Conclusion on the Xiaomi Poco M8 5G
Xiaomi doesn't make it easy for buyers to warm to the Poco M8 5G. If you don't have high expectations of a smartphone, the 6.77-inch device is a solid everyday companion. Ultimately, however, it lacks a unique selling point to set it apart from the masses of affordable mid-range smartphones. Its greatest strengths are the above-average battery life and the bright AMOLED display.
However, the Poco M8 5G lacks support for eSIMs and the Wi-Fi data throughput is weak with Wi-Fi 5. Updates are available until 2032, but whether you want to use the smartphone for that long in view of the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3, which is already not exactly fast, is another question.
Pros
Cons
Price and availability
- Anoowkoa 2 Pack for Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro+/Note 15 Pro Plus 5G/Xiaomi Poco M8 Pro 3D Screen protector with Camera Lens protector Tempered Glass.9H Hardness.Anti-Fingerprint.No Air-Bubbles.Easy Installation
- Natbok 2+2 Pack 3D Screen Protector for Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro+ 5G / Note 15 Pro Plus 5G/Xiaomi Poco M8 Pro with Camera Lens Protector, 9H Tempered Glass Film,HD Clear Scratch Resistant,Bubble-Free
- Natbok 2+2 Pack 3D Screen Protector for Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 5G/4G/Xiaomi Poco M8 with Camera Lens Protector,9H Tempered Glass Film,HD Clear Scratch Resistant,Bubble-Free
Table of Contents
- Conclusion on the Xiaomi Poco M8 5G
- Specifications
- Housing and features - Xiaomi Poco M8 5G with 3D design
- Communication and operation - WiFi 5 is already over
- Software and sustainability - updates until 2032
- Cameras - No ultra-wide-angle camera on board
- Display - 3000 nits bright AMOLED panel
- Performance, emissions and battery life - Enduring thanks to silicon technology battery
- Notebookcheck overall rating
- Possible alternatives in comparison
Elegant 3D design, large battery, a 120 Hz display and the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 as the control center: Xiaomi is competing with itself with the Poco M8 5G, as it is technically equivalent to the Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 5G. The Poco phone should therefore also be recommended as an affordable but well-equipped smartphone.
Specifications
Housing and features - Xiaomi Poco M8 5G with 3D design
Xiaomi packs the Poco M8 5G into a sturdy and lightweight plastic casing. Its rounded long sides make the back cover and display appear to merge seamlessly. However, the factory-applied screen protector acts as a haptic brake because it can be clearly felt due to the curved design.
Xiaomi does not provide any information on the protection class of the display glass. The Poco M8 5G is protected against dust and water in accordance with IP65, which means that it cannot be harmed by rain, for example. The proximity sensor is only virtual and therefore tends to be less accurate than its physical counterpart.
A microSD card of up to 1 TB fits into the hybrid SIM slot. In the copy test with the Angelbird AV Pro V60 microSD reference card, the card reader achieved a reasonable speed of 32.3 MByte/s on average.
| SD Card Reader - average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| Xiaomi Poco M7 Pro 5G (Angelbird AV Pro V60) | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 5 (Angelbird V60) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (5.72 - 58.9, n=72, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Poco M8 5G (Angelbird AV Pro V60) | |
Cross Platform Disk Test (CPDT)
Communication and operation - WiFi 5 is already over
The Poco M8 5G supports WiFi 5 as the fastest WiFi communication standard. Connected to our reference router Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000, the Xiaomi phone therefore only achieves below-average WiFi transfer rates.
The Poco M8 5G only supports dual SIM if the microSD card is omitted. In the test, the smartphone scored with good voice quality and managed to largely block out distracting ambient noise.
The capacitive touchscreen responds quickly to inputs and works as reliably as the fingerprint sensor underneath it in the test. Alternatively, you can authenticate yourself biometrically using 2D Face Unlock. An ERM vibration motor is responsible for haptic feedback, which can be adjusted in 3 levels.
| Networking | |
| Xiaomi Poco M8 5G | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 5 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A36 5G | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Xiaomi Poco M7 Pro 5G | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Average 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Average of class Smartphone | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
Software and sustainability - updates until 2032
Xiaomi's HyperOS 2.0 operating system for the Poco M8 5G is still based on Android 15, displays ads in many places and comes with a lot of bloatware. Xiaomi plans to provide four Android updates for the Poco M8 5G and supply it with security updates until January 2032.
The packaging of the Poco M8 5G is made of recycled paper, but is delivered shrink-wrapped in plastic film. The manufacturer does not provide any information on the recycled materials used in the smartphone. Xiaomi also offers tools and spare parts for the Poco M8 5G.
Cameras - No ultra-wide-angle camera on board
The selfie camera offers a fairly high resolution of 20 MPix. However, the quality of its images is very average and sometimes look artificial due to the pronounced sharpening. However, the quality is fine for occasional video chats, which can take place at up to 1080p at 30 frames per second.
The main camera has a resolution of 50 MPix, uses Light Fusion 400 and takes quite acceptable photos in daylight. However, it does not show much detail and it quickly becomes blurry at higher zoom levels. Video recordings achieve roughly the same image quality, up to 4K at 30 frames per second.
This largely exhausts the Poco M8 5G's photo capabilities, as it does not have an ultra-wide-angle camera. Additional cameras include only a 2 MP camera, which is only used to capture depth information.
Display - 3000 nits bright AMOLED panel
According to Xiaomi, the 120 Hz AMOLED panel achieves a peak brightness of 3200 nits, which it also reaches in smaller image sections (APL18 measurement 3355 cd/m²) and in HDR with 3492 cd/m². This is complemented by precise color reproduction and a high PWM dimming frequency of 3840 Hz.
Thanks to its high peak brightness, the Poco M8 is well equipped for outdoor use. In the test, however, it makes no difference whether we activate the sunlight mode or not. This should actually provide a brightness boost, but it does not change the display brightness.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 95 %
Center on Battery: 953 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE ColorChecker Calman: 1 | ∀{0.5-29.43 Ø4.76}
ΔE Greyscale Calman: 1.5 | ∀{0.09-98 Ø5}
96.4% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.22
CCT: 6694 K
| Xiaomi Poco M8 5G AMOLED, 2392x1080, 6.8" | Nothing Phone (3a) AMOLED, 2392x1080, 6.8" | OnePlus Nord CE 5 AMOLED, 2392x1080, 6.8" | Samsung Galaxy A36 5G Super AMOLED, 2340x1080, 6.7" | Xiaomi Poco M7 Pro 5G AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.7" | Xiaomi Poco X7 AMOLED, 2712x1220, 6.7" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | -71% | 1% | -17% | 4% | -1% | |
| Brightness middle (cd/m²) | 953 | 1287 35% | 1315 38% | 1127 18% | 1157 21% | 1156 21% |
| Brightness (cd/m²) | 954 | 1274 34% | 1300 36% | 1137 19% | 1151 21% | 1150 21% |
| Brightness Distribution (%) | 95 | 97 2% | 97 2% | 98 3% | 97 2% | 98 3% |
| Black Level * (cd/m²) | ||||||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 1 | 1.9 -90% | 1.22 -22% | 1.8 -80% | 1.1 -10% | 1.1 -10% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 2.3 | 8.7 -278% | 2.7 -17% | 2.8 -22% | 2.4 -4% | 3.1 -35% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 1.5 | 3.4 -127% | 2 -33% | 2.1 -40% | 1.6 -7% | 1.6 -7% |
| Gamma | 2.22 99% | 2.26 97% | 2.258 97% | 2.11 104% | 2.21 100% | 2.22 99% |
| CCT | 6694 97% | 7072 92% | 6503 100% | 6466 101% | 6622 98% | 6304 103% |
* ... smaller is better
| Display / APL18 Peak Brightness | |
| Samsung Galaxy A36 5G | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) | |
| Xiaomi Poco M7 Pro 5G | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 | |
| Display / HDR Peak Brightness | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 | |
| Xiaomi Poco M7 Pro 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A36 5G | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) | |
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 60 Hz Amplitude: 14.15 % Secondary Frequency: 3846 Hz |  | |
The display backlight flickers at 60 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) . The frequency of 60 Hz is very low, so the flickering may cause eyestrain and headaches after extended use. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8016 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Measurement series with fixed zoom level and different brightness settings (The amplitude curve at minimum brightness looks flat, but this is due to the scaling. The info box shows the enlarged version of the amplitude at minimum brightness)
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 0.9 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 0.461 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 0.4415 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 3 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.1 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 1.04 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 0.465 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 0.5745 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 4 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (31.4 ms). | ||
Performance, emissions and battery life - Enduring thanks to silicon technology battery
With the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 the Poco M8 5G is not fast, but can still get quite warm during operation. The SoC power is not sufficient for complex apps and if you want to play a lot with the smartphone, you are better off with the OnePlus Nord CE 5 for example.
The stereo speakers deliver the typical treble-heavy smartphone sound and sound best at medium volume. USB-C and Bluetooth are available for external sound output.
The 5520 mAh battery helps the Poco M8 5G achieve above-average runtimes. In the WLAN test, only the Nothing Phone (3a) is more enduring. With a suitable power adapter, the Xiaomi can be charged with up to 45 watts. In the test, a full charging cycle takes just under 1.5 hours.
| Xiaomi Poco M8 5G | Nothing Phone (3a) | OnePlus Nord CE 5 | Samsung Galaxy A36 5G | Xiaomi Poco M7 Pro 5G | Xiaomi Poco X7 | Average 512 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | 19% | 15% | -27% | 15% | -16% | 10% | 82% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB (MB/s) | 1042.73 | 1031.34 -1% | 1235 18% | 968.34 -7% | 987.81 -5% | 947.4 -9% | 1026 ? -2% | 2152 ? 106% |
| Sequential Write 256KB (MB/s) | 893.75 | 1001.28 12% | 795 -11% | 166.77 -81% | 943.43 6% | 915.23 2% | 936 ? 5% | 1841 ? 106% |
| Random Read 4KB (MB/s) | 146.5 | 245.48 68% | 222 52% | 233.98 60% | 243.98 67% | 100.16 -32% | 218 ? 49% | 293 ? 100% |
| Random Write 4KB (MB/s) | 294.99 | 285.24 -3% | 302 2% | 62.58 -79% | 265.26 -10% | 226.88 -23% | 255 ? -14% | 342 ? 16% |
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 44.5 °C / 112 F, compared to the average of 35.2 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 247 °C for the class Smartphone.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 40 °C / 104 F, compared to the average of 34 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26 °C / 79 F, compared to the device average of 32.9 °C / 91 F.
3DMark Stress Tests
| 3DMark | |
| Wild Life Stress Test Stability | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A36 5G | |
| Xiaomi Poco M8 5G | |
| Wild Life Extreme Stress Test | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 | |
| Xiaomi Poco M8 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A36 5G | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 5 | |
| Steel Nomad Light Stress Test Stability | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) | |
| Xiaomi Poco M8 5G | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 | |
Xiaomi Poco M8 5G audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (89.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 31% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 10.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (8.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.5% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (22.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 47% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 46% worse
» The best had a delta of 11%, average was 35%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 64% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 29% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Samsung Galaxy A36 5G audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (90.5 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 26.4% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (7.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 6.1% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (4.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (1.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (17.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 15% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 76% worse
» The best had a delta of 11%, average was 35%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 36% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 56% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
| Battery runtime - WiFi v1.3 | |
| Xiaomi Poco M8 5G | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) | |
| OnePlus Nord CE 5 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A36 5G | |
| Xiaomi Poco M7 Pro 5G | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 | |
Notebookcheck overall rating
Buyers who want to spend little money on a smartphone are undoubtedly well served with the Xiaomi Poco M8 5G. However, competitors such as the Samsung Galaxy A36 5G offer even more value for the same money.
Xiaomi Poco M8 5G
- 02/19/2026 v8
Manuel Masiero
Total Sustainability Score: Possible alternatives in comparison
Image | Model / Review | Price | Weight | Drive | Display |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. 76.3%  | Xiaomi Poco M8 5G Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 ⎘ Qualcomm Adreno 710 ⎘ 8 GB Memory, 512 GB UFS 2.1 | Amazon: 1. Anoowkoa 2 Pack for Xiaomi R... 2. Natbok 2+2 Pack 3D Screen Pr... 3. Natbok 2+2 Pack 3D Screen Pr... List Price: 300€ | 178 g | 512 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.77" 2392x1080 388 PPI AMOLED |
2. 79.2%  | Nothing Phone (3a) Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 ⎘ Qualcomm Adreno 810 ⎘ 12 GB Memory, 256 GB | Amazon: 1. Nothing Phone (3) Cell Phone... 2. Nothing Phone (3) Cell Phone... 3. JETech Screen Protector for ... | 201 g | 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.77" 2392x1080 387 PPI AMOLED |
3. 80.8%  | OnePlus Nord CE 5 MediaTek Dimensity 8350 ⎘ ARM Mali-G615 MP6 ⎘ 8 GB Memory, 128 GB | Amazon: List Price: 349€ | 199 g | 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.77" 2392x1080 388 PPI AMOLED |
4. 78%  | Samsung Galaxy A36 5G Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 ⎘ Qualcomm Adreno 710 ⎘ 6 GB Memory, 256 GB | Amazon: 1. Samsung Galaxy A36 5G A Seri... 2. SAMSUNG Galaxy A36 5G 2025 |... 3. Samsung Galaxy A36 5G 2025 |... List Price: 379€ | 195 g | 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.70" 2340x1080 385 PPI Super AMOLED |
5. 76.1%  | Xiaomi Poco M7 Pro 5G MediaTek Dimensity 7025 ⎘ IMG BXM-8-256 ⎘ 12 GB Memory, 256 GB UFS 2.1 | Amazon: 1. Suttkue for Xiaomi Poco M7 P... 2. Ibywind Screen Protector For... 3. XIAOMI Poco X7 PRO 5G + 4G L... List Price: 240€ | 190 g | 256 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.67" 2400x1080 395 PPI AMOLED |
6. 77.7%  | Xiaomi Poco X7 MediaTek Dimensity 7300 ⎘ ARM Mali-G615 MP2 ⎘ 12 GB Memory, 512 GB UFS 2.1 | Amazon: 1. XIAOMI Poco X7 PRO 5G + 4G L... 2. XIAOMI Poco X7 PRO 5G + 4G L... 3. Suttkue for Xiaomi Poco X7 P... | 185.5 g | 512 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.67" 2712x1220 446 PPI AMOLED |
Transparency
The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was provided to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or retailer for the purpose of this review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.
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Every year, Notebookcheck independently reviews hundreds of laptops and smartphones using standardized procedures to ensure that all results are comparable. We have continuously developed our test methods for around 20 years and set industry standards in the process. In our test labs, high-quality measuring equipment is utilized by experienced technicians and editors. These tests involve a multi-stage validation process. Our complex rating system is based on hundreds of well-founded measurements and benchmarks, which maintains objectivity. Further information on our test methods can be found here.
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