A good smartphone is like a cup of coffee. You can always splurge a couple of hundred rupees and get a Starbucks or spare just over Rs 15 for a cup of filter coffee, or settle for something in between for a hot cup of refreshing beverage. The Poco M7 Pro for me felt like a decent middle ground, where it offers the flavours of a high-end smartphone while being affordable. Here is why:
A budget smartphone, especially one priced under Rs 15,000, typically comes with its compromises, but the Poco M7 Pro is a tad different, as it almost feels like a smartphone that has made no noticeable compromises that could hamper overall performance. In fact, it has certain features that give it leverage over other similarly priced smartphones, including a 3.5mm headphone jack and a microSD card slot, which have become rare in most smartphones of this class.
Even in terms of look and feel, the Poco M7 Pro feels unique with a rectangular-shaped camera island and a dual-tone finish, especially on the Lavender Frost variant. Despite its all-polycarbonate build, the Poco M7 Pro feels solid and sturdy in hand, and the device is also less prone to smudges and offers a good grip even without a case.
It is a 5G-enabled smartphone that works with both standalone and non-standalone networks. Hence, it is compatible with both Airtel and Jio 5G networks.
The display is bright and colourful. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)
The 6.67-inch gOLED screen with FHD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate is fast, sharp, and vivid. I not only enjoyed streaming the latest episodes of Squid Game in 1080p but even with hours of Instagram reels doom scrolling, the smartphone felt very responsive with no signs of lagging or heating whatsoever. The display is paired with a stereo speaker setup, which sounds loud and clear. And there is also a 300 per cent volume mode that further accentuates the loudness, although it does make the sound a bit crackly.
Cameras that do their job
The phone has a 50 MP main shooter and a 2 MP macro lens. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)
At the rear, the Poco M7 Pro has two cameras, out of which one is a 2 MP macro lens, which should have been an ultra-wide-angle lens, and there is also a 20 MP selfie camera, which can shoot up to 1080p videos just like the primary camera. In daylight, the Poco M7 Pro can capture a lot of details. However, as the light decreases, the images end up becoming a bit noisy.
Here are some camera samples straight from the Poco M6 Pro:
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Poco M7 Pro camera sample. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)
Poco M7 Pro camera sample. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)
Poco M7 Pro camera sample. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)
Poco M7 Pro camera sample. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)
Good performance, even for gaming
The Poco M7 Pro is powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity 7025 Ultra processor with at least 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. Hence, even if you are considering the entry-level model, the device offers good performance. With an AnTuTu score of slightly over 4.8 lakhs, the Poco M7 Pro isn’t the most powerful smartphone in this price range, but it is definitely one of the most competent devices that can easily handle day-to-day multi-tasking and a bit of gaming.
Games like COD: Mobile and BGMI easily offer solid and smooth gameplay at medium graphics settings, where even with an hour-long gaming session, I did not notice any major performance throttling or heating issue, but the device did get hot just like any other smartphone. Another big caveat of the Poco M7 Pro is that it ships with Android 14-based HyperOS. This means the device will get Android 15 and Android 16 updates, and that’s it.
Although I quite like the lock screen customisation features on HyperOS, the Poco M7 Pro did pack a lot of bloatware. While some of the bloatware can be uninstalled, it does hamper the overall user experience.
More than all-day battery life
The battery can easily last all day. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)
The Poco M7 Pro offers solid battery life, and in my testing, on most days, I had to charge only once in the morning, and I was left with at least 25 to 30 per cent charge by the end of the day. The phone has a 5,110 mAh battery with support for 45W fast charging, and the charger is included in the box.
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A well-packaged mid-range smartphone
A well-packaged 5G smartphone. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)
For its asking price of Rs 14,999 for the base model with 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage, the Poco M7 Pro is a good pick for anyone looking for a new smartphone under Rs 15,000 and wants a phone with all-day battery life, smooth performance, and a good display for an enhanced multimedia experience. While the lack of extended software support and a sub-par macro camera is a bit of a letdown, the whole device in itself feels like a compelling package, especially for the asking price.
| Pros | Cons |
| Affordable |
Software updates are limited |
| Speedy and Smooth |
Comes with pre-installed junk apps |
| Awesome screen |
Macro camera isn’t great |