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Poco X8 Pro Max two-minute review
It may not be the best Android phone ever made, but if you need a certain type of mobile, the Poco X8 Pro Max might just end up being the best phone you can buy.
This new Android-powered device from Xiaomi’s mid-range sub-brand is the first of its family to bear the iPhone-copying ‘Pro Max’ suffix — an odd decision, since there’s no non-Pro model at the time of writing, but for all intents and purposes, this is the top-end Poco phone of 2026.
While most ‘Pro Max’ or ‘Ultra’ phones opt for flashy features and high prices, Poco goes the other way. The X8 Pro Max is possibly the ultimate workhorse smartphone, designed not for fancy gimmicks you play with once and forget about, but to be a handset you can use every day for years without worry.
Case in point: it has one of the biggest batteries you’ll find in a smartphone. Its 8,500mAh power pack is absolutely huge, and it allows the Poco to last for literal days without needing to be recharged. ‘Two-day battery life’ is a common claim you hear from Apple and Samsung, with dubious accuracy, but in the Poco, it’s a reality.
I imagine light phone users could even get three days’ use out of the X8 Pro Max, and when you do run low, its fast charging capabilities will get you back on the move in minutes. I comfortably kept to a two-day routine, but I was using the Poco intensively to review it, and you (hopefully) won’t use your device as much as me.
This is no one-trick pony either. The charging speed is equally impressive, hitting 100W, which means you can fill that massive power pack up in a reasonable time (about 45 minutes, depending on your charger). Its processor and display are both pretty great for the price, too, and I used the phone for gaming without issue.
The Poco X8 Pro Max isn’t a phone for everyone. Its cameras are fine for day-to-day use but aren’t designed for photographers, and the software isn’t as refined as on some alternatives. The addition of two LED ring lights around the camera lenses is a neat addition on paper, but they don’t amount to much in practice.
But when you consider that this is a fairly affordable phone, it’s easy to forgive a few rough edges. The X8 Pro Max is a mid-range mobile that’s easy to pick up without worrying too much about the up-front cost, and it’ll last you for absolutely ages, so you won’t need to think about replacing it for many years.
Poco X8 Pro Max review: price and availability
- Released on March 17, 2026
- 256GB storage: $469 / £469 (about AU$940)
- 512GB storage: $519 / £519 (about AU$1,040)
The Poco X8 Pro Max was announced alongside its non-Max equivalent, the Poco X8 Pro, on March 17, 2026, and at the time of writing, there’s no non-Pro entry in the lineup. We’ll wait and see, though.
The handset starts at $469 / £469 (about AU$940, but Xiaomi doesn’t sell its Poco phones in Australia). Despite the presence of a USD cost, Xiaomi phones aren’t technically available in the US, and this is just the official reference price for the device. You can still ship the X8 Pro Max to the US, but it’ll incur additional costs, and you might find support spotty.
That base model has 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, but for an extra $50 / £50 (about AU$100) you can double the latter capacity to 512GB storage. If you’re buying this as a power-hungry work phone, that’s not much money for a lot more storage.
Poco X8 Pro Max review: specs
| Header Cell – Column 0 | Header Cell – Column 1 |
|---|---|
|
Dimensions: |
162.9 x 77.9 x 8.2mm |
|
Weight: |
218g |
|
Screen: |
6.83-inch FHD (1280 x 2772) 120Hz AMOLED |
|
Chipset: |
MediaTek Dimensity 9500s |
|
RAM: |
12GB |
|
Storage: |
256/512GB |
|
OS: |
Android 16, HyperOS 3 |
|
Primary camera: |
50MP, f/1.5 |
|
Ultra-wide camera: |
8MP f/2.2 |
|
Front camera: |
20MP, f/2.2 |
|
Audio: |
Stereo speakers |
|
Battery: |
8,500mAh |
|
Charging: |
100W wired, 27W reverse |
|
Colors: |
White, black, blue |
Poco X8 Pro Max review: design
- Average-looking Android in black, blue or white
- Not too thick, but a little heavy
- Ring lights around camera
The Poco X8 Pro Max isn’t as chunky as you’d expect for a phone harboring a veritable power bank under its skin. It measures 162.9 x 77.9 x 82.mm, which is about average for a phone of its ilk, and it only tips the scales a little more than average at 218g.
That weight likely comes from the glass front and back, and the aluminum frame, more than anything. The phone is IP68-rated, so it’s well-protected against dust and immersion in water, though in some regions you’ll get an additional IP69K rating. This isn’t the case with the UK model.
At the end of the day, the X8 Pro Max is not an especially novel-looking phone. The model I tested, the white one, has a barely-perceptible vertical-stripe pattern on the back, but beyond that, it looks like your average Android. I presume the other models, which come in blue and black, are the same.
Look hard enough, and you’ll find two LED rings; one surrounding each camera bump. These can be toggled to light up under specific circumstances: for an incoming call, to double as a camera app timer, or when music is playing. Honestly, though, I found these lights quite situational, and I barely saw them in action during my testing.
The power button and volume rocker, both on the right edge, were within reach of my thumb when I was using the handset one-handed, but that may not be true for smaller-handed users. The camera bump doesn’t stick out too much, so the phone could be placed almost flush on surfaces. That’s not a given these days.
Poco X8 Pro Max review: display
- 6.83 inches, 1280 x 2772 resolution
- 120Hz refresh rate, 3,500 nits max brightness
- AMOLED with 68 billion colors
The Poco X8 Pro Max has a sizeable 6.83-inch screen, like many other mid-priced Android phones on the market right now.
The rest of its display specs are in line with the competition too: you get a 1280 x 2772 resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, 3,500 nits of max brightness, and support for HDR10+.
Thanks to its AMOLED panel and support for up to 68 billion colors, the phone has a little bit of extra juice for watching movies or TV shows. This technology reduces the amount of banding you see (no more weird stripey sunrises in your shows!), and it combines well with the Dolby Atmos support also offered by the phone.
Poco X8 Pro Max review: software
- Android 16 with HyperOS 3
- Lots of bloatware to delete
- Four years of OS updates
The perpetual problem of Xiaomi’s cheaper phones is that they always come pre-loaded with loads of bloatware; random games, third-party apps, and the company’s own apps result in your main menu being cluttered before you’ve even started using the device.
You can delete them, but it’s a chore to do so. You essentially have to claw your way back to the basic interface, which is Android 16 with Xiaomi’s HyperOS 3 laid over the top.
To the same degree as most Chinese-made OSes, you get out of HyperOS what you put in; it doesn’t have distinctive system-wide theme controls like One UI or stock Android, and instead tasks you with building your own interface with controls over the app icons, font, wallpaper, and so on.
As someone who doesn’t like the overbearing system-wide themes of rivals, I’m a fan of Poco’s approach, but it’s not for everyone. If you want a simple and cohesive ‘look’, this phone isn’t for you (unless you’re willing to play around with its settings).
Poco doesn’t make a huge song and dance about the AI features available in HyperOS, probably recognizing that consumers are a little tired of the subject at this point, but there are a few hidden away nonetheless: Circle to Search, Speech Recognition, and wallpaper generation are all here, and both Gemini and Copilot come pre-installed.
In terms of longevity, you’ll get four years of operating system updates and six years of security fixes with the Poco X8 Pro Max. That’s not the longest update commitment around, but it’s a lot better than two or three years offered by some mid-range Android phone manufacturers.
Poco X8 Pro Max review: cameras
- 50MP main, 8MP ultra-wide, and 20MP front cameras
- Pictures are detailed but not optimized
- A few handy video features
Poco has never made a serious camera phone, and the X8 Pro Max doesn’t change that fact. The phone has the same two-part lens array as basically every other Poco of the past few years: there’s a 50MP f/1.5 main camera and 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide, with a 20MP f/2.2 camera on the front to round out the party.
It’s a tried-and-tested combo for budget phones: these lenses are great for taking pictures of pets, scanning documents, and capturing holiday shots, which is what most casual users will be using them for anyway.
But people who take their photography seriously will want to opt for an alternative device with a telephoto lens or bespoke camera modes.
As you can see from the camera samples below, snaps I took on the Poco are perfectly fine: the phone performs admirably in low-light conditions, and captured plenty of detail in various environments. The f/1.5 aperture on the main camera is a bit wider than we sometimes see in this category, and that probably explains why my pictures were nice and bright.
What differentiates this device from a bona fide camera phone, other than its lack of a telephoto lens, is its optimization capabilities (or lack thereof). Post-processing on the Poco X8 Pro Max is light-touch — the phone’s software will make slight brightness and contrast adjustments, but that’s it. It doesn’t add vibrancy or color to pictures, which makes some of the photos below look a little duller than they otherwise would.
Video recording goes up to 4K at 60fps, and I was pleasantly surprised by how stable the recorded footage came out. A few other tools, like focus peaking and exposure ‘zebra stripes’, make the Poco X8 Pro Max a little more advanced for videography than I’ve come to expect from budget phones. However, there’s no slow-mo, which I’d come to understand was a staple of phones at this price range.
Poco X8 Pro Max camera samples
Image 1 of 8
Poco X8 Pro Max review: performance and audio
- Solid Dimensity 9500s chipset + 12GB RAM
- Performs well in gaming, even if not top-end
- Stereo speakers or Bluetooth 6.0
If you want a solid, affordable phone for gaming, the Poco X8 Pro Max has you covered, as it’s one of the more powerful handsets you can buy without stretching your budget to the dizzy heights demanded by a top-end mobile.
The phone has a MediaTek Dimensity 9500s chipset, designed by MediaTek as a slightly stepped-down version of the brand’s flagship Dimensity 9500 processor (which itself is considered a step down from Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon range). That 9500s chipset is paired with 12GB RAM, whichever model you pick up.
Despite that ‘s’ suffix, though, the Poco’s Dimensity 9500s chipset proved an admirable performer in benchmark tests, even if it didn’t match up to the true top-end chipsets found in bespoke gaming phones. The phone’s average Geekbench 5 multi-core score was 8603, while 3D Mark’s Wild Life Extreme scores hovered around the 6000 mark. For context, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, which I tested before, hit 7300.
What’s in 1300? Not much, because I found that the Poco X8 Pro Max could easily handle all the usual testing games I play: online shooters, PC strategy ports, and assorted indie titles. It could generally grapple with all the high-graphics options I threw at it, too, though sometimes it would find Ultra presets taxing. Still, titles loaded quickly and played smoothly, with none of the overheating issues that we often see on Snapdragon-loaded handsets.
For audio, you’ll get a set of stereo speakers on the Poco X8 Pro Max, smartly positioned so you don’t block them when holding the phone horizontally for gaming.
There’s also Bluetooth 5.4 support for wireless headphones, but no 3.5mm jack for a cable connection.
Poco X8 Pro Max review: battery life
- Massive 8,500mAh battery
- 2-3 days battery life, depending on use
- 100W charging
It’s taken us a while to get here, but battery life is, for me, the best part of the Poco X8 Pro Max. Xiaomi has packed the phone full of juice: its battery is 8,500mAh, one of the biggest I’ve seen on a consumer smartphone before. Apparently, some even regions get a 9,000mAh version, but in the UK, that model isn’t on sale.
Suffice to say, an enormous battery like this lasts absolutely ages on a single charge. I’m talking two straight days of average phone use, and you’ll still have something left over. I have no doubt that the Poco X8 Pro Max is the longest-lasting phone I’ve ever reviewed.
Exorcising charging from your daily routine isn’t the only benefit of a huge battery like this. It ensures you can throw some gaming, video capture, or lots of screen time into your routine, without any kind of battery anxiety creeping in.
With such a big battery, fast charging seems almost unnecessary, but Poco has sweetened the deal with 100W wired powering. You’ll need to buy your own charger to hit this speed, though, as there’s a cable in the box but no wall plug.
With this charging speed, you can power the phone up from empty to full in just under 50 minutes. That doesn’t sound quick, but bear in mind the power pack is huge. You can also use the Poco as a power bank to charge up other devices, with 27W reverse wired charging. This phone is a battery champion.
Poco X8 Pro Max review: value
I’ve never used a Poco smartphone that didn’t offer value for money in some way, and that streak remains unbroken with the X8 Pro Max.
The phone offers an unparalleled experience if you need something reliable that’ll last you for ages without charging. Sure, it doesn’t offer flashy features or advanced cameras, but it’s trying to be the panacea for people who just want a reliable mobile.
It’s also built to last better than most flagships, ensuring you won’t need to buy a replacement phone every other year.
Should you buy the Poco X8 Pro Max?
|
Attributes |
Notes |
Rating |
|---|---|---|
|
Value |
‘Bang for your buck’ is expected for a Poco phone. |
4 / 5 |
|
Design |
By-the-numbers design, but well-protected and hides the battery well. |
4 / 5 |
|
Display |
You’re getting good camera specs with more colors than some rivals. |
4 / 5 |
|
Software |
The pre-installed bloatware is annoying, and some may consider the OS to look messy. |
3 / 5 |
|
Camera |
This isn’t designed for photographers, but it’ll do the job day-to-day for everyone else. |
3.5 / 5 |
|
Performance |
Most users won’t be able to tell that it doesn’t have a true top-end chipset. |
4 / 5 |
|
Battery |
This thing will last you ages, and charges incredibly quickly. |
5 / 5 |
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Poco X8 Pro Max review: Also consider
Not quite sold on this budget battery blower? Here are a few similarly-priced alternatives which are also worth your consideration.
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
Poco X8 Pro Max |
OnePlus 15R |
Samsung Galaxy A57 |
Nothing Phone (4a) Pro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Starting price (at launch): |
$469 / £469 (about AU$940) |
$699 / £649 (about AU$1,300) |
$549.99 / £529 / AU$749 |
$499 / £499 (about AU$1,000) |
|
Dimensions: |
162.9 x 77.9 x 8.2mm |
163.4 x 77 x 8.1 mm |
161.5 x 76.8 x 6.9 mm |
163.7 x 76.6 x 8 mm |
|
Weight: |
218g |
213 |
179g |
210g |
|
OS (at launch): |
HyperOS 3, Android 16 |
OxygenOS 16, Android 16 |
OneUI 8.5, Android 16 |
Nothing OS 4.1, Android 16 |
|
Screen Size: |
6.83-inch |
6.83-inch |
6.7-inch |
6.83-inch |
|
Resolution: |
2772 x 1280 |
2800 x 1272 |
2340 x 1080 |
2800 x 1260 |
|
CPU: |
Mediatek Dimensity 9500s |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 |
Exynos 1680 |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 |
|
RAM: |
12GB |
12GB |
8GB / 12GB |
8GB / 12GB |
|
Storage (from): |
256GB / 512GB |
256GB / 512GB |
128GB / 256GB / 512GB |
128GB / 256GB |
|
Battery: |
8,500mAh |
7,400mAh |
5,000mAh |
5,080mAh |
|
Rear Cameras: |
50MP main, 8MP ultrawide |
50MP main, 8MP ultrawide |
50MP main, 12MP ultra-wide, 5MP macro |
50MP wide, 50MP periscope telephoto, 8MP ultrawide |
|
Front camera: |
20MP |
32MP |
12MP |
32MP |
How I tested the Poco X8 Pro Max
- Review test period = 3 weeks
- Testing included = Everyday usage, including web browsing, social media, photography, video calling, gaming, streaming video, music playback
- Tools used = Geekbench 6, 3D Mark, native Android stats
I used the Poco X8 Pro Max for roughly three weeks before writing this review, and tested it alongside the non-Max version of the phone, which I was also sent.
Part of testing was lab-based: I used benchmark apps like Geekbench and 3D Mark, conducted battery tests, and timed it charging. The rest of my testing was experience-based: I used the Poco for normal smartphone purposes, gaming, and taking photos.
I’ve been reviewing smartphones for TechRadar for seven years, and in that time have tested countless mobiles from a variety of brands and price points. These include past Poco and Xiaomi devices, and other battery-focused phones.
First reviewed March 2026
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tom.bedford@hotmail.co.uk (Tom Bedford)
