in the following configurations and prices:

• Poco M5s (4GB RAM, 64GB storage): $239 (early bird price $209) at Lazada and Shopee
• Poco M5s (6GB RAM, 128GB storage): $299 (early bird price $269) at Lazada and Shopee

This article was first published in HardwareZone.