India has always been a thriving market for affordable devices due to its large budget-conscious population. So, it becomes pretty easy to infer that the budget segment is where various brands make all sorts of attempts to capture Indians’ hearts and pocket more fortune.
POCO M6 Plus 5G
Rs 13,499
What Is Good?
- Stylish and modern look
- Headphone jack
- Good daylight camera performance
- Smooth display, 120Hz refresh rate
- Reliable battery life
- Good value for money
What Is Bad?
- Laggy performance
- Bloatware apps
- Room for improvement in low light photography
- Display is not so bright under sunlight
The POCO M6 Plus 5G is the latest attempt POCO has undertaken to pierce the ever-so-bustling segment of smartphones with its great look, beefy battery, and HyperOS. In this review, we are going to see how far it will succeed in making a name for itself in the segment ruled by bigshots like Vivo T3x and Moto G64.
POCO M6 Plus Review: Pricing and Availability in India
The POCO M6 Plus is available via Flipkart. Here’s a look at the pricing:
| Variant | Price |
| 6GB+128GB | Rs 13,499 |
| 8GB+128GB | Rs 14,499 |
POCO M6 Plus Review: Design and Build Quality
The POCO M6 Plus is available in Graphite Black, Misty Lavender, and Ice Silver. The colour I got for the review is Misty Lavender. Any colour closer to violet is my favourite. Consequently, at first glance, I was captivated by its colour, as it looks stunning. But I got slightly bummed when I took the phone outside for a spin because the colour lost its charm and became another shade of grey under the direct sunlight. It would have been so rad if POCO had dialled the saturation to 100. Nonetheless, it does look eye-catching.
| Design | Specifications |
| Weight | 205g |
| Thickness | 8.3 mm |
| IP rating | IP53 |
| Port and Button placements | Bottom: Primary microphone, USB port, Speaker grille
Top: IR blaster, Headphone jack Right Side: Power button and volume buttons Left Side: SIM Tray |
Complementing the great colour is its design. The rear panel has been designed in a way that drives people to take a double look, as it appears to be covered in glass, but it isn’t. Props to them for this. Being a pretty reflective back, almost all the smudges pop out when the light glimmers on it, so it is better to use a case.
Structurally speaking, the phone felt quite sturdy. Its build quality holds the power to instill confidence in people’s minds when using the device, like it screams durability. With my recent blossoming love for lightweight phones, which sprouted from using the OPPO Reno 12, I enjoyed using the POCO M6 Plus a little less. It is not a bulky device, as the price segment consists of phones with similar weight.
Besides the build quality, the phone comes with an IP53 rating. You can use it worry-free when it is drizzling outside. Though, sadly, you can’t take it for a swim.
POCO M6 Plus Review: Display and Audio
The phone rocks a 6.79-inch LCD display with a 120Hz refresh rate. When typing this triggering word, I can already visualise furious peeps staging a coup against this questionable decision, and my heart is with them. However, despite being an objectionable choice, it is a pretty damn good screen for the price.
I had a great time watching a ton of YouTube videos on it. The colours were balanced and vibrant. But truth be told, the lack of punchiness in colours made me yearn for an AMOLED display. Out of the box, it supports Widevine L1 certification, meaning it can play 1080p videos on streaming platforms like Netflix and more.
| Display | Specifications |
| Size | 6.79-inch |
| Type | LCD |
| Resolution | FHD+ (1080×2400) |
| Refresh rate | 120Hz |
| Peak brightness | Claimed: 550 nits; Tested: 312 nits |
| Display protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Other features | Wet touch detection |
In terms of brightness, content legibility was decent indoors, since I could binge-watch hordes of videos comfortably even at 75 per cent intensity. That being said, even at full brightness, I was only able to make out a small portion of what was being displayed under bright sunlight. I had to search for shade where I could see the photos I clicked.
Unfortunately, the POCO M6 Plus features a single-speaker setup. The audio experience was decent. While gaming, I found myself looking for earphones to listen to the enemy’s gunshots.
POCO M6 Plus Review: Camera
The phone sports a dual camera setup on the rear. Having spent enough time clicking photos, I believe the primary camera is pretty confident in taking great shots in ample lighting. It captures great photos in daylight with close-to-accurate colours. The post-processing also handles the dynamic range well. It ensured that the saturation level didn’t go overboard, as it is a common tendency observed among budget phones. Some of the images I captured really seem like they were clicked from a high-end phone.
| Camera | Specifications |
| Primary Camera | 108-megapixel Samsung ISOCELL HM6 Large sensor, ƒ/1.75 |
| Secondary Camera | 2-megapixel macro camera |
| Selfie Camera | 13-megapixel, ƒ/2.45 |
| Video Recording Capabilities | Up to 1080p at 30fps |
However, the camera’s quality becomes subpar with the dip in light, which is somewhat anticipated. Under well-lit conditions, you can manage to capture acceptable photos with some details, but in the absence of light, it increases the shutter speed to let more light in. Hence, even when you are in a Zen-like state to keep your hands steady, a tiny bit of movement can blur images.
In portrait mode, the phone produces photos that have accurate skin tones. While the edge detection is good, it doesn’t get it on point in some scenarios.
The front camera is capable enough to capture selfies with good skin tone while preserving details in good lighting conditions.
POCO M6 Plus Review: Performance and Software
The POCO M6 Plus is powered by a Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 AE. This chipset is also powering the Redmi 13 5G.
| Hardware | Specifications |
| Processor | Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 AE |
| RAM | Up to 8GB |
| Storage | 128GB |
| Storage Test | 38,991 |
| CPU Throttling Test | 82% of its maximum performance |
| Geekbench 6 | Multi-core:2243, Single-core:963 |
| Software version | HyperOS based on Android 14 |
| Connectivity details | Dual 5G SIM, Dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5, and GPS |
The POCO M6 Plus scores decent numbers in the Antutu benchmark. However, the Vivo T3x bagged slightly better numbers, despite costing similarly.
In real-world usage, the phone performs decently for the price. It handles basic tasks well, but there were a few instances where we noticed stutters when switching between apps. However, switching to buttons for system navigation may eliminate this issue.
I played Call Of Duty: Mobile and BGMI on this phone, and here are the observations I made during my playthroughs:
| Game | Graphic Quality | FPS | Result |
| Call of Duty: Mobile | Maximum: Very High Quality + High fps | Maximum: 58 fps
Minimum: 36.8 fps |
The gameplay was filled with erratic frame drops. I encountered stutters and lags while sliding across the arena and sprinting, which aren’t intensive tasks. |
| Call of Duty: Mobile | Minimum: Low Quality + High fps | Maximum: 59.8 fps
Minimum: 50.8 fps |
The gameplay was comparatively smoother. |
| BGMI | Maximum: HD Quality + High fps | Maximum: 30.4 fps
Minimum: 27.9 fps |
The experience was surprisingly good. Throughout the entire playthrough in this graphical setting, I got consistent performance. And I managed to pull some crazy stunts, which actually depend on performance. |
| BGMI | Minimum: Smooth quality + Ultra fps | Maximum: 40.2 fps
Minimum: 36.9 fps |
Same as above. |
Overall, the gaming experience was a mixed bag. While I was satisfied playing BGMI, encountering lags and stutters in CODM wasn’t something I expected when I began to play. That said, the POCO M6 Plus is not a gaming-oriented smartphone.
The POCO M6 Plus runs on HyperOS, based on Android 14. It offers a suite of customisation options, letting you personalise your lock screen, fonts, icons, themes, and more.
While the overall software experience is good, there are some pre-installed apps like Facebook, LinkedIn, and WPS, along with some ads in the UI. If these apps are not of use to you, they can be uninstalled.
On the bright side, the POCO M6 Plus 5G promises two years of Android updates and four years of security patches, which is a plus for a budget phone.
POCO M6 Plus Review: Battery and Charging
The POCO M6 Plus packs a 5030 mAh battery. Due to its enormous size, the phone is proficient at lasting an entire day of clicking multiple photos, casual gaming, and endless reels scrolling.
| Battery | Specifications |
| Battery | 5030mAh |
| Charging Adapter | 33W fast charging, Charger-in-the-box |
| Charging Time | 1 hour and 12 minutes |
| PCMark Battery Test | 13 hours and 21 minutes |
We also ran a PCMark battery test on it, and it lasted for 13 hours and 21 minutes—almost an hour more than the Realme GT 6, which costs more.
The phone comes with a 33W charger in the box, and it takes 1 hour, and 12 minutes to juice the battery from zero to 100 per cent.
POCO M6 Plus Review: Verdict
Now that we have reached the end of the review, it’s time to answer the question, which may be harder than cracking UPSC: should you buy this phone? The short answer is yes.
Many things are going in the favour of this phone. The massive 6.79-inch display is well-suited for binge-watchers, and the camera has the strength to take admirable photos in daylight. Its long battery life and fast charging also add feathers to its cap.
That said, it is also held back by a few compromises. The budget-focused chipset falters in multitasking, and the software experience can cause nuisances with its spam notifications. If you are fine with these little downsides, the POCO M6 Plus is worth your attention.
However, if you want a cleaner software experience, the Moto G64 might be a good choice. And if you are after better optics and overall good performance, then the Vivo T3x and Realme Narzo 70x 5G are also worth considering.
