The MediaTek Helio G99 chip has proven itself well in smartphones of various brands. Along with decent performance in budget gadgets, it is quite energy-efficient. This is what attracts attention. The POCO M5 smartphone, which the Chinese offer for purchase on their trading platforms, is a direct confirmation of this. Priced at €200, the phone is fast, convenient, and takes high-quality photos.
POCO M5 Smartphone – All the Pros and Cons
After the release of a defective batch of POCO M3, interest in Xiaomi’s offspring slightly waned. Faulty motherboards due to poor soldering led to these models turning into “bricks” worldwide. Fortunately, the manufacturer acknowledged the mistake and supplied spare parts to service centers. However, this did not save many owners, as the problem manifested after a year of use. Just after the factory warranty expired. But even paid repairs were relevant, as their cost was only about $30.
The POCO M4 smartphone turned out to be quite impressive. But sales were weak. The negative feedback from using the previous model (POCO M3) affected it. Interestingly, official distributors significantly lowered the price of POCO M4 5G, and sales picked up. Across the globe.
The new POCO M5 looks interesting in terms of cost and specifications. The negative experience with POCO M3 and the joy of POCO M4 owners have led to a heated and interesting debate among consumers on social media. The low price and functionality work in favor of POCO M5. Plus, buyers remember how the manufacturer treats owners. Not every brand admits to factory defects, which also plays in favor of POCO M5.
Technical Specifications of the POCO M5 Smartphone
| Chipset | MediaTek Helio G99, 6 nm |
| Processor | 6 cores at 2 GHz, Cortex-A55
2 cores at 2.2 GHz, Cortex-A76 |
| Video | Mali-G57 MC2 |
| RAM | 4 or 6 GB LPDDR4X, 2133 MHz |
| Storage | 128 GB, UFS 2.2 |
| Expandable Storage | Yes, MicroSD cards up to 1 TB |
| Display | IPS, 6.58 inches, 2400×1080, 90 Hz, 500 nits |
| Operating System | Android 12, MIUI 13 |
| Battery | 5000 mAh, 18 W charging |
| Wireless Technologies | Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, GPS |
| Cameras | Main 50+2+2 MP, Selfie – 5 MP |
| Security | Fingerprint scanner |
| Wired Interfaces | USB-C, 3.5 mm audio |
| Sensors | Proximity, light, compass, accelerometer |
| Price | €189-209 (depending on RAM size) |
The POCO M5 smartphone can be considered a quite successful model for the budget segment. It features an IPS screen that displays colors well. It’s very good that the manufacturer did not use an OLED matrix. Usually, budget models have poor-quality PWM, causing screen flickering that is simply annoying.
The front camera takes excellent photos and videos in daylight. In low light, the camera module is less reliable. The selfie camera is somewhat disappointing. It’s probably the only drawback of this smartphone.
You can find more details, photos, and purchase the POCO M5 from the official distributor Goboo on the trading platform at this link.
