After weeks of teasing, Xiaomi officially launched today the POCO X8 Pro series. No regular “Poco X8” this time around. Just two phones—the POCO X8 Pro and the POCO X8 Pro Max. This article will discuss the POCO X8 only as the POCO X8 Pro Max deserves its own.
Just like last year’s POCO X7 Pro series, the Iron Man collaboration continues. The limited-edition POCO X8 Pro “Iron Man Edition” features a custom back panel, UI theme, and accessories. Do note that the Iron Man Edition lacks a charging brick. The wire is included, however.
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| POCO X8 Pro in new Iron Man variant. (Image credit: POCO) |
Back to the POCO X8 Pro, this flagship-killer gaming phone features a 6.59” 1.5K CrystalRes AMOLED display, which makes it slightly more compact than the POCO X7 Pro. It retains the same 120Hz refresh rate but is also slightly brighter at 3500nits peak brightness.
The POCO X8 Pro has four IP ratings, a common feature to see in many smartphone marketing materials. These ratings include IP66, IP68, IP69, and IP69K. The first number refers to the level of dust protection, the highest being 6, while the second number is for water stress test, with 9 being the highest, the K is similar to 9, which just means the phone can withstand strong water pressure.
The main reason three or four IP ratings are seen now is to be more transparent to customers, indicating how watertight a phone can be. So, the POCO X8 Pro can withstand small jets of water to strong water pressure. In Genshin terms, it can survive a Traveler Hydro Elemental Skill to a Neuvillette Charged Attack, to make it simple.
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| POCO X8 Pro in new Iron Man variant. (Image credit: POCO) |
Its chipset is its “core item”, inside is the flagship-like MediaTek Dimensity 8500-Ultra. It is a small upgrade from last year’s Dimensity 8400-Ultra which was used on the POCO X7 Pro. If you own a POCO X7 Pro, there may be no need to upgrade. The phone comes in 8 or 12GB LPDDR5X RAM with either 256 or 512GB UFS 4.1 storage.
The battery is another important highlight. As phones transition away from the usual 5000mAh capacities, the battery gets larger and longer lasting. As such, the POCO X8 Pro is equipped with a 6500mAh battery with 100W fast charging, which is a small upgrade from the POCO X7 Pro’s 6000mAh with 90W fast charging.
The cameras, while not as important as the core gaming features, is still given a polish. It comes with two at the back. The primary camera is a 50MP Sony IMX882, while the secondary camera is an unspecified 8MP ultrawide. The phone also features a 20MP selfie camera. Nothing much changed since the POCO X7 Pro.
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| POCO X8 Pro in White colorway. (Image credit: POCO) |
The phone carries over Hi-Res Audio (wired and wireless) and Dolby Atmos enhancements from the POCO X7 Pro. It also features stereo speakers for rich and detailed sound. Try using them through lossless music players like Apple Music to feel the difference.
Finally, the phone comes with standard biometric features including an optical fingerprint reader and a facial scanner. In terms of ports, the phone has a USB-C port for charging and file transfer, dual SIM slots, and an IR blaster to control appliances, and that IR blaster is a POCO/Xiaomi staple. The phone launches with HyperOS 3.0 based on Android 16, with guaranteed updates so the phone stays fresh even if its successors are eventually unveiled.
Here are the prices for the POCO X8 Pro in the Philippines:
- 8GB + 256GB: PHP 18,999
- 8GB + 512GB: PHP 19,999
- 12GB + 512GB: PHP 21,999
- Iron Man Edition (12GB + 512GB): PHP 22,999
The phone is available through POCO Philippines’ Lazada store, as well as Shopee. It comes in a minimalist design this time, instead of the cyber-like feel of the previous series. There are three colors: Black, White, and Mint Green.
(by Raphael Briones)
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