Some phones arrive quietly in one corner of the world and then travel outward, carrying the promises their makers printed on the box. The Poco X8s, unveiled in China in late October, has now crossed into Europe, opening in Germany with a launch price and an early offer that will not wait for latecomers. Its most notable claim is a telephoto lens, a feature the X series had never carried before, even on its more expensive siblings. Such moments mark the ordinary patience of consumer markets, where a device becomes available to a new public and must now earn its place among the many choices alre
Poco X8s Arrives in Europe with a Telephoto Lens, Starting at £349 Early-Bird Pricing
The first X-series phone with a telephoto lens
Why is a telephoto lens on a Poco X phone worth noting?
Because it's a first for the X series. Even the X8 Pro and X8 Pro Max don't have one, so the cheaper-named X8s gets a feature the higher models skip.
What does the telephoto actually offer?
A 50MP sensor with 2.5x optical zoom, next to a 50MP main camera with OIS and an 8MP ultrawide.
Worth saying that's a spec sheet. Nothing here tells us how the camera performs in real shooting.
Fair. What about price?
£349 or €429.90 for 256GB and 8GB RAM, and £449 or €519.90 for 512GB and 12GB.
And those are early-bird prices. The source doesn't say when the deal ends, so I wouldn't treat them as permanent.
Anything buyers might miss?
No charger in the box in Europe, even though the phone supports 100W wired charging.
Also, only Germany is confirmed so far. Other European markets haven't been named.
Il Polso
- The Poco X8s has landed in Germany, and European buyers are being invited to act before an early-bird discount slips away.
- It is the first X-series phone with a telephoto camera, a detail that sets it apart even from the X8 Pro and X8 Pro Max.
- Two storage tiers are on offer, with prices starting at £349 or €429.90 and climbing to £449 or €519.90 for the larger model.
- The 100W charging rating arrives without a charger in the European box, so buyers must find their own power source.
- Whether the deal lasts and whether other European markets follow Germany remains unsettled, leaving the rollout's full shape still open.
Some phones arrive quietly in one corner of the world and then travel outward, carrying the promises their makers printed on the box. The Poco X8s, unveiled in China in late October, has now crossed into Europe, opening in Germany with a launch price and an early offer that will not wait for latecomers. Its most notable claim is a telephoto lens, a feature the X series had never carried before, even on its more expensive siblings. Such moments mark the ordinary patience of consumer markets, where a device becomes available to a new public and must now earn its place among the many choices already on offer.
The Poco X8s has reached Europe, and Germany is the first market to receive it. Poco unveiled the phone in China in late October, and now a limited early-bird offer is welcoming European buyers. The source notes that the deal will not stay open for long, which gives the launch a sense of urgency.
The phone comes in two versions. The 256GB model with 8GB of RAM costs £349 or €429.90, while the 512GB model with 12GB of RAM costs £449 or €519.90. Its most distinctive feature is a 50MP telephoto lens with 2.5x optical zoom, the first in the X series, sitting beside a 50MP main camera and an 8MP ultrawide. The front camera is 20MP.
The 6.35-inch LTPO AMOLED screen refreshes between 1Hz and 120Hz and reaches 3,500 nits of peak brightness. Inside is a Snapdragon 7 Gen 4, a 6,330 mAh silicon-carbon battery, 100W wired charging and IP68 protection. The phone runs Xiaomi HyperOS 3 on Android 16.
Buyers should note one practical detail: the European box contains no charger. Given the phone's fast-charging rating, anyone without a compatible adapter will need to budget for one. What remains unknown is when the early-bird pricing ends and whether other European countries will soon follow Germany.
The Poco X8s has reached Europe, with Germany the first market to get it. Poco introduced the phone in late October, and the European rollout begins with an early-bird offer that the source says will not last long.
Two configurations are listed. The 256GB model with 8GB of RAM is priced at £349, or €429.90. The 512GB model with 12GB of RAM costs £449, or €519.90. The listings come from affiliate partners, and the publication notes it may earn a commission on qualifying sales.
The phone's main distinction within its own family is the camera. It is the first model in the Poco X series to carry a telephoto lens, a feature that even the X8 Pro and X8 Pro Max lack. The telephoto is a 50MP sensor with 2.5x optical zoom. It sits alongside a 50MP main camera with a 1/1.55-inch sensor and optical image stabilization, plus an 8MP ultrawide. The front camera is 20MP.
The screen is a 6.35-inch LTPO AMOLED panel with a resolution of 1220x2656. Its refresh rate adapts between 1Hz and 120Hz, and peak brightness is rated at 3,500 nits. The chipset is the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4, paired with up to 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage.
Battery capacity is 6,330 mAh, using silicon-carbon technology. It supports 100W wired charging and 22.5W reverse wired charging. The phone is rated IP68 for dust and water resistance, and it ships with Xiaomi HyperOS 3, which is based on Android 16.
Physically, the X8s has an aluminum frame and measures 8.06mm thick. It weighs 187g. It has an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner, stereo speakers, NFC and an IR blaster. It comes in white, blue and black.
One detail will matter to buyers: Poco does not include a charger in the box in Europe. The source calls that unsurprising, in line with how many manufacturers now sell phones in the region. Given the 100W charging rating, anyone without a compatible charger will need to account for that separately.
The early-bird pricing is time-limited, and the source does not say when it ends or whether other European countries will follow Germany. Those are the points to watch as the rollout continues.