At around 8PM on Monday - March 22, 2021, Chinese tech brand Xiaomi officially launched two new premium Android smartphones in the Philippines through a virtual event publicly broadcast on the company's official Facebook Page.
Of the two new handsets unveiled, the POCO X3 Pro is the more affordable model with a discounted Shopee launch promo price starting at just PHP 10,990 for the 6GB RAM + 128GB ROM variant on March 24, 2021.
I would say that the POCO X3 Pro is the natural follow-up to the best-selling and extremely popular POCO X3 NFC from 2020 and as such, I'm sure that Filipino Mi Fans are expecting a lot from it.
In terms of design and build, I think this new release looks largely the same as its predecessor with its high-gloss polycarbonate backplate and circular rear camera module. Even the location of the punch hole on the 6.67-inch FullHD+ IPS display with 120Hz Refresh Rate is similar.
Speaking of the camera module, it's made up of a 48MP f/1.79 main camera that's the best for daily point-and-shoot photography as well as in low-light performance, an 8 MegaPixel ultra-wide shooter for landscape and architectural shots, a 2 MegaPixel macro camera for close-up shots, and a 2 MegaPixel depth sensor. Oddly enough, POCO X3 NFC has a 64MP main camera compared to what we have on the POCO X3 Pro so one can say that it's a bit of a downgrade, strictly in terms of resolution.
The good thing is that the new model more than makes up for it with its flagship-level 7nm 2.9GHz Octa Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 860 processor, Adreno 640 GPU, and LiquidCool Technology 1.0 Plus via D5 Copper Heat Pipe and Multi-Layer Graphite. The combination of these internal hardware makes POCO X3 Pro a real beast when it comes to gaming, allowing you to play your favorite titles with no annoying lags and stuttering.
When it comes to RAM and ROM, the POCO X3 Pro has two variants: 6GB RAM + 128GB ROM and 8GB RAM + 256GB ROM. I know that the PHP 10,990 promo price of the former is wildly attractive but if you can shell out a bit more, I would advise you to go for the latter which will have a promo price of only PHP 13,990 on March 24, 2021 at Shopee. I think you would greatly appreciate having that additional RAM and internal storage in your daily mobile experience, especially if you usually run so many applications and if you enjoy taking photos and recording 4K or FullHD videos.
Like the POCO X3 NFC, the Pro also has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and facial recognition software embedded in the front-facing camera. These two add a veritable layer of privacy and security for the user on top of the usual pattern or passcode unlock.
Finally, in terms of battery, the POCO X3 Pro is powered by a large 5,160 mAh Li-Po pack that should be good enough to ensure a whole day of uptime even for heavy gamers. This handset also supports 33W Fast Charging that can greatly minimize the time you will spend plugging the device to an electrical outlet and give you more time to use it to play games, shoot videos, or do whatever it is you are passionate about.
For Mi fans who are interested, again, POCO X3 Pro will be up for purchase in the Philippines starting on March 24, 2021. The handset will be out in three colorways, namely, Phantom Black, Frost Blue, and Metal Bronze. If you fail to buy the handset on the launch date, then you will have to pay the regular price listed below.
Xiaomi POCO X3 Pro Specs
165.3mm x 76.8mm x 9.4mm
215 grams
Display:
6.67-inch FHD+ LCD DotDisplay
2400 x 1080 pixels
120Hz Refresh Rate
240Hz Touch Sampling Rate
Dynamic Switch
Contrast ratio: 1500:1
Brightness: 450 nits (typ)
Sunlight Display
Reading Mode 2.0
HDR10
Quad Rear Camera Module:
48 MegaPixel Main Camera
- 1/2“ sensor size, 1.6μm 4-in-1 large pixel
- f/1.79, 6P lens, AutoFocus
8 MegaPixel Secondary Ultra-Wide Camera
- f/2.2, FOV 119°
2 MegaPixel Macro Camera
- f/2.4, Fixed Focus (4cm)
2 MegaPixel Depth Sensor
- f/2.4, FF
Front-Facing In-Display Camera:
20 MegaPixels
Video Recorder:
Back - 4K, FullHD, HD 30fps
Front - FullHD, HD 30fps
MIUI 12 for POCO
Android 11 Operating System
CPU:
7nm 2.9GHz Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 860 Processor
Adreno 640 GPU
LiquidCool Technology 1.0 Plus
D5 Copper Heat Pipe + Multi-Layer Graphite
6GB, 8GB LPDDR4X RAM Options
128GB, 256GB UFS 3.1 Internal Storage Options
WiFi a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 5.0
4G LTE-A
Multi-Functional NFC
IR Blaster
Side-Mounted Fingerprint Scanner
Face Unlock
Dual SIM, Dual 4G Standby
Dual Speakers
High-Res Audio Certified
3.5mm Audio Jack
33W In-Box fast charger
USB-C
Non-Removable 5,160mAh (typ) Li-Po Battery
Phantom Black, Frost Blue, Metal Bronze
Corning Gorilla Glass 6 front
2.5D Glass Front, 3D Curved Glass Back
Xiaomi POCO X3 Pro Prices in the Philippines
Regular SRPs:
6GB RAM + 128GB ROM = PHP 12,990
8GB RAM + 258GB ROM = PHP 15,990
Promo Prices via Shopee on March 24, 2021:
6GB RAM + 128GB ROM = PHP 10,990
8GB RAM + 258GB ROM = PHP 13,990
Release Date in the Philippines: March 24, 2021