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POCO M3 arrives in India with a RAM upgrade, same cheap price tag
- POCO has launched the POCO M3 in India.
- The phone launched in Europe back in November last year.
Update: February 2, 2021 (1:47 AM ET): The POCO M3 has now launched in India with upgraded RAM and two storage models. The phone will be available in the country through Flipkart starting February 9.
The POCO M3’s 6GB RAM and 64GB storage version is priced at Rs. 10,999. Double that storage to 128GB and you’ll have to shell out Rs. 11,999. Early buyers will get a flat discount of Rs. 1,000 on both variants.
To know more about the specs and features of the POCO M3, you can read our original article below.
Original article: November 24, 2020 (7:31 AM ET): The Xiaomi-affiliated POCO brand has been teasing the POCO M3 for a few weeks now, painting the picture of a long-lasting budget smartphone. Now, the company has fully peeled the curtain back, so what should you expect?
True to previously leaked renders, the phone’s rear design brings to mind the OnePlus 8T Cyberpunk 2077 edition, due to the distinctive, rectangular camera housing standing out. Otherwise, you’ve got a choice of Cool Blue, Power Black, and POCO Yellow colorways.
Switch to the front and you’ll find a 6.53-inch FHD+ LCD screen, complete with a waterdrop notch and Gorilla Glass 3. Don’t expect a high refresh rate panel here though.
Delving into the specs, the standout feature here is the 6,000mAh battery. This should theoretically deliver two days of battery life pretty easily, especially since it doesn’t have to power a 5G modem. In fact, POCO claims the phone can last over five days with light usage, just under three days with moderate usage, and 1.5 days with heavy usage.
Unfortunately, the phone only offers 18W charging, which means you’ll need to wait ages for the battery to be topped up. At least you’re getting a 22.5W charger in the box to top up other gadgets at a more respectable pace.
What else does the POCO M3 offer?
A glance at the core specs reveals that the POCO M3 is pretty much a lower mid-tier smartphone. You’ve got a Snapdragon 662 chipset, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB or 128GB of expandable storage. In other words, basic tasks and lightweight games should run fine, but you’ll definitely notice the performance gap when playing heavyweight 3D titles.
The camera setup also reflects the phone’s clear budget trappings, as you’ve got a 48MP triple camera setup. This is composed of the 48MP main camera and a pair of 2MP sensors (depth and macro) to inflate the numbers. An 8MP camera in the aforementioned waterdrop notch handles your selfies.
Other notable features include a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, triple-slot design (two SIM slots and microSD slot), MIUI 12 for POCO atop Android 10, a 3.5mm port, IR blaster, and camera-based face unlock.
What do you think of the POCO M3?
Expect to pay $149 for the 4GB/64GB model, while the 4GB/128GB variant will set you back $169. However, POCO notes that the phone will be available on Black Friday for just $129 and $149 respectively. Either way, this is cheaper than the likes of the £179 OnePlus Nord N100. The phone will be available via Amazon, AliExpress, Lazada, and Xiaomi’s website.
What do you think of the POCO M3? Let us know via the poll above!