POCO X8 Pro vs OnePlus Nord 5: best phone for performance under the hood?
POCO unleashed two new performance-focused phones in India: the POCO X8 Pro and POCO X8 Pro Max. POCO is known to offer high-performance specifications at aggressive prices, and it plans to do so with the latest X8 Pro series. Here, the Pro Max model boasts a massive 9,000mAh battery, the new Dimensity 9500s chipset, and a dedicated cooling system for heat dissipation. The X8 Pro is the affordable option of the two and comes in a compact form factor. It’s also priced competitively at Rs 32,999, making it a good contender for a mid-range phone.
To get a better idea of where the POCO X8 Pro stands in its segment, we compare it with the OnePlus Nord 5, a top performer around the same price. Like POCO’s X-series, OnePlus also offers performance-focused phones with its Nord lineup, and at accessible prices.
This is a specs-based comparison, judging both phones based on what they offer on paper. It should still give you a better idea of what you’re getting from each phone.
Table of Contents
Prices
The POCO X8 Pro starts at Rs 32,999 for the base model with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. The top-end 12GB RAM with the same storage capacity is available at Rs 35,999. There’s an Iron Man edition of the POCO X8 Pro, which retails for Rs 37,999.
OnePlus Nord 5 also comes in the same memory configurations, but is priced slightly lower at Rs 31,999 for the base model and Rs 34,999 for the top-end one. The difference is minimal, and the final price would depend on offers and discounts available for both phones.
Design and display
The POCO X8 Pro has a clean and sleek design with flat edges and a pill-shaped camera island. The smartphone comes in black, white, and green colours, and an Iron Man-themed variant as well. It’s also highly durable with IP66, IP68, IP69, and IP69K ratings for dust and water resistance, and Corning Gorilla Glass 7i on the front.
In comparison, the OnePlus Nord 5 also features a clean aesthetic with a tall and sleek form factor. It’s slightly heavier, though, at 211g, than the POCO X8 Pro (201g). The Nord 5 has a similar vertical camera module to the X8 Pro. The smartphone comes in Phantom Grey, Marble Sands, and Black Infinity colours. Its durability isn’t the best, though, as it has only an IP65 rating for dust and water resistance.
Display makes a big difference for both phones, as the POCO X8 Pro features a slightly compact 6.59-inch screen, while the Nord 5 has a bigger 6.8-inch display. It’s an AMOLED panel with a 1.5K resolution, HDR10+ support, an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz, and a peak brightness of 3,500 nits.
The Nord 5’s 6.8-inch display also has 1.5K resolution but with 1,800 nits peak brightness. It has a higher refresh rate of 144Hz, which kicks in while gaming. The Nord 5 also comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 7i protection on top.
The choice here might lie in the display size, with the POCO X8 Pro offering a compact feel, and the Nord 5 for those who prefer a large display. Design, though, might be a differentiating factor as the POCO X8 Pro is more durable for daily use.
Chipset and battery
Performance is where both phones shine. The POCO X8 Pro is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8500 Ultra, a mid-range chipset. It’s said to have scored 2 million+ on the AnTuTu benchmark, which is a very tall claim. The handset comes with LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.1 storage, the best combination you can get. The POCO X8 Pro also features a 3D IceLoop cooling system and a 5,300mm2 vapour chamber for heat dissipation.
In comparison, the OnePlus Nord 5 uses the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 paired with LPDDR5X RAM, but the older UFS 3.1 storage, which means slightly slower data transfer speeds compared to the X8 Pro. It, however, gets a much bigger 7300mm2 vapour chamber, suggesting better thermals than its rival. The smartphone is also claimed to achieve 144FPS on popular titles like COD Mobile, BGMI, and Garena Free Fire Max.
Based on the specs alone, we can say that both phones are beefed up to deliver top-notch performance for gaming and intensive tasks. The Nord 5 might have an edge with its dedicated gaming features. It’s also a battle between MediaTek and Qualcomm here, although a hands-on comparison will give us a better idea.
Battery capacity is almost the same on both phones, with 6,500mAh on the POCO X8 Pro and a slightly larger 6,800mAh battery on the Nord 5. POCO offers faster charging at 100W and 80W on the Nord 5. Large batteries are a trend now, with 7,000mAh becoming the standard for most brands. Both the POCO X8 Pro and OnePlus Nord 5 offer large capacities, enough to sustain an entire day’s worload.
These differences shouldn’t have much of an impact on daily usage, with similar performance for both phones.
Cameras
Neither phone boasts a versatile camera setup, but still capable for casual photography and social media. The POCO X8 Pro has a dual-camera setup with a 50MP primary sensor and an 8MP ultra-wide lens. For selfies, you get a 20MP front camera. Similarly, the OnePlus Nord 5 also offers a 50MP primary camera and an 8MP ultra-wide. The selfie camera is what sets the two phones apart, as the Nord 5 offers a 50MP sensor, which should result in better selfies compared to the POCO phone.
If you’re not too serious about photography or cameras in general, then either phone should be fine. However, those who prioritise selfies may want to consider the Nord 5 since it has a superior sensor.
Software
On the software front, the POCO X8 Pro runs Android 16-based HyperOS 3.0 out of the box. It will get four major OS upgrades and six years of security updates. OnePlus Nord 5 launched with OxygenOS 15 based on Android 15, since it’s months older than the POCO phone. You get the same 4+6 software support with the Nord 5, but it will be behind by one Android version.
Both are custom skins offering several AI features, fluid animations, and a smooth UI overall. The ultimate decision might come to personal preference and longevity, depending on how long you plan to use the phone.
Summing up
The POCO X8 Pro and the OnePlus Nord 5 both look good on paper, with performance and endurance as their strong points. The other things are also appealing, with both phones offering a good-looking design despite packing performance-focused hardware. You get decent cameras, bright displays, and large batteries. If your priorities are a compact form factor, the latest software version, and faster charging, then the POCO X8 Pro is for you. But if you want the best gaming experience, a larger display to watch content, and a slightly bigger battery, then you can consider the OnePlus Nord 5. It’s also priced slightly lower than the POCO X8 Pro.
We would still advise checking out reviews to see which phone gives better value and how.
