Poco M7 Pro 5G Review – Budget Beast or Just Bare Minimum?

The Poco M7 Pro 5G aims to deliver a solid smartphone experience without breaking the bank. Armed with the MediaTek Dimensity 7025 processor, a surprisingly sharp 120Hz display, and a generous 5,110mAh battery, it comes in at a price point that feels too good to be true. Poco sent over the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage variant for this review, which is more than enough for multitasking and storage-heavy users.

Straight out of the box, it includes a TPU case, 45W charger, Type-A to Type-C cable, SIM tool, and paperwork — no corners cut here. For a phone that costs less than many accessories for flagship phones, the Poco M7 Pro seems ready to impress. There’s even a 3.5mm headphone jack, FM radio, and microSD card slot — features that are rare in 2025.

Despite being marketed as a budget device, Poco seems to have ticked many of the right boxes. But how does it actually hold up in real-world use? We’ll cover the display quality, gaming experience, battery life, software performance, and of course, the cameras. Let’s find out if this is the budget phone that delivers more than expected.

Design and Build Quality:

Design-wise, the Poco M7 Pro 5G plays it safe but functional. The back is plastic with a smooth matte finish, and the camera island features a dual-lens setup with a large 50MP main shooter and a 2MP depth sensor. There’s a dual-tone LED flash and that unmistakable Poco branding right beneath. The phone weighs around 190 grams and is just 8mm thick, not including the raised camera bump.

It doesn’t scream premium, but it feels sturdy and well-put together. The included TPU case is surprisingly snug and has a raised lip around the cameras for added protection. The frame is also plastic, which helps keep the weight down, and while it won’t wow you, it doesn’t feel cheap either.

On the bottom, you’ll find a Type-C charging port, loudspeaker, and microphone. The top includes another speaker for stereo sound, an IR blaster, and — surprisingly — a 3.5mm headphone jack. There’s also support for FM radio. The SIM tray can hold two nano SIMs or one SIM and one microSD card, which is fantastic for storage flexibility.

This phone retains the classic essentials that are slowly disappearing from modern smartphones. It may not be revolutionary in design, but for a budget device, it delivers functionality in spades.

Software Updates And Apps:

The Poco M7 Pro 5G runs on Xiaomi’s latest HyperOS based on Android 14. Right out of the box, you’ll find the software skinned with Poco’s signature flair—bright icons, added customization options, and a familiar MIUI-like layout. It brings in features like the Smart Sidebar, Floating Windows, and customizable control centers. Poco has stated this model will receive at least two major Android OS updates and three years of security patches, which is fair for its price range.

HyperOS 1.0 comes with a couple of nifty AI tricks and visual polish compared to previous MIUI versions. The animations are smoother, and once you force the 120Hz refresh rate, navigation feels fluid. However, the presence of bloatware is quite noticeable. There are over 17 pre-installed apps, many of which are third-party or system tools that push occasional ads or notifications—especially from the Theme Store or the Cleaner app.

The good news is that many of these apps can be uninstalled or disabled. Widevine L1 certification ensures that Netflix and Amazon Prime stream in full HD, which is important for media consumption. There’s no Gemini AI integration here, but Google Discover is baked into the UI, offering content recommendations from the left of the home screen. Overall, while the software isn’t the cleanest, it’s stable, functional, and full of features for the budget segment.

Performance and Chipsets:

Powering the Poco M7 Pro 5G is the MediaTek Dimensity 7020 chipset, paired with up to 12GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB UFS 2.2 storage. This isn’t a high-performance chip, but it delivers respectable speeds for general tasks. Browsing, app-switching, and social media use feel responsive once you force the 120Hz refresh rate.

Benchmark scores reflect its budget nature, with AnTuTu results in the 400K range, which is good enough for the category. The thermal management is impressive—thanks to the plastic body, the phone rarely heats up during prolonged usage. RAM expansion of up to 5GB helps keep background apps alive, and storage read/write speeds are solid.

While it’s no flagship, the M7 Pro is well-equipped for everyday tasks, casual productivity, and streaming.

 

Gaming Performance and Tests:

Gaming on the Poco M7 Pro 5G is a surprisingly decent experience—as long as you manage your expectations. Genshin Impact, for example, is playable on low graphics settings with some stutters and frame drops, especially during heavy combat or map transitions. Frame rate hovers between 30-45FPS.

With lighter games like Mobile Legends or Subway Surfers, the experience is smooth and reliable. However, the absence of a high-end GPU means titles like Warzone Mobile or PUBG at high settings won’t run well. The good part is the phone doesn’t overheat even during 30-minute sessions, thanks to its efficient chip and design.

If you’re okay with medium to low settings and care more about battery endurance and thermal comfort, this is a great option for budget gaming.

Battery Life and Charging Speed:

The 5,110mAh battery inside the Poco M7 Pro 5G is one of its strongest features. In real-world tests, the phone comfortably lasts a full day and a half under regular usage. During screen-on time testing at 120Hz, it pushed past 10 hours, which is excellent.

The included 45W charger gets you from 17% to 100% in just under 53 minutes. While not blazing fast, it’s acceptable at this price. Charging is done via USB-C, and there’s no wireless charging—which is expected in this range.

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Connectivity:

The Poco M7 Pro 5G ticks all the right boxes when it comes to connectivity. It supports 5G (dual SIM standby), Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC (in select regions), and FM Radio. There’s also a 3.5mm headphone jack, a welcome addition for budget users.

The SIM tray offers either dual nano SIMs or one SIM and a microSD card—great for those who want expandable storage. GPS, GLONASS, and Beidou are also supported for navigation. Another nice bonus is the IR blaster, allowing you to control TVs and other devices.

Voice call quality is strong, and the proximity sensor performs well. Overall, the connectivity suite is as complete as you’d expect, and then some.

Camera Specs and Performance:

Camera Hardware and Layout

The Poco M7 Pro 5G features a dual-camera setup on the rear: a 50MP main sensor and a 2MP depth sensor. There’s also a single LED flash and a large, slightly raised rectangular camera module with some bold Poco branding.

Main Camera Daylight Shots

The 50MP main sensor performs decently in well-lit conditions. Photos retain good color accuracy, decent dynamic range, and relatively sharp detail. However, highlights can get slightly blown out if the scene is too bright.

Zoom and Digital Quality

There’s no telephoto lens here, so all zooming is done digitally. Up to 2x zoom still looks usable, but going past that introduces visible noise and loss of detail.

Ultrawide and Macro

Unfortunately, there’s no ultrawide or macro sensor on this phone, so flexibility is limited. The 2MP secondary camera only assists with portrait depth mapping.

Portrait and Edge Detection

Portrait mode works well enough in good lighting. Subject separation is decent, though edge detection isn’t perfect. The lack of hardware depth sensors shows in tricky scenes, especially around hair.

Selfie and Front Camera

Selfies come from an 8MP front-facing camera. Photos are average—good for video calls or casual shots but don’t expect flagship-level clarity. Portrait selfies suffer from poor background separation and bad stitching, especially in low light.

Low Light and Night Photography

Low-light photos struggle quite a bit. Without night mode, shots are noisy, soft, and lacking in contrast. With night mode enabled, there’s slight improvement, but it’s clear this isn’t a strength of the M7 Pro.

Video Recording

Video is capped at 1080p 30fps on both front and rear cameras. There’s no 4K or 60fps, which is a letdown given the sensor could support it. Electronic stabilization is present and works okay, but don’t expect smooth footage during motion.

Price and Availability:

At the time of writing, the Poco M7 Pro 5G is priced around $179 for the base 6GB+128GB variant, with the 12GB+256GB model going up to $219 depending on the region. It’s available in global markets including India, Europe, and parts of Southeast Asia. Color options include Power Black, Forest Green, and Aurora Blue.

This phone often goes on sale, making it an even better deal during seasonal discounts. Retail availability covers online stores like Amazon, Flipkart, and Xiaomi’s own platforms.

Conclusion:

The Poco M7 Pro 5G is a surprisingly well-rounded phone for its budget price tag. It brings a clean 120Hz AMOLED display, excellent battery life, solid build quality, and bonus features like FM radio, microSD support, and a headphone jack. While its performance is far from top-tier, it handles daily use and light gaming well enough.

The software has its quirks, like bloatware and occasional ads, but it’s manageable. The cameras are basic—good for daylight but not reliable at night or for portraits. Charging is decently quick, and the overall experience is smooth once you adjust settings like the refresh rate.

This phone is ideal for budget-conscious users who want good battery life, a vibrant display, and don’t care too much about camera or heavy gaming. For under $200, Poco has delivered another solid value package.