New Poco M5 and M5s are budget gaming phones with huge batteries
Xiaomi’s sub-brand Poco is primarily known for launching gaming and performance-oriented phones. While the brand initially only released phones meant for the mid-to-upper segment of the market, it has also expanded to budget devices in recent years. Following the launch of thePoco M4 late last year, the company is now debuting the Poco M5 and Poco M5s. Its latest budget offerings pack a decent amount of horsepower despite their inexpensive price tag.
Dimensions
163.99 x 76.09 x 8.75mm, 201g
MediaTek Helio G99
64/128GB UFS 2.2
6.58-inch FHD+ 90Hz LCD panel, Gorilla Glass
5,000mAh, 18W charging
Front camera
Rear cameras
50MP f/1.8, 2MP macro, 2MP depth
Connectivity
Dual 4G Standby, VoLTE, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC
Android 12-based MIUI 13
USB Type-C, 3.5mm headphone jack, IR blaster
Biometrics
Side-mounted fingerprint reader, Face unlock
Yellow, Black, Green
Ticking inside the Poco M5 is MediaTek’s most powerful G series chipset: the Helio G99. Based on the 6nm TSMC node, it packs an octa-core CPU consisting of two high-performance Cortex-A76 cores running at 2.2GHz and six Cortex-A53 cores. This is paired with an Arm Mali-G57 MC2 GPU and 4/6GB RAM. The Gorilla Glass panel at the front protects a 6.58-inch FHD+ 90Hz LCD. Poco says the display can adjust the refresh rate to 30, 60, and 90Hz depending on the content being viewed. Powering the device is a beefy 5,000mAh battery that supports 18W fast charging, though the in-box charger is rated for 22.5W output.
The back panel’s leather finish is a crucial design highlight of the Poco M5. Like the entire phone, the panel is also made of plastic, but it has been designed to look like leather. The rear of the Poco M5 houses a triple-camera setup, which consists of a 50MP primary camera, a 2MP depth camera, and a 2MP macro camera. For selfie purposes, there’s a 5MP f/2.2 shooter.
160.46 x 74.5 x 8.29mm, 178.8g
MediaTek Helio G95
6.43-inch FHD+ AMOLED, Gorilla Glass 3
5,000mAh, 33W charging
13MP f/2.4
64MP f/1.8, 8MP f/2.2 118° ultra-wide, 2MP depth, 2MP macro
Dual 4G Standby, VoLTE, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC
USB Type-C, 3.5mm headphone jack, IR blaster, dual speakers
Grey, White, and Blue
The Poco M5s will offer a better experience if performance is not your primary requirement. It packs an older Helio G95 chipset but comes with a 6.43-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a claimed peak brightness of 1100 nits and a more versatile quad-rear camera setup. This includes a 64MP f/1.8 primary shooter, an 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide, and 2MP depth and macro sensors. At the front, there’s a 13MP f/2.4 selfie snapper.
Like the Poco M5, the M5s also houses a 5,000mAh battery inside its IP53-certified body. It supports faster 33W charging speeds, which the company claims can top up the cell to 100% in just over an hour.
None of the two phones announced today feature 5G, which is odd given that the Poco M4 lineup had 5G connectivity.
Pricing for the Poco M5s starts from €210 / £180 for the entry-level variant with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. The 128GB model will cost €230 / £200. For the regular Poco M5, you will pay €190 / £190. There’s currently no sign of these phones arriving in the United States, where Poco doesn’t often sell its devices.
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