Finding a reliable budget smartphone is never easy, but the POCO M6 5G manages to focus on what really matters-performance, battery life and a dependable camera. Priced under ₹10,000, it becomes a strong choice for students, first-time buyers and anyone looking for an affordable 5G phone without major compromises.
Design & Build Quality
The phone uses a plastic body, yet it feels sturdy and well-balanced. The matte back panel offers a comfortable grip and keeps fingerprints away. At around 195g, it’s light enough for one-handed use and the overall design looks clean and modern-something you don’t usually see at this price.
Display Experience
POCO includes a 6.74-inch HD+ IPS LCD with a smooth 90Hz refresh rate. Brightness reaches about 600 nits, which keeps outdoor visibility decent. While the HD+ resolution isn’t the sharpest, the colours and viewing angles remain natural, making this display perfectly fine for everyday streaming, browsing and social media.
Performance & Software
Powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ chipset, the phone handles daily tasks smoothly-whether it’s WhatsApp, Instagram or multitasking between apps. It runs Android 13 with MIUI 14, which feels polished, though you will find some pre-installed apps you may want to remove. Overall performance remains stable for casual users.
Camera Quality
The 50MP main camera is the phone’s highlight, delivering crisp and detailed photos in daylight. Portrait shots look clean with natural background blur, and while Night Mode helps, low-light shots still show some noise. The 5MP front camera is simple but works fine for selfies and video calls. Video recording goes up to 1080p 30fps without stabilization.
Battery & Charging
A 5000mAh battery gives excellent endurance-easily lasting a full day of heavy use and up to 1.5 days with lighter usage. It supports 18W fast charging, but the included charger is only 10W, taking a little over 2 hours for a full charge. Using an 18W adapter shortens this to about 90 minutes.
Connectivity & Features
While the phone focuses on simplicity, it still includes the essentials:
- Dual SIM with 5G support
- Side-mounted fingerprint scanner
- USB-C port
- 3.5mm headphone jack
- Expandable storage up to 1TB
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Affordable 5G under ₹10,000
- Strong 5000mAh battery
- Sharp 50MP daylight camera
- Smooth performance with Dimensity 6100+
- Clean and modern design
Cons
- Only HD+ display
- Slow charging with the included adapter
- Average low-light camera performance
- Some bloatware
- No video stabilization
Final Verdict
The POCO M6 5G proves that a budget smartphone can still offer a reliable experience. With its solid battery life, smooth performance and capable 50MP camera, it’s a great option for everyday users who want 5G without spending too much. Yes, the HD+ display and slower charging are compromises, but at this price, the overall value easily outweighs the drawbacks.