The POCO X4 Pro 5G (Review) which I reviewed earlier this year left me plenty of good impressions even though it wasn’t an expensive flagship model like the Xiaomi 12 Pro 5G (Review). Reason being is simple; the POCO X4 Pro has plenty to offer for a device that sits comfortably below the $500 mark, putting many of it’s competitors to shame.
Fast forward four months, the company is now back with an upgraded model dubbed as the POCO X4 GT which packs the latest MediaTek Dimensity 8100 chipset alongside a slightly larger battery that aims to provide users with a premium gaming experience without burning a hole in their pockets.
Geared with those high-end features, the POCO X4 GT certainly looks promising for a mid-range device. However, does it really have what it takes to be your next smartphone? Read on our full review of the POCO X4 GT to find out!
Design & Handling
Although I was quite a huge fan of the POCO X4 Pro’s design, but it’s rather unusual styling was apparently met with mixed reactions from reviewers. The new POCO X4 GT on the other hand, greets us with a more subtle design which actually looks quite similar to last year’s POCO X3 GT except for the difference in paint job as well as slight redesign to it’s camera module and lens arrangement.
Sporting an overall footprint measuring 163.6 x 74.3 x 8.9 mm, the POCO X4 GT feels pretty compact on hand thanks to it’s tall design which makes it ideal for single-handed use whenever the situation calls for it. Also, the matte-like texture of it’s rear panel makes it less slippery to touch as compared to the gloss finish on the POCO X4 Pro.
Unsurprisingly the POCO X4 GT opted for a plastic construction to keep the phone affordable. However, it doesn’t really gives a plasticky impression like most other budget-centric smartphones. Instead, the overall construction felt pretty sturdy and robust.
The review unit I’m holding on to comes in a silver-colored paintjob which actually looks a bit grayish from certain angles. Also, it features a lustrous sheen which looks mesmerizing whenever you tilt the phone at an angle against the incident light.
The only thing missing here is perhaps the lack of IP rating for water and dust resistance which was present on the POCO X4 Pro. Nonetheless, the phone should still be able to survive minor splash of water or light drizzle.
Display
Flipping the phone over, we’ll find a large 6.6” display with minimal bezels along it’s edges. Just like the POCO X4 Pro, the X4 GT features a centered punch-hole cutout which houses a 16 megapixels camera for selfies and video calls.
Although the phone doesn’t comes with an AMOLED display like some other mid-range models, but POCO makes up for that with an IPS LCD panel which offers an ultra-fast 144Hz refresh rate that allows user to enjoy a much smoother entertainment experience when watching movies or playing games.
To sweeten up the deal, the front display also offers a super responsive 270Hz touch sampling rate that makes the screen more sensitive to touch input. This is in fact an important feature for mobile gaming, and is especially so for FPS titles like PUBG Mobile or COD Mobile.
Most importantly, overall viewing experience is also pretty decent with FHD+ screen resolution, 650 nits peak brightness, DCI-P3 color gamut coverage, as well as HDR 10 and Dolby Vision support which promises a realistic and accurate color reproduction.
To protect the screen against accidental drops or scratches, the front display is fitted with an additional layer of Gorilla Glass 5 atop. That’s a nice addition which we don’t normally see among devices in this price range.
Performance
Under the hood, the POCO X4 GT is powered by the newly announced MediaTek Dimensity 8100 chipset that offers comparable performance as last year’s Snapdragon 888 chipset which powers many prominent devices such as the ROG Phone 5 (Review).
In terms of day-to-day usage, you’ll probably find the Dimensity 8100 chipset an overkill for stuffs like text messaging or web browsing. However, it’s true potential will shine when multi-tasking or working on more resource-intensive workload such as video editing which other mid-range chip is likely to suffer.
Likewise, this is also an excellent chipset for mobile gaming which doesn’t shows any sign of stuttering even in graphics demanding game titles. Most importantly, it also handles thermals more efficiently than other high-end chips which allow gamers to enjoy a smooth and immersive gaming experience thanks to a consistent frame rate.
Speaking of thermals, it’s worth noting that the POCO X4 GT is backed by an advanced LiquidCool Technology 2.0 which features a large vapour chambers configuration along with seven layers of graphite that efficiently transfer heat by layers from the inside to the outside.
Memory-wise, the POCO X4 GT is available in two different models with 8GB+128GB and 8GB+256GB configurations. The latter is probably the preferred variant for those who tend to download plenty of apps or save lots of media contents on their phone.
Cameras
As usual, POCO takes pride in the imaging capabilities of the new POCO X4 GT which features a versatile triple rear camera system comprising of a 64 megapixels (f/1.89 aperture) main camera, 8 megapixels (f/2.2 aperture) ultra-wide camera, as well as a 2 megapixels (f/2.4 aperture) macro camera.
Without a doubt, the POCO X4 GT’s main camera is able to stack up with some of the best cameras in the segment which never disappoints with promising results across all lighting conditions. More specifically, the camera is able to capture photos with great dynamic range and details which allow photos to look flattering and yet realistic.
Likewise, the autofocusing system of the camera also works well and is able to lock on to the subject almost instantaneously, making it easy for users to capture a well-focused shot in the shortest amount of time. This is an important feature which is often overlooked by many.
When shooting in low-light environment, the POCO X4 GT also has a remarkable night mode feature which automatically kicks in whenever the camera detects poor lighting. This helps to improve overall exposure and shadow details that are otherwise non-visible in the photos.
While it’s 8MP ultra-wide camera is slightly underwhelming compared to it’s main camera, but it’s still able to snap decent photos with pleasant-looking colors even though details appear to suffer a little due to the lower-res imaging sensor. Considering that most devices in this price range tend to lack an ultra-wide camera, I still find it commendable how POCO managed to squeeze one into the device.
For far away shots, the POCO X4 GT relies on digital zooming via it’s main camera which offers a maximum zoom factor of up to 10x. Besides taking photos of distant subjects, you can also leverage it’s digital zooming capability for close-up photography of plants or insects which actually yield surprisingly good results.
Battery & Charging
Besides featuring a faster processor, the POCO X4 GT had also received a slight bump to it’s battery capacity from 5,000mAh to 5,080mAh. This nets me more than 10 hours of screen time and approximately 1.5 days’ worth of usage on days when I use the phone for simple tasks such as text messaging and web browsing. Even with heavier usage, the phone is still able to survive with at least 15% battery remaining at the end of the day.
As far as charging is concerned, the POCO X4 GT also supports a blazing-fast 67W turbo charging that’s able to deliver a full charge from 0 to 100% in less than an hour. That’s amazingly fast for a smartphone of it’s price which tend to settle with halve it’s charging speed.
Verdict
If you’re looking for a reliable smartphone for day-to-day usage, look no further than the POCO X4 GT. It’s a fantastic phone that’s able to provide one of the best smartphone experience in this price range thanks to it’s class-leading chipset which not only makes multi-tasking felt like a breeze, but also turns the phone into a superb mobile gaming companion.
In Singapore, the POCO X4 GT is available for purchase exclusively via Shopee and is priced at $479 and $509 respectively for the 8GB+128GB and 8GB+256GB models.
