POCO X7 Pro Long-Term Review: Performance beast now in a great deal

It’s been around four months since I started using the Poco X7 Pro as my daily phone. And with Flipkart’s Big Savings Days Sale offering a pretty tempting discount — slashing ₹5,000 off the launch price — it’s definitely turning heads again.

So, the question now is: does the X7 Pro still hold its ground in the sub-₹25,000 segment? Short answer — yes, it does. But there are a few things you’ll want to consider before hitting that buy button. Because while this phone nails a lot of the essentials, it’s not without its compromises.

Design

Let’s start with the good news — the Poco X7 Pro has held its own. I’ve been using it without a case for the last few months, and surprisingly, it’s still looking pretty great. No major scratches, no dings on the frame, and the vegan leather back has aged far better than I thought it would. No peeling or weird fraying at the edges — which, let’s be honest, is usually the first thing to go wrong with these finishes.

Now, design’s always going to be subjective. But if I’m being honest, the standard Poco X7 — the non-Pro variant — actually gives off a more premium vibe, at least at first glance. That signature yellow-and-black combo definitely grabs attention, but the regular X7 has this smooth curvature on both the front and back that just feels nicer in the hand. Plus, it’s got a more symmetric look thanks to the centred camera module, whereas the Pro’s pill-shaped layout feels a little off-balance.

There’s also the matter of build materials. While the X7 Pro is no slouch, it settles for Gorilla Glass 7i, while the regular X7 gets Gorilla Glass Victus 2 — which is technically a bit more scratch resistant. That said, the Pro claws back some points with its IP69 rating. And that’s not just a spec-sheet brag — I’ve taken this thing through everything from accidental coffee spills to full-blown Holi chaos, and it’s still going strong.

One thing that surprised me is how light the X7 Pro feels, considering the size of the battery it’s packing. It slides into pockets easily and never feels overly chunky, though I will say the boxy design takes a bit of adjusting if you’re coming from a phone with more rounded edges. The flat sides are clean and sharp, but not the most ergonomic during long usage.

More on the battery and internals soon — but for now, I’d say Poco’s done a solid job making a phone that looks bold and holds up well, even after months of rough use.

Display

If you’re anything like me and love big, gorgeous screens on your phone, then Poco has absolutely nailed it with the X7 Pro. It’s rocking a flat 6.67-inch AMOLED panel with a sharp 1.5K resolution and a super smooth 120Hz refresh rate — and honestly, it’s been a joy to use.

After a few months of daily use, the display still feels fresh and premium, especially when I’m gaming or binging videos. The flat panel really makes a difference — no annoying curves, no accidental palm touches, and way more comfort during longer sessions. It’s just a clean, practical screen that’s easy to live with.

What makes it even better is the fact that it’s Widevine L1 certified and supports HDR10+. So when I’m watching Netflix or YouTube, the quality is seriously impressive — vibrant colours, deep contrast, and none of that washed-out budget phone look. It also holds up well outdoors. With a peak brightness of around 1400 nits (HBM), I haven’t really struggled to see the screen even under harsh sunlight.

All things considered, for a phone that costs under ₹25,000, this is hands down one of the better displays you can get right now. It’s crisp, fluid, and just makes everyday use feel a lot more premium than the price tag would suggest.

Cameras

Now let’s talk about one of the bigger letdowns of the Poco X7 Pro — the camera setup. On paper, it sounds decent enough. You get a 50MP Sony LYT-600 main sensor with OIS and up to 2x in-sensor zoom, along with an 8MP ultrawide camera. But once you start actually using it, things get a little inconsistent.

The main sensor does a fair job most of the time — photos come out looking sharp in good lighting — but the processing tends to go a bit overboard. Shadows get crushed, highlights blow out, and there’s this slightly artificial feel to some of the shots, especially in tricky lighting. It’s not a total dealbreaker, but if you’re picky about image quality, you’ll notice it.

Video performance is just about average. It’s perfectly fine for casual Instagram stories or the occasional WhatsApp video, but if you’re expecting crisp detail or anything close to cinematic quality, this won’t cut it. Stabilisation helps, but again — it’s just okay.

The 8MP ultrawide is there when you need it, but it’s not particularly reliable. The colour tuning is clearly different from the main sensor, and dynamic range takes a noticeable hit.

And then there’s the 20MP front camera. Honestly, it’s probably the weakest link. It struggles with exposure every single time there’s a bright background. Whether it’s sunlight or just a backlit wall, you’ll end up with blown-out skies or your face in shadow. It works in a pinch, but I wouldn’t rely on it for anything beyond the occasional video call.

Performance & Software

When it comes to day-to-day performance, I’ve genuinely had a good time with the Poco X7 Pro. It runs on the Dimensity 8400 Ultra, paired with up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage — and that combo delivers. Benchmark-wise, the chipset sits somewhere between the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and Gen 3, which is honestly impressive for a phone at this price point.

Gaming on this thing has been smooth sailing. BGMI runs at a steady 60fps, and even during extended sessions, the phone barely heats up. The only time I noticed any real temperature spike was while playing Genshin Impact at max settings and 60fps — but to be fair, that game pushes every phone to its limits. Outside of gaming, the X7 Pro still feels super snappy. The UFS 4.0 storage really helps with app load times and smooth multitasking. Even after a few months of use, there’s no sluggishness to report.

Now for the not-so-great part — the software. The phone ships with HyperOS 2 based on Android 15, so you are getting the latest Xiaomi flavour of Android. But honestly, it still feels pretty cluttered. The app drawer was packed with bloatware on first boot, I kept getting random system notifications, and those Glance lock screen ads? Just plain annoying.

I had to spend time deleting a bunch of pre-installed apps just to get things looking and feeling cleaner. And even then, some stuff just can’t be removed. If you’re someone who likes a clean, stock Android experience, this probably won’t be your vibe.

That said, there is one silver lining — Xiaomi is promising three years of Android updates and four years of security patches. Starting out with Android 15 out of the box is a good foundation, and that update timeline does bring some peace of mind if you plan to hold onto the phone for a while.

Battery

One of the biggest highlights of the Poco X7 Pro has to be its battery. It packs a massive 6550mAh cell, but thanks to Poco’s use of Silicon Carbon tech, the phone still manages to stay impressively slim and light. It doesn’t feel like you’re carrying around a power bank — which, let’s be real, is usually the trade-off with phones that have huge batteries.

In everyday use, I was comfortably getting around 9 hours of screen-on time, even with a mix of heavy apps, social media, and the occasional gaming session thrown in. Of course, your mileage may vary. If you’re planning to run BGMI at full blast for seven hours straight, it’s obviously going to drain faster. But for normal use — browsing, messaging, video calls, a bit of Netflix — the X7 Pro just keeps going.

And when you do need to top it up, the 90W fast charging is a total lifesaver. It goes from zero to full in just 45 minutes, which is perfect for someone like me who always forgets to plug in their phone until the last possible moment. It’s one of those features that really changes how you use your phone day to day.

Verdict

After four months with the Poco X7 Pro, I can safely say it’s not the most balanced phone I’ve used. If polished software and top-tier cameras are high on your wishlist, this might leave you wanting more. The UI still feels a bit cluttered, and the camera system, while usable, doesn’t exactly impress in tricky situations.

But here’s the flip side — if you care more about what’s under the hood, the X7 Pro more than holds its ground. Performance has been rock-solid, gaming is smooth with barely any heating, and the battery life genuinely surprised me with how long it lasts. Add to that a fantastic display and blazing-fast charging, and you've got a phone that nails the basics — and then some.

Right now, with the Flipkart deal dropping the price to ₹22,999, it becomes an even better proposition. For what you're paying, you're getting hardware that feels like it belongs in a much more expensive phone. It’s not perfect, but if you’re after power and longevity over polish, this one’s a no-brainer.