Last year there was a terminal that we especially liked for users in Spain, the LITTLE X3. The main reason for selecting it among the most interesting in our country was its great value for money.
Poco X3 NFC, analysis: this is the new king of the mid-rangeWe have thoroughly analyzed the new Pocophone Poco X3 NFC, one of the best quality-price mobile phones on the market in Spain.
However, there is a certain market below 200 euros mobile phones, as Lidl has recently shown with its smart mobile proposal for 69.90 euros.
If we are looking for something more powerful than that device but with a very reasonable price, we have the LITTLE M3, a proposal that offers an entry-level experience, at an entry-level price but with some extras.
Buy POCO M3
POCO M3 Features
- Screen:
- Diagonal: 6.53 inches.
- FullHD + resolution (2340 x 1080 pixels).
- Aspect ratio: 19.5: 9.
- Technology: LCD.
- Brightness: 400 nits.
- Contrast: 1500: 1.
- Widevine L1 certification for Netflix in HD.
- Performance:
- Snapdragon 662 processor.
- 4GB of LDDR4X memory.
- Two storage versions:
- 64 GB of UFS 2.1 storage.
- 128GB of UFS 2.2 storage.
- Cameras:
- 48 megapixel main sensor.
- 2 megapixel macro camera.
- 2 megapixel depth camera.
- 8 megapixel front camera.
- Battery:
- Capacity: 6,000 mAh.
- Support fast charging up to 18 W.
- 22.5W USB C charger included.
- Sound:
- Stereo speakers.
- Certified for Hi-Red Audio.
- Headphone jack with support for FM radio.
- Dimensions:162.3 x 77.3 x 9.6 mm.
- Weight:198 grams.
- Others:Infrared port, micro SD expansion …
- System:
- Android version: 10.
- Personalization layer: MIUI 12.
A unique design and inexpensive materials
Design has become one of the key elements when choosing mobile for many people. The problem is that it is something that manufacturers notice when a certain spending threshold is crossed, but not before.
Still, the POCO M3 is quite a different terminal from the rest of its rivals, even different from its older brothers.
The front part is very conventional, betting on a notch in the shape of a drop of water, but in the rear there are different things.
The camera module occupies the entire width of the mobile, with a satin tone that contrasts with the imitation leather finish of the mobile. That imitation is merely visual since to the touch you can quickly tell that it is plastic.
Even so, taking into account the category of this mobile, it seems to us a good way to differentiate it from other alternatives.
And better way is the inclusion of two speakers, something that we rarely see in mid-range mobiles and that in the low range almost does not exist.
Better performance than we expected, with a but
Unlike on other occasions, we have not been able to analyze the POCO M3 within a few days of its presentation, and that has led to a preconceived idea about its performance.
I had seen and read that this terminal was slow to an almost insufferable point. Yes, you really notice the lack of fluidity in some actions, especially in those related to multitasking, and that is that the 4 GB of RAM falls a bit short with MIUI 12. We have no complaints about the Snapdragon 662.
But, saving the possibility of using several applications almost simultaneously, I must admit that I have used this device daily without any further problems. The reality is that having jumped from a Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra the difference is more than remarkable, but as I say in the video, this mobile costs 10 times less.
The RAM is superior to that of other models of this price and the internal memory the same, with two options available. We prefer the 128 Gb one, and the price difference makes up for it. However, it is not crazy to access the 64 GB model at 99 euros as we have seen in some sales.
With regard to connectivity, we can boast of having a headphone jack, its own slot for the micro SD card that does not cancel one of the 2 trays for SIM cards, infrared sensor … yes, no NFC or 5G.
A resolution not usually seen in the input range
In the analysis of the Samsung Galaxy A42 5G, one of the cheapest models with this connectivity, we paid attention to the fact that its screen had HD resolution, something striking considering the range it was in.
This time we have to say the same, although in the opposite direction. This POCO M3 has a 6.53 ″ screen with IPS technology, but with Full HD resolution, something that is not at all normal below 200 euros, although it is not the only one.
Of course, the maximum brightness is not especially high although taking into account what it is worth we can highlight the screen as one of the best aspects of this device.
The triple camera of the POCO M3 is, in practice, a single camera
In the photographic section we have that we are not going to stop much since, although this phone uses a triple sensor on the back, the reality is that only one of them deserves time in this analysis.
The other two 2 Mpx, a depth sensor and a macro, we still think that it would have been better to remove them to achieve a wide angle.
The camera is what we can expect from a cheap terminal and, starting from that base, we can say that we get quite passable photographs in good light. The same goes for selfies.
What we have really missed is a better electronic stabilization in the video, something that, to be honest, we don’t have in many mobiles that cost twice as much as this.
By battery it will not be …
A section in which the POCO M3 clearly stands out is in autonomy, thanks to its battery of 6000 mAh, which we can charge at a speed of up to 18 watts.
The first battery test It has been quite intense. We have taken photos outdoors, we have used the mobile as a music player in the car for almost an hour, we have played a lot … The result has been about 8 hours of screen with more than 24 hours of total autonomy.
The second battery test it has been less intense, having played somewhat less but with greater total autonomy. We have exceeded 8 hours of screen with more than 34 hours of total autonomy.
In the third battery test We have been walking around using the mobile as a player, we have spent more time in 4G coverage instead of Wi-Fi but the use has been normal. We have arrived at 7 hours of screen with more than 33 hours of total autonomy.
MIUI 12 needs more RAM
MIUI 12 has already gone through our analysis table on multiple occasions, and there is no news here, except because the PocoPhone launcher is used, which we have also talked about.
We have Discover, a multitude of customization features, dark mode and all the news in Android 10.
The only problem in this section is the RAM. 4 GB seems more than enough for a mobile of this price, but it shows that it is not enough for MIUI 12 to go as fast as we would like with the Snapdragon 662 that uses the M3.
In the week we have been using this mobile MIUI version has been updated twice, something that we liked because it shows that PocoPhone is pending to improve the performance of this model.
The POCO M3 is a simple and cheap terminal, without more
The conclusion of this analysis will be somewhat different from what we did on other occasions. We know that Pocophone should polish some aspects of this terminal, but we can still recommend it.
This model is perfect for those who want to pay very little and still have enough storage, a lot of battery and a terminal that, without being expensive, draws attention.
Of course, the fact that the fluidity is not greater means that we cannot recommend it almost blindly as we do with its older brother, the POCO X3.
Buy POCO M3
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The entry PocoPhone POCO M3: analysis and opinion appears first in The Free Android.
