Poco X4 Pro Review: Premium Display and 5G Can't Offset Performance Dip

Poco unveiled the X4 Pro at Mobile World Congress 2022 in Barcelona, and within days the company had sent a review unit to Android Headlines. The phone arrives at a curious moment in the mid-range smartphone market—it's a device that improves in some ways while stepping backward in others, and understanding which direction matters most depends entirely on what you actually do with your phone.

The X4 Pro is, in the most straightforward sense, a rebranded Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G with cosmetic tweaks. The front, sides, buttons, SIM tray, cameras, and 6.67-inch AMOLED screen are identical between the two phones. Poco has simply adopted a newer design language for 2022, moving away from the curved aesthetic that defined the X3 Pro and toward a squarer, more contemporary look. The quad-camera module now sits in a layout borrowed from the M4 Pro series, and the branding feels more cohesive with Poco's current design direction. On paper, this modernization is welcome. In practice, Poco made a questionable call with the glossy black backplate on the review unit—it's a fingerprint magnet compared to the matte finish on last year's X3 Pro or the Redmi's Phantom Black option. The phone comes in Laser Black, Laser Blue, and Poco Yellow, with the blue variant likely the more visually appealing choice.

The display is where Poco has genuinely invested. The screen size stays at 6.67 inches, but the technology jumps to AMOLED with a 120Hz refresh rate and peaks at 1200 nits of brightness. It's a stellar panel—vivid indoors, readable in sunlight, and capable of dimming substantially in dark rooms. The only step down is the protective glass, which drops from Gorilla Glass 6 to version 5. For most users, this won't matter. For those who've experienced the durability difference, it's worth noting.

The processor change is the story that matters most for certain buyers. The X3 Pro packed a Snapdragon 8XX series chip—older by 2021 standards but genuinely powerful. The X4 Pro switches to the Snapdragon 695, which is noticeably slower. Geekbench 5 multi-core scores fall from 2575 to around 2084, a roughly 20 percent drop. During everyday use—browsing, streaming, scrolling—the review unit with 6GB of RAM handled tasks without stuttering. Gaming is different. Medium settings are now the realistic ceiling rather than high settings, and anyone serious about mobile gaming will feel the downgrade. For someone upgrading from an older device, the day-to-day experience won't feel like a step backward. For X3 Pro owners, it's a genuine compromise.

Battery life remains solid despite the processor change. The capacity dips slightly from 5160 mAh to 5000 mAh, but the more efficient Snapdragon 695 and the AMOLED display keep endurance roughly equal to last year. With 67W fast charging, the phone reaches 70 percent in 22 minutes, meaning a full day of moderate use is realistic without reaching for the charger. The trade-off is 5G connectivity, which adds some power drain, but for most users the phone will survive a full day without drama.

The camera setup is mixed. The main sensor jumps to 108MP, a meaningful upgrade. The ultrawide and macro cameras carry over from the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G with identical hardware. The selfie camera is a slight downgrade from the X3 Pro, and Poco's front-facing camera game remains uninspired. Video recording loses 4K capability—the processor can't handle it—but 1080p with Dolby Atmos support is competent from the rear camera. Overall, the camera changes don't clearly favor either the X3 Pro or X4 Pro; they're lateral moves in different directions.

Software and connectivity round out the package. The X4 Pro runs MIUI 13.0.3 Global with the February 2022 security patch, and Poco has kept the dual stereo speakers and headphone jack intact—features increasingly rare in this price segment. The Hi-Res audio certification remains. 5G is now available, though in testing the download speeds were unremarkable, comparable to a Pixel 6 on the same network. The device includes all the expected connectivity options: NFC, Bluetooth, IR blaster, and Xiaomi's screen-sharing features.

The verdict hinges on price and timing. The X3 Pro was easy to recommend in 2021. The X4 Pro costs roughly $100 more and makes genuine trade-offs—a processor downgrade for a display upgrade, 5G for gaming performance. The design is fresher, the screen is better, the charging is faster, and the main camera is improved. But the fingerprint-prone back is a misstep, and the performance loss will sting for certain users. Poco's own sibling, the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G, offers the same internals with more RAM and a matte finish at roughly the same price. If you can catch the X4 Pro during early-bird pricing, it's a solid deal. Once that window closes, the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G becomes the harder choice to ignore.