Xiaomi Poco M5s smartphone review - Midrange smartphone with bright OLED display without PWM flickering
The Poco M5s is mainly supposed to convince with a first-rate price-performance ratio. Like the Redmi Note 11S, the affordable Poco smartphone also foregoes an integrated 5G modem, and the two Xiaomi smartphones are very similar beyond the connectivity as well. Like the Redmi model, the Poco M5s uses a 6.43-inch AMOLED display that is advertised as having a top brightness of more 1000 nits. The 5,000-mAh battery of the Poco smartphone can also be charged fairly quickly at up to 33 watts.
Inside the affordable midrange Poco runs a MediaTek Helio G95 that can use up to 6 GB of RAM. With a small storage configuration of 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage, the Poco M5s starts from an MSRP of 210 Euros (~$221), and the recommended purchase price of the model with 128 GB of storage is 230 Euros (~$243). At the time of this test, the version with 6 GB of working memory is not available.
Possible Competitors in Comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Drive | Size | Resolution | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80.9 % v7 (old) | 12 / 2022 | Xiaomi Poco M5s Helio G95, Mali-G76 MP4 | 178.8 g | 64 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.43" | 2400x1080 | |
| 80 % v7 (old) | 09 / 2022 | Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S Helio G96, Mali-G57 MP2 | 179 g | 64 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.43" | 2400x1080 | |
| 77.9 % v7 (old) | 10 / 2022 | Samsung Galaxy A13 5G Dimensity 700, Mali-G57 MP2 | 195 g | 64 GB eMMC Flash | 6.50" | 1600x720 | |
| 78.5 % v7 (old) | 07 / 2022 | Honor X8 SD 680, Adreno 610 | 177 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.70" | 2388x1080 | |
| 80.8 % v7 (old) | 07 / 2022 | Motorola Moto G42 SD 680, Adreno 610 | 175 g | 64 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.43" | 2400x1080 | |
| 82.5 % v7 (old) | 07 / 2022 | Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro SD 695 5G, Adreno 619 | 205 g | 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.67" | 2400x1080 |
Case - Xiaomi smartphone with a punch hole
In the Poco M5s, glass meets a lot of plastic, but the case is still convincing with good quality of the workmanship. The visually attractive back is available in three different colors. Surprisingly, our black test unit with its high-gloss surface turns out to be not very prone to fingerprints. Protection from dust and water is also certified, at least in form of splashes according to the IP53 standard.
The front of the case is made of scratch proof Corning Gorilla display glass of the third generation, which transitions into the thin 8-mm (~0.3 in) plastic frame. The bezels around the large 6.43-inch OLED panel turned out moderate for the price range, resulting in a good 83.5% display to surface ratio in front. However, at 84.6% a Redmi Note 11S is still more efficient than the Poco smartphone.
Equipment - Poco M5s with IR blaster
The Poco smartphone shows its strength in the equipment. Buyers of the midrange smartphone don't have to live without a 3.5-mm audio port, an IR blaster, an FM radio using wired headphones, or an NFC chip for contactless payment. The Poco M5s also allows you to expand its storage via microSD card, without losing the dual-SIM functionality.
Since the Widevine DRM level is specified as L1, you can watch video contents from streaming services in HD quality. Wireless transfer of the display contents to external monitors is also supported. There is also USB OTG, allowing it to recognize external storage media. The USB 2.0 port uses the Type-C plug.
microSD Card Reader
Using our Angelbird V60 reference card, the microSD card slot achieves good transfer rates in the Cross Platform Disk Test. At less than 17 MB/s in the copy test of JPEG image files, the transfer rate is significantly slower than that of the Redmi Note 11S.
| SD Card Reader - average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S (Angelbird AV Pro V60) | |
| Motorola Moto G42 (Angelbird V60) | |
| Xiaomi Poco M5s (Angelbird V60) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 5G (Angelbird V60) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro (Angelbird AV Pro V60) | |
Cross Platform Disk Test (CPDT)
Software - Xiaomi smartphone with Android 12
The Poco M5s is delivered with Android 12, combining this with the system user interface of the inhouse MIUI software for Poco in version 13. At the time of this test, the Poco smartphone has the security patches from November 2022, which is still quite current. According to the Xiaomi Security Center, the Poco M5s is still supposed to receive security updates up to mid-2024.
Unfortunately, the Chinese manufacturer is less generous with its Android upgrades. While the affordable midrange smartphone is still supposed to be updated to Android 13, that's the end of it, and there won't be more than one major upgrade for the Poco M5s.
We do not see any advertising banners or popups in the MiUI 13 user interface, for example when installing an app. Generally, those so-called MSAs (MIUI System Ads) can be fairly easily deactivated in the system settings under the "Passwords and Security" menu.
Communication and GNSS - Poco M5s with WiFi 5
The integrated WLAN module of the Poco M5s supports the IEEE 802.11 standard according to a/b/g/n/ac, not only communicating in the 2.4-GHz but also the 5-GHz frequency range. In the network at home, solid transfer rates above 300 Mbit/s are possible with the Wi-Fi 5 standard and our Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000 reference router. For a smartphone of this price range, the offered speeds and WLAN stability is absolutely adequate.
The Poco smartphone connects to the mobile Internet at LTE speeds, since the Helio G95 doesn't support the more modern 5G standard. On the other hand, the Poco M5s gives access to a total of 12 LTE frequency bands, covering all the 4G frequencies that are relevant in German-speaking countries.
In order to evaluate the locating capabilities in practice, we record a route for comparison with the Garmin Venu 2. The position is located with the midrange smartphone only in the single band GNSS, and we are able to create a connection via GPS (L1), GLONASS (L1), BeiDou (B1), and Galileo (E1), as well as SBAS in our test. Outdoors locating its position succeeds quickly with an accuracy of about 1 meter (3 ft). Even indoors, the Xiaomi smartphone finds its location quickly, but the signal is very weak.
Even though the GPS recording of the Poco M5s doesn't always correspond with the selected route on our bike ride, the deviations turn out moderate, so that nothing should keep you from using the Xiaomi smartphone for navigation.
Phone Functions and Voice Quality - Xiaomi smartphone with dual-SIM
The Poco M5s is able to accept up to two Nano-SIM cards. VoLTE and WLAN calling are supported, just like dual-LTE.
Using the earpiece, the voice quality of the Xiaomi smartphone is good, and our voice is also transferred sounding fairly natural. Tested via Skype, the Poco M5s is also convincing in a video conference using the stereo speakers. In this regard, the two microphones do a good job in everyday operation.
Cameras - Xiaomi smartphone with 64 MP
Behind a punch hole in front hides a 13-MP camera. In good light conditions, the recording quality of the pictures is fairly attractive. However, selfies taken with the Poco M5s appear quite dark and don't offer much sharpness. In terms of video, you also have to accept some compromises with the lack of a 4K resolution.
As its primary camera, the Poco M5s uses the 64-MP sensor from Omnivision (OV64B) that we already know from the Poco F4. This is able to record videos in UHD quality at 30 images per second. During the day, the 1/2-inch sensor produces a solid image sharpness and attractive color accuracy. However, some details in the objects are lost due to some softening of the image by the Poco M5s. In low light conditions, the illumination and image sharpness are comparable to those of other competitors in the 200-Euro price range. However, the sensor captures relatively little of the surrounding light, and the autofocus doesn't work optimally in the dark.
The main camera is accompanied by an ultra-wide angle camera with 8 MP. Compared to the 64-MP main camera, the wide angle recordings lack sharpness and detail. There is no tele lens for zoom recordings, and the Poco M5s uses a 2-MP macro camera instead.
Image Comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
HauptkameraHauptkameraLow LightUltraweitwinkel
Under controlled light conditions, the Poco smartphone also impresses with an accurate color reproduction, although the colors are slightly too bright. Surprisingly, the affordable Xiaomi smartphone doesn't show any real outliers compared to the actual reference colors. The deviations that we measure are all below a ∆E value of 10, which is very good.
Accessories and Warranty - Poco M5s without a charger
The box includes a USB cable, a protective case, and the usual info material. Xiaomi does not include a corresponding charger with its midrange smartphone.
In Germany, the 33-Watt charger can only be purchased separately. However, at a price of 2.99 Euro when you purchase the smartphone from the manufacturer's website, the additional cost is very low.
Xiaomi offers a 24-month warranty on its mobile phone in Germany.
Input Devices and Operation - Xiaomi smartphone with FaceUnlock
The capacitive touchscreen of the Poco M5s recognizes inputs quickly and accurately, and the sliding characteristics of the Gorilla Glas 3 are also convincing. In the state of delivery, the manufacturer has installed a protective foil, which is slightly more prone to show grease smears. The AMOLED panel with a refresh rate of only 60 Hz makes animations or scrolling Internet pages appear less smooth and slightly choppier than the affordable midrange competitors that offer 90 Hz or even 120 Hz. We can mention the Poco X4 Pro or a Redmi Note 11S as examples here.
A fingerprint sensor hidden in the power button provides biometric security. While its response is fairly slow, it delivers good recognition rates. In good light conditions, unlocking via face recognition using the front camera works slightly faster, but it is less secure using 2D recognition.
Display - Xiaomi smartphone with OLED
The display of the Poco M5s measures 6.43 inches and offers a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels. According to the DRM Info application, the 60-Hz OLED display supports HDR10, offering more color depth and dynamics as an 8-bit panel.
In our measurements with a pure white display and activated brightness sensor, the panel brightness reaches 720 cd/m², which is very good for this price class. The brightness is also evenly distributed. With an even distribution of bright and dark areas (APL18), the display even reaches up to 1,047 cd/m². With those values, we are able to confirm the specifications from the manufacturer.
Surprisingly, we don't see any of the typical flickering in our measurement with the oscilloscope, despite the OLED technology. There are at most some minimal high-frequency variations. This means that we are unable to find any pulsewidth modulation across the whole range of brightness settings. The effect is probably produced by a constant DC dimming in combination with a very high frequency. The likelihood of creating problems is at least lower with the Poco M5s than with OLED displays that use a low-frequency curve.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 95 %
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 2.04 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.91
ΔE Greyscale 1.6 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
91.8% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.28
| Xiaomi Poco M5s AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.4" | Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.4" | Samsung Galaxy A13 5G PLS, 1600x720, 6.5" | Honor X8 TFT-LCD, 2388x1080, 6.7" | Motorola Moto G42 AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.4" | Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.7" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | 3% | -98% | -47% | 24% | 15% | |
| Brightness middle | 715 | 430 -40% | 471 -34% | 510 -29% | 691 -3% | 687 -4% |
| Brightness | 720 | 436 -39% | 437 -39% | 469 -35% | 699 -3% | 694 -4% |
| Brightness Distribution | 95 | 97 2% | 86 -9% | 78 -18% | 95 0% | 96 1% |
| Black Level * | 0.31 | 0.82 | ||||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 2.04 | 1.2 41% | 5.43 -166% | 2.5 -23% | 1.02 50% | 1.2 41% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 4.85 | 2.6 46% | 10.55 -118% | 5.8 -20% | 1.73 64% | 4 18% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 1.6 | 1.5 6% | 5.1 -219% | 4.1 -156% | 1 37% | 1 37% |
| Gamma | 2.28 96% | 2.23 99% | 2.12 104% | 2.45 90% | 2.205 100% | 2.16 102% |
| CCT | 6488 100% | 6379 102% | 7465 87% | 6307 103% | 6621 98% | 6496 100% |
| Contrast | 1519 | 622 |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM not detected |  | ||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8705 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
We examine the color reproduction of the display using a photo spectrometer and the CalMAN analysis software. The Poco M5s offers a good adjustment with the preset "Standard" color profile, but you can still see some differences in the colors even in the sRGB color space. Particularly with red and magenta color tones, the reproduction could have been more saturated. However, the color reproduction is very good for this price class and the color deviation very low.
In addition, the Poco M5s doesn't lack in setting options. Users can choose among three different profiles and adjust the color temperature to their personal preferences in each. However, you cannot adjust separate display parameters like in the Xiaomi high-end models.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 1.3 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 1.5 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. » 10 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.9 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 3.5 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 1.7 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 1.8 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. » 10 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (32.8 ms). | ||
Despite its low price, the Poco M5s is able to handle any light conditions outdoors, offering a very good readability - at least in the winter conditions during our test period. Due to the high brightness, the only hindrance using the Xiaomi smartphone in direct sunlight even in summer might be the reflections on the glass surface. The viewing angle stability is also at the expected level for an AMOLED display, and we really like it.
Performance - Poco M5s with a MediaTek SoC
The Mediatek Helio G95 in the Poco M5s is an SoC that was manufactured in the 12-nm process and integrates two Cortex A76 cores and six smaller Cortex A55 cores. The Xiaomi smartphone performs correspondingly weak in our benchmark package.
However, compared to the midrange competitors in this price range, the offered performance of the Poco M5s is still satisfactory. Particularly in the single-core values in Geekbench and the system benchmarks of PCMark, the midrange smartphone places significantly behind the Snapdragon 695 in the X4 Pro sibling model.
| UL Procyon AI Inference for Android - Overall Score NNAPI | |
| Average of class Smartphone (1267 - 75143, n=147, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S | |
| Xiaomi Poco M5s | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G95 (5923 - 8538, n=2) | |
For graphics acceleration, the Poco M5s uses an integrated ARM Mali G76 MP4, which is a GPU from 2018. Despite this fact, the Xiaomi smartphone achieves one of the front places in our performance rating. Particularly in the 3DMark benchmarks and the offscreen values of GFX Bench, the Poco M5s fares very well.
3DMark: Wild Life Extreme Unlimited | Wild Life Extreme | Wild Life Unlimited Score | Wild Life Score | 2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited Physics | 2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited Graphics | 2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited | 2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Physics | 2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Graphics | 2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited | 2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) | 2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics | 2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7: T-Rex Onscreen | 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen
GFXBench 3.0: on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL | 1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen
GFXBench 3.1: on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen | 1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen
GFXBench: on screen Car Chase Onscreen | 1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen | on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen | 2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen | 1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen
| Performance Rating | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Poco M5s | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 5G | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S | |
| Motorola Moto G42 | |
| Honor X8 -14! | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Extreme Unlimited | |
| Xiaomi Poco M5s | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 5G | |
| Honor X8 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S | |
| Motorola Moto G42 | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Extreme | |
| Xiaomi Poco M5s | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 5G | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S | |
| Honor X8 | |
| Motorola Moto G42 | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Unlimited Score | |
| Xiaomi Poco M5s | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 5G | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S | |
| Motorola Moto G42 | |
| Honor X8 | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Score | |
| Xiaomi Poco M5s | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 5G | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S | |
| Honor X8 | |
| Motorola Moto G42 | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited Physics | |
| Xiaomi Poco M5s | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G42 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited Graphics | |
| Xiaomi Poco M5s | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 5G | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S | |
| Motorola Moto G42 | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited | |
| Xiaomi Poco M5s | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 5G | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S | |
| Motorola Moto G42 | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Physics | |
| Xiaomi Poco M5s | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G42 | |
| Honor X8 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Graphics | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Poco M5s | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G42 | |
| Honor X8 | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Poco M5s | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 5G | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S | |
| Motorola Moto G42 | |
| Honor X8 | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Poco M5s | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 5G | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S | |
| Motorola Moto G42 | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Poco M5s | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 5G | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S | |
| Motorola Moto G42 | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Poco M5s | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 5G | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S | |
| Motorola Moto G42 | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 / T-Rex Onscreen | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 5G | |
| Xiaomi Poco M5s | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S | |
| Motorola Moto G42 | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 / T-Rex Offscreen | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Poco M5s | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 5G | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S | |
| Motorola Moto G42 | |
| GFXBench 3.0 / Manhattan Onscreen OGL | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 5G | |
| Xiaomi Poco M5s | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S | |
| Motorola Moto G42 | |
| GFXBench 3.0 / 1080p Manhattan Offscreen | |
| Xiaomi Poco M5s | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 5G | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S | |
| Motorola Moto G42 | |
| GFXBench 3.1 / Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 5G | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Poco M5s | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S | |
| Motorola Moto G42 | |
| GFXBench 3.1 / Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Poco M5s | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 5G | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S | |
| Motorola Moto G42 | |
| GFXBench / Car Chase Onscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 5G | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Poco M5s | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S | |
| Motorola Moto G42 | |
| GFXBench / Car Chase Offscreen | |
| Xiaomi Poco M5s | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 5G | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S | |
| Motorola Moto G42 | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 5G | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Poco M5s | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S | |
| Motorola Moto G42 | |
| Honor X8 | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Poco M5s | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 5G | |
| Honor X8 | |
| Motorola Moto G42 | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 5G | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Poco M5s | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S | |
| Motorola Moto G42 | |
| Honor X8 | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen | |
| Xiaomi Poco M5s | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 5G | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S | |
| Motorola Moto G42 | |
| Honor X8 | |
Surfing the web works mostly smoothly with the midrange smartphone, even though the load times can be fairly long. In the benchmarks, the Xiaomi smartphone places in the lower middle of the field of our comparison devices.
| Jetstream 2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (13.8 - 387, n=166, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro (Chrome 103) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 5G (Chrome 106) | |
| Xiaomi Poco M5s (Chrome 107) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S (Chrome 104.0.5112.97) | |
| Motorola Moto G42 (Chrome 103.0.5060.71) | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G95 (16.9 - 50.8, n=5) | |
| Speedometer 2.0 - Result | |
| Average of class Smartphone (15.2 - 569, n=151, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro (Chrome 103) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 5G (Chome 106) | |
| Motorola Moto G42 (Chrome 103.0.5060.71) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S (Chrome 104.0.5112.97) | |
| Xiaomi Poco M5s (Chrome 107) | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G95 (14.7 - 34.2, n=4) | |
| WebXPRT 4 - Overall | |
| Average of class Smartphone (22 - 271, n=156, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro (Chrome 103) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 5G (Chrome 106) | |
| Motorola Moto G42 (Chrome 103.0.5060.71) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S (Chrome 104.0.5112.97) | |
| Xiaomi Poco M5s (Chrome 107) | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G95 () | |
| WebXPRT 3 - Overall | |
| Average of class Smartphone (38 - 347, n=79, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 5G (Chrome 106) | |
| Motorola Moto G42 (Chrome 103.0.5060.71) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S (Chrome 104.0.5112.97) | |
| Xiaomi Poco M5s | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G95 (28 - 57, n=5) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (2228 - 100368, n=206, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro (Chrome 103) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S (Chrome 104.0.5112.97) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 5G (Chrome 106) | |
| Xiaomi Poco M5s (Chrome 107) | |
| Honor X8 (Chrome 103) | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G95 (4808 - 16289, n=4) | |
| Motorola Moto G42 (Chrome 103.0.5060.71) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G95 (2673 - 10797, n=5) | |
| Motorola Moto G42 (Chrome 103.0.5060.71) | |
| Xiaomi Poco M5s (Chrome 107) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S (Chrome 104.0.5112.97) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 5G (Chrome 106) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro (Chrome 103) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (277 - 28190, n=164, last 2 years) | |
* ... smaller is better
The 64 GB UFS storage in the Poco M5s delivers only mediocre read and write rates, particularly in the tests with small data blocks. The speeds are rather below average for the price range, but this can also be traced back to a low storage bandwidth of the Helio G95. The realme 7 and Moto G60s that use the same SoC show a similarly bad performance here.
| Xiaomi Poco M5s | Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S | Samsung Galaxy A13 5G | Honor X8 | Motorola Moto G42 | Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro | Average 64 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | 39% | -40% | 55% | 31% | 19% | 30% | 202% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 507.89 | 524.39 3% | 289.7 -43% | 926.58 82% | 843.09 66% | 303.4 -40% | 770 ? 52% | 1859 ? 266% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 376.97 | 446.46 18% | 176.7 -53% | 510.25 35% | 436.32 16% | 483.33 28% | 399 ? 6% | 1445 ? 283% |
| Random Read 4KB | 132.77 | 214.82 62% | 86.2 -35% | 189.38 43% | 122.08 -8% | 193.45 46% | 156.6 ? 18% | 278 ? 109% |
| Random Write 4KB | 123.92 | 216.24 74% | 90.9 -27% | 195.75 58% | 186.23 50% | 173.03 40% | 177.7 ? 43% | 310 ? 150% |
Gaming - Poco M5s manages 60 fps
Even though the Mali G76 MP4 that is used here is already slightly aged, the graphics performance, which we test with our partner GameBench, should still be sufficient for some of the Android games from the Play Store.
PUBG Mobile, our first test game, can only be played at medium detail levels, and you cannot select a UHD setting with the Poco M5s. On the other hand, with the exception of some isolated drops, the shooter is reproduced at a relatively constant 30 fps. At the lowest detail level, it even reaches 40 fps.
Armajet is limited to 60 fps, which is not very surprising, since the native refresh rate of the Poco smartphone is only 60 Hz. But what is more surprising is that the arena shooter is reproduced without any larger variations, aside from a frame rate drop to 40 fps. Even the Xiaomi high-end was lacking such constancy lately.
Very demanding games such as Genshin Impact cannot really be played on the Poco M5s, though.
Emissions - Xiaomi smartphone stays cool
Temperatures
In everyday operation, the Xiaomi smartphone hardly warms up with moderate usage. However, if you pose higher demands on the Poco M5s, the heat development is very uneven: While we measure a hotspot of almost 47 °C (117 °F) in the area of the front camera, the bottom area of the case remains noticeably cooler at less than 33 °C (91 °F).
What is interesting is the degree of how much the heat development inside the affordable smartphone will lead to throttling. To evaluate the behavior of the Poco M5s under constant load, we use the battery test of the GFXBench app and the Wild Life stress tests of 3DMark. The Manhattan 3.1 test shows that the frame rate remains relatively stable with increasing load. The Poco smartphone also remains very constant in the 3DMark test, so performance drops under load are unlikely.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 46.6 °C / 116 F, compared to the average of 35.1 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 63.7 °C for the class Smartphone.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 41.2 °C / 106 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 22 °C / 72 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
3DMark Wild Life Stress Test
| 3DMark | |
| Wild Life Stress Test Stability | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro | |
| Motorola Moto G42 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 5G | |
| Honor X8 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S | |
| Xiaomi Poco M5s | |
| Wild Life Extreme Stress Test | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Poco M5s | |
| Honor X8 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A13 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G42 | |
Speakers
The affordable midrange smartphone from Xiaomi has two speakers whose sound quality is satisfactory for this price class. The music reproduction is fairly linear in the mids and highs, but there is a significant drop in the lower frequencies of the sound spectrum.
Users of the Poco M5s don't have to live without a 3.5-mm audio port. Those who prefer a wireless solution can implement this via Bluetooth 5.0. In terms of codecs, aptX and aptX HD, LDAC, AAC, and LHDC are supported.
Xiaomi Poco M5s audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (81.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 31.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 5.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (8.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.8% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (23.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 49% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 43% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 67% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 26% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (85.5 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 28.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 5.3% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (5.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 7.3% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (5.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (22.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 45% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 48% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 64% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 30% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Battery Life - Xiaomi smartphone with 5,000 mAh
Power Consumption
Although the Poco smartphone doesn't support wireless charging, you can use quick charging at up to 33 watts. With that, a recharge of a depleted battery up to 64% should be completed in 30 minutes according to Xiaomi.
The power consumption is not a strength of the Poco M5s. During idle operation, the midrange smartphone consumes a relatively large amount of power at 1.5 watts, and the consumption peaks are also pronounced under load.
| Off / Standby |   0 / 0.1 Watt |
| Idle |  1.2 / 1.5 / 1.8 Watt |
| Load |
6.5 / 8.9 Watt |
    
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| Xiaomi Poco M5s 5000 mAh | Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S 5000 mAh | Samsung Galaxy A13 5G 5000 mAh | Motorola Moto G42 5000 mAh | Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro 5000 mAh | Average Mediatek Helio G95 | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | 16% | 32% | 23% | 20% | -0% | 6% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 1.2 | 0.89 26% | 1 17% | 1 17% | 1.01 16% | 1.273 ? -6% | 0.885 ? 26% |
| Idle Average * | 1.5 | 1.87 -25% | 1.1 27% | 1.5 -0% | 1.73 -15% | 1.865 ? -24% | 1.451 ? 3% |
| Idle Maximum * | 1.8 | 1.9 -6% | 1.2 33% | 2 -11% | 1.79 1% | 2.05 ? -14% | 1.608 ? 11% |
| Load Average * | 6.5 | 3.01 54% | 3.4 48% | 2.6 60% | 3.05 53% | 4.87 ? 25% | 6.55 ? -1% |
| Load Maximum * | 8.9 | 6.26 30% | 5.6 37% | 4.5 49% | 4.91 45% | 7.32 ? 18% | 9.92 ? -11% |
* ... smaller is better
Power Consumption: Geekbench (150 cd/m²)
Power Consumption: GFXBench (150 cd/m²)
Battery Life
The 5,000-mAh battery used in the Poco M5s ensures very long runtimes in our battery tests. In the WLAN test, the smartphone display turns off after about 17 hours, and the Xiaomi smartphone also lasts for a long time at more than 22 hours when constantly playing videos.
| Xiaomi Poco M5s 5000 mAh | Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S 5000 mAh | Samsung Galaxy A13 5G 5000 mAh | Honor X8 4000 mAh | Motorola Moto G42 5000 mAh | Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro 5000 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | -19% | 6% | -15% | -1% | -15% | |
| Reader / Idle | 2088 | 1663 -20% | 2799 34% | 2223 6% | 1575 -25% | |
| H.264 | 1324 | 971 -27% | 1229 -7% | 1185 -10% | 1033 -22% | |
| WiFi v1.3 | 1011 | 725 -28% | 1102 9% | 858 -15% | 949 -6% | 739 -27% |
| Load | 382 | 376 -2% | 334 -13% | 406 6% | 432 13% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict on the Poco M5s
With the Poco M5s, Xiaomi succeeds in offering a solid midrange smartphone in the lower price segment. Our test reveals the highlight of the otherwise unremarkable Poco smartphone, which shows many similarities to the Redmi Note 11S: This is the bright AMOLED display, which surprisingly doesn't show any of the OLED-typical flickering, despite using the OLED technology. This is clearly a unique selling point that should be appreciated by PWM-sensitive users. However, those who value a good camera and smooth display should take a closer look at our test of the Redmi sibling model.
Thanks to its bright and flicker-free panel, the Poco M5s is an interesting alternative to the midrange competitors. It is unfortunate that Xiaomi doesn't include the corresponding quick charger with the smartphone.
On the other hand, with the 60-Hz display and lack of 5G access, you also have to accept some compromises with the Poco M5s. Those for whom these two limitations disqualify the smartphone from consideration should take a look at the minimally more expensive Poco X4 Pro. You could also hold the relatively short software support against the Xiaomi smartphone. Other competitors in this price class such as the Motorola Moto G42 show that at least with the security updates, more is possible even with a limited budget.
Price and Availability
The Poco M5s is available for use in non-US countries from Amazon for $233.
Xiaomi Poco M5s
- 12/03/2022 v7 (old)
Marcus Herbrich
Price comparison
