One of the best mid-range smartphones of 2026 reviewed

However, our in-depth review of the Xiaomi Poco X8 Pro also found several more reasons to buy it, with clearly more strengths than weaknesses. Alongside solid build quality and an IP68 rating, the Xiaomi phone stands out with a very bright, sharp 120Hz AMOLED panel. High-frequency PWM dimming is also included. In this area, the Poco X8 Pro does not fall behind high-end Android phones like the Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus.

The midrange phone ships with Android 16 and HyperOS 3.0 out of the box. Another positive is the long update policy, with four years of OS updates and as many as six years of security patches.

The large 6,500mAh lithium-polymer battery and 100-watt fast charging are also notable. Budget-conscious buyers are also unlikely to be disappointed by the main camera. The 50MP sensor with OIS and pixel binning delivered dynamic, sharp images in our daylight test shots. In low light, it can still produce solid results, although the relatively small sensor becomes a drawback here.

We mainly found some weaknesses in terms of connectivity and the lack of premium features. At least one upper-midrange feature would have been nice to see. The USB port is limited to USB 2.0, which means slow data transfers and also rules out wired video output and a desktop mode.

Anyone who needs eSIM and wireless charging in daily use will also need to look at higher-end smartphones. The Poco X8 Pro also lacks WiFi 7 and the 6GHz band for WiFi 6E, although competing phones in this price range are not doing any better in that respect.

That means the Poco X8 Pro gives up some ground when it comes to future-proofing. Anyone who can live with those omissions still gets very good value for money and an affordable alternative to higher-end phones.