POCO C71 review: a swift, stylish budget device

Budget smartphones have been consistently improving over the past couple of years—so much so that the user experience of a new budget device can be surprisingly good and, in some cases, on par with more expensive devices. This was pretty much my reaction when I reviewed the POCO C71, priced just under Rs 7,000.

After spending a few days with the device, I can see it suitable for many budget-conscious and entry-level users. Let’s also talk about who might want to consider other options.

Verdict

The POCO C71 offers a large display, smooth performance, and a stylish design at a highly affordable price. While the cameras and charging speed are average at best, it is a good pick for anyone seeking a lag-free, budget-friendly smartphone.

Design and display

The design is easily one of the best parts of the POCO C71. It features a dual-tone look, with one end of the rear panel sporting a grill-like pattern that really makes the design pop. The camera island is also quite large, with a slightly raised module that houses both lenses, along with a flash unit next to them. It may also remind you of the iPhone 16’s vertically stacked dual-camera cutouts.

The metal-like finish does a good job of resisting smudges and fingerprints, and despite its size, the phone feels light in the hand.

An odd design choice is the inclusion of a top-firing single speaker rather than a down-firing one. At the bottom, you get a USB-C port and a 3.5mm headphone jack, while the SIM tray is on the left edge. On the right, you’ll find the volume rocker and power button. The latter also doubles as a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, which works quite well.

The phone features a large 6.8-inch LCD panel with a teardrop notch, which is something I’d like to see change. The panel has an HD+ resolution (1640 x 720), 600 nits of peak brightness, and a 120Hz refresh rate. The high refresh rate and brightness help deliver a decent visual experience, at least indoors. Visibility does take a hit under direct sunlight, which isn’t ideal, although not something unique to the POCO C71.

The panel tends to look a bit washed out compared to rivals like the itel A80. The mono speaker is serviceable, but the audio quality isn’t the best, even though the volume level is decent. In fact, our lab test shows that most of the rivals in the segment offer louder sound output than the POCO C71.

Cameras

The POCO C71 features a 32MP rear camera and an 8MP selfie lens. While most phones in this segment now offer at least a 50MP main camera, the lower megapixel count here likely helps keep the pricing more aggressive. That said, numbers are not everything. The POCO C71 primary camera performs reasonably well, delivering decent shots in good lighting, provided you have a little patience for stability.

Regular photos in good light turn out fine, with punchy colours and balanced exposure, though the level of detail can be improved. The selfie camera is surprisingly more reliable, capturing appealing shots with decent detail and accurate colours. Low-light performance is seldom a strength among budget smartphones, which is also true here.

I compared the phone’s cameras against the itel A80 (review), and here’s how it fared: 

Daylight

In terms of colour science, both the POCO C71 and itel A80 lean towards warmer tones, although the latter’s saturation is slightly more aggressive. The POCO C71’s image offers better exposure and brightness, but the details aren’t up to the mark. Objects appear softer and less defined compared to the itel A80.

Portrait

Both phones struggle with portrait shots, particularly when it comes to edge detection. Neither manages to cleanly separate the subject from the background, though the itel A80 fares slightly worse in this area. In terms of colour, both tend to oversaturate, but the itel A80 handles skin tones a bit better. Facial details are lacking on both devices, which isn’t surprising given the price point.

Selfie

Selfies turn out surprisingly well on both phones. The POCO C71’s image looks a bit washed out due to its higher exposure, while the itel A80 introduces a yellow tint that makes the shot appear less natural. Both phones offer similar levels of facial detail, but the POCO C71’s selfie looks a bit more realistic overall.

Low-light

I kept my expectations in check going into the low-light test, and both phones delivered performance that was about what I’d expected. The POCO C71 and itel A80 both reproduce colours fairly close to the actual scene, but the C71’s image comes out softer and with less detail. The itel A80 handles night shots better overall, offering more clarity and sharper results.

Performance and software

The POCO C71 comes with an entry-level Unisoc T7250 processor, paired with up to 6GB of LPDDR4X RAM and up to 128GB of eMMC 5.1 storage. You also get the option to expand storage further using a microSD card, if needed. The chipset is fairly basic, but it’s backed by an extremely lightweight OS, which helps it perform fluidly for day-to-day tasks and browsing. The phone’s smoothness is easily the best I’ve experienced yet in this price range, and there were no major performance dips or lags. 

You can also get away with some light multitasking, though I wouldn’t push it too much. My general browsing experience with the phone can be summed up in one word: fluid, which is not something you usually associate with budget devices, especially those priced under Rs 8,000. Truly impressive! 

If you’re into gaming, it’s best to stick to lighter 3D titles like Candy Crush or endless runners. If you enjoy FPS games, COD: Mobile and BGMI are playable on low graphical settings.

As I mentioned earlier, the OS is the real hero here. It ships with Android 15 (Go edition), with minimal pre-installed apps, and the overall experience is clean and clutter-free. Since this is the Go version, you won’t get access to the new AI features that come with the standard Android 15, which is fine considering the price.

Even so, you won’t run into issues with regular use, as it is more than enough for most everyday tasks. That said, the lack of an App Lock feature did bug me a bit. On the plus side, long-term software support is excellent and easily among the best in this price segment! Do note, the phone lacks 5G support, for which you might need to increase your budget.

Battery and charging

The phone features a 5,200mAh battery with 15W charging support, and a charging brick is included in the box. The phone performed decently in our PCMark battery benchmark and showed impressive resilience in our real-world tests. With 2 hours of heavy usage, the phone dropped just 23 percent, which is slightly better than the segment average.

Charging speed, however, is the real pain point here. The phone can take over 2 hours to charge from 20 to 100 percent. This is definitely one area where budget phones still have some catching up to do, as the speed here is quite average for the price.

Final verdict

The POCO C71 is currently retailing for Rs 6,499 for the 4GB+128GB variant and Rs 7,499 for the 6GB+128GB variant. Its key competitor at this price is the itel A80 (review) — a decent budget device that offers better cameras and a higher IP rating. So, if those are your priorities, the itel A80 might be the better fit.

The POCO C71’s strengths lie in its large display, attractive design, and smooth performance that minimises lag and offers a fluid, engaging user experience. For budget devices, being swift and responsive is often more valuable, as it helps the phone remain usable even after future software updates. However, its camera quality and slow charging speed are trade-offs worth keeping in mind.

If you’re on a strict budget and want a reliable device that performs well, stays lag-free, and looks good while doing it, the POCO C71 is hard to beat. 

Editor’s Rating: 7.8 / 10

Reasons to buy:

• One of the best designs in its price range.
• Large 120Hz display for smooth multimedia use.
• Android 15 GO with 2 major OS updates promised.
• Clean, fluid OS for basic productivity.

Reasons not to buy:

• Cameras lack detail, even in good lighting.
• Slow charging speed, which takes around 2 hours to recharge fully.