Both the variants feature similar design language, but differ in terms of internal hardware. As noted in the headline, I will be exploring the top-end model X8 Pro Max. Here are my thoughts on the new Android from the house of Poco.

Design, build quality and display

The X8 Pro Max retains the core design elements of the predecessor (X7 Pro Review) but comes in a more refined and pleasing design.

There's no prize for guessing; our review unit is the black variant. It flaunts the familiar vertically aligned dual-camera capsule with LED flash on the side. The back panel comes with a gorgeous matte finish, which does an excellent job of repelling the sweaty fingerprint smudges.

Poco X8 Pro Max.

Also, most importantly, it offers a good grip for the fingers to hold on to the device very firmly. It has flat rails around the edges, and compared to rival brands, the camera module doesn't protrude much. This ensures the device slips in and out of the pocket with ease.

It is not just pretty looking, but built to last for several years. It boasts of Corning's Gorilla Glass 7i shield on the display, and comes with an IP66+IP68+IP69+IP69K water-and-dust resistant rating, meaning it can survive a drop in a swimming pool for close to 1.5 metres (around five feet) for up to 30 minutes, and can even withstand high water pressure for several seconds.

Also, the company offers a free solid silicone cover case, which protects the device from cracking during an accidental fall.

Poco X8 Pro Max.

Besides black, the company offers the device in two other colours-- white and blue.

On the front, it sports a beautiful 6.83-inch 1.5K (2772 x 1280p) OLED display, 120Hz refresh rate and pixel density of 447 ppi (pixels per inch). The bezel is super slim and is uniform around the edge.

Poco X8 Pro Max.

It is really good for multimedia consumption and playing games, not just indoors but also outdoors under the shade. It can support up to 3500 nits peak brightness.

Also, there is a special provision in the display settings to control the emission of blue light. It can reduce the strain on the eyes while reading e-books or long-form news articles at night.

Poco X8 Pro Max.

The device also features a Type-C USB port, an infrared sensor, dual-SIM slots (type: nano), stereo speakers and an in-display 3D ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. By the way, the latter works like a charm. It detects the finger impressions pretty quickly and unlocks the home screen.

Performance

Under the hood, it ships with 3nm class Dimensity 9500s octa-core with Arm Mali-G925 MC12 GPU with 12GB LPDDR5X RAM, and 256GB / 512GB UFS 4.1 storage.

The device performed really smoothly, without any glaring issues to complain about. It supports most of the generative Artificial Intelligence (gen AI) apps and also comes pre-installed with the Gemini AI app.

Poco X8 Pro Max.

Even while gaming indoors, it worked fine without overheating issues as such. Thanks to the brilliant display and support for 120Hz refresh rate, it was a delight playing the Asphalt series on the Poco X8 Pro Max.

The device runs on the familiar Android 16-based Xiaomi HyperOS 3. It is clean and very easy to navigate through the settings. It is good to know that the company is committed to offering four years of Android OS updates and six years of software security patches against cyber threats up to 2032.

Poco X8 Pro Max.

Besides a reliable MediaTek processor, Poco X8 Pro Max is blessed with a massive 9,000mAh battery. It can easily last two days under normal usage. You can binge-watch multiple movies or complete an entire TV series (having 10-12 episodes, each with 45 minutes of runtime) on a stretch without the anxiety of the device dying out during the day. But it is advised not to have too much screentime on a phone, as it may damage the eyes in the long term.

Poco X8 Pro Max.

The company offers a 100W charging adaptor. It can charge from zero to 50 per cent in under 30 minutes, and can reach the 100 per cent mark in little over an hour.

Poco X8 Pro Max's camera sample.

Photography

Poco X8 Pro Max boasts a dual-camera module-- primary 50MP (with 1/1.95-inch Light Fusion 600 sensor, f/1.5, OIS, EIS) and an 8MP (f/2.2) ultra-wide camera with LED flash.

Poco X8 Pro Max's camera samples.

It takes really good photos in the sunlight. It manages to get the subjects, such as human faces and colourful flowers, with sharp and crisp details. Most importantly, they appear more vibrant than they appear to our eyes. The picture quality is praiseworthy.

Poco X8 Pro Max's camera sample.

At close range, too, it takes pretty good photos with minute details nicely captured in the frame.

Poco X8 Pro Max's camera sample.

It can take lossless quality 2X zoom and digitally zoom up to 10X. The device does an exceptional job up to 5X, but beyond that, noise begins to creep in.

Poco X8 Pro Max's camera sample.

At night, it takes decent photos with less noise.

Poco X8 Pro Max's camera sample.

Like all mid-range Poco phones, the X8 Pro Max comes with feature-rich AI-powered tools to enhance the photography experience. As advertised, they do an excellent job in terms of removing unwanted objects within the frame and more.

Poco X8 Pro Max's camera sample.

It also supports up to 4K at 60fps video recording. The quality is really good, on par with rival brands in its class.

Poco X8 Pro Max's camera sample.

Both the front and the back camera take pretty nice portrait images with a nice bokeh effect in the background.

On the front, it houses a 20MP (with OV20B sensor, f/2.2) sensor. It does a neat job of getting selfies with sharp focus on the face and less noise.

Poco X8 Pro Max's camera sample.

It can also record 1080p full HD at 60fps. It excelled with high-resolution video streaming during the video call.

Poco X8 Pro Max's camera sample.

Final thoughts

Poco X8 is a value-for-money premium mid-range phone. It comes with a really good build quality, excels with smooth performance, can handle graphics-rich games, and delivers long battery life.

The camera may not be the strongest suit of the Poco device, but on par with most of the rival brands in its class.

Poco X8 Pro Max's camera sample.

The device comes in three colours-- black, blue and white.

It is available in two variants-- 12GB RAM + 256GB storage and 12GB RAM + 512GB storage-- for Rs 42,999 and Rs 46,999, respectively.