The smartphone industry is highly competitive, with brands constantly pushing boundaries in design, performance, and value. Poco, a sub-brand of Xiaomi, has consistently delivered feature-packed smartphones at affordable prices. The Poco X7 Pro, the latest in the X series, aims to redefine mid-range smartphones in 2025. But does it live up to the hype? Let’s take a deep dive into its design, performance, camera capabilities, battery life, and more to determine whether it truly is the dark horse of 2025.
Design and Build Quality
The Poco X7 Pro boasts a refreshed design with a sleek metal frame and a glass back, giving it a premium feel. The device is available in three stunning colors: Cosmic Blue, Obsidian Black, and Solar Gold. Poco has embraced a minimalistic yet bold approach, incorporating a slim 7.9mm profile and weighing just 190 grams, making it comfortable to hold.
The front is dominated by a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with ultra-thin bezels and a tiny punch-hole camera. The rear camera module is subtly integrated, ensuring the design remains elegant. The phone also features Gorilla Glass Victus protection, making it resistant to scratches and minor drops. The inclusion of an IP68 rating ensures durability against dust and water, a rare feature in this segment.
Display: A Visual Delight
The Poco X7 Pro features a 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED panel with a 144Hz refresh rate, making it one of the smoothest displays in the mid-range segment. HDR10+ and Dolby Vision support enhance the viewing experience, offering deep blacks and vibrant colors.
With a peak brightness of 1600 nits, outdoor visibility is excellent, even under direct sunlight. The in-display fingerprint sensor is quick and reliable, adding to the seamless experience. Whether gaming, streaming videos, or browsing, the display ensures an immersive experience.
Performance and Hardware
Under the hood, the Poco X7 Pro is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 2 chipset, delivering flagship-grade performance at a mid-range price. Paired with up to 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage, the phone effortlessly handles multitasking, gaming, and intensive applications.
Benchmarks place the Poco X7 Pro in close competition with premium devices, achieving an AnTuTu score of over 1.2 million. Games like Genshin Impact, Call of Duty Mobile, and PUBG run at high frame rates without noticeable lag, thanks to the Adreno 740 GPU and Poco’s LiquidCool 4.0 technology for heat dissipation.
Camera System: A Photographer’s Dream?
Poco has upgraded its camera system significantly. The X7 Pro sports a 64MP Sony IMX800 primary sensor with OIS, a 12MP ultra-wide sensor, and an 8MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. The front houses a 32MP selfie shooter with AI enhancements.
- Primary Camera: The 64MP sensor captures sharp, detailed images with excellent dynamic range. Low-light performance is impressive, thanks to improved night mode algorithms.
- Ultra-wide Camera: The 12MP lens offers a 120-degree field of view with minimal distortion, making it great for landscapes and group shots.
- Telephoto Lens: The 3x optical zoom provides crisp zoomed-in shots, while digital zoom extends up to 30x with acceptable quality.
- Selfie Camera: The 32MP front camera ensures well-detailed selfies and smooth video calls, even in challenging lighting conditions.
Video recording capabilities are also noteworthy, with support for 4K at 60fps, 1080p at 120fps slow motion, and AI-powered stabilization for shake-free videos.
Software and User Experience
The Poco X7 Pro runs on MIUI 15 for Poco, based on Android 14. The UI is clean, responsive, and optimized for performance. Poco has minimized bloatware, ensuring a near-stock Android feel with useful customizations.
Features like floating windows, improved multitasking, and a customizable always-on display enhance the user experience. Regular security updates and at least three years of major Android updates ensure longevity.
Battery Life and Charging
The Poco X7 Pro houses a 5000mAh battery, providing excellent endurance. With optimized software and an efficient chipset, users can expect up to two days of moderate use.
The 120W fast charging support is a game-changer, charging the phone from 0 to 100% in under 25 minutes. Wireless charging is absent, but the super-fast wired charging compensates for it.
Connectivity and Other Features
The device includes all modern connectivity options:
- 5G support with multiple band coverage
- Wi-Fi 6E for faster wireless speeds
- Bluetooth 5.3 for stable connections
- Dual stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos
- 3.5mm headphone jack (a rarity in 2025)
- IR blaster for remote control functionality
Pricing and Competition
The Poco X7 Pro is priced at around $450, making it a compelling choice in the mid-range segment. Competitors like the Samsung Galaxy A76, OnePlus Nord 5, and iQOO Neo 9 Pro offer stiff competition, but the Poco X7 Pro edges out with its balance of performance, display, and charging speed.
Conclusion: The Dark Horse of 2025?
Poco has once again delivered a powerhouse device that challenges flagship smartphones at a fraction of the cost. With a stunning display, flagship-level performance, versatile cameras, and ultra-fast charging, the Poco X7 Pro is a standout choice.
While minor omissions like the lack of wireless charging exist, they hardly diminish the overall value. If you’re looking for a feature-packed smartphone without breaking the bank, the Poco X7 Pro is undeniably a strong contender, making it the dark horse of 2025.
