67W charging that takes the device from dead to fully charged in just over 40 minutes
At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Xiaomi's budget brand POCO introduced two mid-range smartphones that speak to an enduring tension in consumer technology: the desire for flagship-level specifications at prices that don't demand sacrifice. The X4 Pro 5G and M4 Pro arrive dressed in fresh branding but carry familiar DNA — both rooted in existing Redmi models — a reminder that in the smartphone industry, reinvention and repackaging often walk hand in hand. With European shelves stocked by March 2 and prices beginning at €199, POCO is betting that for many buyers, what's inside the box matters far more than the story of how it got there.
- POCO entered MWC 2022 with two phones positioned to undercut the mid-range market, but the reveal carried a quiet asterisk: both devices are rebranded Redmi models with modest modifications.
- The X4 Pro 5G's 108MP camera and 67W charging — capable of a full charge in 40 minutes — give it genuine headline power in a segment where specs drive decisions.
- The M4 Pro trades 5G connectivity and camera resolution for a lower entry price, creating a deliberate two-tier choice between ambition and affordability within the same launch.
- European availability begins March 2, with early-bird pricing of €269 for the X4 Pro 5G and €199 for the M4 Pro, putting pressure on competitors in the budget and lower mid-range tiers.
- Both phones run MIUI 13 on Android 11, and while the hardware impresses on paper, real-world camera and performance outcomes remain the open question buyers will answer after launch.
At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, POCO — Xiaomi's budget-focused brand — unveiled two phones designed to make a strong case in Europe's competitive mid-range market. The X4 Pro 5G and M4 Pro arrived with compelling spec sheets and sharp pricing, though both carry a familiar secret: they are, at their core, repackaged Redmi devices.
The X4 Pro 5G mirrors the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G closely, offering a 6.67-inch 120Hz AMOLED display with Gorilla Glass 5 protection and a 360Hz touch sampling rate suited to gaming. A Snapdragon 695 chipset powers the device, paired with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The camera setup — headlined by a 108MP main sensor alongside an 8MP ultra-wide and 2MP macro lens — is POCO's loudest marketing claim. More practically compelling is the 67W fast charging, which refills the 5,000mAh battery in roughly 40 minutes. The phone also retains a 3.5mm headphone jack, IR blaster, and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor.
The M4 Pro follows a similar formula, drawing from the Redmi Note 11S. Its main camera steps down to 64MP, and the 6.43-inch AMOLED display refreshes at 90Hz rather than 120Hz. A MediaTek Helio G96 handles processing duties, and while the 5,000mAh battery matches its sibling, charging speed drops to 33W. POCO added dual stereo speakers, NFC, and IP53 splash resistance to sweeten the package. Both phones run MIUI 13 based on Android 11.
The pricing is where POCO makes its clearest argument. The X4 Pro 5G starts at €269, while the M4 Pro opens at €199 — numbers designed to force a decision for budget-conscious European shoppers weighing 5G capability and fast charging against a more modest but still capable alternative. Both phones hit shelves on March 2.
At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, POCO—Xiaomi's budget-focused smartphone brand—took the stage to introduce two new phones that would fill out its mid-range lineup. The X4 Pro 5G and M4 Pro arrived with impressive spec sheets and aggressive pricing, though neither device was entirely new in the way the company presented them.
The X4 Pro 5G is, in essence, a repackaged version of Xiaomi's Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G, dressed up with slightly different branding and a fresh design. What matters to buyers, though, is what's actually in the box. The phone carries a 6.67-inch AMOLED screen running at 120Hz refresh rate, protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5, with a touch sampling rate of 360Hz—the kind of responsiveness that matters if you're gaming or scrolling through dense feeds. Inside sits Qualcomm's Snapdragon 695 chipset, a capable mid-range processor built on a 6-nanometer process, paired with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.
The camera system is where POCO is leaning hard into the marketing. A 108-megapixel main sensor anchors a triple-lens setup, joined by an 8MP ultra-wide camera and a 2MP macro lens. That main sensor is the kind of specification that catches eyes in marketing materials, though real-world performance depends on software processing and lighting conditions. The phone houses a 5,000mAh battery, and here's where POCO is making a genuine claim: 67W turbo charging that can take the device from completely dead to fully charged in just over 40 minutes. The company also included a 3.5mm headphone jack—a feature that's become increasingly rare—along with an IR blaster, a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, and a Z-axis linear motor for haptic feedback.
The M4 Pro follows a similar playbook, this time based on the Redmi Note 11S. The main concession POCO made here is dropping the camera resolution: instead of the 108MP sensor in its sibling, the M4 Pro uses a 64MP main camera, still paired with 8MP ultra-wide and 2MP macro lenses. The display is smaller at 6.43 inches, though it still offers AMOLED technology and a 90Hz refresh rate. A MediaTek Helio G96 processor handles the workload, supported by the same RAM and storage options as the X4 Pro 5G. The battery is identical in capacity—5,000mAh—but the charging speed drops to 33W. POCO added dual stereo speakers, NFC, an IR blaster, IP53 splash resistance, and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. Both phones run MIUI 13 for POCO, based on Android 11.
Pricing is where POCO is making its real pitch to European buyers. The X4 Pro 5G launches on March 2 at an early-bird price of €269 for the base 6GB/128GB model, climbing to €319 for the 8GB/256GB version. The M4 Pro undercuts it significantly, starting at just €199 for the entry-level configuration and €249 for the higher-spec variant. For budget-conscious shoppers in Europe, these are the kinds of numbers that can swing a purchasing decision—a full-featured 5G phone with a 108MP camera and 67W charging for under €270, or a slightly less ambitious device for under €200. Both phones hit shelves the same day, giving consumers a clear choice between ambition and restraint.
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POCO claims the 5,000mAh battery can deliver over 15 hours of video playback— POCO
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So POCO is just rebranding Redmi phones and calling them new. Why would anyone care about that distinction?
Because the phones themselves are genuinely capable, and most people don't follow Xiaomi's internal brand architecture closely enough to know or care that a Redmi Note 11 Pro became a POCO X4 Pro. What matters is that you can buy a 108MP camera phone with 67W charging for €269 in Europe—that's the story.
But isn't that a bit dishonest? Rebranding existing products?
It's a common practice in the phone industry, especially in budget segments where the margins are thin. POCO's job is to bring Xiaomi's best mid-range work to markets where the Redmi brand doesn't have the same presence or reputation. The phones are real; the specs are real.
What's the actual difference between the X4 Pro and M4 Pro, then?
The X4 Pro is the more ambitious device—120Hz display, Snapdragon processor, 108MP camera, faster charging. The M4 Pro is the pragmatist's choice: 90Hz screen, MediaTek chip, 64MP camera, slower charging. Same battery, similar build quality, but different target buyers.
Who's actually buying these phones?
People in Europe who want flagship features without flagship prices. The €199 entry point for the M4 Pro is aggressive—that's gaming phones and mid-range flagships from other brands at that price. POCO is betting that spec-conscious buyers will choose them over established competitors.
And the 67W charging—is that actually fast?
It's genuinely fast. Forty minutes from zero to full is competitive with phones costing twice as much. That's not marketing fluff; that's a real advantage in daily use.