Poco X7 and X7 Pro Review: The Mid-Range Marvels

The Poco X7 series is finally here and tries to capture the brand’s ethos quite nicely: performance, aspirational brand for the Gen Z audience, and challenger mindset. Both these devices offer a perfect balance of performance and value, which is tough to get in this price bracket, and I will break down both these phones in a bit.

But before deep diving into these products, let me talk about some hero features that make both these phones special on paper. Starting with the Pro model it packs the biggest battery you will probably see on any smartphone in 2025. Under the hood, it is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 8400 Ultra processor, debuting globally with this device. It is the first to launch with HyperOS 2.0-based Android 15 out-of-the-box – from the house of Xiaomi.

The base model comes with a shock-absorbing structure that can offer users peace of mind. It packs a decent 5500mAh battery and is powered by MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Ultra SoC. While the Poco X7 looks like a great option under Rs. 25,000, while the X7 Pro seems more inclined to be a sub-Rs. 30,000 benchmark for phones in 2025.

So, if you plan to get your hands on either of these devices, should you buy them? Let me answer this in the review.

Poco X7 and X7 Pro Design: Vegan leather supremacy

• Dimension – 162.3×74.4×8.5mm (X7) and 160.9×74.2×8.2mm (X7 Pro)
• Weight – 190 grams (X7) and 195 grams (X7 Pro)
• Colours – Cosmic Silver, Glacier Green, and Yellow (X7) and Nebula Green, Obsidian Black, and Yellow (X7 Pro)
• Durability – IP66 + IP68 + IP69 (Dust and water)

Starting the proceedings with design and first, jumping on the Poco X7. It comes in three colourways – Poco Yellow, Glacier Green, and Cosmic Silver. This is also Poco’s first dual-curve design and offers a 3D curved display, again the company’s first-ever. Compared to the X6, Poco has packed the X7 to the brim with tons of upgrades. At the front, the X7 gets Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 – setting a good statement for prospective buyers. Another good thing Poco has done is add the best available IP ratings on its X7 devices. And, yes, the X7 also features IP66, IP68, and IP69 ratings for enhanced durability. It measures 8.5mm thick and weighs 190 grams – despite packing a 5500mAh battery unit under the hood.

Both Poco X7 devices weigh under 200 grams

The curved design is great and offers a premium hand feel. However, I’m not a great fan of curved designs, and I was more comfortable using this one with the case that ships with the box. Poco talked about durability a lot during the unveiling of the X7, and it packs a punch on paper. It can handle unfortunate mishaps like a drop from your pocket or table as it is built with a shock-absorbing structure under the hood. An energy-absorbing foam pad and a reinforced polymer buffer are reassuring to protect the internal hardware from impacts.

The X7 is available in Cosmic Silver, Glacier Green, and Yellow colours

Now coming to the X7 Pro which has an all-new dual-tone design on the back. Especially the Yellow colour sports the company’s brand identity colours – Black and Yellow. You can also get the X7 Pro in Obsidian Black and Nebula Green, featuring the dual-tone design. What makes the dual-tone design on the X7 Pro special is the dual-tone texture, which offers a significantly softer finish. Thanks to the rear design, you can not mistake the X7 Pro with any other device.

The X7 Pro is available in Nebula Green, Obsidian Black, and Yellow colours

Despite packing a huge 6550mAh battery, the X7 Pro measures just 8.2mm thick, which is excellent. It took me a few days to sink the thought that it weighs under 200 grams. The X7 Pro is the company’s first phone with IP66, IP68 and IP69 (supported) ratings for water and dust resistance.

The flat design worked for me, and thanks to the vegan leather-like finish at the back, I never used the phone with the protective case that’s shipped with the retail box. The front features Corning Gorilla Glass 7i for added protection from scratches. With an impressive 93.7 percent screen-to-body ratio, the X7 Pro is an excellent multimedia device, and I will talk about that in the next section.

Overall, the X7 and X7 Pro look solid in terms of design and are built for handling day-to-day challenges.

Both Poco devices come with 3+4 years of software update promise

Poco X7 and X7 Pro Display: Stunning Quality

• Screen size – 6.73-inch AMOLED flat display (X7 Pro) and 6.67-inch AMOLED curved display (X7)
• Screen protection – Corning Gorilla Glass 7i (X7 Pro) and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 (X7)
• Peak brightness – 3200nits (X7 Pro) and 3000nits (X7)

The Poxo X7 series packs big upgrades in the display department. Starting with the peak brightness of 3200nits on the X7 Pro and 3000nits on the X7. This is a big jump compared to the predecessor. Poco has also added nice touches to the X7 devices, like Wet TouchDisplay 2.0, for improved responsiveness even with wet or oily fingers.

Poco X7 features a 6.67-inch Curved AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate

The X7 Pro packs a 6.67-inch AMOLED flat display with a 1220×2712 pixels screen resolution. At this price point, it packs all the bells and whistles one expects from a smartphone. It supports a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. In terms of daily use, the display is vibrant and has excellent colour reproduction. Viewing angles are not an issue; the panel is bright enough to be used under direct sunlight. It comes with Widevine L1 certification, which means you can watch HD content on your favourite OTT apps. The X7 Pro is ideal for multimedia consumption, whether streaming, browsing or gaming.

Poco X7 Pro features a 6.67-inch 1.5K AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate

The X7, on the other hand, also packs a capable display panel. It also features a 6.67-inch AMOLED display, but this one has a 3D curved design. It gets Gorilla Glass Victus 2 for protection and 1220×2712 pixels (1.5K) screen resolution. Like the Pro model, it also gets a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. The peak brightness of 3000nits might make this one the brightest display in its price segment. Talking about quality, the panel reproduces rich colours, the screen is bright, and the texts appear sharp. Sunlight legibility and viewing angles are excellent. The X7 is a great device for streaming or gaming, thanks to the fluid display.

Overall, the X7 Pro and X7 pack solid displays that can outshine the competition.  

Poco X7 and X7 Pro Performance: Top-tier and blazing fast

• Processor – MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Ultra (X7) and MediaTek Dimensity 8400 Ultra (X7 Pro)
• RAM and storage – 8GB + 128GB and 8GB + 256GB RAM (X7) and 8GB + 256GB and 12GB + 256GB (X7 Pro)
• OS – Xiaomi HyperOS based on Android 14 (X7) and Xiaomi HyperOS based on Android 15 (X7 Pro)

Poco’s X-series devices have always been performance-oriented, and that holds true for both X7 and X7 Pro. Talking first about the X7 Pro, it debuts MediaTek’s Dimensity 8400 Ultra processor, which is based on a 4nm TSMC process and supports UFS 4.0. It comes in two variants – 8GB + 256GB and 12GB + 256GB.

Both phones feature AI features

It can handle everything you throw at it, from multitasking, streaming, gaming, image editing on Canva, and more. Multiple apps can load lightning-quick. It doesn’t stutter with any of these. However, I noticed that the phone gets hot when running synthetic benchmark apps, running games at the highest settings, or running Maps continuously for about an hour. Nothing alarming, though, as it gets cool within a few minutes of exiting the application. Below is a table showing how X7 Pro fared in our synthetic benchmark tests.

Now, coming to the X7, it is powered by MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Ultra and supports UFS 2.2, which is disappointing. For a phone that’s performance-oriented, it is also unfair to a certain extent, but that’s what cost-cutting does, and when you want to hit a certain price bracket. Daily operations are handled smoothly by X7. Even BGMI and COD Mobile games load at the best graphic settings. The Poco X7 is a capable smartphone when it comes to performance credentials. Below is a table showing how well the Poco X7 fared in our synthetic benchmarks. Both Poco devices get slightly warm after intense gaming sessions, but they cool down rather quickly, so it’s not a problem of any sort for hardcore gamers.

The X7 Pro is among the first set of devices running HyperOS 2.0 based on Android 15. Poco has promised three years of Android and four security updates for the X7 Pro. The same update policy applies to the X7, too. However, one big difference is that the X7 runs HyperOS based on Android 14, which means that the three updates include Android 15 as well. This will leave X7 consumers with just two practical updates. The update promise for the X7 definitely feels less on paper.

HyperOS seems like a new paint job over MIUI, as ground reality doesn’t change when it comes to bloatware apps. Throughout my review period, GetApps kept sending random notifications from the app, including pop-ups for updating apps from the company’s app store. It gets annoying during everyday use.

The call quality is top-notch on the X7 devices, and 5G connectivity with Airtel and Jio networks worked well during my review. Both these devices offer a good typing experience and pack a good haptic motor. I also had a good time gaming on X7 and X7 Pro.

The X7 Pro runs on HyperOS 2.0 based on Android 15 while X7 runs on HyperOS based on Android 14

X7 and X7 Pro sport dual stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos, and the experience is decent. These are loud enough to fill a mid-sized room or for your gaming or movie sessions.

Overall, the Poco X7 and X7 Pro are snappy when it comes to performance, though bloatware remains one of the pressing issues that remain unsolved, and I hope Poco brings a fix via OTA update soon.

Of course, AI is onboard, too, and there’s a list of things you can do with the help of AI on the X7 phones. Most of these are around images, like AI Smart Clip, where you can create videos by choosing a set of photos; AI Cutout, to remove the background or place a subject in a new background or even change the background colour of the image; AI Sky, which as the name suggests can help you change the sky colour; AI Expansion can expand boundaries of an image; AI Enhancement can enhance by sharpening images; and AI Erase Pro which can automatically highlight objects to remove from an image and does it effectively.

Poco claims that the phones come with other bunch of AI features that Google powers. Unfortunately, during my time with the devices, most of these features were unavailable except for features like Chat with Gemini and AI Notes.

The Poco X7 Pro comes with some additional AI features like AI Interpreter, AI Notes, AI Magic Erase Pro and more

Poco X7 and X7 Pro Cameras: Decent but not great

• Camera Setup – Dual: 50-megapixel and 8-megapixel ultra-wide (X7 Pro) and Triple: 50-megapixel, 8-megapixel ultra-wide, and 2-megapixel macro sensor (X7)
• Selfie camera – 20-megapixel (X7 and X7 Pro)
• Video recording support – Up to 4K at 60fps and Up to 4K at 30fps 

The Poco X7 has a tried-and-tested camera setup, which we have seen on other phones in this price segment. The daylight photos come out solid, with good colours and details intact with the primary camera. Some samples are below, and you can see how well it performs.

Poco X7 primary camera samples (tap images to expand)

The ultra-wide camera is okayish and nowhere close to what the primary camera is capable of. The colours are not as close to reality, and some details in the shadow area are missing.

Poco X7 ultra-wide camera samples (tap images to expand)

The bokeh shots on the X7 seem a hit or miss. There are slight depth estimation errors visible in some of our samples. Then, subject isolation from the background is also not accurate.

Poco X7 portrait mode in action (tap image to expand)

Coming to the low-light performance of the X7. It is acceptable but lags in terms of loss of detail. Noise levels are controlled, though target exposure isn’t great, and Poco X7 underexposes quite strongly.

Poco X7 low-light camera samples (tap image to expand)

The macro camera on the X7 is useless, and instead, Poco should have shipped a basic telephoto sensor that might have increased the cost slightly but at least could give a better value.

Now, jumping to the Poco X7 Pro, which has a dual camera setup. The primary camera can click photos in varied conditions with plenty of details and natural colours. The skin tone rendering is excellent, and exposure is decent in most conditions. The primary camera comes with 2x in-sensor zoom that works well most of the time. The bokeh shots are better than what X7 could pull off for me during my review.

Poco X7 Pro primary camera samples (tap images to expand)

The 8-megapixel ultra-wide photos are acceptable, with good dynamic range and punchy colours. But it isn’t reliable in every condition, so do not keep your hopes high.

Poco X7 Pro ultra-wide camera samples (tap images to expand)

The low-light photos are mostly decent, and the auto mode will do the heavy lifting for you. The detail level is fantastic, and the X7 Pro can be your point-and-shoot camera for night strolls.

Poco X7 Pro low-light camera samples (tap images to expand)

The selfie cameras on X7 and X7 Pro are decent for day shots. But do not keep your hopes high with the selfie shooter as, at maximum, it is great for social media uploads. The skin tones are unnatural when beautify mode is on, and even after shutting it down, it is still not nearly perfect for real-world skin tones. Additionally, the detail loss is apparent in low-light selfies.

The Poco X7 supports up to 4K quality at 30fps, while the X7 Pro supports up to 4K at 60fps. The quality is good, and the colour rendition is also apt. Daylight videos come out better than low-light ones.

Overall, the cameras aren’t the biggest strength of the X7 devices, but they are not the biggest Achilles heel. The X7 Pro packs a better camera setup, though an average ultrawide sensor and missing telephoto sensor are missed a lot.

The X7 sports a triple camera setup at the back

Poco X7 and X7 Pro Battery: Outstanding

• Battery – 6550mAh (X7 Pro) and 5500mAh (X7)
• Fast-charge – 90W support (X7 Pro) and 45W support (X7)
• Claimed fast-charging time – 100 percent in 47 minutes with 90W (X7 Pro) and 100 percent in 47 minutes with 45W (X7)

This year, Poco will most likely set a new benchmark in the battery department thanks to the X7 Pro. The 6550mAh battery is monstrous, and it took me more than standard effort to drain the battery with gaming, streaming, and shooting with the X7 Pro. In our HD video loop test, the X7 Pro lasted for over 30 hours, and that’s a benchmark in our internal Gadgets 360 records for phones reviewed in the last 24 months.

It packs a 6550mAh battery that can charge fully under 50 minutes

With heavy usage, the phone easily lasted up to 25 hours with gaming, extensive camera use, and regular work, social media, and chat apps open in the background at most times. With medium usage, you can be rest assured that this can last for about two days.

Poco has also added additional features for the battery section where users can see battery health, charging cycles, and different charging options. These are neat touches – though inspired by Apple.

The X7 Pro supports 90W HyperCharge for fast charging, and the company claims it can charge from 0 to 100 percent in under 50 minutes. That’s true if you opt for ‘Top Speed’ under wired charging mode in the Battery setting. The phone took around 60 minutes to charge fully during my tests, which isn’t bad. But if you choose ‘Standard’ in the battery setting, then the device takes over 120 minutes to fully charge, which is too slow.

The Poco X7 sports a 20-megapixel selfie camera

The X7 phone packs a 5500mAh battery and has a 45W TurboCharge. In our HD video loop test, the phone lasted about 21 hours, which is impressive for a phone in this segment. During the review, the phone lasted for more than a day with heavy usage, where we had a couple of hours of gaming and streaming YouTube videos alongside other regular use. The phone can easily last a few days with medium to light usage. For Poco’s X7 devices, the battery is the biggest highlight.  

Poco X7 and X7 Pro Verdict

The Poco X7 starts at Rs. 21,999 for the 128GB storage model while the X7 Pro at Rs. 27,999 for the 8GB RAM and 256GB storage model. The X7 is a great value proposition for users looking to upgrade to a smartphone under Rs. 25,000 at these prices. While X7 Pro is a better deal, it offers more for less, and thanks to its fresh design approach, it becomes an excellent package under Rs. 30,000.

Both phones are available on Flipkart alongside other retail platforms

While there are shortcomings, for example, bloatware is the biggest issue for Poco X7 and X7 Pro, whereas the cameras are not class-leading. Additionally, the software update promise isn’t comparable to the competition. But, when it comes to performance credentials, the X7 and X7 Pro deliver and can also outshine their competition.

The X7 goes up against the iQOO Z9s, which retails at under Rs. 20,000 and the Motorola Edge 50 Neo (Review). For the X7 Pro, the two closest alternatives are the OnePlus Nord 4 (Review) and Motorola Edge 50 Fusion (Review).