Poco X6 Review: Best Gaming Phone on a Budget

Gaming on a budget has never been easier, and Poco is making waves with its latest release, the Poco X6. Designed for gamers who don’t want to compromise on performance or features, this phone promises a smooth gaming experience without emptying your wallet. From a vibrant display to a powerful processor, the Poco X6 packs the essentials that matter most for mobile gaming.

In this review, we’ll take a close look at what makes the Poco X6 stand out. We’ll explore its design, performance, battery life, camera capabilities, and gaming-specific features. By the end, you’ll know whether this phone truly delivers high-end gaming performance at a budget-friendly price.

Design and Build Quality

The Poco X6 presents a design that balances aesthetics and practicality, making it an appealing choice for budget-conscious gamers. With dimensions of 161.15 x 74.24 x 7.98 mm and weighing 181 grams, it offers a comfortable grip suitable for extended gaming sessions.

Constructed with a matte plastic frame, the Poco X6 provides a smooth and ergonomic feel. Its flat sides and rounded corners ensure it sits comfortably in the hand. The rear panel features a glossy finish, adding a touch of sophistication, though it may attract fingerprints. The device is available in three colors: Black, White, and Blue, allowing users to choose according to their style preferences.

Despite its plastic build, the Poco X6 maintains a solid construction. However, it lacks advanced water resistance, offering only an IP54 rating, which means it’s splash-resistant but not fully waterproof. Users should avoid exposing it to rain or submerging it in water.

The device is equipped with a 6.67-inch AMOLED display that boasts a 120Hz refresh rate, delivering smooth visuals and vibrant colors. Protected by Corning Gorilla Glass, the screen is resilient against scratches and minor impacts.

In terms of connectivity, the Poco X6 includes a 3.5mm headphone jack, a USB Type-C port, and supports NFC, providing flexibility for various accessories and services.

Overall, the Poco X6’s design and build quality reflect its commitment to providing a premium feel at an accessible price point, making it a strong contender in the budget gaming smartphone market.

Display: A Visual Delight for Gamers

The Poco X6 features a 6.67-inch AMOLED display that offers a vibrant and immersive viewing experience. With a resolution of 2712 x 1220 pixels (1.5K), it delivers sharp visuals and crisp details, making it ideal for gaming, streaming, and everyday use.

One of the standout features of this display is its 120Hz refresh rate, ensuring smooth animations and fluid gameplay. Whether you’re navigating through menus or engaging in fast-paced gaming sessions, the high refresh rate contributes to a responsive and enjoyable experience.

The screen also boasts a peak brightness of 1800 nits, with a high brightness mode (HBM) reaching up to 1200 nits. This impressive brightness ensures excellent visibility even under direct sunlight, enhancing outdoor usability.

Additionally, the Poco X6’s display supports Dolby Vision, providing enhanced contrast and color accuracy for compatible content. This feature elevates the viewing experience, making movies and games more engaging.

With a 240Hz touch sampling rate and 446 PPI, the display offers responsive touch inputs and vibrant visuals, catering to gamers and multimedia enthusiasts alike.

Performance and Gaming Experience

The Poco X6 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chipset, coupled with up to 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. This combination ensures smooth multitasking and efficient performance for everyday tasks. In benchmark tests, the Poco X6 achieved an AnTuTu score of approximately 603,400, placing it ahead of 77% of smartphones in its category.

In Geekbench 6 testing, the device scored 977 in single-core and 2,891 in multi-core benchmarks, indicating solid CPU performance for its class.

When it comes to gaming, the Poco X6 delivers a commendable experience for its price point. It handles popular titles like Call of Duty Mobile and PUBG Mobile at high settings with minimal frame drops. The 120Hz AMOLED display enhances the gaming experience, providing smooth visuals and responsive touch inputs.

While it may not match flagship devices in raw performance, the Poco X6 offers a balanced mix of power and efficiency, making it a strong contender in the budget gaming smartphone market.

Camera Performance

The Poco X6 is equipped with a triple rear camera setup: a 64MP main sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide lens, and a 2MP macro camera. This configuration offers versatility for various photography needs. The 64MP main camera utilizes a 6P lens with a large f/1.79 aperture and 1.4μm large pixels (4-in-1), providing detailed and vibrant images in well-lit conditions.

The ultra-wide camera boasts a 118° field of view, allowing users to capture expansive landscapes and group shots. The macro lens, while capable of capturing close-up details, has a limited 2MP resolution, which may not deliver the sharpest images.

In terms of video recording, the Poco X6 supports 4K video at 30fps, offering high-resolution footage for users interested in videography.

However, the camera system does have its limitations. Low-light performance is average, with noticeable noise and less accurate colors in dim conditions. The ultra-wide and macro lenses, along with the 16MP front camera, also struggle in low-light scenarios, producing less detailed and grainy images.

Overall, the Poco X6’s camera system provides solid performance for daylight photography and general use. While it may not compete with flagship devices in terms of low-light capabilities, it offers good value for its price point.

Battery Life and Charging

The Poco X6 is equipped with a 5,100mAh ultra-large capacity battery, designed to support a full day of usage without the need for frequent recharging. According to official specifications, the device can last over 11 hours of navigation, more than 14 days on standby, over 31 hours of continuous calls, and approximately 20 hours of online video streaming.

In real-world usage, the battery performance aligns with these claims. Users have reported achieving around 4 to 5 hours of screen-on time (SOT) during gaming sessions. For mixed usage, including social media, chatting, and light gaming, the device can provide up to 7 hours of SOT, and up to 10 hours when used primarily for social media.

Charging the Poco X6 is notably swift, thanks to its 67W turbo flash charging capability. The device can be charged from 0% to 100% in approximately 44 minutes. This rapid charging is facilitated by a self-developed P2 fast charging chip and a G1 battery management chip, which enhance charging efficiency and ensure battery safety.

In summary, the Poco X6 offers a balanced combination of impressive battery life and fast charging, making it a reliable choice for users seeking endurance and convenience in a budget-friendly gaming smartphone.

Software and User Experience

The Poco X6 runs on HyperOS 2.0, Xiaomi’s latest operating system based on Android 15. This update brings a refreshed user interface, improved performance, and enhanced privacy features. Notably, the design now includes a “Liquid Glass” aesthetic, offering translucent effects and a more cohesive look. Additionally, the “Super Island” feature emulates Apple’s Dynamic Island, providing interactive notifications around the camera cutout.

Users can expect a smoother and more intuitive experience, with redesigned icons, a new call screen, and customizable lock screen clocks. These changes aim to make the device more user-friendly and visually appealing.

However, it’s worth noting that the Poco X6 may come with pre-installed apps and bloatware. While many of these can be uninstalled, some users might prefer a cleaner software environment. Xiaomi’s suite of apps, such as Mi Store and Mi Community, offer added functionality, though some may opt for alternatives.

In terms of software updates, the Poco X6 is expected to receive three major Android updates and four years of security patches. This commitment ensures that the device remains up-to-date and secure for an extended period, providing peace of mind to users.

Connectivity and Additional Features

The Poco X6 comes equipped with comprehensive connectivity options suitable for modern users. It supports 5G, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.3, ensuring fast and stable connections for gaming, streaming, and daily use.

The device also includes NFC for contactless payments, a 3.5mm headphone jack for traditional audio devices, and a USB Type-C port that supports fast data transfer and charging.

Audio performance is enhanced by stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support, providing clear and immersive sound during gaming or media consumption.

Additional features include:

• Fingerprint sensor mounted on the side for quick and secure unlocking.
• Face unlock for convenience.
• Infrared blaster to control compatible home appliances.
• Game Turbo mode, which optimizes CPU, GPU, and RAM for smoother gaming.

Overall, the Poco X6 packs impressive connectivity and extra features typically found in higher-end devices, making it versatile for both casual users and gamers alike.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Excellent Gaming Performance for the Price – Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 and up to 12GB RAM handle most mobile games smoothly.
• High-Quality AMOLED Display – 6.67-inch 120Hz AMOLED screen provides vibrant colors and smooth visuals.
• Fast Charging & Long Battery Life – 5,100mAh battery with 67W turbo charging can go from 0% to 100% in about 44 minutes.
• Solid Build & Stylish Design – Lightweight, ergonomic, with multiple color options including vegan leather variant.
• Comprehensive Connectivity – 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, and stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos.

Cons:

• Average Low-Light Camera Performance – Main camera struggles in dim environments, ultra-wide and macro lenses are limited.
• Plastic Back Panel – Glossy rear attracts fingerprints easily.
• Some Pre-Installed Bloatware – HyperOS comes with apps that some users may not need.
• No Advanced Water Resistance – IP54 splash-proof only; not fully waterproof.

Price and Value for Money

The Poco X6 offers exceptional value for money, positioning itself as a standout option in the mid-range smartphone market. Priced competitively, it delivers a robust set of features that cater to both casual users and gaming enthusiasts.

Pricing Overview:

• Poco X6 (8GB RAM / 256GB Storage): Approximately $300 USD.
• Poco X6 Pro (12GB RAM / 512GB Storage): Approximately $370 USD.

These prices reflect the devices’ positioning in the market, offering high-end specifications at a fraction of the cost of flagship models.

Key Value Highlights:

• Performance: Equipped with the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 processor, the Poco X6 delivers smooth performance suitable for everyday tasks and moderate gaming.
• Display: The 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate ensures vibrant visuals and smooth scrolling.
• Battery Life: A 5,100mAh battery supports extended usage, complemented by 67W fast charging that can charge the device from 0% to 100% in about 44 minutes.
• Camera: The 64MP main camera captures detailed photos, and the 16MP front camera is suitable for selfies.

Comparative Advantage:

When compared to other devices in the same price range, the Poco X6 stands out due to its combination of performance, display quality, and battery life. For instance, the Poco X6 Pro variant offers enhanced performance and additional features, making it a compelling choice for users seeking more power without a significant price increase.

In conclusion, the Poco X6 offers impressive specifications and features at a competitive price point, making it a strong contender in the mid-range smartphone market. Its balance of performance, display quality, and battery life ensures that users receive excellent value for their investment.