Review by Jon Donnis
Using the POCO M8 5G over the past week has been surprisingly enjoyable. It has a way of feeling reliable and capable without drawing too much attention, quietly handling everything thrown at it. Everyday tasks, from messaging and scrolling through social feeds to watching videos and snapping photos, all feel effortless. It is the kind of phone that settles into daily life so smoothly, and when you need it to perform, it does so without fuss.
The first thing that struck me was the design. At just 7.35mm thick and weighing 178 grams, it feels slim and light without feeling fragile. The curved front and clean camera layout give it a look that would not feel out of place on a phone twice the cost. It actually reminds me a lot of the Redmi Note 15 5G I reviewed last year, which is no bad thing. In the hand it is comfortable, easy to pocket, and just looks smart.
The 6.77 inch Flow AMOLED display is easily the star of the show. A 120Hz refresh rate keeps everything smooth, from scrolling through social feeds to gaming, and the 2560Hz touch sampling makes it feel properly responsive. It reacts instantly. The headline figure is the 3200 nits peak brightness, and while you will not be staring at that number day to day, you definitely notice how visible the screen remains outdoors. Even under harsh daylight it stays clear and colourful. Blacks are deep, colours pop, and it is simply a pleasant panel to use.
Photo of my colourful Playstation Controller, taken with the POCO M8
Performance is handled by the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3, built on a 4nm process. In everyday use it feels quick and efficient. Apps open without fuss, multitasking is generally smooth, and gaming runs better than you might expect at this price. I threw a few heavier mobile titles at it and it never stuttered or complained. It just got on with the job. Nothing flashy, just reliable.
Battery life is another highlight. The 5520mAh cell easily stretches through a full day and often well into the next. For most people this is a charge once and forget about it situation. When you do need to top up, the included 45W turbo charger gets you moving again quickly. It is also handy that the phone supports 18W wired reverse charging. More than once I have used it to give my wife's dying phone a quick boost. It sounds like a small thing, but in real life it is surprisingly useful.
Durability deserves a mention too. POCO uses high durability glass on the front and claims it can survive face down drops from 1.7 metres onto marble. I had no intention of testing that. Still, I have accidentally dropped it a few times and it has come away without a mark. That kind of peace of mind matters on a daily driver.
Storage is generous, which I really appreciate. Moving over from last year's POCO M7 5G Pro, the added ROM meant plenty of room for photos, videos and games. The full transfer from my old phone took around three hours over WiFi, but everything came across cleanly. No starting from scratch. That alone saved me a lot of hassle. Nothing go lost in the process, and considering the sheer amount of photos and videos I have on the phone, I was surprised how well it all worked. All the settings easily were moved across, passwords, logins and so on. Makes life with a new phone a whole lot easier.
Photo of my newborn child's Hello Kitty toy taken on the POCO M8
The 50MP AI dual camera system is solid rather than spectacular, but that is perfectly fine for this class. In dull winter weather there has not been much to shoot, yet even so the photos look sharp and balanced. Blacks in particular come out deeper and richer than I remember on the M7 or the Redmi Note 15. There is 4K video support as well, and footage looks clean and detailed. It is not a flagship camera, but it is more than capable for everyday use and social media.
Of course, it is not perfect. The usual bloatware shows up during setup, which is always irritating. A handful of apps you never asked for quietly install themselves. The good news is that I was able to remove everything I did not want without any trouble. It takes a few minutes, but once cleaned up the experience is much better.
Available in Black, Silver or Green. The Silver versions looks incredible!
The other downside is RAM. This model comes with 8GB, which is fine for most people, but I was slightly spoiled by the 12GB on the previous Pro model. If you are a heavy multitasker or constantly juggling loads of apps, you may notice the difference. In that case the Pro version might be worth the extra spend. For anyone coming from 8GB or less, though, this will feel absolutely fine.
All told, the POCO M8 5G feels like a genuine step forward from the M7. It looks better, feels sturdier, and the screen alone makes the upgrade worthwhile. Despite similar specs to the Redmi Note 15, this one just feels nicer to live with day to day. Sometimes that intangible bit of polish makes all the difference.
At around the £230, it is very hard to fault. It is fast, bright, long lasting and tough enough to survive real life. For most people, this is more phone than they actually need.
I would happily recommend it to anyone shopping on a budget. A strong, dependable all rounder that does nearly everything right. A very easy 9 out of 10.
Thank you to the good people at Xiaomi for providing the phone for review.
Out Now in the UK at
POCO M8 5G is available in three colours: Green, Black, and Silver, with the following
storage variants:
- 8GB+256GB, priced at £229
- 8GB+512GB, priced at £259
POCO M8 Pro 5G is available in three colours: Silver, Black, and Green, with the
following storage variants:
- 8GB+256GB, priced at £299
- 12GB+512GB, priced at £349
