Poco M5 review: Budget phone with unique design, but no 5G

If you’re in the market for a budget smartphone — priced between Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 — the truth is you can’t have it all. If you’re hoping to get 5G connectivity and performance, the number of options are limited– well at least for now. This could change in the coming months given that 5G connectivity has started rolling out. But for now, companies still continue to offer 4G phones in the segment. Poco M5 is one such phone, which starts at Rs 12,499 and tries to offer performance and an interesting design. But it has no 5G connectivity. So does it still make sense to buy this phone? Here’s our review.
Specifications: 6.58-inch FHD+ display 90 Hz refresh rate | MediaTek Helio G99 processor | 4GB or 6GB RAM+ with 64GB or 128GB storage, 1TB microSD support | 50MP camera + 2MP macro camera + 2MP depth camera | 5MP front camera | 5000 mAh battery with 18W fast charging and 22.W charger in the box |
Poco M5 price in India: Rs 12,499 for 4GB RAM option, Rs 14,499 for 6GB RAM 
Poco M5 has a big 6.53-inch display with a full HD+ resolution. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)
Poco M5 review: What’s good?
The Poco M5 might be an ‘affordable’ phone, but it does sport a unique design. Instead of going for the same old polycarbonate back, Poco has given this one a faux Leather texture look and feel at the back. It looks very premium and I could not see any wear and tear so far in my use. But how this fares over time is something that I cannot confirm at the moment. Still, the blue coloured Poco M5 looks different from other options in this category, which some users will appreciate. Though, I’m not a fan of the giant camera island at the back.
The phone gets a big 6.58-inch full HD+ display with a 90 Hz refresh rate. The display is good enough for this segment, and works well for gaming, consuming content on OTT apps as I discovered during my usage. But yes, the display struggles in bright sunlight and you will need to crank up brightness to full, though it is something expected in this price range. The audio quality is not bad either given the price point of this phone.
Poco M5 has a faux-leather design at the back, which looks very stylish. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)
But more than the design and screen, the phone’s performance is what impresses. The Poco M5 delivers steady and reliable daily performance thanks the Mediatek Helio G99 chipset. The variant I have for review comes with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. Playing games such as Asphalt 9, Sky, Mars was not a problem for the device and I did face any noticeable heating either. The phone also handles daily performance without any issues, be it keeping multiple tabs open on Chrome or switching between several apps.
The phone comes with MIUI 13 and the Poco launcher based on Android 12. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)
The other advantage of the Poco M5 is the battery on board. The phone has a 5000 mAh battery–a number that has become standard for many devices these days— and you are assured that the phone will easily last the day even with heavy duty usage. However, Poco has limited the charging to 18W, though it comes with a 22.5W charger in the box. Prepare to set aside around two hours to get this device to a full 100 per cent charge.
The phone comes with its own Poco launcher based on MIUI 13 for the software. It runs Android 12. As with all MIUI 13 phones you will have to live with notifications and alerts from unnecessary apps. I typically switch off these annoying notifications, especially from GetApps.
A camera sample taken from the Poco M5. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)
With these pink flowers, the colours appeared a bit washed out. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)
A low-light sample taken from the Poco M5. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)
Poco M5 review: What could be better?
What didn’t impress me so much was the camera on the Poco M5. Yes, it performs okay for a budget phone, but frankly the standard has also improved in the budget category. The camera was a little slow to focus at times, and some of the colours were just washed out. For instance, the pink flowers are paler than the actual colour. This is not to say the camera offers terrible results. The photos have details in them, including those taken in poor lighting when using the night mode. But the camera aspect on the Poco M5 is nothing that stands out in this category.
Poco M5 review: Should you consider it?
If your budget is strictly under Rs 15,000, and you want something that looks slightly different, then sure the Poco M5 is an option for consideration. And given some discount offers this season, you can get it for Rs 10,000 in some cases, which might be more appealing for some users. The phone offers acceptable performance and has a big battery life as well. If you want a more future ready phone, however, it might make more sense to wait an see what options arrive in the coming months. It is likely more 5G-ready phones will make their way to the market in this price segment then, which might make for a more prudent purchase.