POCO has launched the POCO M8 5G in India with clear upgrades from last year’s M7. The M7 ticked the essentials like a big screen and 5G, but the M8 pushes things further with stronger performance, a brighter sharper display, quicker charging, and a longer software promise, making it a more rounded pick for budget and lower mid-range shoppers.
The POCO M8 5G is available at a launch price of Rs 15,999, which is only valid for the first 12 hours. It includes a Rs 2,000 discount on ICICI credit and debit cards. The phone is available in two RAM variants of 6GB and 8GB, and two storage variants of 128GB and 256GB. It goes on sale starting January 13th at 12 noon on Flipkart.
Powering the POCO M8 5G is the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 built on a 4nm process, a clear jump from the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 in the M7. The Cortex-A78 cores mean smoother multitasking, steadier gaming, and snappier responses overall. The M7 handled everyday stuff fine, but the M8 feels built for tougher apps and longer sessions without slowing down.
The screen steps up to a sharper but smaller display. The POCO M8 has a 6.77-inch Full HD+ panel at 2392 x 1080 pixels, with an adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz and 387ppi density. That’s ahead of the M7’s bigger 6.88-inch HD+ IPS LCD. POCO says the M8 hits 3,200 nits peak brightness, and the 3,840Hz PWM dimming and triple TUV Rheinland eye protection certifications make it more suited for outdoor use and long scrolling sessions.
On the camera front, the POCO M8 sticks with a 50MP primary rear camera, similar in resolution to the M7, but now uses a Light Fusion 400 sensor. You get HDR, portrait mode, panorama, dynamic shots, Google Lens, and 4K video in the app. Up front, there’s a 20MP selfie cam instead of the M7’s 8MP, which should make photos and calls sharper.
Battery size is bumped up to 5,520mAh from the M7’s 5,160mAh, but charging is the main upgrade here — 45W fast charging with the charger included, versus the M7’s plain 18W. It also supports 18W reverse charging, which you don’t see much at this price.
Software gets a boost too. It ships with HyperOS 2 and promises four years of Android updates plus six years of security patches. The M7 launched on Android 14 with shorter support.
Design-wise, the M8 is slimmer at 7.35mm and lighter at 178 grams, with an in-display fingerprint sensor, louder dual stereo speakers, tougher glass, and IP65/IP66 dust and water resistance.
The POCO M8 5G gives enough reasons to upgrade to those who thought the M7 was too basic. Sharper brighter screen, faster charging, better speed, nicer cameras, and solid software longevity make it feel more future-proof. However, full reviews will reveal real-world camera quality, stamina under load, and battery runtime against the competition in this packed segment.
POCO M8 Images
