POCO M5s: POCO has already made a rather big name for itself in the budget smartphone space, which is always a tough space to compete in.
The POCO M5s with all of this, is no exception, and tries to be an all-rounder that gives you great performance, design and battery life without having to dig deep into your pockets.
So, in a sea of sub-₹15,000 options, does the M5s manage to do anything differently, or is it just another toothy spec-heavy phone?
Let’s dive in and find out just what this thing delivers day to day.
Design & Build: Old Hat But Tidy
At the first look, the POCO M5s is not a head turner, but the design is mature and clean.
The back panel features a matte finish and has a POCO-style black strip that runs across the top to house the camera module and also helps break the long flat rear panel.
It has a sturdy plastic frame that feels solid but not cheap, and as a phone in its class should, it feels sturdy and well-built.
At 178g, and measuring 8.3mm slim, the M5s is comfortable to hold, and easy to use one-handed.
And it has an IP53 rating, which means it’s protected against light splashes — convenient for daily accidents.
Display: AMOLED Under ₹15K? Yes, Please
Now, this is where it gets interesting. The POCO M5s features a 6.43-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display, something very rare in this price segment.
Colours are bright and blacks are deep, while the peak brightness of 1100 nits ensures it’s usable even in bright sunlight.
When you’re watching a show or scrolling through social media, the visual experience is sharp and delightful.
The refresh rate is limited to 60Hz, though, which seems like a wasted opportunity when most rivals now have 90Hz panels, with some even offering 120Hz. For a screen of this price and type, however, it’s a reasonable trade-off.
Performance: Good Enough for the Average Person
Under the hood, the POCO M5s is backed by the MediaTek Helio G95 SoC, along with up to 6GB of RAM and up to 128GB of UFS 2.2 storage.
This isn’t a new chipset, but a known good performer. Daily activities such as browsing, video watching, multitasking, moderate gaming are to take care of it.
You’re not going to be breaking any benchmark records, of course, but Call of Duty: Mobile and Asphalt 9 perform reasonably on medium settings.
The phone also offers virtual RAM expansion, which promises to help keep things running smoothly when multitasking between apps.
Camera: A Good Shooter, With a Few Surprises
The m5s gets a 64MP main camera coupled with an 8MP ultra-wide, and a 2MP macro and 2MP depth sensor. In the light of day, the main sensor captures sharp, true-to-life photos.
Low light, though, is just average, with visible noise and a lack of sharpness.
The 13MP front camera is adequate for selfies and video calls, but don’t count on miracles.
There are some additional modes like Night Mode, Pro Mode, and Portrait, which they can be fun to play with.
Battery & Software: More Battery Than Ever Lasts All Day With No Slowdown Clean & Simple UI
The phone can run all day and more with just 5000mAh battery.
Throw in 33W fast charging, and you’re back to full in something like an hour and a half – a pretty impressive effort at this tier.
It ships with MIUI for POCO based on Android 12, and although the interface is feature-laden, it does get some unwanted bloatware out of the box. The good news is that most of it can be removed.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
Sharp AMOLED screen with vivid colors
Good battery life and fast charging
The main camera does well in daylight
IP53 splash resistance
Not too bad for daily uses
Cons:
Not high refreh rate (only 60Hz)
Hellio G95 kind of old 2025
Average low-light photography
Pre-installed bloatware
No 5G support
POCO M5s: Verdict: Budget-Friendly and Versatile
And if you’re not particularly chasing the latest trends like 5G or 120Hz refresh rates, it’s hard to argue with the value that the POCO M5s provides.
Helping it along the path is its AMOLED display, trusty performance, good battery life, as well as some thoughtful design elements, which combined make it no straggler in the race for the ‘best rounded phones under ₹15,000’ category.
For everyday users, students, or anyone who plans on replacing an older device, the M5s has strong potential appeal.