In the constantly changing world of budget smartphones, Poco's back at it with another wallet-friendly choice - the Poco C65.
It's the company's latest 4G smartphone and cones packed with a bunch of decent features that won't have you emptying your pockets. Keep reading our Poco C65 in-depth review to find out how it performs.
Poco C65 Price
The Poco C65 price starts at just Rs 8,499 for the 4GB RAM/128GB storage variant and up to Rs 10,999 for the 8GB RAM/256GB storage model
Poco C65 Unboxing & Design
The phone comes in Poco's typical yellow packaging. It features a cable and brick which supports 10W charging speeds. There's no protective case in the box. The look of this phone kinda reminds me of the Poco M5 because of its big camera window that stretches across the back.
But, this camera module is huge and it does wobble when you lay the phone flat. Plus, it's a real magnet for fingerprints and you don't get a protective case in the box either.
The back panel itself looks like glass, but it's actually plastic – still, it has this cool shimmering effect when it catches the light. It's a pretty nice phone for the price, but the front design with its teardrop notch and big bezels does feel a bit behind the times.
The phone's a bit heavy too, and while I'm usually okay with that, the flat edges can be a bit uncomfortable to hold.
For utility, it's got dual SIM support plus a dedicated slot for an SD card to boost your storage up to 1TB.
Being budget-friendly, it includes a 3.5mm audio jack as well. There’s also a fingerprint scanner on the side that works well and face recognition that's pretty seamless.
POCO C65 Display
The 6.74-inch IPS LCD display on the POCO C65 is a tad larger than the older Poco C55 and now has a 90 Hz refresh rate, which means smoother scrolling and nicer animations.
The HD+ resolution isn't super sharp, but the screen is bright enough for indoor use and works fine in the sun too. You also get Widevine L1 for HD streaming, but no HDR support.
POCO C65 Specifications: Performance & Software
Under the hood, the Poco C65 runs on a MediaTek Helio G85 chipset with options of 4GB/128GB, 6GB/128GB, or 8GB/256GB. It's an entry-level chip, but it does a decent job with daily stuff and some multitasking. You'll notice a bit of lag now and then, but nothing too bad. You can play games like BGMI or Call of Duty Mobile if you dial down the graphics.
The biggest letdown is that the phone doesn't support 5G – it's just 4G, which could be a dealbreaker nowadays.
The handset comes with Android 13 and MIUI 14, which is alright, but classic Poco style, it's loaded with bloatware. You can uninstall most of it, but it's kind of a pain to start with so much.
Update-wise, you're looking at two years of software updates and three years of security updates, which isn't too shabby for its price point.
Poco C65 Specifications: Camera
The POCO C65 is marketed as a triple-camera phone, but honestly, the 50MP main camera is the only one that really counts. The 2MP macro camera and the 0.08MP auxiliary camera feel more like they're there just to up the camera count.
The main camera does a decent job in daylight, capturing pictures with good dynamic range and a bit of over sharpening.
Low light shots, though, are a bit underwhelming in detail and look underexposed. The macro camera can be tricky to focus, but in good lighting, it manages to snap some nice macro shots.
For selfies, there's an 8MP front camera. It's pretty good for those social-media-ready shots, making it a good option for anyone who loves posting online.
Poco C65 Battery
The Poco C65 packs a 5000mAh battery, great for users who need their phone to last. It easily handles a day's worth of gaming, social media browsing, calls, messages, and some video watching.
It supports up to 18W charging but only comes with a 10W charger. Charging it fully takes over 2 hours, so I'd recommend getting an 18W charger for faster top-ups.
Poco C65 Pros & Cons
Poco C65 Pros:
- Affordable Price: Priced at just 8,499 Rupees, it's a budget-friendly option for a 4GBRAM/128GB storage variant.
- Utility: Offers dual SIM support, a dedicated SD card slot for up to 1TB additional storage, and a 3.5mm audio jack.
- Battery Life: Packs a 5000mAh battery, capable of handling a day's worth of usage including gaming and video watching.
- Camera: The main 50MP camera performs well in daylight, capturing detailed pictures with good dynamic range.
Poco C65 Cons:
- 4G Only: Lack of 5G support, which could be a significant drawback in the current market dominated by 5G smartphones.
- Display Limitations: HD+ resolution is not the sharpest and there’s no HDR support.
- Bloatware: Comes pre-loaded with bloatware, which can be a hassle to remove.
- Slow Charging: Comes with only a 10W charger, and full charging takes over 2 hours.
Poco C65 Review Verdict
The Poco C65 isn't perfect, but at its price, it's pretty good value for money, offering the right mix of features for its range. However, I'd suggest this phone only if you're not fussed about missing out on fast 5G speeds.
After all, there are options like the Lava Blaze 2 5G, which offers 5G under ₹10,000. So, keep this in mind if you're considering the C65.
But, if you need an affordable primary phone or a backup, the Poco C65 is worth thinking about.
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