Highlights

• POCO C71 launched in India at the starting price of Rs XXXX.
• It is available in two memory variants – 4GB RAM /64 GB Storage and 6GB RAM / 128 GB Storage.
• Colour variants – Cool Blue, Desert Gold and Power Black.

Poco’s new C-Series smartphone in the entry-level segment is here and we have managed to spend some time with the phone before its official launch. With a clear focus on bringing a decent smartphone experience at an affordable price, POCO C71 has checked all the important boxes for the segment. But how does it fair in terms of performance? Well, to answer that, here’s our hands-on Poco C71 review.

Poco C71 – Key Features

• 88-inch 120Hz Waterdrop HD+ Display
• Unisoc T7250 Octa-Core Processor
• 4 GB/ 6GB RAM
• 64GB / 128 GB Internal Storage
• 32 MP Dual Rear Camera
• 8MP Front Camera
• 5200mAh Battery with 15W Fast Charging
• IP52 Rating
• Android 15 OS

POCO C71 – Pros & Cons

Poco C71 – Unboxing and First Look

Poco C71 – Design and Build Quality

Poco C71, design-wise, have changed quite a bit compared to predecessor C61. The phone comes in a smooth, shiny finish with a split grid design on the back. We had the Cool Blue variant for this review and it looks good. The colour isn’t too loud and the subtle camera module gives it is a perfectly balanced look.

The phone is quite lightweight at 193g. Moreover, the boxy body with rounded corners and flat edges makes it easier to hold. The volume rockers and power button that also works as a fingerprint sensor are on the right side, while the SIM tray is on the left. There is a 3.5mm headphone jack at the bottom alongside the Type-C port and an IR blaster. On the top, we have the speaker grill.

The plastic frame and body might not seem too sturdy, but for a phone in this price segment, the Poco C71 is definitely well-built. It also comes with an IP52 rating, which ensures some resistance to dust and water.

Poco C71 – Display and Multimedia Experience

Poco C71 comes with a 6.88-inch waterdrop HD+ display featuring a 120Hz Adaptive Refresh Rate and 1640×720 resolution. At first glance, it seems to be a decent display for a phone in this price segment. One of the first things you will notice is the huge bezels all around the display. It comes with a 5.4mm chin, 2.5mm top and 2.10mm side bezel size.

The display, otherwise, looks decent enough to meet your everyday smartphone needs. It feels smooth in scrolling and we didn’t face particular touch issues. The colours appear decent and the picture quality while streaming is standard for the segment.

It comes with a typical brightness of 450 nits and a peak brightness of 600 nits. We tried using the phone in different lighting considitions. While it may not be enough to ensure proper display visibility during daylight when outdoors, you shouldn’t face any issues with the display visibility when indoors.

Poco C71 comes with some other features such as Wet Hand Touch Support, TÜV low blue light certification, TÜV flicker-free certification and TÜV Circadian Friendly.

Poco C71 – Hardware, Software and Performance

Poco C71 is powered by a Unisoc T7250 Octa-core processor. This is an entry-level processor, which comes with two fast ARM Cortex A75 cores at up to 1.8 GHz and six power-efficient ARM Cortex A55 cores at up to 1.6 GHz. The phone pairs the processor with 4GB/6GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 64GB/128GB of eMMC 5.1 onboard storage. Performance-wise, all this adds up to offer a good overall smartphone experience for everyday use.

Our experience with the phone was quite good. There were occasional lags, but only when a few extra apps were open in the background. The phone, otherwise, was smooth for everyday standard use including browsing or YouTube streaming.

The brand claims a 308k+ score on AnTuTu benchmark, but as we tested it managed 264113 on AnTuTu  v10.4.7. We also ran the phone on other popular benching platforms and below are the results for reference.

Poco is shipping the phone with Andriod 15 OS right out of the box. It is also offering 2 years of OS updates and four years of security updates. The UI seems pretty clean for a phone in this segment. There aren’t too many unnecessary apps uploaded. And the ones you have can be easily uninstalled.

POCO C71 – Camera Performance

Poco C71 features a modest 32MP Dual primary camera and an 8 MP front camera. The camera performance is overall satisfactory for the price segment.

You can expect the phone to give you decent and clear pictures when taken out in broad daylight. The phone does struggle in low light conditions or during the night when pictures can sometimes come out noisy. The rear camera at times overexposes the shot, which can result in not capturing the scene in its natural lighting and missing some details. We also felt there was a slight delay in capturing the shots.

POCO C71 Daylight Camera 

POCO C71 Night Camera 

In any case, Poco has added some useful camera modes such as Portrait Mode, Night Mode, Time-Lapse and Ultra HD Mode.

Both the rear and front camera can capture videos at 1080p at 30fps. The video recording is average at best. Below  are some videos we tried to record in different lighting conditions.

POCO C71 Night Video

POCO C71 Daylight Video

POCO C71 – Battery

The POCO C71 is powered by a standard 5200mAh battery with 15W charging support. For the price segment, the battery specs are solid. With moderate usage, this battery will easily last a full day. Meanwhile, heavy users might need to charge the battery by the end of the day.

Speaking of charging, a 15W adapter (bundled inside the box) is on the slower and can take about 2 hours to go from 20 to 100 percent.

Verdict – Should You Buy Poco C71?

For an entry-level smartphone, Poco C71 offers decent value with some standard features to support everyday smartphone requirements. And even though the camera performance could have been better, it is quite close to the industry standard for the price segment. The phone’s battery life also comfortably lasts a full day for an average user. So, we would say if you are looking for a basic smartphone at the most reasonable price with decent features and a solid battery, the Poco C71 could be a good choice.

Reasons To Buy

• Good design
• Good build with IP52 rating
• Nice display for standard streaming
• Solid battery life

Reasons Not To Buy

• Performance could have been better
• Subpar camera

Alternatives

• Tecno Spark Go 1 – Rs.6,899
• Infinix Smart 9 HD – Rs.6,717
• Samsung Galaxy M05 – Rs.6,498
• Moto G04 – Rs.6,999

POCO C71 Key Specifications

FAQs

Q1. What is the display like on the Poco C71?

Answer. The Poco C71 features a large 6.88-inch Waterdrop HD+ display with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate.

Q2. What processor powers the Poco C71?

Answer. It runs on the Unisoc T7250 Octa-Core Processor.

Q.3.How much storage and RAM does the Poco C71 offer?

Answer. The smartphone is available in two variants: one with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage and another with 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage, catering to different needs for performance and space.

Q4. What are the camera specifications of the Poco C71?

Answer. The device comes equipped with a dual rear camera setup featuring a 32 MP main sensor. Additionally, the 8 MP front camera is for selfies and video calls.

Q5. How is the battery performance and durability of the Poco C71?

Answer. The Poco C71 houses a robust 5200mAh battery with 15W fast charging support, providing extended usage without frequent recharging. It also has an IP52 rating, offering resistance against dust and water splashes.

Also Read: POCO’s First Smartwatch Coming Soon

Also Read: POCO C71 with 6.88″ 120Hz Display, 5200mAh Battery Launching in India on April 4