POCO · Smartphones · Gaming
POCO X7 Pro Review: the £309 Phone That Out-Games £600 Flagships (2026)
The POCO X7 Pro (£309 / ~$335 for 8/256, £349 for 12/512) is the definition of bang-for-buck: the world's first Dimensity 8400 Ultra (4nm, all-big-core A725 + Mali-G720 MC7): a 6.67" 1.5K 120Hz AMOLED (3200 nits peak, Dolby Vision): a 6000mAh Si/C battery (6550mAh India) + 90W HyperCharge (100% in 42 min): a 50MP Sony IMX882 f/1.5 with OIS and, a first for POCO, IP68. AnTuTu 1,568,331. The price of admission: bloatware, a weak 8MP ultrawide, and no wireless charging.
Key Takeaways
- Gaming performance embarrasses pricier phones: all-big-core A725 (1×3.25 + 3×3.0 + 4×2.1GHz) + WildBoost 3.0. Slick daily use, cool sustained gaming (Asphalt 8, PUBG 8h claim); AnTuTu 1.57M, Geekbench 6311. Near-flagship 9000-series territory for £309 (Trusted Reviews, Android Central).
- Display punches like a flagship, 1220×2712 446ppi, 12-bit/68B colors, 120Hz, 1920Hz PWM, HDR10+ + Dolby Vision, 1400 nits HBM / 3200 peak (1265 measured), Gorilla Glass 7i. Great beside £800 phones (WIRED).
- Battery: 2 days normal, 1 day hard gaming, 6000mAh global / 6550 India; GSMArena active-use 12:43h; 90W PD/QC (any 90W PD brick hits max, not proprietary) 0–50% ~23min, full ~42–46min. No charger in UK box; no wireless charging.
- Camera: good main, forget the rest: 50MP IMX882 1/1.95" f/1.5 OIS: lively, sharp, strong dynamic range, good night + 4K60 + 10-bit LOG. 8MP UW noisy/muddy with color mismatch; 20MP selfie oversoftened; no RAW; no 2MP macro (good riddance). Nord 4 / Nothing 3a shoot better overall (Android Central, DCW).
- IP68 + UFS 4.0 + HyperOS 2 at £309 is absurd: first POCO with full ingress protection, flagship storage, Android 15, in-screen fingerprint, stereo (‑24.7 LUFS very good), Wi-Fi 6/BT 5.4/NFC/aptX. Cost: bloatware to uninstall, 195g/8.3mm slab, warm 90W charging.
- Buy it if you want max gaming FPS per dollar + 2-day battery + IP68. Skip it if you priotitize cameras (get Nord 4), need wireless charging, or hate MIUI-style bloat, or can stretch to POCO X8 Pro.
Full Specification Table
| Feature | POCO X7 Pro (Xiaomi official) | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Chip / RAM | Dimensity 8400 Ultra 4nm (A725 all-big-core), Mali-G720 MC7; 8/12GB LPDDR5X, UFS 4.0; WildBoost 3.0 | AnTuTu 1.57M. Flagship-adjacent gaming; 12/512 for £40 more is the value pick |
| Display | 6.67" AMOLED 1220×2712, 120Hz, 68B/12-bit, Dolby Vision/HDR10+, 1400 HBM/3200 peak, GG 7i | Bright outdoor + cinema HDR; 1920Hz PWM kind to eyes |
| Battery | 6000mAh Si/C global (6550 India); 90W HyperCharge (Surge P2/G1, 58 protections), PD3.0/QC3+, reverse wired | 2 days mixed, 12:43h active; 100% ~42min; India variant lasts longer |
| Camera | 50MP Sony IMX882 f/1.5 1/1.95" OIS + 8MP f/2.2 UW; 20MP selfie; 4K60 main (10-bit LOG), gyro+EIS+OIS | Main: 65% more light vs X6 Pro, UltraSnap no-blur; UW/selfie 1080p only, average |
| Durability | IP68 dust/water (1.5m); 160.8×75.2×8.3mm, 195g; Black/Yellow, White, Green, Iron Man LE | Pool-safe, rarity at £309; vegan-leather yellow stands out |
| Software | HyperOS 2, Android 15; AI editing, UltraSnap | Modern + AI tools; bloatware needs 20min cleanup (WIRED) |
| Audio / misc | Stereo speakers, in-screen fingerprint, Wi-Fi 6, BT 5.4, NFC, USB-C; no 3.5mm, no microSD | aptX HD, contactless pay, no headphone jack |
| Price | £309 8/256 / £349 12/512 (~$335–$400); India ₹27,999+ | Undercuts Nord CE 4 Lite-class chips by miles |
Main Characteristics
Gaming: sustained cool performance with improved cooling, stable frame rates below true flagships but above every budget rival; 120Hz + Dolby Vision make PUBG/Asphalt sing. Endurance: biggest POCO battery ever (+1000mAh) in a slim 8.3mm body, 14.5h continuous-use claim, 90% health-oriented charging options. Photography: main-lens-first philosophy, daylight pop, credible night mode, usable 2× in-sensor crop, strong OIS/EIS video; UW strictly for bright daylight.
X7 Pro vs X8 Pro vs Redmi Note 15 Pro vs Nord 4
| Phone | Chip | Battery/charge | Main camera | IP | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| X7 Pro | D8400 Ultra | 6000mAh/90W | 50MP IMX882 OIS | IP68 | £309 |
| X8 Pro | D8500 Ultra | 6500mAh/100W | 50MP Sony OIS | IP68 | ~£379 |
| Redmi Note 15 Pro | Snap 6 Gen 3 | 6580mAh/45W | 200MP OIS | IP69K | ~£329 |
| OnePlus Nord 4 | Snap 7+ Gen 3 | 5500mAh/100W | 50MP OIS (better) | IP54 | ~£429 |
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Dimensity 8400 Ultra, best gaming perf under £350 (AnTuTu 1.57M)
- 1.5K 120Hz AMOLED, Dolby Vision, 3200-nit peak, flagship screen
- 6000mAh (6550 India) 2-day battery + 90W in ~42min (any PD brick)
- 50MP IMX882 OIS main: strong daylight/night + 4K60 LOG
- IP68 + GG 7i + UFS 4.0 + NFC at £309, unmatched value
- Stereo very-good speakers, in-screen fingerprint, HyperOS 2/A15
Cons
- 8MP ultrawide + 20MP selfie mediocre; no RAW; heavy sharpening
- Bloatware out of box (20min cleanup); no wireless charging
- No charger in UK box; 90W charging runs warm
- No microSD, no 3.5mm jack; 195g slab
- India battery bigger, global slightly shorter-lived
- Camera trails Nord 4 / Nothing 3a for discerning shooters
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the POCO X7 Pro good for gaming?
The best budget gaming phone of 2025 per Trusted Reviews/Android Central. All-big-core Dimensity 8400 Ultra + WildBoost 3.0 + 120Hz AMOLED hold high frame rates cool in PUBG/Asphalt. Not quite flagship-stable, but far ahead of Snapdragon 695/6s Gen 3 rivals at £309.
X7 Pro vs X8 Pro vs Redmi Note 15 Pro. Which Xiaomi wins?
Gaming perf-per-pound: X7 Pro (£309). Newer + bigger battery: X8 Pro (D8500, 6500mAh/100W, ~£379). Camera-zoom + endurance: Redmi Note 15 Pro (200MP, 6580mAh, IP69K, ~£329, slower chip). Photographers pick Redmi/Nord 4; gamers pick X7/X8 Pro.
How is the battery and is the charger in the box?
6000mAh global (6550 India Si/C): 2 days mixed, 12:43h active (GSMArena), 8h PUBG claim. 90W HyperCharge: 50% ~23min, full ~42–46min with any 90W PD brick (not proprietary). UK/western box has no charger; India includes 90W.
Is the camera good?
Main: yes for price: 50MP Sony IMX882 f/1.5 OIS, lively detailed day shots, good night mode, 4K60 LOG video. Ultrawide/selfie: average-to-weak, noisy at night, color mismatch, oversoftened selfies, no RAW. Main-lens shooters happy; content creators wanting consistency should get Nord 4.
Is it waterproof? Does it have NFC and 5G?
Yes to all: IP68 (1.5m, first POCO), NFC with contactless pay, full 5G, Wi-Fi 6, BT 5.4 aptX HD. Gorilla Glass 7i. No wireless charging, no microSD, no headphone jack.
What is the difference between global and India versions?
Battery only: 6000mAh global vs 6550mAh India (both 90W). Performance, screen, cameras and IP68 identical. India lasts ~10% longer; both charge in ~42min.
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