{Disarmed} POCO M4 Pro 4G, analysis: an irregular experience where multimedia wins the game

Just a few weeks ago, as part of the Mobile World Congress , POCO took the opportunity to present the POCO M4 Pro (4G) and the POCO X4 Pro 5G . This time we have had the opportunity to thoroughly test the POCO M4 Pro 4G to tell you everything about this device.

This POCO comes at a time when the essence of Xiaomi is increasingly moving towards this sub-brand , which is going to be more and more independent, in fact, Xiaomi already has an exclusive team for that brand.

After the first impressions , the in-depth tests of this new candidate for the lower mid-range arrive.

POCO M4 Pro 4G, technical sheet

	LITTLE M4 PRO
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	159.87mm x 73.87mm x 8.09mm 179.5 grams
SCREEN	6.43" FHD+ AMOLED DotDisplay 2400 × 1080 FHD+ DCI-P3 color range Contrast 4,500,000:1 Brightness: 700 nits (HBM)/1000 nits (peak) Refresh rate at 90Hz and sampling rate at 180Hz Corning Gorilla Glass 3 Sunlight Screen and Reading Mode 3.0 SGS Eye Care Technology SGS Seamless Display
PROCESSOR	Mediatek Helio G96
RAM	6/8GB LPDDR4X
INTERNAL STORAGE	128/256 GB UFS 2.2 storage expandable via MicroSD
REAR CAMERA	Main sensor: 64MP f/1.8 Ultra wide angle sensor: 8 MP f/2.2 FOV 118° Macro Sensor: 2MP
FRONT CAMERA	16MP
BATTERY	5000mAh (typ) battery 33W Quick Charge Pro
OS	MIUI 13 for LITTLE
CONNECTIVITY	Bluetooth 5.0 Wi-Fi protocol: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Dual SIM, dual standby Network Bands6: 2G: GSM: Band 2/3/5/8 3G: WCDMA: Band 1/2/4/5/8 4G: LTE FDD: Band 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/20/28 4G: LTE TDD: Band 38/40/41 (2535Mhz-2655Mhz)
OTHERS	dual speakers fingerprint sensor 3.5 mm audio jack with Hi-Res audio certification GO Rastor NFC IP52 splash protection
PRICE	From 219 euros

very little weight

The POCO M4 Pro 4G has a slightly different design than its 5G version . It has quite tight frames with a camera integrated into the screen.

On the left side we find nothing more than the SIM tray and the storage expansion through cards via MicroSD.

Below we find the microphone for calls, the USB type C a multimedia speaker.

On the right side is the button to turn on, turn off and lock the device, in addition to the buttons to raise and lower the volume .

Above is the 3.5 mm jack connection , another multimedia speaker and, finally, the infrared sensor.

If we turn the mobile over, we find a large rectangle of glass divided into two colors through which we can appreciate the different photographic sensors of the device. This also houses the POCO logo.

A screen at a very good level

The POCO M4 Pro 4G houses a 6.6-inch screen built on AMOLED technology . It is noted that Xiaomi is putting effort into this type of smartphone, since it has greatly improved the quality of the panel without the need to reduce the refresh rate, which in this case reaches up to 90 Hz .

In general, it has colors with a touch of saturation that makes them less natural, but more attractive. Of course, the low brightness is correct, but we have missed an extra brightness in some specific situations where the sun pressed, although nothing serious. The touch is very fast and agile. Playing games is not a problem.

If we add the double speaker system to this screen, it makes the experience much better. In fact, we can say that the multimedia section of the device is one of its best points and, without a doubt, a reason to get hold of this device.

The audio you have when playing videos and movies is really good, thanks in part to the HiRes audio certification .

Fair performance, but enough

Just a few weeks ago, Fabio Arena, Product Manager of Xiaomi Spain explained to us in an interview that the processor has ceased to have the importance it once had in this price range.

Xiaomi bets on a Mediatek Helio G96 that although it is true that it will be more than enough for those users who do not execute demanding tasks, this may be a LITTLE fair for the most gamers.

Beyond the games, where we have seen the occasional drop in frames even when the graphics were at a medium level, the operating system, in this case MIUI for POCO, has performed very well .

MIUI 13 from the start

One of the charms of the POCO M4 Pro 4G is that this device runs from day one with the latest version of MIUI. It is true that the customization layer that the Xiaomi or the Redmi house is not identical to that of the POCO, even so, we have been pleasantly surprised.

It is a device in which, although it is true , there is bloatware, but it is not too intrusive, something that is appreciated . In this version of MIUI, it is striking that some of the icons, such as the one for the gallery or the camera, are different from those of the software that Xiaomi incorporates into its devices.

The only downside that we can put is that this version, as in the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 , is currently based on Android 11 .

A photographic section that goes unnoticed during the day and surprises at night

The photographic section is starred by a 64-megapixel main sensor, but whose photographs are limited to 16 due to Quad Pixel technology , which makes them obtain greater brightness in low-light circumstances.

It should be noted that there is a mode with which you can take advantage of 64 megapixels , although the photographs have more details, they also have a greater weight.

In daytime situations it is a sensor that offers correct results, although it tends to over-saturate the colors, making them less akin to reality, but more attractive. Disabling HDR these take on a more realistic air , but on the other hand they look less attractive.

As we mentioned at the beginning, this device has a 64-megapixel main sensor . The truth is that one of the advantages offered by this type of sensor with such high resolution is that they are capable of offering direct access to 2x digital zoom without hardly losing quality. It is even possible to take pictures with the night mode with two magnifications, although it is not ideal.

10x digital zoom

At night, noise appears in the image, but it still maintains enough realistic colors to make the definition of the photo maintain its composure.

If we talk about the ultra wide angle sensor, it behaves in a correct way , but not adequate for its price, in daytime situations, offering a quite remarkable distortion. The colors and sharpness is very similar to that of the main sensor. At night it is a sensor that can hardly be used due to the amount of noise that appears in the image.

To conclude with the photographic section of the back, we must talk about the macro sensor, which although it is true that it does not have much resolution, it does fulfill its function to be able to capture details in photography.

As far as the selfie is concerned, this device has a 16-megapixel front camera in whose results we observe a slight porcelain effect, but quite realistic sharpness and colors.

In fact, it is also compatible with portrait mode , which is done through software, but whose cropping is quite precise, but the result is too exaggerated.

At night it maintains its composure well with realistic colors, albeit with low sharpness.

Video up to 1080p with a terrible jelly effect

{"videoId":"x8942ks","autoplay":true,"title":"Video diurno POCO M4 Pro 4G"}

The maximum resolution that the POCO M4 Pro 4G reaches is 1080p up to 30 fps. This is correct at the color level, but not at the stabilization level , where both day and night a terrible jelly effect appears that makes the image look distorted.

{"videoId":"x8942jn","autoplay":true,"title":"Video nocturno POCO M4 Pro 4G"}

Generous autonomy

Inside the POCO M4 Pro 4G we find 5,000 mAh . The truth is that we have been able to use this device throughout the day without any problem. Our tests point to a duration of between 6 and 7 hours in mixed use with the refresh rate continuously at 90 Hz .

It corresponds to a very generous battery considering that one of the characteristics of this device is that it is quite thin and light.

These figures can vary depending on many circumstances, but what it will not be is the fast charging of up to 33W with which it is compatible and whose charger is included in the box.

POCO M4 Pro 4G, the opinion of xiaomist

The Achilles heel of this device is, without a doubt, its price . POCO is a brand that usually competes with very good devices at moderate prices, but for some reason, this philosophy seems to have been forgotten in this model.

In fact, it is very difficult to be able to recommend this device having alternatives at lower prices from Xiaomi itself that offer 5G connectivity, and somewhat more powerful processors.

Beyond its price, this device is really complete and will be a very good option for those who still do not want to bet on 5G. It offers a good panel and dual speakers , which would make this device capable of providing a very complete multimedia experience, since it even has an FM radio.

7.2

design 7

Screen 8

performance 6

Chamber 6

Software 8

Autonomy 8

In favor

• AMOLED screen with good colors.
• MIUI 13.
• Good autonomy.
• Effective fingerprint sensor.

Against

• A very high price for a range with so much competition.
• android 11
• A photographic section too simple for its price.

(function() { window._JS_MODULES = window._JS_MODULES || {}; var headElement = document.getElementsByTagName( head )[0]; if (_JS_MODULES.instagram) { var instagramScript = document.createElement( script ); instagramScript.src = ; instagramScript.async = true; instagramScript.defer = true; headElement.appendChild(instagramScript); } })();

-
The POCO M4 Pro 4G news, analysis: an irregular experience where multimedia wins the game was originally published in xiaomist by Alejandro Fernández .