Poco M8 5G Review: The “Budget Flagship” We Didn’t See Coming?

Budget phones in India usually follow a boring script: big battery, decent processor, and a terrible screen. But the Poco M8 5G just flipped that script, set it on fire, and danced on the ashes.

Launched this January 2026, Poco isn’t just targeting the “cheap 5G” crowd. With a starting price effectively under ₹16,000, they are offering a Curved AMOLED Display, a massive 5520mAh battery, and IP66 water resistance. These are features we usually see in ₹25,000+ phones.

But specs on paper don’t always translate to real-world performance. Is the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 powerful enough for 2026? Does the “Light Fusion” camera actually take good photos? Or is this just another rebranded Redmi with a yellow coat? I’ve dug deep into the details to give you the raw truth.

Quick Specs: The Numbers Game

Before we check if it can run BGMI, let’s look at what you are paying for.

Parameter	Poco M8 5G	Upgrade from Poco M7?
Processor	Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 (4nm)	✅ Massive Jump
Display	6.77″ Curved AMOLED (120Hz)	✅ First in Segment
Brightness	3200 Nits Peak	✅ Insanely Bright
Battery	5520 mAh	✅ Bigger than standard
Charging	45W Wired	✅ Faster (Charger in Box)
Main Camera	50MP (Light Fusion 400)	➖ Decent Sensor
Durability	IP66 (Water Resistant)	✅ Rare at this price
Price (India)	₹15,999 (Offer Price)	➖ Aggressive

Design & Build: Feels Like ₹25K?

Poco has ditched the cheap, plasticky feel of the M-series. The M8 feels premium.

Read more: Xiaomi 15 Ultra (2026)

• The Curve: The 3D Curved Glass on the front melts into the frame. It makes the phone feel slimmer than it actually is (7.35mm thickness).
• Weight Distribution: Despite the huge 5520mAh battery, it weighs only 178 grams. It doesn’t drag your pants down like the Samsung M-series bricks.
• The Back: It uses a dual-tone finish—glossy stripes on the sides and matte in the center. It looks race-inspired but can be a fingerprint magnet on the glossy parts.
• Durability: It has IP66 rating, meaning it can survive strong water jets (heavy rain), not just splashes. This is a huge win for Indian monsoons.

Display: The Segment Killer

This is the main reason to buy this phone. Period.

• Curved AMOLED: Finding a curved panel under ₹16k is like finding a unicorn. It adds that “infinity” look when watching videos.
• Brightness: With 3200 Nits peak brightness, outdoor visibility is excellent. I tested it under direct sunlight, and Google Maps was perfectly readable.
• Wet Touch 2.0: A nifty feature for India—the screen actually works when your fingers are sweaty or wet from rain. No more ghost touches.
• Protection: It uses Corning Gorilla Glass (unspecified version, likely GG5 or equivalent), which is decent but I’d still recommend a screen guard.

Performance: Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 Analysis

The Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 is a reliable 4nm workhorse. It’s not a flagship killer, but it’s a “Lag Killer.”

• Daily Usage: Apps open instantly. The 120Hz refresh rate feels smooth because the processor can actually handle it. No jitters in the UI.
• Gaming Test (BGMI/CODM):
  • Settings: Smooth + Extreme (60fps).
  • Experience: It holds 58-60fps consistently. The phone gets warm near the camera module after 30 minutes, but it doesn’t overheat.
  • Heavy Gaming: If you want 90fps gaming, this isn’t the phone. Look at the Poco X-series instead.
• RAM: The 8GB LPDDR4X RAM management is aggressive but keeps major apps in memory.

Camera: Good Day, Average Night

Poco isn’t known for cameras, but the 50MP Light Fusion 400 sensor is a pleasant surprise.

• Daylight: Photos are punchy and saturated (classic Poco tuning). The dynamic range is surprisingly good, handling harsh shadows well.
• The “Gimmick” Lens: The 2MP depth sensor is useless. Don’t let marketing fool you; this is effectively a single-camera phone.
• Low Light: This is where the budget shows. Night shots are usable but soft. The OIS is missing, so you need steady hands.
• Selfies: The 20MP front camera is a big upgrade from the old 8MP sensors. Skin tones are slightly whitened (beauty mode is on by default), but detail is good.

Battery & Endurance: The Marathon Runner

Poco squeezed a 5520 mAh battery into a slim body. How? Silicon-Carbon technology.

• Real World Drain:
  • 1 hour of Instagram Reels: 7% drop.
  • 1 hour of Gaming: 14% drop.
  • Total: I easily got 1.5 days of usage on a single charge.
• Charging: The 45W charger is in the box.
  • 0-50%: ~28 Minutes.
  • Full Charge: ~55-60 Minutes.
  • It’s not 67W or 100W, but for this price, it’s acceptable.

The Competition: Poco M8 vs The World

The sub-₹17k segment is a warzone. Let’s compare the M8 with its arch-rivals.

Feature	Poco M8 5G	Samsung Galaxy M15 5G	Realme 12x 5G
Display	Curved AMOLED (120Hz)	Flat AMOLED (90Hz)	Flat LCD (120Hz)
Processor	SD 6 Gen 3 (Better)	Dimensity 6100+	Dimensity 6100+
Look & Feel	Premium Glass/Curved	Plastic/Boxy	Plastic/Trendy
Charging	45W (In Box)	25W (No Charger)	45W (In Box)
Software	HyperOS (4 yr updates)	OneUI (4 yr updates)	RealmeUI (2 yr updates)

The Winner?

• The Poco M8 5G destroys the Realme 12x with a better screen and processor.
• Compared to Samsung, the M8 feels 2 generations ahead in design and charging speed. Poco wins hands down.

Final Verdict: Should You Buy It?

The Poco M8 5G is the most complete phone under ₹16,000 right now. It fixes the three biggest complaints of budget phones: ugly screens, slow performance, and slow charging.

Buy it if:

1. You consume content: The Curved AMOLED display is best-in-class for Netflix and YouTube.
2. You hate charging: The 5520mAh battery is a beast.
3. You want longevity: 4 years of Android updates is a flagship-level promise.

Skip it if:

1. You are a pro photographer: The lack of an Ultrawide lens hurts.
2. You have “Butterfingers”: Curved screens are fragile and harder to protect.
3. You want clean software: HyperOS still has some bloatware (though removable).

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