POCO X3 Pro and POCO F3 5G Release
POCO caught is slightly off-guard with the recent launch of the POCO X3 Pro and POCO F3 5G. The POCO X3 Pro starts at RM 999 while the POCO F3 5G’s price starts at RM 1,399.
The POCO X3 flash sales will be happening on 24th March 2021 via Shopee while the POCO F3 5G flash sales will take place on 27th March 2021 on Lazada.
Here’s a quick recap of both devices as published by POCO:
POCO X3 Pro vs POCO X3
The POCO X3 Pro offers some key enhancements to its overall processor but it does come at the expense of other components.
| POCO X3 | POCO X3 Pro | |
| Processor | Snapdragon 732G, Adreno 618 | Snapdragon 860, Adreno 640 |
| Memory | UFS 2.1 | UFS 3.1 |
| Camera | 64 MP (wide) 13 MP (ultrawide) 2 MP (depth) 2 MP (macro) | 48 MP (wide) 8 MP (ultrawide) 2 MP (depth) 2 MP (macro) |
| Display Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 |
| Colours | Cobalt Blue, Shadow Gray | Phantom Black, Frost Blue, Metal Bronze |
| Battery | 6,000mAh | 5,160mAh |
| Price | RM 999 – RM 1,299 | RM 899 – RM 1,099 |
The overall gaming performance is significantly improved with the upgrade of processor to the snapdragon 860 and memory upgrade to UFS 3.1.
Unfortunately, we also see a slight downgrade in the camera set and battery capacity. In our opinion, these downgrades are necessary in order to maintain competitive pricing.
Also important to note is that the improvement in the processor does in fact make up for many of these downgrades.
With the new snapdragon 860, POCO is able to introduce more AI photo and video enhancements as well as better overall battery efficiency.
All in all, we think that the changes are ideal in order for POCO to maintain its position as a gamer-centric device. It also helps set itself apart from its ‘close relative’, the Redmi Note 10 Pro.
POCO X3 Pro vs POCO F3 5G
For even more performance, users can opt for the POCO F3 5G which is powered by a snapdragon 870 processor (currently ranked top 5 processor).
The POCO F3 also comes with a significantly better AMOLED display which improves touch sampling rate to 360Hz. The AMOLED display also allows for more vibrant colours compared to the LCD display found on the X3 Pro.
It is important to note that the F3 comes with a triple camera set instead of a quad camera setup. It also has an even smaller battery capacity of 4,520 mAh compared to the 5,160 mAh battery found on the X3 Pro.
On the brighter side of things, these changes does translate to an overall lighter and more portable device (196g)
Final Thoughts
If you are an avid gamer, we’re certain that you’ll find these changes and upgrades favourable. We do agree with the direction POCO has taken with the POCO X3 Pro and F3 5G to strengthen its position as a gaming smartphone.
If you are looking for a more all-rounded phone that features a decent camera set and processor, we definitely recommend checking out the Redmi Note 10 Pro instead.
In case you’ve missed out, you can watch the official global launch here:
