POCO X3 NFC Android smartphone is super affordable and loaded with killer features
POCO -- a sub-brand of Xiaomi Inc. -- is not a well-known name in the USA, but in China and other parts of the world, it is quite popular with Android enthusiasts. The young Chinese brand is synonymous with affordable smartphones that have impressive features. This is important, as it allows regular people to buy respectable Android devices without breaking the bank. Sadly, companies such as Samsung, are pricing their devices well out of reach of the common man. Quite frankly, even if you can afford it, spending more than $1,000 for a smartphone is rather foolish.
With all of that said, today, POCO unveils its latest affordable Android smartphone. Called "X3 NFC," it comes loaded with killer features such as a massive 5,160mAh battery with 33W fast charging. It is optimized for gaming with a special GPU and advanced cooling. Despite being a "mid-range" phone, it has a very impressive display with 120Hz refresh and a 240Hz touch sampling. The POCO X3 NFC even has a quad-camera array (with flash), so it should take impressive photos. And yes, it has a 3.5mm headphone port too! Sadly, all is not perfect -- it does not support 5G.
"Running on Qualcomm’s most powerful 4G processor to date, the Snapdragon 732G, POCO X3 NFC offers sustained peak performance and AI capabilities that will impress even the most demanding gamers thanks to its architecture based on the Kryo 470 octa-core CPU and Adreno 618 Elite Gaming series GPU. To ensure steady operation and frictionless user experience, the device embeds LiquidCool Technology 1.0 Plus, combining an enlarged copper heat pipe with multiple layers of graphite that work together to reduce the heat of the phone's processor by up to 6 degrees," says POCO.
The Xiaomi subsidiary further says, "In line with POCO's original goal of making innovation available to everyone, POCO X3 NFC sports a stunning edge-to-edge 6.67-inch FHD+ DotDisplay with a staggering combination of a 120Hz refresh rate and a 240Hz touch sampling rate. POCO X3 NFC boasts one of the smoothest screens in its price category. The DynamicSwitch function allows the phone to save power by automatically switching between 50, 60, 90 and 120Hz depending on the use case and the format of content displayed on the screen. This allows the phone’s refresh rate to go up for use cases like gaming and down for lighter operations like reading -- thereby optimizing power usage."
POCO shares full specifications below.
| POCO X3 NFC | |
| Display | 6.67” FHD+ LCD DotDisplay20:9, 2400×1080, 395ppi
240Hz touch sampling rate 120Hz refresh rate Color gamut: NTSC 84% (typ) Contrast ratio: 1,500:1(typ) Brightness: 450 nits (typ) / 380 nits (min) TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light certification HDR10 Wildvine L1 certified |
| Color | Shadow Gray, Cobalt Blue |
| Dimensions | 165.3mm x 76.8mm x 9.4mm, 215g |
| Network Support | Dual SIM standby3Wi-Fi 5 |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 732G– Kyro™ 470 octa-core CPU,
– Adreno 618 GPU with select Elite Gaming features |
| Storage | LPDDR4X RAM, UFS 2.1 storage |
| Cooling System | LiquidCool Technology 1.0 Plus – Enlarged copper heat pipe + multiple layers of graphite, up to 6°C CPU temperature reduction |
| Rear Camera | 64MP+13MP+2MP+2MP quad camera64MP main wide sensor
Sony IMX682, 1/1.73“ sensor, ƒ/1.89, 1.6μm 4-in-1 Super Pixel, 6P lens, PDAF 13MP ultra-wide angle sensor, 119° FoV, ƒ/2.2, 1.0μm 2MP macro sensor, ƒ/2.4, 1.75μm, 4cm 2MP depth sensor, ƒ/2.4, 1.75μm Up to 4K 30fps, video recording, AI Skyscaping 3.0, Night Mode, ShootSteady video, Vlog mode |
| Front Camera | 20MP in-display front cameraƒ/2.2, 1.6μm 4-in-1 Super Pixel |
| Connection | Multifunctional NFC, IR blaster |
| Security | Side-mounted fingerprint sensor |
| Battery & Charging | 5,160mAh (typ) high-capacity battery33W fast charging
33W in-box charger USB Type-C |
| Audio | Dual Stereo Speakers4cc-equivalent 1012 upper speaker, open cavity
1cc-equivalent 1216 lower speaker Maximum speaker vibration amplitude: 0.5mm Hi-Res audio certification 3.5mm headphone jack |
| Motor | Z-axis linear vibration motor |
| System | MIUI 12 based on Android 10 |
| Storage Variants | 6GB+64GB 6GB+128GB |
So, how much does the POCO X3 NFC cost? Well, that depends on when you buy it and which model you choose. You see, there are two variants that are essentially identical, with the only difference being storage capacity. The 64GB version costs 229€ while the 128GB phone is just 40€ more at 269€. However, for a limited time, POCO is offering "early bird" pricing of 199€ and 249€ respectively. You can order it here now.