When it comes to finding an excellent value in the smartphone world, Xiaomi has long been one of the brands to beat. Their Poco sub-brand in particular has gained a cult following among bargain hunters for delivering impressive specs and performance at rock-bottom prices. The latest entries in the Poco lineup - the X6 and X6 Pro - continue that tradition of affordability while raising the bar in several key areas. After spending quality hands-on time with both of these mid-rangers, I can confidently say they are among the best value Android phones you can buy in 2024.
But before we dive into the detailed review, let's address the elephant in the room: neither of these phones is officially available in the United States market. Xiaomi has been stubbornly resistant to launching their wares stateside, despite the brand's immense global popularity. For my fellow Americans looking for unlocked phone options, you'll likely need to import the X6 or X6 Pro from retailers abroad or the occasional third-party U.S. seller. It's an unfortunate hurdle, but one that can be worth overcoming given the tremendous value proposition.
With that caveat out of the way, let's take a closer look at what makes the Poco X6 and X6 Pro such compelling options in 2024's crowded mid-range Android space.
Premium Designs That Belie Their Price Tags
When you first pick up the Poco X6 or X6 Pro, you'd be forgiven for thinking you accidentally got handed a $800+ flagship phone. The designs are strikingly premium, with aluminum frames sandwiched between Gorilla Glass panels and smart, minimalist aesthetics. The X6 Pro in particular has a svelte curved back that oozes style and makes it extraordinarily comfortable in hand.
Both phones are available in a range of attractive colors as well. The standard Poco X6 comes in classy black or blue shades, or a white marble pattern that gives it a more unique look. But the real showstopper is the X6 Pro's leatherette bright yellow option - a bold statement piece that instantly stands out.
Despite their ideal size for one-handed use (6.7" displays), the X6 and X6 Pro are dense, solid-feeling phones thanks to that aluminum construction. There's no hollowness or creakiness, just tightly built quality that belies the sub-$400 price point. The only potential downside is the lack of any official IP water resistance rating, though the IP54 dust/splash resistance should cover you in a light rain.
Gorgeous Vivid AMOLED Displays
While the hardware designs are superb for these price points, it's the displays that truly vault the Poco X6 and X6 Pro into the premium mid-range category. We're talking 6.7" AMOLED panels with a crisp 2712x1220 resolution, punchy HDR visuals with 1200 nits peak brightness, and buttery smooth 120Hz refresh rates across the board. 120Hz has become table stakes on modern flagships, but it's still a rarity in this price range.
Watching HDR movies or gaming on these displays is an absolute delight. Colors are vivid and inky black levels are to die for, as you'd expect from AMOLED tech. The high brightness and HDR make for excellent outdoor visibility too. And animations, scrolling, and motion simply look sublime at that 120Hz refresh rate - it's a noticeable step up from the 60Hz panels commonly found in cheaper Androids.
What's even more impressive is that Xiaomi didn't cheap out on the display specs or quality between the standard X6 and the pricier Pro model. You're getting the exact same excellent AMOLED panel either way. While some differences trickle in with the higher price, that symmetry in one of the most important areas is a big win for Poco.
Performance to Slay Any Task
Under the hood, these Poco phones continue to defy expectations and punch well above their price class. The standard X6 packs a Snapdragon 7 Gen 2 processor - a mid-range chip to be sure, but one of Qualcomm's most powerful offerings in that tier. Coupled with 12GB of ultra-fast LPDDR5 RAM across the board, the X6 delivers stunningly smooth performance that can chew through tasks and games with ease.
But for the power users and heavy multi-taskers, the X6 Pro kicks things up several notches. Its Dimensity 8200 processor from Mediatek is arguably the most powerful chip you'll find in any Android handset at this price level. Toss in the same 12GB of RAM and you have a certified performance beast that can tackle anything from intense 3D games to media editing workloads usually reserved for flagships. Seriously, the sheer speed and fluidity of the Pro model is astonishing for the cost.
Both phones also get either 256GB or a massive 512GB of ultra-fast UFS 3.1 storage out of the box. That's more than enough space for apps, games, media and files for all but the most data-hungry users. And if you do need more, the standard X6 has a microSD slot for expandable storage (the X6 Pro lacks this due to its dual SIM capability).
Real-World Speed and Longevity
While benchmarks are all well and good, the true test of a phone's performance chops is how it handles daily real-world tasks and multitasking. On this front, both the Poco X6 and X6 Pro absolutely shine. Jumping between apps, browsing the web with dozens of tabs open, editing documents, streaming video - these phones handle it all with aplomb.
The standard X6 never exhibited so much as a hiccup or stutter during my testing. And the X6 Pro simply blurs the line between flagship and mid-range performance. It's an absolute speed demon, tearing through intense apps and games like they're a walk in the park. The 8200 chip also features advanced AI processing and graphics acceleration that gives it a tangible edge in areas like photography and gaming.
But beyond that raw speed factor, these phones are clearly built with longevity in mind. With guaranteed 3 years of major Android OS platform updates and 4 years of security patches from Xiaomi, you can invest in these handsets with confidence they'll keep getting software love for years to come. Many OEMs, including Google with its Pixels, can't match that long software support commitment - a huge advantage for the Poco duo.
Xiaomi's Android Skins: Love 'Em or Hate 'Em?
Of course, a phone's performance chops and projected lifespan mean little if the software experience is lackluster out of the box. Xiaomi's custom Android overlays, MIUI and the newer HyperOS, have long been divisive topics among users. My experience with them on the X6 and X6 Pro is...mixed, to say the least.
Let's start with some universal positives: both skins offer extensive customization and personalization options that stock Android lacks. You can tweak everything from app icons and launcher layouts to fonts, animations and accent colors. That level of control is great - if you're willing to take the time to tailor the experience.
Beyond those shared strengths, MIUI on the standard X6 and HyperOS on the X6 Pro feature some subtle but meaningful differences. MIUI 14 on the Poco X6 feels a bit more dated and iOS-inspired, but also more intuitive in some ways. HyperOS by contrast has a sleeker, more minimalist look with lots of eye-candy animations and visual flair. But some of its interface elements are a bit confusing at first blush - the quick settings without text labels is a prime offender.
While I generally preferred the cleaner, snappier feel of HyperOS, neither of these Xiaomi skins are perfect Android overlays. Quite a few pre-loaded bloatware apps are a constant annoyance (though you can uninstall most of the junk pretty easily). Furthermore, both MIUI and HyperOS take some getting used to if you're accustomed to stock Android. Prepare to spend quality time tweaking settings and customizing things out of the box.
All that said, performance remains stunningly smooth and responsive across either skin. Xiaomi's software engineers definitely kept things lightweight and optimized, preventing any heavy lag or sluggishness. If you don't mind the Light/Dark iOS inspirations or dealing with bloatware removal, MIUI and HyperOS both facilitate excellent daily usability.
Battery Life and Charging Can't Be Beat
Another area where the Poco X6 and X6 Pro substantially over-deliver for their cost is battery life and charging capabilities. Let's start with the stamina: despite their large 6.7" 120Hz displays, power efficiency is outstanding. The standard X6 packs a respectable 5,100mAh battery pack, while even the speed-centric X6 Pro clocks in at 5,000mAh. That's flagship-caliber capacity.
In my experience, the X6 consistently lasted over a day of heavy mixed usage - checking emails, browsing the web, streaming video, gaming sessions, and more. The X6 Pro's endurance wasn't too far off despite its more power-hungry chip. Both phones ensured I didn't have to sweat battery anxiety during my daily routines.
But what really impresses on the battery front is charging prowess. Xiaomi includes a 67W wired fast charger in the box with both phones. That allows the X6 and X6 Pro to fully juice up in under an hour from empty - 50-60 minutes to be precise. And even short 20-30 minute top-ups are enough to gain 40-50% extra longevity.
Wireless charging is unfortunately not part of the package given the affordability factor. But considering that many $1000+ flagship phones are just now catching up to Xiaomi's wired charging speeds, this is an acceptable trade-off to me. Few other mid-range Androids, let alone budget models, can compete with the Poco X6's remarkably zippy charging capabilities.
Imaging Strengths and Weaknesses
While performance, displays and battery life are all home runs for the Poco X6 line, photography is a bit more of a mixed bag. Both phones share an identical triple camera array: A featured 64MP main shooter, an 8MP ultrawide lens, and a 2MP macro sensor (plus a decorative flash element on the X6 Pro). On paper, those specs are pretty mid-pack for this price range in 2024.
But as is often the case, real-world performance trumps pure hardware numbers. And in that regard, the Poco X6 and X6 Pro are photo performance over-achievers - as long as you're shooting in reasonable to good lighting scenarios.
The 64MP main cameras produce highly detailed shots with natural depth, solid dynamic range, and accurate if slightly warmtone colors. HDR processing handled tricky high contrast scenes admirably as well during my shooting. While not quite flagship-tier quality, these main camera results easily punch above the sub-$400 pricing.
And indeed, scrutinizing shots between the X6 and X6 Pro models reveals meaningful differences. The pricier Pro handset does yield noticeably superior image quality with better low-light performance, reduced noise, and finer details. If mobile photography is a priority for you, the premium is likely worth it.
Both phones stumble a bit when it comes to their secondary cameras, though. The 8MP ultrawide delivers decent enough imageswith a good field of view, but quality takes an obvious dip versus the main lens. And the 2MP macro lens is frankly an afterthought - noisy shots with poor focusing and detail.
Thankfully the 16MP selfie cam is solid on both phones for quick self-portraits or video calls. There's also full manual Pro camera controls, multiple night modes, and 4K 30fps or 1080p 60fps video capture available if you want extra shooting flexibility.
So while not miraculous photography toolkits by any stretch, the Poco X6 and X6 Pro's cameras are absolutely reliable enough for the price to let you capture social media-worthy stills and clips. Just don't head into particularly challenging low-light situations with the standard X6 if imaging quality is paramount.
High Quality Software Support
While those are the key highlights and differences across the hardware and usability fronts, one area I haven't touched on yet is long-term software support. And this is low-key one of the most compelling aspects of the Poco X6 series' value proposition.
Both phones launched in early 2024 with Android 14 out of the box. But Xiaomi's update commitment guarantees a solid 3 years of major Android version updates. That means the X6 and X6 Pro are confirmed to receive Android 15, 16, and 17. Yes, you read that right - in a mid-range phone!
Flagship handsets are only just now catching up to that level of long-term software support in 2024. Most mid-rangers are fortunate to get a year or two of updates before being abandoned. Xiaomi bucks that trend wholeheartedly here.
But wait, there's more: on top of those major platform releases, the Poco X6 line is also slated for 4 full years of consistent security patches. Again, an incredibly generous policy relative to even pricier Android phones from big-name rivals like Samsung and Google. It's a commitment to long software lifespans that give confidence in investing in this Xiaomi hardware over the ultra-long haul.
To summarize: With a minimum of 3 years of OS updates and 4 years of security patches, the Poco X6 and X6 Pro easily clear the bare minimum longevity bar of 2-3 years most affordable Androids hit. They may cost relatively little upfront, but these phones are built to last for ages. Bravo, Xiaomi.
The Verdict: Do These Punch Above Flagship Weight?
So with all of this in mind, the million dollar question is: Do the Xiaomi Poco X6 and X6 Pro truly offer a no-compromise experience that lets them punch above their respective $319 and $369 price tags in 2024? Can a sub-$400 phone realistically stand toe-to-toe with $1000+ flagships?
For the bulk of daily usage scenarios - browsing, media streaming, productivity work, casual photography, and gaming - the Poco X6 and especially X6 Pro variants absolutely do enough to be viable as your main smartphone over a pricier flagship. The performance, display quality, battery life, and longevity support are legitimately that good for the cost.
But there are still some flagship creature comforts and niceties you'll miss out on with the budget pricing. The camera performance, while solid, isn't necessarily "wow" caliber in all conditions. There's no slick telephoto lens, no official IP68 water resistance, no wireless charging, and of course no 5G cellular connectivity since these are 4G-only handsets. The Xiaomi software experience also remains an acquired taste.
So no, the Poco X6 lineup doesn't check every single box usually reserved for maxed-out flagships costing $1000+. But considering how much value you get for a fraction of the cost - especially with the X6 Pro model - it's very hard to be disappointed. These phones absolutely decimate anything that mainstream brands like Samsung or Google have offered in the sub-$500 tier over the past year.
Unless you absolutely must have flagship-grade photography, 5G connectivity, or wireless charging as an amenity, the Poco X6 and X6 Pro represent ludicrous value for the performance per dollar. They've earned every accolade as budget beast champions.
While I'd love to see Xiaomi finally bite the bullet and bring the Poco lineup stateside via official U.S. carrier and retail distribution, having to import these capable mid-rangers is a very small concession to make. The affordability factor, long software lifespan commitment, quality hardware designs and specs - it all adds up to one of the most compelling value smartphone purchases you'll find in 2024.
Between the standard Poco X6 primed for average users and bargain hunters, and the performance-centric X6 Pro model for enthusiasts and gamers, this scrappy lineup covers a surprising number of bases. More than anything, these phones showcase just how much you can achieve with quality hardware optimization, even on relatively modest silicon.
Xiaomi may not demand the same premium branding cachet as an Apple or Samsung, but they've emphatically proven with the Poco X6 and X6 Pro that affordable pricing doesn't have to mean compromising on a quality all-around smartphone experience. If you're in the market for a new Android device that stretches your dollar to its absolute limits, these Poco phones deserve to be at the very top of your shortlist.