With the new X-series, Poco has launched its first global mid-tier devices for 2023, yet again seeking to deliver performance beyond what you'd expect from the pricetag. The Xiaomi sub-brand has kicked off its year with the Poco X5 and the Poco X5 Pro, but exactly how do the two compare? Should you go with the regular, cheaper model or spend a bit extra and grab the Pro? We compare the details.

Design

  • X5 Pro: 162.9 x 76.0 x 7.9mm - 181g - Gorilla Glass 5 front
  • X5: 165.9 x 76.2 x 7.9mm - 189g - Gorilla Glass 3 front
  • Both: 3.5mm headphone port - Physical fingerprint sensor
  • X5 Pro: Yellow, Black and Blue colours - Plastic back and sides
  • X5: Green, Black and Blue colours - Plastic back and sides

It's clear from looking at the back of these two phones that they belong in the same family. They have that instantly recognisable blacked-out rectangle stamped on the back containing the protruding triple camera and the large Poco brand name. Both also have 3.5mm headphone ports on the top edge and physical fingerprint sensors on the side.

Both are also built from similar materials. You get glass on the front and plastic around the sides and on the back; although the flavour of glass is different. The Pro model features a newer Gorilla Glass 5, where the X5 regular has Gorilla Glass 3. That should mean the screen on the more expensive model is more durable.

While the materials are very similar, they do feel quite different when held, if only because of the shaping of the rear panel. The X5 Pro has a completely flat back with right-angled edges. The X5 has curves towards the edges, which help it feel a bit more comfortable in the hand.

Otherwise the other main difference - apart from the X5 being slightly taller than the X5 Pro - is the range of colours. Both come in black and blue variants, but the Pro comes in Poco's iconic yellow and black colourway, and the X5's third variant is green.

Display, media and software

  • Both: 6.67-inch AMOLED display - 2400 x 1080 - 120Hz refresh rates
  • X5 Pro: 10-bit colour depth - 5,000,000:1 contrast - 900 nits peak
  • X5: No 10-bit colour - 4,500,000:1 contrast - 1200 nits peak
  • X5 Pro: Stereo loudspeakers - MIUI 14 based on Android 13
  • X5: Single loudspeaker - MIUI 13 based on Android 12

Look at the basic specs, the two phones feature very similar displays. Both phones have a 6.67-inch AMOLED panel, and both feature FullHD+ (2400 x 1080) resolution and support up to 120Hz refresh rates.

The quality of those panels - in terms of colour and contrast - is different, however. The Pro model can support 10-bit colour depth - that's up to 1 billion colours - where the regular X5 does not. X5 Pro also has higher contrast ratio, but a peak brightness that's not quite as bright as the 1200 nits on the X5.

Another major difference on the media side is that the X5 Pro also features a dual speaker set up for stereo sound. Both the top and bottom edge feature speakers, while the regular X5 only features a speaker on the bottom edge.

One area we'd assume two phones launched in the same series would be the same is in software. Except, rather confusingly, it's not in the case. The Pro model runs the latest version of Xiaomi's MIUI skin for Poco: MIUI 14 built on Android 13, whereas the Poco X5 is running the previous year's software: MIUI 13 based on Android 12.

Performance and battery

  • X5 Pro: Snapdragon 778G processor - 6GB/128GB or 8GB/256GB
  • X5: Snapdragon 695 processor - 6GB/128GB or 8GB/256GB - MicroSD card slot
  • X5 Pro: 5000mAh battery - 67W fast charging
  • X5: 5000mAh battery - 33W fast charging

In every department, there are some clear similarities between the X5 and the X5 Pro, but also some key differentiators. The same is true when comparing the internal hardware and performance specs.

As is fairly standard, the 'Pro' model in the range features a more powerful processor than the regular model. In this instance, that means the Snapdragon 778G in the X5 Pro and the Snapdragon 695 in the X5. Otherwise, the two are very similar.

Both models feature either 6GB RAM and 128GB storage or 8GB RAM and 256GB storage, and both also borrow 3GB from the storage for a feature called Dynamic RAM, essentially giving you 8GB RAM or 11GB RAM.

If 128GB or 256GB isn't enough storage for you, only the regular Poco X5 will let you add to that through MicroSD card expansion. It's the only one of the two with a MicroSD slot, and it can support cards up to a mega 1TB in size.

Another similarity is battery. Both have a 5000mAh cell, which should be more than enough to get even the busiest users through a day, but there is one clear winner when it comes to refilling that battery when it's empty.

The Poco X5 Pro features Xiaomi's 67W fast charging tech, which means a full charge from empty in under 40 minutes. The regular X5 has 33W which - while still relatively speedy - isn't quite as quick to do a full charge.

Cameras

  • X5 Pro: 108MP primary - 8MP ultrawide - 2MP macro
  • X5: 48MP f/1.8 primary - 8MP ultrawide - 2MP macro
  • X5 Pro: 16MP selfie camera
  • X5: 13MP selfie camera

Comparing cameras, there's only one difference that really stands out: the primary camera. On the Pro you get a larger sensor which packs in a massive 108-megapixels. Of course, it uses pixel binning to combine those to create fewer, larger pixels. The regular Poco X5 has a 48-megapixel primary sensor.

Apart from that - again - the two phones are similar. The second and third cameras on both phones are the same. You get an 8-megapixel ultrawide and a low resolution 2-megapixel macro. In our testing so far, neither of those two additional cameras is all that wonderful, but can be handy to have when you're in need of a wider shot or if you need to get closer to your subject.

As for selfie cameras, it's 16-megapixels in the front camera on the Pro and 13-megapixels on the Poco X5.

Conclusion

On the surface, it's clear which of these two is the better phone, and it's no real surprise. The X5 Pro has faster charging, a faster processor, a better display and a better primary camera. It also runs a more current version of MIUI software.

Poco X5 does have appeal though. It's a cheaper phone, and for some, budgetary considerations matter more than gaining a few nice-to-have features. Plus, with its microSD card slot, it's the only one of the two that allows storage expansion.