Poco M7 5G review

Feels tricky but plausible

For someone like me, with access to budget, mid-range, and high-end smartphones, while making Poco M7 5G my primary device, I wondered whether it could handle my day-to-day requirements. Initially, the device felt a bit strange, and not as sophisticated as my previous phone. But, I was able to come out of that mindset fairly quickly, especially since this cost less than one-fifth of my previous smartphone.

Features like headphone jack and microSD card slot are a welcome addition. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

For the asking price, the build quality of the Poco M7 5G is solid, and the device felt similar to the Redmi 14C (review) that I recently reviewed. Features like a 3.5mm headphone jack and a dedicated microSD card slot make this a highly practical smartphone, especially for those getting their first 5G smartphone or upgrading from a feature phone. It is also IP52-rated, making it splash-resistant.

The device feels light to hold, and you will have no issues using the Poco M7 5G on a daily basis.

Big and colourful display

I love phones with big screens, and the 6.88-inch display on the Poco M7 5G felt at home—except for the resolution. Although I applaud the fact that the device offers a 120Hz refresh rate, the lower HD+ (720p) resolution, especially on such a large canvas, looks pixelated. A slightly higher resolution screen would have been just perfect. Barring that, the screen on the Poco M7 5G is colourful (though not colour-accurate) as it is set to vivid by default. I believe anyone buying a phone in this class will appreciate how punchy the greens and reds look on this device.

The screen has a 120Hz refresh rate but the resolution is limited to 720p. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

Despite having an IPS LCD panel, the Poco M7 5G offers good viewing angles and contrast ratio. However, it also has one of the thickest bottom bezels I have seen on a phone in the last few years, which could have been avoided.

While streaming content on YouTube, I noticed that the Poco M7 5G has a mono speaker, which was a bit of a bummer, as phones costing less than this come with a stereo speaker setup. However, the speaker itself is pretty loud and clear.

Overall, whether you are a social media addict or someone who binge-watches the latest content on OTT platforms, the Poco M7 5G can handle it all.

The main camera gets the job done

The Poco M7 5G has a 50MP main sensor, which performs well under good lighting conditions. The phone also has an 8MP selfie camera. Looking at the big circular camera island on the back, the device appears to have four sensors, but it doesn’t. Both the main camera and the selfie camera can shoot up to 1080p videos at 30fps, and the output is pretty satisfactory.

The phone does not have a quad-camera setup. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

Here are some camera samples straight from the Poco M7 5G:

Poco M7 5G camera sample. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)
Poco M7 5G camera sample. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)
Poco M7 5G camera sample. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)
Poco M7 5G camera sample. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)
Poco M7 5G camera sample. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

Performance and software experience

The performance and software experience on the Poco M7 5G are good enough—not much to complain about, but nothing to boast about either. Powered by the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 and running on HyperOS based on Android 14, I got a bit confused while looking at the promotional materials for the Poco M7. The brand smartly, in its promotional material claims the device has 12 GB of RAM, whereas, in reality, the device only has 6 GB of RAM, which can be expanded to 12 GB using virtual RAM technology. As the phone launched with the dated Android 14, it will only receive updates up to Android 16.

The device is powered by Snapdragon 4 Gen 2. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

While there were some third-party apps and games pre-installed on the Poco M7 5G, I let it pass, as most of them can be uninstalled. The experience isn’t any worse than smartphones that cost significantly more.

Although I didn’t do too much gaming on the Poco M7 5G, in my limited testing on titles like Clash of Clans and Candy Crush Saga—two games that I always play—I did not notice any lag or stutter. This device can definitely handle casual gaming titles with ease.

I also installed all the major social media platforms on the Poco M7 5G, including Reddit, Facebook, Instagram, X, and 9Gag. Switching between these apps felt natural, which also proves that the device can handle day-to-day operations with ease.

More than all-day battery

The Poco M7 5G is equipped with a 5,160 mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging, although the brand includes a 33W fast charger in the box. While the phone takes slightly over two hours to fully charge, it can easily last more than a full day of usage. If battery life is something you worry about, the Poco M7 5G will keep you sorted.

A well-balanced budget 5G smartphone

A good entry-level 5G smartphone. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

The Poco M7 5G might not have an exclusive or ground-breaking feature. However, for its target audience, it definitely comes across as a compelling package that delivers a cohesive smartphone experience—even for those who have been using a more expensive device. For less than Rs 10,000, the Poco M7 5G is clearly one of the best smartphones that money can buy, especially for those, who are looking forward to their first 5G phone.