Xiaomi gave UK buyers a genuine choice with its X5 generation of POCO smartphones rather than forcing a single option, with both the standard X5 and the Pro models on offer. Where the base X5 launched at £279 to £319 depending on storage, the POCO X5 Pro 5G commanded a more substantial £369 at launch for its sole 8GB/256GB configuration, and that premium needed to earn its keep against a cheaper sibling sitting right there on the same storefront rather than against some other brand’s rival entirely.
A Screen Built to Show Off
Branded as a “Flow AMOLED DotDisplay”, the 6.67-inch panel here pushes considerably further than its cheaper sibling, hitting 900 nits peak brightness against the standard X5‘s 1200 nits claim in a different measurement context, a 240Hz touch sampling rate, and support for over 1.07 billion colours across a 10-bit depth. HDR10+ certification and genuine Dolby Vision support round out a package that reads more like a flagship spec sheet than a budget one, and 1920Hz PWM dimming helps keep low-light reading comfortable rather than strobing uncomfortably the way cheaper AMOLED panels sometimes do. Dual speakers tuned with Dolby Atmos finally address the audio shortfall that dogs the standard X5, delivering genuine stereo separation rather than the single mono driver found lower down the range.
Silicon That Can Actually Keep Pace With the Display
Where the X5 Pro earns its price premium most convincingly is underneath the hood. A Snapdragon 778G, built on a 6nm process and scoring over 545,000 on AnTuTu, replaces the ageing 695 found in the standard model, delivering noticeably smoother sustained performance rather than the occasional stutter that creeps into the cheaper phone under heavier load. RAM expansion technology pushes available memory up toward a claimed 13GB by borrowing spare storage, a software trick rather than genuine extra silicon, but one that still helps multi-tasking feel more comfortable in daily use. Gaming, multi-tasking, and general responsiveness all benefit meaningfully from the upgrade, closing much of the gap that made the standard X5 feel like it was fighting its own display.
A Camera That Numbers Better Than It Improves
A 108MP main sensor, measuring a genuinely large 1/1.52 inches and employing 9-in-1 pixel binning, headlines the triple rear array, joined by an 8MP ultrawide with a generous 120-degree field of view and a 2MP macro lens. On paper this looks like a substantial leap over the standard X5‘s 48MP setup, and resolution and detail in good light genuinely do impress. Dig a little deeper, though, and this is largely the same camera hardware carried over from the previous generation’s X4 Pro, rather than a fresh sensor built specifically for this phone, meaning the headline numbers promise more of a generational leap than actually materialises in day-to-day shooting. 4K video recording is a welcome inclusion after being missing from the cheaper model, giving content creators a genuine reason to favour the Pro beyond stills alone.
Charging Speed That Doesn’t Just Sound Fast
The same 5,000mAh cell found in the standard X5 returns here, but 67W turbo charging, paired with MMT technology shortening the internal charging current path, pushes replenishment speeds considerably further than the base model’s 33W ever managed. POCO’s own figures claim up to 28 hours of call time, 14 days of standby, and 20 hours of video playback on a single charge, and while lab figures always deserve a pinch of real-world scepticism, the underlying stamina genuinely holds up across a demanding day of mixed use.
A Body Built to Match the Spec Sheet
At 181g and just 7.9mm thick, Xiaomi markets this POCO as the thinnest and lightest phone the X series has produced, noticeably sleeker in-hand than the standard X5‘s 189g, 7.98mm frame. A side-mounted fingerprint sensor keeps unlocking fast and reliable, while NFC, an IR blaster for controlling home electronics, and an X-axis linear motor for more precise haptic feedback round out a feature list considerably more generous than the standard X5‘s. MIUI 14 runs the show, inheriting the same bloatware concerns that affect the cheaper model, a persistent irritation neither phone manages to shake off.
Key Info
| Product | POCO X5 Pro 5G |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.67″ Flow AMOLED, 120Hz, 900 nits, Dolby Vision, HDR10+ |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G (6nm) |
| RAM / Storage | 8GB/256GB (sole UK configuration) |
| Rear Cameras | 108MP main (1/1.52″), 8MP ultrawide (120°), 2MP macro |
| Video | 4K recording |
| Battery | 5000mAh, 67W turbo charging |
| Build | 181g, 7.9mm, side fingerprint |
| Extras | NFC, IR blaster, X-axis linear motor, dual Dolby Atmos speakers |
| OS | MIUI 14 (Android 12) |
| UK Price | £369 |
Cubed3 Summary
Set directly against its own cheaper sibling, the POCO X5 Pro 5G earned its original £369 asking price convincingly rather than simply trading on the “Pro” name alone. A genuinely flagship-feeling display, a chipset with real headroom, proper stereo sound, and considerably faster charging all combine into a package that feels meaningfully more complete than the standard X5 5G, not merely a minor spec bump dressed up as something grander. The camera system promises more on paper than it ultimately delivers, leaning on largely recycled hardware from the previous generation, and MIUI’s bloatware remains an irritation POCO hasn’t shaken off at either price point. For anyone deciding between the two models, though, the Pro‘s extra £90 to £120 buys a genuinely more complete phone rather than just a bigger number on the spec sheet.
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