| 256GB 12GB RAM | €429.90 |
£359.00 |
| 512GB 12GB RAM | €469.90 |
£399.00 |
| Show all prices | ||
Introduction
When most people hear Poco, they immediately think affordable or at least good value. And while this hasn’t really changed over the years, the Poco brand shouldn’t be associated only with budget phones. This hasn’t been the case for quite some time now, as even though the lineup includes proper flagship offerings, there are usually some strategic compromises here and there to try to keep costs down and deliver the best possible value.
This fully applies to the Poco X8 Pro Max. This is the global version of the Xiaomi Redmi Turbo 5 Max, which is a China-only model. This is what we’d probably affectionately call a “flagship killer”, introducing a brand new MediaTek Dimensity 9500s chipset, which sits just one step down from the current Dimensity 9500 flagship silicon.
Xiaomi Poco X8 Pro Max specifications at a glance:
- Body: 162.9×77.9×8.2 mm, 218 g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass 7i), aluminum frame, glass back; IP68/IP69K Dust-resistant and water-resistant (high-pressure water jets; submersible up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes), IP69K (depending on market/region).
- Display: 6.83″ AMOLED, 68B color, 120Hz, 3840Hz PWM, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 2000 nits (HBM), 3500 nits (peak), 1280x2772px resolution, 19.49:9 aspect ratio, 447ppi.
- Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 9500s (3 nm): Octa-core (1×3.73 GHz Cortex-X925 & 3×3.3 GHz Cortex-X4 & 4×2.4 GHz Cortex-A720); Immortalis-G925 MC12.
- Memory: 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM; UFS 4.1.
- OS/Software: Android 16, HyperOS 3.
- rear camera: wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.5, 26mm, 1/1.95″, 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS; ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.2, 15mm, 1/4.0″, 1.12μm.
- Front Camera: 20 MP, f/2.2, (wide), 1/4″.
- video capture: rear camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240/960fps, Gyro-EIS, HDR10+; front camera:1080p@30/60fps.
- Battery: 8500mAh; 100W Wired, 100W PPS, PD3.0, 27W Reverse Wired.
- Connectivity: 5G; é SIM; Wi-Fi 7; BT5.4, aptX HD, LHDC5, Auracast, Asha; NFC; Infrared port.
- various: Fingerprint reader (under the display, ultrasonic); Stereo speakers (with Dolby Atmos).
Apart from the chipset, there is a lot to like here. It features a large 6.83-inch, QHD+, very bright, 120Hz AMOLED display, a 50MP Lite Fusion 600 main camera, and solid build quality with an IP68 ingress protection rating. However, perhaps the real star of the show is the massive 8,500 mAh battery with 100W HyperCharge support. We hope the Poco X8 Pro Max doesn’t lose anything from its chart-topping battery endurance.
Some other interesting highlights include a symmetrical stereo speaker system, modern communications including Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0, plus NFC and an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint reader.
Honestly, on paper, the Poco X8 Pro Max looks like almost the complete package. Very few corners have been cut. The telephoto camera is a notable omission, but then again, the base 12GB/256GB Poco X8 Pro Max should cost less than $500/€400.
unbox
Poco X8 Pro Max comes in a two-piece cardboard box. The bottom is classic Poco bright orange, and the top is black with orange letters. Unfortunately, there’s a plastic tray inside the phone itself, which keeps it comfortable and secure, but not particularly eco-friendly.
There is no charger in the box of our European unit. If you are purchasing in another country, check with your local seller to see if the charger is included. The phone supports Xiaomi’s latest 100W charger.
Inside the box, we found a 6A-rated USB Type-A to Type-C cable, which you’ll need to get the fastest possible charging speeds with the aforementioned charger.
Apart from the cable, Xiaomi has also included a nice gray soft TPU case in the box so you can start using your shiny new phone right away, worry-free.