Review Summary
Expert Rating
The new POCO M6 5G lands squarely in the budget 5G segment, which is a price bracket that can do with more options for sure. That’s not to say the new smartphone doesn’t face any competition. In fact, much like its Pro sibling, the POCO M6 5G shares its specs with a Redmi phone (can you guess the name?). Since we have already reviewed the Redmi device, this will be a brief review.
For more in-depth analysis, we suggest you check out our Redmi 13C 5G review. That’s the device the POCO M6 5G share a lot of similarities with, except for the design. Additionally, if it is of any significance to you, the availability of the two smartphones also differs. The Redmi 13C 5G is Amazon exclusive, whereas the POCO M6 is available in India on Flipkart.
Here’s our quick review of the POCO M6 5G:
Table of Contents
Verdict
Similarities aside, the POCO M6 5G emerges as a promising smartphone. The device delivers respectable performance and battery life. While the camera and viewing experience may not be exceptional, considering the price, you couldn’t ask for more.
Design and display
If you are a fan of a dual-tone design, the POCO M6 5G might appeal to you more than the Redmi 13C 5G. Typical to other POCO devices, the smartphone also comes with a rectangular bar (in this case it is black) with two camera rings and an LED flash. There is AI CAM, 50MP, and POCO text also etched on that bar.
I got the Orion Blue colour variant of the smartphone for review, which offers a gradient finish when light hits the surface. Speaking of the surface, the phone is a magnet to fingerprints and smudges. Additionally, there is no IP rating so you might want to keep the phone away from water and dust. The edges of the POCO M6 are flat, which makes it relatively easy to grip the phone, and its plastic build facilitates prolonged usage without causing strain on your wrist. The handset weighs just 195 grams.
The POCO M6 5G sports a 6.74-inch LCD display with HD+ resolution, 90Hz refresh rate, U-shape notch for the selfie camera, and thick bezels. The display contributes a somewhat average experience but is respectable for the price. The colours look nicely balanced, and the brightness appears decent for outdoor visibility.
Complimenting the display is a single mono-firing speaker, which gets plenty loud if not crisp. The handset is equipped with a reliable side-mounted fingerprint scanner for security.
Cameras
The camera setup on the POCO M6 5G includes a 50MP AI primary sensor paired with a 2MP depth unit and a 5MP selfie snapper. Daylight shots look acceptable despite a general lack of details and sharpness, whereas the colours look oversaturated. Indoors and low-light shots have considerable noise, which you can counter only to an extent with night mode at the expense of stability. As for selfies, they also lack clarity and skin tones might not look accurate. Overall, the POCO M6 photography capabilities are decent, nothing extraordinary, as expected from an entry-level smartphone.
Performance and software
Much like the Redmi 13C, the POCO M6 5G is powered by MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ SoC. This is aided by up to 8GB of RAM, 8GB of virtual RAM, and 256 GB of user-expandable storage. In terms of software, the handset runs Android 13-based MIUI 14 out of the box.
The handset performs optimally for the price. Naturally, some bloatware/ pre-installed apps hinder the overall experience. Be that as it may, the phone is ideal for most everyday activities including browsing, social media scrolling, messaging, and more. You can also play graphically-demanding games on this device games, albeit with a bit of restrictions.
Battery and charging speeds
The POCO M6 5G ships with a typical 5,000mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging. However, for some reason, POCO ships a 10W charger with the box, leading to a charging time of over two hours for a full 0-100 percent charge. Using a compatible 18W adapter should complete the job within 90 minutes.
Once fully charged, the POCO M6 5G should provide a backup of at least a day between charges. The handset achieved a score of 9 hours and 35 minutes on the PC Mark battery test.
Final verdict
As good as the POCO M6 5G is for a budget user, it isn’t an easy recommendation. You see the phone has been priced at Rs 10,499 for the base 4GB RAM and 64GB storage variant. For an additional Rs 500, you can opt for the POCO M6 Pro (review) with the same RAM and storage configuration. The M6 Pro offers an improved viewing experience, better performance, enhanced selfie capabilities, and faster charging speeds with the provided 22.5W charger even though the smartphone supports 18W. Additionally, the handset is IP53 splash-resistant certified.
The POCO M6 also receives tough competition from the iTel P55 (review), which is equally good but achieves a better AnTuTu and Geekbench score. That being said, the iTel smartphone lacks the distinctive dual-tone finish found in its POCO counterpart. If this aesthetic feature appeals to you and you are super tight on budget, then the POCO M6 is worth considering. The handset is currently available for as low as Rs 9,499 for ICICI debit and credit card users as part of the introductory offer.
Editor’s rating: 7.5 / 10
Reasons to buy
- The phone’s dual-tone finish looks quite appealing.
- The handset’s performance is ideal for most everyday activities.
- The battery should easily last up to a day on regular usage.
Reasons not to buy
- The software offers a bloated experience with pre-installed apps.
- The handset takes over two hours for a full charge with its 10W adaptor.
 | Rs. 9,440.00 | Go To Store |
