Poco is improving their fairly popular X series of phones with the X8 Pro and X8 Pro Max. These two phones are designed for speed, long battery life, and quick charging, and combine the newer Dimensity processors with those large Si/C batteries. Gamers and demanding users who don’t want to sacrifice speed for a long battery life are who these are for.
Design, screens, and how tough they are
The X8 Pro Max is the biggest X series phone yet, with a 6.83 inch OLED screen. This screen updates 120 times per second, works with HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, and shows colors in 12-bit. It gets up to 2,000 nits bright in High Brightness Mode and can reach 3,500 nits at 25% of the screen being lit. The X8 Pro has a slightly smaller 6.59 inch OLED screen, but has the 120Hz refresh rate, 12-bit color, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision as well as the same peak and high brightness numbers. Both screens use 3,840Hz PWM dimming to reduce flicker and are covered with Gorilla Glass 7i for protection.
Poco also makes the ways you use security features different. The X8 Pro Max has a more advanced ultrasonic fingerprint reader, while the X8 Pro continues to use an optical fingerprint reader built into the screen. Both phones have a metal frame and a rating of IP69K (meaning they are very protected against dust and water) in most places, though some areas will say IP68 instead. The Max has a fiberglass back, is 8.2mm thick, and weighs 218g. The Pro is 8.38mm thick, weighs 201g, and both have a Dynamic RGB light on the back that can light up in eight different colors to show when it’s charging, for alerts, to show the camera is doing something, or to pulse with the music.
Dimensity power and great cooling
For the first time in this series, the X8 Pro Max has a top-of-the-line processor, the Dimensity t9500s. It’s made with a 3nm process and has a CPU with 1 core, 3 cores, and 4 cores, and an Immortalis-G925 GPU. Poco says it can run demanding mobile games at up to 120 frames per second, and its Super Resolution technology helps with that. The X8 Pro is meant to have a good balance of performance with the Dimensity 8500-Ultra. This 4nm processor uses eight Cortex-A725-class cores and a Mali-G720 GPU, and is designed to keep a steady number of frames per second while using less power. Both phones can have up to 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to 512GB of UFS 4.1 storage.
Cooling has been given a lot of attention. The Pro Max has the Poco 3D IceLoop system with a 5,800mm² vapor chamber to help the processor stay at a consistent speed. The X8 Pro uses a 5,300mm² 3D Dual-Layer IceLoop system to keep up performance during long gaming or video recording.
Si/C batteries, 100W charging, and charging other things
Battery life is a key feature. The Poco X8 Pro Max has an 8,500mAh Si/C battery – the biggest battery Poco has ever put in a phone. Silicon-carbon technology makes the battery hold more energy and last longer than batteries that use graphite. Poco includes 100W HyperCharge and PPS support for very fast charging that follows industry standards. If you have the correct charger, the X8 Pro Max can get to 50% battery in approximately 24 minutes. It can also use 27W reverse wireless charging to charge things like earbuds or another phone. Importantly, both the X8 Pro and the X8 Pro Max have a “bypass” charging system, which minimizes overheating when you are playing a game and the phone is plugged in.
The X8 Pro has a 6,500mAh Silicon Carbide/Carbon battery (which is still bigger than the batteries in many top-end phones). It uses the same 100W fast charging and 27W reverse wireless charging as the Max. Poco says it will go from 0 to 100% in about 48 minutes, a very good time for a battery of this size.
Cameras, audio, and connectivity
The cameras on the two phones are a little different, but they work in the same way. The X8 Pro Max uses a Light Fusion 600 main sensor, and the X8 Pro uses a Sony IMX882. Both have a 1/1.95 inch sensor with 0.8um pixels, optical image stabilization (to help with blurry photos), and good f/1.5 lenses for better photos in low light.
Alongside the main cameras is an 8MP ultra-wide lens, and a 20MP camera on the front takes selfies and is used for video calls. You can record video in up to 4K. Although they aren’t specifically designed as camera phones, the specifications indicate that they will perform well and have good stabilization for typical, daily photos and videos.
The sound quality has been improved with two speakers that are placed identically on both sides, Hi-Res Audio certification, and Dolby Atmos. For connections, there’s Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 6.0, NFC, and Xiaomi Offline Communication (for transferring data directly between devices). All of this is designed to work well for both everyday use and gaming.
Pricing, availability, and software support
In India, the Poco X8 Pro costs Rs 30,999 for 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, or Rs 32,999 for 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Special offers at launch with some credit cards or if you trade in an old phone can reduce the price by Rs 3,000, bringing the lowest price to Rs 27,999. Sales start on March 23rd at midday on Flipkart, and there will be extra benefits for the first people to buy it.
The Poco X8 Pro Max 5G has a price of Rs 45,999 for 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and Rs 49,999 for 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. Offers mean the launch price will be from Rs 12,999. Globally, there are early bird discounts for a limited time, similar to last year, and this made the X series a good value for your money.
Poco promises to support the phones for a long time: up to four major Android operating system updates and six years of security updates. This is important for people who plan to use their phones for several years, and it’s good considering the large batteries and strong construction of the phones.
Special Iron Man Edition
There is a special version of the Poco X8 Pro, themed around Iron Man, with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. It’s black with gold details and customized software visuals. The box includes a matching phone case, a SIM card removal tool with the Marvel logo, and a red USB-A to USB-C cable. In India it’s Rs 1,999 with offers reducing it to Rs 48,999.
Early verdict: value through power and endurance
The X8 Pro Max has performance you’d expect from a top-end phone, both X8 Pro models have large Silicon Carbide/Carbon batteries, and they both charge at 100W. This means the Poco X8 series is focused on being fast and lasting a long time. They also have bright, accurate OLED screens, effective cooling systems, and are protected from the elements (IP-rated), so both X8 Pro models are very good mid-range options for people who play games or generally use their phones a lot.
