POCO X2

The new phone marks the return of POCO as an independent brand

- KUNAL GANGAR

The last we heard about POCO was in 2018 when Xiaomi launched the POCO F1 under its new sub-brand and while they continued to launch new devices under its Redmi sub-brand, POCO’s sole offering seemed like an experiment. Until now, that is. Xiaomi has now spun-off POCO as an independent brand that not only competes with Xiaomi but also takes on the competition.

The first phone after POCO turning into a separate brand is the POCO X2 and as the name suggests, it’s not exactly a POCO F2 successor but an altogether new series.

POCO took a pragmatic approach while designing the F1 but its decision of featuring a polycarbonate shell received a mixed response by customers. However, there’s no such contentious design decision with the X2. The POCO X2 boasts a 3D curved glass body that enhances the gradient design at the back and at the same time, allows the large display on the front get all the attention. A circle around the vertical quad-camera setup is a nice design touch.

When it comes to ports and physical buttons, the volume keys and power button are on the right-hand side with the power button doubling up as a fingerprint sensor. On the left side is a hybrid SIM tray while the bottom houses the Type-C port, 3.5mm headphone jack and a loudspeaker. IR blaster has been a mainstay in Xiaomi devices and the POCO X2 keeps its parent company’s tradition alive, which you will find at the top of the phone. However, it’s just not all shimmer. Adding to POCO X2’s durability cred is the P2i that protects the phone from water splashes.

Overall, we like what the POCO X2 has to offer on the design front and it’s a major step forward if you compare it with the first POCO phone.

The X2 sells in three colours - Matrix Purple, Phoenix Red and Atlantis Blue and while the finish goes well with these primary colours, we would love to see a black or a white option as well.