Xiaomi Poco X5 Pro Blue 256GB

Great screen, great battery, meh everything else. The Poco X5 Pro is a battery champ with a 2021 brain.

The Snapdragon 778G handles daily scrolling and social media fine, but it sits at the 56th percentile for performance in our database. That's about average, which is fine for the price, but don't expect flagship smoothness. The 8GB of RAM helps multitasking, and UFS 2.2 storage is solid but not blazing. Gaming is a mixed bag at 50.5 out of 100, so casual titles are fine, but heavy games will chug. The 5000mAh battery is the real star here, landing in the 89th percentile, and 67W charging means you'll go from dead to mostly full in under an hour.

Against the OnePlus 15 or Pixel 10 Pro XL, the Poco X5 Pro gets smoked in performance and camera consistency, but those phones cost two to three times as much. The real competition is other mid-rangers in the $400 range. The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is a different universe entirely, and the Pixel 10 Pro and iPhone 17 are both flagship heavyweights that cost way more. If you want a big AMOLED screen and long battery life without spending flagship money, the Poco X5 Pro does that. But if you care about gaming or long-term software support, look elsewhere.

At $411 USD, this is a tough sell against newer mid-rangers with better chips. The display and battery are legitimately good, but the performance ceiling and mediocre build quality hold it back. If you can find it on sale for under $350, it becomes a much more interesting option. At full price, you're paying for the screen and battery while accepting compromises everywhere else.

The Poco X5 Pro is a mid-range phone that punches above its weight in a few key areas, but it's not the budget miracle some folks hope for. The one thing to know: you're getting a gorgeous 6.7-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh and a 108MP main camera for a price that undercuts flagships by hundreds. But the Snapdragon 778G is a 2021 chip, and it shows when you push it.

If you're a heavy gamer or someone who keeps their phone for three-plus years, this isn't it. The Snapdragon 778G is already showing its age, and the build quality won't win any durability awards. Go get a Pixel 8a or a OnePlus Nord instead, you'll get a newer chip and better long-term support for similar money.

The Poco X5 Pro is a decent phone with a great screen and excellent battery life, but the aging processor and flimsy build keep it from being a clear winner. Buy it if you prioritize display quality and battery endurance over raw performance. If you want a phone that'll still feel snappy in two years, spend a bit more on something with a newer chip.