Xiaomi Poco X3 review - The right compromises - Android

Design: Attention to detail

On paper, the Poco X3 NFC doesn’t seem all that inspiring. There’s Gorilla Glass 5 on the front, aluminum on the sides, and a polycarbonate back panel. There aren’t any motorized cameras or sliding mechanisms. However, Xiaomi has deviated from the boring, cookie-cutter budget phone design language in favor of a rather bold approach.

The Poco X3 NFC looks interesting and is well-built for a €229 phone

The rear panel has “POCO” printed in large letters across the back. The circular rear camera bump has had its top and bottom shaved off to create a distinctive shape. There’s a metallic accent around the camera bump to make it stand out, too. The colors – Shadow Gray and Cobalt Blue – complement the strong design elements so that it’s not so in-your-face. To top it off, there’s a big stripe going across the back

There’s a dual-SIM and microSD card slot on the left side. The right side presents a clicky volume rocker with a power button-fingerprint scanner hybrid below it. On the top is an IR blaster and a microphone. On the bottom is a speaker, a USB-C port, a 3.5mm headphone port, and a microphone. The side-positioned fingerprint scanner is easy to find, very responsive, and accurate. It’s even easier to find it when you use the included case which has a taper where the fingerprint scanner is.