Just when we were ready to dismiss Poco as a notorious pugilist, he's back out of the blue. About a year and a half after the release of Poco F1, we recently discovered that Poco is becoming independent from Xiaomi and will launch more than just a flagship.
The company wastes no time and has proven it mocking the Poco X2, which arrives in some international markets next week.
Most of us have spent the last year waiting for the answer to one question: when will the Poco F2 be released? Well, it's coming sometime in 2020, but Poco is kicking off its comeback with a mid-range offering and that's pretty exciting.
Not for many Poco fans though. Some users are ready to cancel the Poco X2 before the launch due to the simple fact that it will be a brand new Redmi K30 4G.
Yes, if you look closely at the trailers, Poco X2 will be a rebranded Redmi K30 4G which was released in China in December 2019. It is confirmed and Poco fans are already rioting on social media that it does not include an update on their beloved Pocophone F1. Thus closing a host of other features, including the higher refresh rate. Something that I find difficult to digest.
So these are the reasons why I think Poco X2 being a rebrand of Redmi K30 4G is not a bad thing.
120Hz LCD > 60Hz AMOLED
Even before getting into the debate about the screen of the Little X2I do want to mention that the device will feature a premium glass construction, something that was missing from the Poco F1. It is one of the major improvements over the soft plastic construction of the Pocophone F1.
Hitting the screen, the Poco India team confirmed that Poco X2 will land in India with a 120Hz LCD display. The device will be a rebranded Redmi K30 4G, so this means that it will get a 6.67-inch Full-HD+ IPS LCD screen instead of a sharp AMOLED panel, that too with a modern dual camera hole punch. It's a 20:9 panel with HDR 10 support.
You wanted to hear this. It's time to experience the Xtreme with a screen that's #SmoothAF. Introducing the stunning 120Hz display in the #POCOX2.
https://twitter.com/IndiaPOCO/status/1222046682860244993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Now, as the company revealed the presence of a higher refresh rate display, along with a look at the Poco X2's silhouette, fans have been calling out the company for sticking with an LCD panel.
Everyone expected Poco to accept the complaints and issues users were facing with the F1's screen to see the company bake an AMOLED screen into its next phone. But, that is not happening, users do not want a high refresh rate screen, what is preferable for gaming?
The LCD screen used by Xiaomi is known to have very true colors and when you combine it with a higher refresh rate, it will be a smooth experience, in a very tight price range. You'll get punchier colours, deeper blacks and an in-display fingerprint scanner with an AMOLED panel, but a higher refresh rate (which makes for a smoother experience) carries more weight.
Side-mounted fingerprint sensor similar to the Redmi K30 4G seen in the Poco X2 trailer
You need to test a 120Hz panel first so you can compare it to a standard 60Hz panel. The 60Hz screen will look lackluster. Furthermore, Redmi K30 4G (will be launched as Poco X2 in Asian markets outside of China) is the first Redmi phone with a higher 120Hz refresh rate and will not find any competitors in the mid-range segment.
But, I would also like to hear your opinion. Share your point of view with me in the comments at the end of the article.
686MP Sony IMX64 Sensor Camera
Coming out of the display debate, Poco X2 will also feature a vertical quad-camera setup. backed by 686MP (f/64) Sony IMX1.89 sensor at the helm It will be paired with an 8MP (f/2.2) ultra-wide-angle lens with 120-degree FOV, a 2MP (f/2.4) macro lens, and a 2MP depth sensor.
Now, I know it skips the telephoto lens, which we found on the Redmi K20, but it's an interesting upgrade over the Poco F1's dual cameras.
Also, on the front, it now has a double hole configuration with drilling on the right. It comes backed by a 20MP main camera and a 2MP depth sensor with a wider FOV of 83 degrees. This means the Poco X2 could become a great gaming and streaming companion, thanks to the selfie cameras and onboard processor. We will talk about the latter below.
All the gaming power you need
Poco X2 is a modified Redmi K30 4G which means that it will come baked with the Snapdragon 730G chipset, which is a gaming focused chipset, which can be found in the Realme X2 and Redmi K20.
This means you're getting a powerful chipset with an overclocked GPU and performance comparable to the Snapdragon 845 chipset, which is the engine under the hood of the Poco F1.
Let's not forget the software in this article. Poco X2 will not bring an Android UI like many might expect. MIUI will continue to be supported by MICO for POCO, which we know is not drastically different from the standard MIUI custom look that we find on all Xiaomi phones.
But the cleaner appearance of Poco's user layer adds up to a smooth user experience.
27W fast charging, what?
Finally, if the Poco X2 will arrive as a rebranded Redmi K30 4G, then it will come with a huge 4.500 mAh battery to support the 120Hz IPS LCD screen. One of the shortcomings of the LCD screen is that the individual pixels are not turned off, so this device is likely to consume more battery power.
Redmi made amends for this by offering a 27W charger in the box and so will the Poco X2, which is great! This will be another highlight for the mid-range Poco X2 and an upgrade over the Poco F1.
End of the game: Prices are the most important thing for Poco X2!
As it currently stands, the Poco brand is synonymous with a feature-rich flagship offering at an unbeatable price. But what we all need to remember is that the company has only released one smartphone to date.
It raised the bar for its competitors while lowering the entry point for users. That's what defined the Pocophone F1. You have a flagship for a fraction of the price.
Now Poco is venturing into uncharted territory, launching a smartphone with decidedly mid-range specs, in a market that is already saturated and highly competitive.
You'll see another Snapdragon 730G device with a 64MP camera and fast charging support, but it's the 120Hz display that sets it apart. We need to take a backseat to the LCD vs AMOLED debate because it's the specs/price ratio that's going to matter in the end.
Little now will he need to remember what made him a force to be reckoned with in the international marketplace. And most importantly, I think Poco should focus on their brand perception and that means they should aggressively price the Poco X2 to take on Realme and Redmi in the mid-range segment.
Waiting to see all this confirmed, leave your opinion in the comments section below.