POCO wants to replicate the success of the POCO X3 Pro with the X4 GT. it will be very difficult

The price of cell phones has not changed, what we get for this price has: for some years it is possible to get real “guns” at a cost that was previously reserved for the cheapest mobiles. And Xiaomi is one of the architects of this positive change for smartphone owners; with a brand that has punctured the mid-range: POCO.

There is no other mobile that has recommended more in 2021, the POCO X3 Pro is the best thing that has happened to the mid-range since the already legendary Moto G. Just like Motorola did in 2013 with the help from Google (at the time it was still owned by the company) POCO has raised the bar for smartphones offered in the 200 euro range. Yes, the POCO X3 Pro was unthinkable in 2021 due to its original cost, 249 dollars. This cost fell below 200 dollars after the large number of offers he received. Now, his heir by characteristics poses serious questions of continuity.

POCO X4 GT: same indomitable spirit, considerably more expensive

The POCO X3 Pro of 2021 experienced a generation change at the beginning of the year, the POCO X4 Pro. Already at the time we appreciated the reduction in raw power in exchange for the improvement of certain aspects, such as the inclusion of the AMOLED screen. And with the POCO X4 GT Xiaomi intends to compensate make the phone a real beast of treatment: The MediaTek Dimensity 8100 is quite a guarantee at this point.

I can put some negative points in the choice of the processor: failing to analyze the performance with a magnifying glass, I think that the jump compared to the Snapdragon 860 which originally included the POCO X3 Pro is positive. On the bounce, it adds 5G to the phone, something mandatory in a 2022 mid-range. Of course, the mid-range has lessat least by putting the magnifying glass on the price.

Although the POCO X3 Pro is its direct ancestor in Europe, the POCO X4 GT has a predecessor in the POCO X3 GT, a mobile of great power that remained in the eastern lands. Xiaomi has decided to make this line more international, increasing the capabilities of the family; surely because of a somewhat decaffeinated POCO X4 Pro in terms of raw power.

The POCO X4 GT keeps the price contained, in my opinion it offers a lot for what its technical sheet represents. Now it’s hard for me not to make a cost comparison between this new phone and the POCO X3 Pro, a motive still valid today. And what would I still recommend if it weren’t for the fact that the stock is almost sold out.

349 dollars base for the POCO X4 Pro is the price at which this phone starts, a smartphone with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage (LPDDR5 and UFS 3.1, very remarkable). Reviewing the rest of the specifications, this new generation increases screen refresh rate, improves camera on paper, doubles the power of fast charging and lightens the overall weight; in addition to what has already been mentioned: better processor and memory.

	POCO X3 Pro	POCO X4 GT
Filter	6.67 inch IPS LCD screen Ratio 20:9 FullHD+ at 2,400 x 1,080 120Hz refresh 240Hz touch refresh 450 night brightness Contrast 1500:1 HDR10 pegboard Gorilla Glass 6	6.6 inch IPS-LCD 20.5:9 ratio FullHD+ at 2,460 x 1,080 144Hz refresh 270Hz touch refresh 650 night brightness Contrast 1500:1 Dolby Vision pegboard Gorilla Glass 5
Processor	2.96GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 860 Adreno 640 GPU	MediaTek Dimension 8100 at 2.85GHz Mali-G610
Versions	6/128 GB 8/256 GB LPDDR4X/UFS 3.1 MicroSD up to 1TB	8/128 GB 8/256 GB LPDDR5/UFS 3.1
rear cameras	Main: 48 megapixel f/1.79 Angled: 8 megapixel f/2.2 179º Depth: 2 megapixel f/2.4 Macro: 2 megapixel f/2.4, 4 cm	Main: 64 megapixel f/1.89 Angled: 8 megapixel f/2.2 120º Macro: 2 megapixel f/2.4, 4 cm
Front camera	20 megapixel f/2.2	20 megapixel f/2.45
Drums	5.160mAh 33W fast charge 33W charger included	5.080mAh 67W fast charge 67W charger included
System	Android 11 MIUI 12 for POCO	Android 12 MIUI 13 for POCO
connectivity	4G WiFi 5 Bluetooth 5.0 GPS NFC headphone jack infrared USB Type-C	5G 4G WiFi 6 Bluetooth 5.3 GPS NFC headphone jack infrared USB Type-C
Dimensions and weight	165.3 x 76.8 x 9.4 millimeters 215 grams	163.64 x 74.29 x 8.87 millimeters 200 grams
Others	side fingerprint reader stereo speakers Hi-res sound headphone jack	side fingerprint reader stereo speakers Hi-res sound headphone jack
Price	6GB/128GB: 249 dollars 8GB/256GB: 299 dollars	8/128 GB: 349.99 dollars 8/256 GB: 429.99 dollars

The jump in benefits is logically significant. The problem is that the cost has increased by 40% (for the basic model, the most powerful grows by 43.81%); an increase that is difficult to justify for a jump between generations. Yes, it is true that the replacement for the X3 Pro should be the POCO X4 Pro, but the latter is not the most powerful of the X family of 2022, which the POCO X3 Pro achieved in 2021. And that now the POCO X4 is GT compliant.

Is it really worth betting on the POCO X4 GT?

I’m not going to recommend the POCO X4 GT, at least for now: I think Xiaomi wanted to compensate for the aggressive pricing strategy it maintained in 2021. POCO already has a name as a brand, the POCO X4 should be sold out of sheer inertia. The problem is that all models this year represent a small step back in terms of performance and a step forward in terms of cost, it’s not just the POCO X4 GT. This is my perception and what I have found generally.

Initially no, but I am convinced that everything will change in two or three months, when Xiaomi reconsiders and adjust online offers of what was happening with the POCO X3 Pro. From the start, the POCO X4 GT has a discount of 50 dollars, a discount that serves as a hook to hide the remarkable rise between generations. I bet it reaches 250 dollars before the end of the summer.