Poco M4 Pro Review – Bet on AMOLED | mobilenet.cz | TechBuzz

On the Czech market, you can currently find not only the recently tested Poco M4 Pro 5G, but also the Poco M4 Pro, which we will talk more about today. Although their names might suggest that they are twins differing only in 5G support, this is not the case. The Poco M4 Pro boasts not only an ever-larger battery with powerful wired charging, but also a high-quality AMOLED display. The manufacturer, which is Xiaomi by the way, values ​​all this at around 5.5 thousand crowns.

Package contents: the case is not missing

In addition to the phone itself, you will also find a USB cable in the yellow sales package, which has USB-C on one side and USB-A on the other. There is also a quick charger and a silicone protective case.

Design processing: a bit sloppy

At first glance, the Poco M4 Pro is a classic phone, which, for example, in the black we tested, could suit even more conservative-minded individuals. Front with display, smooth and matte sides, but then it will come. Conservatives will put their feet on their shoulders looking at the backside. Even this time, when Poco really tamed the size of the logo, which I wouldn’t be afraid to call minimalist by the standards of other models of this manufacturer.

The main problem is the insanely shiny back, which immediately gets fingerprints, other smudges and dust. After a few hours, the back looks really ugly, which is a shame. A matte finish would be much better. The camera module also looks unnecessarily monstrous, although, on the other hand, it does not stand out from the surrounding surface in any significant way.

The ergonomics are excellent, the mobile phone fits comfortably in the hand, which is also thanks to the not excessive weight below the 180 gram mark. The buttons on the right side are within easy reach, and as expected, the fingerprint reader is also located in the larger one. We haven’t had the slightest problem with it and it works exactly as it should. On the left side, there is only a long drawer for two nano SIM cards and a memory stick. Plus points Poco M4 pro collects for slightly increased resistance according to IP53. So he doesn’t mind a little getting wet or spilled.

Display: you will like it

We come to one of the main trump cards of the phone, which is a 6.43-inch AMOLED display with Full HD+ resolution. Its advantage is the contrast display, rich colors and impressive presentation of black. Of course, excellent readability from angles and decent outside in the sun is also a matter of course. On top of that, the manufacturer also offers a 90Hz refresh rate, so we are looking at one of the best displays in the given price category. Despite the AMOLED panel, there is no classic Always-On. Instead, the manufacturer deployed the “Active Display” function, which looks like Always-On in the settings, but works differently. Everything you need is always displayed for only 10 seconds, after tapping the display. Gorilla Glass 3 protects the display.

Sound: it’s better in two

The presence of two speakers is also an advantage. One is on the bottom edge, the other above the display. They play really loud, but the quality is not quite close to them, which is a bit of a shame. Fortunately, music can also be consumed through headphones, as there is a 3.5 mm jack.

Hardware performance: older build

The slightly older Helio G96 processor from MediaTek moved into the Poca M4 Pro. On the other hand, it remains solidly powerful and should be fully sufficient for moderate users. Few competitors are doing better. It also comes with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage with the option of expanding with a microSDXC memory card. About 107 GB is left for your data after the first power on.

Battery life: won’t let you down

Durability is ensured by a battery with a slightly above-average capacity of 5,000 mAh, which reliably ensures endurance of up to two days with moderate use. Replenishment of energy is quite quick, thanks to the power of 33 W, the phone can do it in an hour. You have to forget about wireless charging, but this is no shortage for a mobile phone at this price level.

Connectivity: everything except 5G

The Poco M4 Pro is very well equipped in terms of connectivity. It has Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 5.1 or an infrared port for controlling some electronics, which is a solid offer for a phone with a price of around 5.5 thousand crowns. It is also possible to pay contactless with a mobile phone thanks to NFC. You can always and reliably find your location thanks to GPS, GLONASS and BeiDou positioning systems. Even with a modern phone, however, you can solve various needs by wire. A USB-C connector is available for these cases. Let us remind you that the mobile phone supports the insertion of two nanoSIMs. Only 5G is missing from perfection, but not everyone needs it.

Camera: classic three

The set of rear cameras probably won’t surprise anyone today. The main sensor tries to dazzle with a high 64-megapixel resolution, but as a result, it does not fundamentally deviate from the established qualities of phones on the border between the lower middle and middle class. During the day and with sufficient light, you will receive high-quality images, you will be satisfied with the details and color fidelity, but with changing lighting conditions, the quality of the photo quickly decreases and noise or blurred images appear.

Fortunately, the ultra-wide-angle sensor is not missing, and with 8 megapixels it belongs to a pleasant standard. It is suitable for photographing landscapes or large groups of people. However, expect that the quality of the images will be only average and will decrease further towards the countryside. The list of cameras ends with a rather useless 2-megapixel macro sensor.

Video recording is possible at a maximum of Full HD resolution, but unfortunately at a maximum of 30 frames per second.

Selfies are taken by the front camera in the display aperture with a 16-megapixel resolution, which is fully sufficient for the needs of social networks.

Software: older Android

The Android 11 environment with MIUI 13 is also very well tuned, but it may not suit everyone due to its slight lack of transparency. But more fundamentally, the manufacturer does not look for updates and the new Android has not yet arrived. Security patches are valid as of April this year.

Evaluation

The Poco M4 Pro is an interesting phone in the lower middle class, which is offered for around 5.5 thousand crowns in the 128+6 GB version, which we also had for testing. We see the main advantage primarily in the use of a really high-quality AMOLED display with 90 Hz and a battery with good endurance. Since the hardware is not really bad, this model can be recommended to everyone who uses the mobile phone for browsing the Internet, navigation or chatting. The cameras are more suitable for snapshots, but this is a feature of most models in this segment. It mainly freezes the old Android, which does not reflect well on the manufacturer, which is Xiaomi. A look at the competition reveals that the Poco M4 definitely has a chance of success.

Competition

For similar money, you can go for the Honor X8, which, unfortunately, has absolutely nothing to impress. It offers a worse processor and display – it even lacks a slot for memory cards. If you are not literally blown away by the look, it will not last.

The OnePlus Nord CE is slightly more expensive, but it compensates for the higher price with 5G support or a more powerful processor. On the contrary, you have to put up with a shorter charging time.

Photo: Michal Pavlíček, mobilenet.cz