The Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC is a true definition of value for money, like every other Poco device before it and almost every Xiaomi handset. However, that motive seems to have changed after the launching of Pocophone F1 in 2018. Although the Poco X3 NFC doesn’t come with the latest Snapdragon chip, it still manages to fit into one of the best gaming device for its price.
The Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC is focused on delivering just one thing – the best performance. And it doesn’t lack on that, thanks to an improved Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G which handles titles more efficiently than Exynos 9611 and Snapdragon 665 phones you might buy for the same price. The Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC is simply miles ahead of that even Realme, maker of most of 2020’s best budget phones couldn’t match up. A smooth 120Hz refresh rate panel and an excellent battery life is more than enough to make this one of the best buy phones on a budget this year.
There are a few bits to improve though it’s likely to be fixed further down the road. However, the Poco X3 NFC impressive 64-MP main camera slightly suffers from purple fringing more than other competitors in the same price range. Also, there are a few reasons to get the Realme X50 5G. It has a 5G network, it has more impressive performance, and the glass back feels nicer. But at this level, such may bring a hype in its price tag.
Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC Key Specifications
| Display: | 6.67-inches IPS, 120Hz |
| Resolution: | 1080 x 2400 pixels |
| Processor: | Qualcomm Snapdragon 732 |
| Front Camera: | 20-megapixel |
| Rear Camera: | 64-megapixel + 13-megapixel + 2-megapixel + 2-megapixel |
| RAM: | 6GB /8GB |
| Storage: | 64GB /128GB |
| Battery Capacity: | 6000mAh |
| OS: | Android 10, EMUI 12 |
Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC: Design
The Poco X3 NFC is one of the best value smartphones for many reasons – but it sports the same design style and build-up quality as other phones in its class. This means the rear panel of the phone is plastic rather than glass, and the edges are plastic rather than aluminum in other premium devices. However, the bundled silicone case makes its plastic aesthetics less obvious.
Fortunately, the Poco X3 NFC is a large device with 6.67-inch screen which makes it more preferable to large screen fans. Unfortunately, one issue about the X3 NFC design is the huge POCO logo positioned in center of the rear panel of the phone. This is a turn off especially this year that that design aesthetics is no longer trending. However, it doesn’t actually matter.
Silicone cases aren’t made to improve the aesthetics of a phone, but that isn’t the case with Poco X3 NFC. It sports a camera bump almost spectacularly as that on the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. Fortunately, the case is made in such a way that it has a little lip that extends to meet the stack to avoid scuffs on its sides, should the X3 NFC accidentally drop.
Of course, the phone comes with NFC which paves way for efficient wireless payments including an IR blaster, which allows you to use the phone as a remote. Also, there’s a headphone jack and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, although it’s not the fastest we’ve come across.
Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC: Display
Fortunately, the Poco X3 NFC has just the best display at the price segment. The 6.67-inch IPS LCD panel is showing at a screen resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels, and sports a dot-hole notch for the front camera.
While these features are impressive, they failed to make the Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC display special. However, its 120Hz refresh rate is the main talking point of the phone’s screen. While most budget phones comes with a display that refreshes 60 times per second, the X3 NFC panel refreshes at a whopping 120 times a second. Unfortunately, a higher refresh rate will surely have an impact on battery life, but this is a remarkable screen.
Showing at a 450 nits brightness, this slightly fails below the Realme X50 Pro 5G. However, it’s still among the brightest Android phones available at this price range.
Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC: Camera Review
The Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC is equipped with a quad rear camera perfectly arranged in a striking rounded-off rectangle, with the LED flash providing a perfect balance.
The 64-MP Sony IMX682 primary sensor is accompanied by a 13-MP ultra-wide lens, 2-MP macro lens, and another 2-MP depth sensor. These Sony sensors are far better than the Samsung GM1 unit that’s found in most budget phones. Also, the 20-MP front camera does a nice job with enough details and can easily blur the background.
Of course, there are highs and lows with this camera arrangement, but you’ll surely end up with solid camera performance. The photos looks impressive in good light conditions with a better approach to exposure and contrast. Unfortunately, you’ll notice significant purple fringing which makes areas of high light contrast outlined in purple. Still, you’ll benefit from lots of camera features including portrait mode, panorama, night mode, AI, beauty, and many others. Video too is solid, you can shoot 4k video resolutions at 30 frames per second.
Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC: Hardware, Performance, and Software
The Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC is more powerful than most smartphones you can ever think of at this price segment, thanks to a Snapdragon 732G chipset alongside either 6GB or 8GB of RAM. When it come to storage, you can choose to buy the 64GB or 128GB variant, although you can choose to upgrade via the SDcard slot.
The Poco X3 NFC performance is above average, but its gaming power is incomparable. The phone plays Fortnite at a very smooth rate even better than those in its class. The Poco X3 NFC feels similar to its budget compatriots in day-to-day performance, then, but at the time of this review, this is the best budget gaming device around.
The phone is a good device for Android 10 and MIUI 12 which is the latest version of Xiaomi’s Android interface. It’s a pleasant experience and would be a dream to tweak around the fairy comprehensive customization out there. Fortunately, this latest user interface is ads-free, meaning you won’t get constant notification that’ll be pestering you to install or update native or third-party apps.
Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC: Battery Capacity
For the past few years, battery life hasn’t been a problem for budget phones. Tech brands such as Xiaomi have been integrating huge batteries into their affordable devices and the Poco X3 NFC is not left out in the league. The Poco X3 NFC is equipped with a massive 6000mAh battery capacity which can easily last for 24 hours on heavy use.
Charging speed is good too, thanks to the 33W fast charger which is rarely found on mid-range phones. This tops the battery from 0-58% in just 30 minutes.
Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC: Price in Nigeria and Availability
The Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC was officially released for sale on September 22, 2020. The base model with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage costs ₦115,000 (about $295). An upgrade to the 128GB storage with the same RAM bumps up the price to ₦135,000 (roughly $345).
The added 64GB storage is a welcome bonus, but since the RAM remains at 6GB,you’re unlikely to get any significant performance boost. Unfortunately, the 8GB + 128GB is not yet available in Nigeria as of the time of this write-up, but we expect to see it on few months. The Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC is available for purchase at www.jumia.com.ng/ and any other reputable online or offline phone outlet in Nigeria.
Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC Full Specifications
General
- Brand: Xiaomi
- Model: Poco X3 NFC
- Release Date: September 22, 2020
- Operating System: Android 10, M1UI 12
- Weight: 225g
- Colors: Cobalt Blue, Shadow Gray
Display
- Touchscreen: YES
- Type: IPS LCD, 120Hz
- Display Size: 6.67-inch
- Screen Resolution: 1080 x 2400 pixels
- Dimensions: 165.3 x 76.8 x 10.1 mm (6.51 x 3.02 x 0.40 in)
- facebook Support: YES
- In-display fingerprint scanner: Yes
- Sensors: Fingerprint (side-mounted)
Platform
- Chipset: Qualcomm SM7150-AC Snapdragon 732G (8 nm)
- CPU: Octa-core (2×2.3 GHz Kryo 470 Gold & 6×1.8 GHz Kryo 470 Silver)
- GPU: Adreno 618
Memory
- RAM: 6GB /8GB
- Inbuilt Storage: 64GB /128GB
- SD Card slot: Yes
Camera
- Rear Flash: LED Flashlight
- Rear Camera: 64-MP f/1.9 (wide), 13-MP f/2.2 (ultrawide), 2 MP f/2.4 (macro), 2 MP f/2.4 (depth)
- Video: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/120fps, 720p@960fps; gyro-EIS
- Front Camera: 20-MP f/2.2 (wide)
- Front Flash: —
Connectivity
- Wi-Fi: YES
- Bluetooth: 5.0
- USB: MicroUSB 2.0
- GPS: YES
- WLAN: YES
Network
- SIM: Single SIM (Nano-SIM) or Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)
- Technology: GSM | HSPA | LTE
- 3G Support: Yes
- 4G/ LTE Support: Yes
- 5G Support: No
Battery
- Capacity: Li-Po 6000 mAh, non-removable
- Fast Charge: 33W
Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC: Price in Naira and Dollar
- Price in Naira: ₦135,000
- Price in Dollar: $184
