Xiaomi’s sub-brand Poco has brought two new budget smartphones to the Indian market. The Poco C81 and Poco C81x are now official, and they focus on giving users the best possible experience without crossing the Rs 11,000 mark. These phones come with big displays, high refresh rates, and very large batteries, making them strong options for first-time smartphone buyers or anyone needing a reliable secondary device.
The main highlights of the Poco C81 series include a smooth 120Hz screen, a massive 6300mAh battery on the top model, and a software update policy that is rarely seen at this price point. The company promises four years of OS updates for the C81 and six years of security patches for both devices. The phones will be available for purchase through Flipkart starting April 27.
Poco C81 and C81x Price in India and Availability
Poco has kept the pricing very aggressive for the Indian market. The company is offering a clear choice for buyers: the standard Poco C81 is priced at Rs 10,999, while the more budget-friendly Poco C81x costs just Rs 9,999. Both phones come with 64GB of internal storage.
The Poco C81x is the cheaper option and comes with 3GB of RAM. The standard Poco C81 offers 4GB of RAM. Both phones will be sold exclusively on Flipkart. The first sale begins on April 27 at 12:00 PM IST.
Color options for the Poco C81 are Elite Black, Ice Blue, and Sunset Gold. The Poco C81x is available in Crystal Black and Sky Blue, missing the Sunset Gold option.
Display and Design Features
Both phones put a lot of attention on the screen. They offer high refresh rates that are usually found in much more expensive devices. The Poco C81 has a large 6.9-inch HD+ display. The Poco C81x has a slightly smaller 6.88-inch screen.
The key selling point here is the 120Hz refresh rate on both models. This makes scrolling through social media, browsing websites, and playing games feel much smoother. The standard C81 has a peak brightness of up to 800 nits, while the C81x reaches 650 nits.
For durability, both phones come with an IP52 rating. This means they are protected against dust and can handle light water splashes. Poco has also added Wet Touch Technology 2.0, which helps the screen work even when your fingers are wet or the screen has a few drops of water on it.
Performance and Hardware Specifications
Running the show inside both phones is the Unisoc T7250 octa-core processor. This is a 12nm chipset designed for daily tasks like calling, texting, social media, and watching videos. It comes with the Mali-G57 GPU to handle basic gaming.
The Poco C81 takes things a step further by offering 4GB of virtual RAM. The phone uses 4GB of internal storage to act as extra RAM, giving users a total experience of up to 8GB RAM. This helps with keeping more apps open in the background without slowing down the phone.
Storage wise, both phones come with 64GB of UFS 2.2 storage. This type of storage is faster than older standards, meaning apps open quicker. You can also expand the storage up to 2TB using a microSD card.
Battery Life and Charging
The battery is where the standard Poco C81 really stands out. It packs a massive 6,300mAh battery. Poco claims this battery is built to retain about 80 percent of its health even after 1,000 full charge cycles. This means the battery should stay strong for roughly three years of daily use.
The Poco C81x has a 5,200mAh battery. Both phones support 15W fast charging and come with the charger inside the box. They also support 7.5W reverse wired charging. This lets you use the Poco phone as a power bank to charge another phone or your wireless earbuds.
Camera Setup on the New Poco Phones
For photography, both devices offer basic but capable hardware. The Poco C81 has a dual rear camera setup. The main sensor is 13-megapixels, accompanied by a secondary auxiliary sensor. The Poco C81x keeps things simple with a single 13-megapixel rear camera.
For selfies and video calls, both phones have an 8-megapixel front camera. Poco has included some AI features like AI Sky for landscape photos and a night mode to help take better pictures in low light. Video recording is capped at 1080p at 30 frames per second.
Software and Update Policy
The software experience is different on the two models, and this is an important thing to note for buyers. The Poco C81 runs on Android 16 out of the box with Xiaomi’s HyperOS 3 on top. The Poco C81x runs on Android 15 with HyperOS 2.
Poco has made a strong promise about updates, which is rare in the budget segment. The company is offering four years of OS updates for the C81 and two years for the C81x. Both phones will get six years of security patches. This means the Poco C81 will stay secure and up to date until 2032.
Both phones keep useful features like the 3.5mm headphone jack and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner for security.
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Key Specifications at a Glance
Here is a quick list of what you get with the Poco C81 series:
- Processor: Unisoc T7250 Octa-core (up to 1.8GHz) with Mali-G57 GPU
- Display: 6.9-inch (C81) / 6.88-inch (C81x) HD+, 120Hz refresh rate
- RAM & Storage: 4GB+64GB (C81) / 3GB+64GB (C81x) + Virtual RAM support
- Rear Camera: 13MP Dual (C81) / 13MP Single (C81x)
- Front Camera: 8MP
- Battery: 6300mAh (C81) / 5200mAh (C81x) with 15W charging
- Security: Side fingerprint sensor, AI Face Unlock
- Durability: IP52 splash resistance
- Software: Android 16 with HyperOS 3 (C81) / Android 15 with HyperOS 2 (C81x)
The Poco C81 series directly challenges other budget phones like the Motorola G35 5G and Samsung Galaxy F06 5G. With its large battery and long software support, the Poco C81 currently offers one of the best values for anyone looking to spend around Rs 10,000 on a new smartphone.
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