The POCO M3 Smartphone is one of the few models that has hit the market in the recent months. Compared to its predecessor, the POCO M2, it has a few improvements, like a bigger battery, more RAM memory, and even better cameras. Even so, are these enough for it to be able to battle its competition? Let`s talk about everything in detail and decide! It might even convince you!
| Display | 6.50-inch (1080×2400) |
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 700 |
| Front Camera | 8MP |
| Rear Camera | 48MP + 2MP + 2MP |
| RAM | 4GB |
| Storage | 64GB |
| Battery | 5000mAh |
| Operating System | Android 11 |
POCO M3: Design
If you are already familiar with the M2, the M3 model has a similar size to it. The 6.53-inch display comes with a dewdrop notch at the top that hosts the selfie camera. It is true that the bezels are thick all around, and the material used for the body is plastic, but considering the price range of this model, these are acceptable details. Even so, the back panel has a textured finish, which keeps the phone fingerprint free, and also gives it more grip.
Because the battery is so big, the weight of the M3 is 197 grams. It is something you feel when you are holding it, but because the back of the smartphone is curved along the sides, it is comfortable to hold. You can find the power and volume buttons on the right side, easy to reach. The power one has an integrated fingerprint scanner, which makes it really easy to access your phone. On the left side, you will notice the SIM tray, and the 3.5mm audio jack, secondary speaker and IR emitter are on top. At the bottom is the USB Type-C port, together with the primary microphone and speaker.
While the front is pretty simple, the back is a little more intricate, and it actually gives off an ”expensive” vibe, when it really is not. The cameras are on a raised module, which has a piano black design element around it with the large POCO logo on it. Regarding the colors, you can choose between yellow, blue and black.
POCO M3: Hardware & Software
The POCO M3 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 processor, which is an expected choice for the price range. Also, there is the 6GB of LPDDR4X RAM, which can be paired with either 64GB of UFS 2.1 storage, or 12GB of UFS 2.2 storage. The price difference is quite small between the two, so it is up to you which one would be best. Also, by using the dedicated microSD card slot, you can add up to 512GB. When talking about connectivity, the M3 has integrated Bluetooth 5, dual-band Wi-Fi, dual 4G, and five navigation systems.
Alongside Android 10, you also benefit from MIUI 12. Other brands have it too, but with the M3, there are no ads, or spammy notifications. Nevertheless, like on many others, you do have a significant number of pre-installed apps, like Facebook, GetApps, Netflix, LinkedIn, Mi Credit, Mi Pay, and a few games. With the exception of Mi Pay, all of them can be deleted.
Overall, the UI is very similar to a Xiaomi. The M3 has three default navigation buttons, but it is very easy to switch to swipe-based navigation also.
POCO M3: Performance & Battery
Multitasking between apps is not a hard job for the M3, thanks to the 6GB of RAM, which allows it to easily juggle between them before killing them in the background. A slight downside is the fact that the brightness can be a little on the weak side when using the phone outside. Even so, when watching a video for example, the stereo speakers do make the overall experience pleasurable.
To make an idea on the performance, here is the following scenario. By playing Call of Duty Mobile, set to high graphics quality and medium frame rate, the phone does not stutter, but it does get slightly warm on the back. Also, in 10 minutes, the battery drops by 3 percent. It is not exactly unbelievable, but it is not bad either. Even with the percentage drop, considering how big the battery is, in this scenario you could probably play for quite some time without having to charge it up. With normal usage, you could enjoy your M3 for about a day and a half.
Cameras
At the back, the POCO M3 has a triple camera setup, made up of a 48-megapixel primary camera, a 2-megapixel macro camera, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. The selfie one has an 8-megapixel shooter and it can be found in the dewdrop notch. To use the macro camera, you do need to go into a sub-menu, but other than that, the camera app is pretty easy to use. It also has built-in AI, that can recognize what you are pointing the camera at, and it can change the settings accordingly.
In good light conditions, the cameras perform well enough. The details are decent, close-up shots are average, edge-detection is good, and the focus can sometimes take a little bit of time. Even so, they do manage to separate the main object and apply a soft depth effect.
In low-light, things go a little bit south. Grain can be seen in the output, and when enabling Night Mode, the M3 waits a couple seconds before taking the shot. While it does deliver better details and the grain is controlled more, the image simply looks oversharpened.
With the selfie camera, the quality is average and the color tones are slightly off. In Portrait Mode, edge detection is good, but when in low-light conditions, the photos have excessive smoothening applied.
All in all, the POCO M3 is a good smartphone, but not the greatest. It is good looking, the processor can be counted on, multitasking is not an issue, and the battery life is acceptable. The biggest downside is the camera. But if this is not too important for you, then you might want to check it out. You can find it on AliExpress for a great deal.
