Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC review

Two-minute review

The Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC is all about value, like every Poco handset before it and almost every Xiaomi device.

But the strategy has changed since 2018’s Pocophone F1. The Poco X3 doesn’t come with a top-tier Snapdragon 8-series processor, because fitting one into a budget phone just doesn’t seem feasible anymore.

However, the end result is similar. The Poco X3 NFC is probably the best phone for gaming at its price. It has a large, well-specced screen, loud stereo speakers, and its Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G processor handles titles such as Fortnite far better than the Snapdragon 665 and Exynos 9611 phones you might buy for the same cash.

It’s simply miles ahead. Even Realme, maker of some of 2020’s best budget phones, doesn’t have anything that can directly compete at launch. Excellent battery life and a nerd-pleasing 120Hz display panel top off the Poco X3 sundae, and make this one of the best buys for techies on a tight budget.

There are a few bits to improve, however. Its screen has a situation-specific erratic backlight flicker, which we believe should be fixable via a firmware update. The odd glitch suggests the Poco X3 NFC is due a system stability update, too.

Only one issue is less likely to be fixed further down the road. The Poco X3 NFC has an impressive-sounding 64-megapixel main camera. It takes good shots, but suffers from significant purple fringing, more so than the majority of rival phones in this price range.

Still, its digital 2x mode is better than most and while its low-light performance won’t worry the Google Pixel 4a, it’s at least on a par with the better budget Androids.

There are still reasons to step up to a phone such as the Realme X50 5G. It has 5G, its performance is a step up, and its glass back feels nicer. But at this level, such a leap in cost may not appear insignificant.

Poco X3 NFC price and release date

The Poco X3 NFC went on sale on September 17, 2020 in Europe. We don’t have confirmed US pricing and availability details just yet, but the European figures are enough to catch the eye.

The base model Poco X3 NFC costs £199 (about $250, AU$360) and comes with 6GB of RAM and 64GB storage. An upgrade to 128GB storage bumps up the price to £229 (around $300, AU$420), although this is an early bird deal that may rise to £249 (around $320, AU$450). That low price makes this one of the very best cheap phones.

An additional 64GB storage is a welcome layer of cushioning, but since the RAM remains at 6GB, you’re unlikely to see any performance boost unless there’s a major difference in the speed of the storage itself.

Design

• Plastic shell with thin metal lip
• 165.3 x 76.8 x 9.4mm
• 215g

The Poco X3 NFC is one of the best value phones around for several reasons – but it comes sporting the same style and build as the majority in its class. This means the phone’s back is plastic rather than glass, and the sides are plastic rather than aluminium.

You may read online that the sides are metal, but this appears to refer to the thin black band that sits between the glass screen and plastic sides.

We’ve used the Poco X3 NFC in its bundled silicone case throughout testing, which makes its plastic aesthetic less obvious. But it also highlights that this is a large device.