At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Poco unveiled the M4 Pro — a budget LTE smartphone priced at €179 that quietly challenges the assumption that affordability demands compromise. In a market where entry-level devices often feel like apologies, this device arrives with an AMOLED display, a 5000mAh battery, and a design philosophy borrowed from premium aesthetics. It speaks to a persistent human desire: to access quality without exclusion, to participate fully in the connected world regardless of what one can spend.
Poco M4 Pro emerges as 2022's best budget LTE smartphone with AMOLED display
An AMOLED screen at this price changes what people expect
Mark
Why does this phone matter if it's not 5G? Isn't that the whole point of upgrading?
Mimi
Not everywhere. In most of the world, 5G infrastructure still doesn't exist or isn't reliable. For those people, a solid LTE phone with this much capability at this price is genuinely useful.
Luke
But we should note that Poco just released the M4 Pro 5G a couple months before this. So they're selling two phones with the same name to different markets. That's worth flagging.
Mark
What's the actual standout feature here?
Mimi
The AMOLED display. Budget phones have been stuck on LCD for years. Getting a 90Hz AMOLED screen at €179 is the kind of thing that changes what people expect from budget phones.
Luke
Though we should be careful—the reviewer tested it in Southern California. That's one climate, one set of conditions. The display is bright, yes, but we don't have data on how it performs in other environments or over time.
Mark
The software sounds like a problem. Android 11 in 2022?
Mimi
It is a problem. The reviewer was clear about that. But it's also a Xiaomi-wide issue, not specific to this phone. The security patches are current, which matters more than the version number in some ways.
Luke
Current as of February 2022, when the review was written. We don't know how long Poco will support this device with updates. That's a real gap in the reporting.
Mark
Is the camera actually good?
Mimi
It's good in daylight, especially the main sensor. Night mode works but has limitations—it doesn't work on the ultrawide at all. For social media sharing, daytime photos are solid.
Luke
The reviewer is honest about the tradeoffs. The macro camera is 2MP, which is basically decorative. The ultrawide falls apart in low light. So it's a daytime camera system, really. That's fine to know, but it's not a flagship camera.
Mark
What about that glossy back? That seems like a real flaw.
Mimi
It is. The reviewer explicitly says a textured finish would have been better. It picks up fingerprints constantly. But the case in the box is good quality, so most people will use it anyway.
Luke
The reviewer acknowledges the tradeoff—they like the clean look but hate the practicality. That's fair reporting. Still, it's worth noting this is a subjective preference. Some people don't mind fingerprints.
Mark
The headphone jack seems like a big deal.
Mimi
It is. In 2022, most phones have removed it entirely. Poco kept it, and the reviewer makes a point that if they can fit it in an 8mm-thick phone, other manufacturers could too. It matters to people who use wired headphones.
Luke
Though the reviewer also notes the headphone jack output is weak—they had to crank volume to 60-70%, which suggests it's a carryover from the 5G model and not optimized for this phone. So it's there, but not perfectly implemented.
Mark
Is this actually the best budget phone of 2022?
Mimi
The reviewer says so, but it's early in the year. They're impressed by the combination of features, design, and price. No single flaw stands out as disqualifying.
Luke
The reviewer is enthusiastic, but we should remember this is one person's opinion based on a few weeks of testing. The Android 11 issue alone might be a dealbreaker for some users. And we don't have long-term durability data. It's a strong phone at a strong price, but 'best of the year' is a big claim to make in March.
O Pulso
- The budget smartphone space in 2022 is crowded with half-measures, making Poco's decision to equip the M4 Pro with a 90Hz AMOLED display — rare at this price — a genuine disruption to expectations.
- Launching an LTE-only phone just months after a 5G sibling risks confusion and skepticism, especially when 5G adoption is accelerating in key markets.
- Poco addresses the value equation directly: a €179 launch price, a quality TPU case in the box, 33W fast charging, a headphone jack, and NFC — features competitors quietly strip away to cut costs.
- The phone's biggest vulnerability is its software: shipping with Android 11 in 2022 signals a gap between hardware ambition and software commitment that could erode long-term trust.
- For users in regions where 5G infrastructure remains a distant promise, the M4 Pro is landing as a credible, well-rounded daily driver rather than a reluctant compromise.
At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Poco unveiled the M4 Pro — a budget LTE smartphone priced at €179 that quietly challenges the assumption that affordability demands compromise. In a market where entry-level devices often feel like apologies, this device arrives with an AMOLED display, a 5000mAh battery, and a design philosophy borrowed from premium aesthetics. It speaks to a persistent human desire: to access quality without exclusion, to participate fully in the connected world regardless of what one can spend.
Poco arrived at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona with a phone easy to overlook — another M4 Pro, this time without 5G, just months after the 5G version launched. But opening the box tells a different story. At €179 for its first week of sales, the M4 Pro turns out to be a fully reimagined device, not a stripped-down sibling.
The design borrows from Apple's iPhone 12 and 13 — flat edges, compact proportions, a deliberate feel. At 179 grams, it's the lightest Poco phone yet, despite housing a 5000mAh battery. The glossy plastic back is a fingerprint magnet, but the overall build feels considered. The camera module, slightly raised across its full darker rectangle, achieves better visual balance than previous M-series phones.
The display is the headline achievement: a 6.43-inch FHD+ AMOLED panel running at 90Hz, peaking at 1000 nits, with DCI-P3 color support. Most competitors at this price still rely on LCD panels, making this a meaningful advantage. Performance from the MediaTek HelioG96 is reliable for everyday use — calls, streaming, social media, and casual gaming all handled without strain or overheating.
The camera system — 64MP main, 8MP ultrawide, 2MP macro — delivers solid daylight results with good color and dynamic range, though night photography on the ultrawide disappoints. Battery life comfortably covers a full day of heavy use, and the 33W charger reaches 50 percent in under 30 minutes.
The software is the one genuine concern. Shipping with Android 11 in 2022 feels dated, and MIUI 13's bloatware requires manual cleanup — though ads can be disabled with some effort. These are real friction points, not dealbreakers.
For anyone in a region where 5G remains unavailable and budgets are real constraints, the M4 Pro is difficult to fault. It combines premium display technology, dependable performance, and a thoughtful feature set — headphone jack, IR blaster, NFC, dual speakers, IP53 splash resistance — into a compact package that feels genuinely designed rather than merely assembled.
Poco arrived at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona with a phone that seemed almost too straightforward to warrant a second look. The company had just released the M4 Pro 5G months earlier, and here came another M4 Pro—this time without the 5G. But the moment you open the box, it becomes clear this is not a stripped-down version of something else. It's a completely reimagined device, and at €179 for the first week of sales, it represents something increasingly rare in 2022: a genuinely thoughtful budget phone.
The first thing you notice is the branding. Where the previous generation had horizontal logos scattered across the front, the M4 Pro now displays its name vertically in larger type. The box itself contains the essentials: a clear TPU case of noticeably better quality than before, a screen protector, paperwork, a SIM tool, a 33W charging brick, and a substantial USB-C cable. The yellow insert gets a subtle redesign. What's gone: the POCO stickers that used to come in the box. It's a small loss, but the improved case quality more than compensates.
The design draws from Apple's iPhone 12 and 13 playbook—flat edges, compact proportions, a rail system that feels deliberate rather than derivative. The back is unmistakably Poco, with a two-tone finish and a camera module that dominates the upper third of the phone. This time, the entire darker rectangle is raised slightly, giving it better visual balance than previous M-series phones. The POCO logo now runs horizontally across the camera module itself. At 179 grams, it's the lightest Poco smartphone the company has made, yet it houses a 5000mAh battery. The weight distribution is excellent. The only real misstep is the glossy plastic back, which picks up fingerprints and smudges with alarming ease—a textured finish would have been far more practical.
What makes the M4 Pro genuinely distinctive is its display. Poco has finally equipped the M series with an AMOLED panel. The 6.43-inch FHD+ screen runs at 90Hz with 180Hz touch sampling, reaching 1000 nits at peak brightness. It supports DCI-P3 color and carries SGS Eye Care Display certification. In bright Southern California sunlight, outdoor visibility posed no problems. Scrolling through social media and YouTube at 90Hz felt smooth and responsive. Most competitors in this price range are still using LCD panels, which makes this a significant advantage. The display is covered by Gorilla Glass 3, and a screen protector comes in the box.
Performance comes from a MediaTek HelioG96 processor—an octa-core chip from 2021 built on a 12nm process. It's not cutting-edge, but benchmarks put it on par with the Snapdragon 720. The review unit came with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, with an option for 8GB and 256GB. Memory extension is enabled by default, adding 2GB of virtual RAM. During testing, there were no overheating issues or slowdowns, even during gaming at 30fps settings. The LiquidCool Technology 1.0 Plus kept temperatures in check. For everyday tasks—calls, messages, streaming, social media—the phone handles everything without strain.
The software situation is less encouraging. The M4 Pro ships with MIUI 13 running on top of Android 11. For a phone launching in 2022, Android 11 feels dated. The February 2022 security patch is current, but the OS version itself is a concern. MIUI 13 brings only minor changes from MIUI 12. The default apps mirror Google's ecosystem—Phone, Messages, Chrome, Contacts, Google Discover. Xiaomi's own apps live in a Tools folder and are generally useful. The real annoyance is bloatware in the More Apps and Games folders, though every single item can be deleted. Budget Xiaomi and Poco phones display ads throughout the interface—it's part of how they keep prices low. Disabling personalized recommendations during setup, then manually turning off ads in the Themes, File Manager, Security, and Cleaner apps, eliminates most of them.
The camera system consists of three rear lenses: a 64MP main sensor, an 8MP ultrawide, and a 2MP macro. The 16MP front camera carries over from the 5G model. In daylight, the main camera produces images with good color, contrast, and dynamic range, though there's slight over-sharpening. The 2X digital zoom is serviceable. Night Mode requires manual activation and doesn't work on the ultrawide, which is a limitation. The ultrawide excels in daylight with accurate colors and minimal barrel distortion, but deteriorates quickly in low light, becoming soft and noisy. Selfies and video work well in good lighting conditions. For an average user, the camera system delivers solid results in most situations.
Battery life easily spans a full day of heavy use. The 5000mAh capacity paired with the efficient AMOLED display means charging anxiety is nonexistent for typical users. The 33W fast charger reaches 50 percent in under 30 minutes and full charge in about an hour. The phone also retains features increasingly rare in 2022: a 3.5mm headphone jack, dual speakers with separate top and bottom grilles, an IR blaster, NFC, and an IP53 splash-proof rating. The dual speakers deliver loud, punchy audio, though the bottom speaker handles about 70 percent of the output. Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity is seamless. LTE+ speeds on T-Mobile were solid, with no connectivity issues during regular use.
For regions where 5G remains unavailable and budget constraints are real, the M4 Pro is difficult to fault. It combines a premium display, solid performance, excellent battery life, and a wealth of connectivity options in a compact, well-designed package. The attention to detail—from the iPhone-inspired rail design to the refreshed camera module—suggests a device that was thought through rather than merely assembled. At €179 through March 2, it represents genuine value. The only dated element is the Android 11 software, which Poco should address in future updates. But for anyone seeking a reliable, capable smartphone without spending significantly, the M4 Pro stands as arguably the best budget LTE option available in early 2022.
Citações Notáveis
If Xiaomi and Poco can fit a headphone jack into an 8mm-thick smartphone, other manufacturers should be able to do it too.— Reviewer's observation on the M4 Pro's design choices
There is no glaring flaw in this smartphone.— Reviewer's overall assessment
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