It was only at the beginning of 2020 that Poco returned with its X2. Now the Xiaomi offshoot company has revealed the next step in its X series plan: the X3 NFC.

As you can probably predict, it's not hugely different to its predecessor - after all, there's only been six months between the two - rather that the newer handset is being used as the vessel to launch the Qualcomm Snapdragon 723G processor, among some other tweaks.

Here's everything to expect from the Poco X3 NFC.

Design

  • Dimensions: 165.3mm x 76.8mm x 9.4mm / Weight: 215g
  • Finishes: Shadow Gray, Cobalt Blue 
  • Corning Gorilla Glass 5 front 
  • 3.5mm headphone jack
  • Dual Stereo Speakers 
  • USB-C charging
  • NFC

It probably goes without saying that the X3 has NFC technology, as used for payments and quick Bluetooth connectivity. The clue's in the name, right?

In addition there's a 3.5mm headphone jack for wired headphones, while the thickness is up a little compared to its predecessor - that's on account of the increased battery capacity - but that only adds 10g to the overall weight.

It's a good-looking handset with minimal side bezel, no screen notch to get in the way (just a single punch-hole to the top centre), and two finishes in either grey or blue.

Display

  • 6.67-inch LCD screen
  • 1080 x 2400 pixels
  • 120Hz refresh rate
  • 450nits brightness

The Poco X3 NFC's headline feature is the same as its predecessor: a 6.67-inch panel with 120Hz refresh rate, offering a flagship screen experience.

However, this is an LCD panel, not OLED, and it doesn't have a Quad HD resolution either. Hence Poco's fit as a sub-flagship, just as we said of its predecessor.

Processor

  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G, 6GB RAM
  • 64GB/128GB, microSD expansion
  • 5,160mAh battery capacity
  • 33W fast-charging

As we said up top, the X3 NFC is the first to use the Qualcomm SD732G processor. This isn't top-of-the-line SD865 territory, which is fine in balance with the rest of the specification, and there's still no 5G connectivity.

It also comes with what Poco is calling LiquidCool, a liquid cooling system, to keep that processor temperature in check and avoid overheating when you're tasking it with the latest games and apps.

The large screen footprint means there's plenty of space to squeeze in a large battery too, here it's a massive 5,160mAh. The X2 had a 4,500mAh battery, so that's a pretty big jump that should enable longer life per charge.

And when it comes to recharging the 33W fast-charging will come in handy.

Cameras

  • Quad rear cameras:
    • Main: 64-megapixel, f/1.9 aperture
      • Sony IMX682 sensor
    • Wide (13mm): 13MP, f/2.2
    • Macro: 2MP, f/2.4
    • Depth: 2MP, f/2.4
  • Front camera:
    • Main: 20MP, f/2.2

The Poco X3 NFC features four cameras to its rear, arranged just like its X2 predecessor. While two of these are low-resolution to handle macro and depth sensing, it's the main larger-scale sensor that's of the most interest.

This sensor is not only high-resolution, at 64-megapixels, it's also larger than average, making for larger pixel sites and improved quality potential. The default output is a quarter of the full resolution, at 16MP, using a four-in-one processing method to further improve quality. The sensor's surface also uses every pixel for phase-detection autofocus, too, for improved low-light operability.

The ultra-wide camera, at 13-megapixels, also ups the resolution and quality compared to its X2 predecessor. Small steps, but steps forward nonetheless.

Around the front, Poco has stuck with a single 20-megapixel selfie camera, ditching the 2MP depth sensor that was part of theprevious X2 model. That looks much neater in our opinion.

Price & Availability

  • £199/£249

Where the X3 NFC really appeals is with its asking price. In the UK the 64GB model will retail for just £199 (€220/$260) from 17 September (on Amazon and Mi.com). There's also a 128GB model with a £249 asking price - although that's on promo at £229 until 8 October 2020.