Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC Review - A Real Review of Cameras, Device Quality, and True Minus Points
I've recently got my new Poco X3 and in this review, I'll be discussing the user experience, pros and cons, price, and my usage experience with the device.
Poco X3 NFCWhen choosing the Poco X3, I also considered Samsung and iPhone models, as good photo quality and a fixed frame rate are very important to me. However, the price of these models was too high for me. Here's the Poco X3 6/128gb NFC model.
Poco X3 6/128gb NFCThe design of the Poco X3 is a bit simple, but this also helps to reduce the price. The phone's casing is made of plastic, the edges are thin, and there's a holographic effect on the back. The phone comes with an anti-bacterial and protective case.
Poco X3Below, you can find the features of the Poco X3.Poco X3 Features:
Metallic casing and plastic rear panelDimensions: 165.3 x 76.8 x 10.1 mmWeight: 225 grams
6.67-inch screen with a pixel density of 395 ppiScreen type: IPS LCD 2400x1080 pixels 20:9Pixel density: 395 ppiProximity: 3.5-320 cmScreen protection: Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Quad-camera setup: 1 - primary 64 MP, f/1.9, 1/1.73", 0.8μm, PDAFQuad-camera setup: 2 - ultra-wide-angle 13 MP, f/2.2, 119°, 1.0μmQuad-camera setup: 3 - macro 2 MP, f/2.4Quad-camera setup: 4 - depth 2 MP, f/2.4Front camera: 5 - 20 MP, f/2.2, 1/3.4", 0.8μmVideo recording: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/120fps, 720p@960fpsStabilization: gyro-EISLED flash: yes
Performance: Qualcomm SM7150-AC Snapdragon 732G (8 nm), Octa-core (2x2.3 GHz Kryo 470 Gold & 6x1.8 GHz Kryo 470 Silver)GPU: Adreno 618RAM: 6 GB LPDDR4XStorage: 128 GB UFS 2.1
Battery: 5160 mAh
NFC: yesHeadphone jack: yesNetwork: GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G, 4G LTEWi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4 + 5.0 GHzBluetooth: 5.1Navigations: A-GPS, GLONASS, BAIDU
Audio: Hi-Res Audio x2Fingerprint sensor: yesDust protection: IP53
Sim card: 2 nano-Sim or Sim + 256 GB cardOutput port: USB Type-C 2.0Auxiliary port: 3.5mm
Operating system: Android 10, MIUI 12 Poco Launcher Xiaomi Poco X3 NFCThe biggest disadvantage of the Poco X3 NFC for me is its large 6.67-inch screen and heavy weight. The dimensions of 16.5 x 7.7 x 1 cm and the weight of 225 grams made it difficult for me to take it out of my bag.
Poco X3 NFC ScreenI was disappointed that the screen is IPS LCD, as I would have preferred AMOLED. IPS LCD screens have less contrast, less brightness, and take longer to load compared to AMOLED. Additionally, the fingerprint sensor is not working properly due to the screen type.
Fingerprint Scanner on Poco X3 NFCThe screen of the Poco X3 is quite good. The phone does not have PWM, so there is no flickering at low brightness. Additionally, it has a TUV certification, which is tested by Technischer Überwachungsverein for low blue light emission. Therefore, I would recommend this phone to people with epilepsy, but this is just a hypothesis.Minimum brightness is 3.5 nits, which is suitable for reading at night. Maximum brightness is 450-620 nits. However, you cannot reach the upper limit manually, as the phone does not trust you. In automatic mode, there is no problem. I also experienced the same issue with the sound.
The screen of the Poco X3 NFC is quite good for me. It has a pixel density of 395 ppi (500 ppi in flagman models, but 350 ppi and above are not noticeable). The screen ratio is 20:9 (2400 x 1080 pixels) and it looks a bit stretched to me, which is probably due to habit.
The screen protection is Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and it comes with a factory-applied film. I dropped the phone from a height of about a person and did not experience any problems. However, please note that the drop was onto a laminate surface, not a stone or a marble surface.
NFC on Poco X3
First of all, I want to mention that there is no NFC feature in the Poco X3 NFC model. For me, this feature is not very useful, as I live in China and use Wechat Pay and Alipay without QR codes. My friends in Russia may find Google Pay and public transportation cards useful, but the question is: do many small markets accept Google Pay?
Poco X3 NFC Camera Quality
The camera block is a bit protruding. This is not a design issue, but rather the size and depth of the Sony IMX682 sensor. There is no apparent design flaw.
Poco X3 NFC Camera FeaturesThe camera page has 5 cameras:Main camera 64 MP, f/1.9 (ideal for detailed shots)Ultra-wide-angle camera 119° for 13 MP, f/2.2 (panorama, indoor shots)2x zoom camera 2 MP, f/2.4 (close-up shots of distant objects)Macro camera 2 MP, f/2.4 (close-up shots of small objects)Front camera 20 MP, f/2.2 (ideal for selfies)I also chose the Poco X3 NFC for its camera features, so I tested the camera performance by taking a photo. The main camera 64 MP is good, fast, and has a good level of detail. The photo is 9248x6944 pixels, but it's not loading, so I'm showing it zoomed in.
Poco X3 NFC 64 MP Main Camera
Detail Shot ScreenLet's move on to our discussion, the 119° ultra-wide-angle camera (next photo, taken with Poco X3) and the three-camera setup (photo gold, not taken with Poco X3).
Poco X3 NFC 119° Ultra-Wide-Angle Camera
Photo taken with a three-camera setupNormal camera setup photo comes first, while the ultra-wide-angle camera photo comes second. I'm taking both photos without a three-camera setup.
Photo taken with normal camera setup
Macro camera objectNow, let's see how well the macro camera works with its h2 object. We tried to focus on the object at a distance of 2 cm from the lens, but unfortunately, we couldn't focus at a distance of 4 cm - the photo is like 'paper-like'.
Macro camera
Poco X3 Front Camera
Poco X3 Night Mode CameraThe front camera has 6 different modes: night mode, long exposure, panorama, document, front and rear camera mode, artistic cloning, portrait mode, and simple beauty effects. Here's the night mode.
Xiaomi Poco X3 Battery Life and Charging Speed
The phone has a 5160 mAh battery. The company claims that it can last for 2 days in normal use, 10 hours in gaming, 17 hours in video playback, and 153 hours (6 days) in music playback. My experience was not as long-lasting. In normal use, I was using the browser, email, social media, Wi-Fi, and occasionally making short phone calls. The device did not last for more than 1.5 days.
However, the fast charging feature was quite good, and I could use the phone for about 1 hour after charging it for 1 hour. The phone has a USB Type-C charging port.
Poco X3 for Games: Processor, Graphics, Speakers, and Screen
As you know, phone performance is usually measured by the processor. However, for fast-opening windows and fast-running apps, RAM is more important. Therefore, buying the Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC with the Snapdragon 732G processor (2020 model) is only reasonable for gaming. The Adreno 618 accelerator provides high performance in high graphics, but it also heats up the back panel. The silicate coating makes it almost invisible. 120 Hz screen refresh rate, 240 Hz touch response rate, dual vibration motor, and Hi-Res Audio support make the phone ideal for gaming.
RAM and Internal Storage Poco X3 NFC 6 128gb
I chose the 128 GB internal storage model when I bought the Poco X3 NFC. The main reason for this was that there is only one slot for the SIM card. If you use two SIM cards, you will not have enough space for more storage. Additionally, a 64 MP camera can take a 10 MB photo, which can fill up the 128 GB storage. Therefore, we have 6 GB LPDDR4X RAM, which is an older technology but faster. This also gives an idea of the phone's future use.
Communication
I did not experience any problems with normal GSM 900/1800/1900 connections. The back panel has five antennas, which provides a stable connection.
5G
The Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC 6 128gb does not have 5G. I bought it just before 5G was launched in China, but I have a 3G and 4G phone. You may need to buy a new phone.
Sim Cards
The Poco X3 NFC 6 has a 2 nano-SIM card slot on the left side, or a Sim + 256 GB microSD card.
Sim cards Poco X3 NFC 6 128gb
Wi-Fi
The Poco X3 128gb can share Wi-Fi on both 2.4 and 5 GHz frequencies. This is a very useful feature in the office when Wi-Fi is interrupted.
Microphones
The Poco X3 NFC 6 has two microphones, which can reduce noise (e.g., water sounds, external noise) but also record noise and sounds from 10 meters away. The sound quality is good (I record my children's lessons, songs, etc.), but the noise reduction feature is not very effective. This is because the microphones record both noise and sounds, and you need to go to the app and adjust the noise reduction there.
Navigation
My Xiaomi Poco X3 6 128gb phone has GPS and GLONASS. I use Google Maps to go to my neighbor city frequently and I always arrive correctly. When I use a taxi app, Baidu maps and my location are determined with an accuracy of a few meters. I always use Wechat online maps and offline services, and I don't experience any problems.
Bluetooth 5.1
The Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC 128gb has Bluetooth 5.1. Today, it took me an hour to send a photo from my old Huawei to my new phone. Therefore, I decided not to transfer photos from my old phone to my new phone.
3.5 mm Jack
I'm also grateful for the 3.5 mm jack on the Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC 6. I can control my home's climate and smart TV using my smartphone. When I'm in a hotel, I usually use the Mi Remote app to control the TV and air conditioner, which is very convenient.
MIUI Poco X3 NFC 6 128
MIUI Firmware
The operating system of my phone is Android 10, and the programming language is Poco Launcher, MIUI 12. If you have used Xiaomi phones before, you will find it easy to switch to the new phone. If you have used Xiaomi phones before, you can read more about MIUI.
Xiaomi Poco X3 Price
The Poco X3 cost me 23535 rubles (I converted 2099 yuan to rubles when writing this article). I bought the Poco X3 NFC 6 from Taobao. However, since I used the Russian version of Taobao, I chose Aliexpress. If you're planning to buy the Poco X3 NFC 6, my advice is to ask the seller for the global version.
Poco X3 NFC 6 Disadvantages
I'm writing this review 1.5 months after buying the Poco X3 NFC 6. During this time, I've been constantly taking videos, recording lessons, contributing to projects, and providing Wi-Fi to my laptop. Here are some disadvantages I've experienced:
Advertisements are disturbing me a lot. I've tried to remove them, but I was unsuccessful.I want to have 2 SIM cards and a microSD card, but there is only one slot available. Therefore, I'm constantly having to make compromises.If you want to use the phone without a case, be careful. The phone is very heavy (225 grams) and has a flat surface, making it easy to drop. Additionally, even if you like the design, using the phone without a case is very difficult, as it leaves marks on the phone after just one hour of use. I was disturbed by the advertisement