Weeks after teasing the lineup, the POCO X8 Pro series has finally gone official in India. Judging by their specifications, the handsets, namely POCO X8 Pro and POCO X8 Pro Max, appear to live up to their tagline – “All Power, No BS”. The mid-range POCO X8 Pro Max rocks the latest sub-flagship MediaTek Dimensity 9500s SoC under the hood, while its younger sibling is powered by another latest and capable offering from MediaTek, Dimensity 8500 Ultra SoC. Both smartphones boast massive battery packs, fast RAM and storage types, and 120 fps gaming.
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Similarities
The POCO X8 Pro and X8 Pro Max debut with a near-identical design, featuring a clean aesthetic, flat edges, and a compact pill-shaped rear camera module. The rear cameras have dynamic RGB lights for gaming lighting effects, notifications, call reminders, rhythmic light effects, and more.
On the front, both devices sport a centred punch-hole display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 7i. The handsets also come with IP66, IP68, IP69, and IP69K ratings, offering protection not only against dust and water but also against high-temperature, high-pressure water jets.
Both smartphones run Android 16-based HyperOS 3.0 out of the box, with a promise of four major OS upgrades and six years of security updates. For photography, the X8 Pro series features a dual-rear camera setup consisting of a 50MP primary sensor and an 8MP ultra-wide lens. The X8 Pro Max uses the LightFusion 600 sensor as its primary camera, while the standard X8 Pro is equipped with the Sony IMX882.
For selfies and video calls, both devices feature a 20MP front camera. While the rear cameras support 4K video recording at up to 60fps, the front camera is limited to 1080p recording at 60fps.
The displays share many similarities, though the X8 Pro Max features a larger 6.83-inch AMOLED panel compared to the X8 Pro’s 6.59-inch AMOLED screen. Both displays offer a 1.5K resolution, HDR10+ support, an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz, and a peak brightness of 3,500 nits. Additionally, the panels carry TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light, Flicker-Free, and Circadian Friendly certifications.
Both smartphones come with the latest connectivity options, including Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth v6, 5G, and NFC support for digital payments.
What truly sets these phones apart?
The major difference between the POCO X8 Pro and X8 Pro Max is the chipset. The X8 Pro is powered by a mid-range MediaTek Dimensity 8500 Ultra SoC, whereas the X8 Pro Max rocks a more powerful MediaTek Dimensity 9500s SoC under the hood. Both of them are the latest chipsets, so they will need some real-world testing to gauge their actual performance. POCO claims the X8 Pro Max can deliver more than 3 million AnTuTu score, while the X8 Pro is rated to offer 2 million+.
The POCO X8 Pro Max also comes with faster 12GB LPDDR5X Ultra RAM and up to 512GB UFS 4.1 storage. The X8 Pro, on the other hand, is equipped with relatively lower speed 8GB/12GB LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB UFS 4.1 storage. While both smartphones feature the same 3D IceLoop cooling system, the X8 Pro Max gets a slightly larger vapour chamber — 5,800mm2 compared to 5,300mm2 on the X8 Pro. On paper, this should give the Max model a slight edge in thermal efficiency.
Additionally, the POCO X8 Pro Max boasts a massive 9,000mAh battery, which is the second largest in a commercially available smartphone. Since it is a silicone-carbon battery, it doesn’t bulk up the phone or make it heavy to carry around. The X8 Pro Max slots 220 grams in the weighing scale and is just 8.2mm thick. The handset supports 100W fast charging and 27W reverse charging.
The X8 Pro ships with the same battery type, but lower in capacity at 6,500mAh. Interestingly, the phone is relatively thicker with 8.38mm thickness, but weighs less at 201 grams. The charging capabilities are the same as the Pro Max model.
Even though both smartphones feature an in-display fingerprint scanner, the POCO X8 Pro Max should offer faster and more reliable unlocking thanks to its ultrasonic sensor. The X8 Pro, on the other hand, uses a standard optical in-display fingerprint scanner.
Price, availability, and colour options
The POCO X8 Pro is priced in India at Rs 32,999 for the base 8GB RAM variant, while the top-end 12GB RAM option costs Rs 35,999. The handset is available in black, white, and green colour variants. There is also a special Iron Man edition of the smartphone, which comes with just a 12GB configuration and will set you back to Rs 37,999. The POCO X8 Pro Max, on the other hand, comes with a sticker price of Rs 42,999 for the 256GB storage option and Rs 46,999 for the 512GB storage. The handset comes in black, white, and blue colourways.
As part of the launch offers, the handsets are available with SBI, ICICI, and HDFC bank discounts of Rs 3,000, effectively bringing the X8 Pro series down to as low as Rs 29,999. The handsets will be available for sale exclusively via Flipkart from March 23rd, 12 pm onwards.
If you’re looking for a big-battery smartphone without compromising on performance, the POCO X8 Pro Max could be a solid choice. The handset undercuts its closest performance-focused rival, the iQOO 15R (review), which rocks the Snapdragon 8 Elite 5 SoC under the hood.
While the POCO X8 Pro may not match its elder sibling in raw power, it still stands out as a compelling option for its price. The handset is likely to compete against the OPPO K13 Turbo Pro (review), which is a gaming-focused smartphone in the sub-Rs 40,000 segment with Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 ticking at its core.
Stay tuned to 91mobiles for the full review, where we’ll break down their real-world performance and see how they stack up against the competition.
POCO X8 Pro Max Images
