POCO M3 Review: Style Meets Practicality in a Budget Package

The POCO M3 brings a fresh, eye-catching design to the budget smartphone segment while offering tangible upgrades in camera capabilities and battery life. However, performance remains largely unchanged from its predecessor, the POCO M2.

Design and build The POCO M3 features a bold aesthetic with a distinctive camera module and a pseudo-leather textured back that feels pleasant in hand. While the design might appeal to many, others may find it overly flashy. The device includes a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, which is more ergonomic than the back-mounted sensor on the POCO M2, though it is slightly slower. Face unlock remains available as a backup option.

Display The phone sports a 6.53-inch FHD+ IPS LCD screen with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. While it lacks a punch-hole cutout, the notch at the top is standard. The display delivers sharp visuals and decent brightness levels, performing better than many other budget phones under direct sunlight. It also carries Widevine L1 certification, enabling HD playback on streaming services.

Performance Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 chipset, the POCO M3 offers energy-efficient performance but falls short in raw power compared to the MediaTek Helio G80 in the POCO M2. Benchmark tests reveal noticeable gaps in multitasking and gaming performance. While light use feels smooth, demanding games like PUBG Mobile and COD Mobile show stuttering, especially when using higher graphics settings. The phone includes MIUI 12, which brings additional features but also pre-installed games that can be uninstalled.

Cameras The POCO M3 upgrades to a 48MP primary camera, delivering better detail and more natural color saturation than the POCO M2. Portrait and macro photos show improvement, though macro shots remain challenging due to a fixed-focus lens. Nighttime photography benefits from a new night mode, producing superior low-light images compared to the previous model. Video recording tops out at 1080p/30fps on both the rear and front cameras, with no significant quality difference from the POCO M2.

Battery and audio A massive 6000mAh battery powers the POCO M3, easily lasting through a full day of use, even with heavy workloads. Charging reaches 100% in approximately 2 hours and 48 minutes using the included 22.5W adapter, though the phone only supports 18W charging. The stereo speaker setup is Hi-Res audio certified but delivers average sound quality with decent volume but lacking depth.

Verdict While the POCO M3 offers a stylish design, improved cameras, and exceptional battery life at a budget price, it fails to deliver meaningful performance upgrades over the POCO M2. For users prioritizing photography and endurance, the phone is a solid choice, but those needing stronger processing power may find it lacking.