Poco C71: Poco has a reputation for breaking free in budget smartphone category and it’s doing so again with the new Poco C71. The C71 is designed for first-time smartphone users and those who want an affordable second device but offers a bit more than its budget price may suggest.
It’s a performance, viewing quality and battery life combo that feels like great value.
Cool Style, Useful as Well
At first sight, the Poco C71 seems a modern, robust enough looking entry-level device. The back features a subtle texture that looks as good as it feels in the hand. It’s smudge- and fingerprint-resistant — a small but welcome touch, especially if you know you’ll be using it everyday.
The back is also where you will find the camera module, in a neatly organised vertical alignment that gives the phone a tidy look.
It comes in youthful colors, like Graphite Black, Forest Green and Ocean Blue — a selection of options that provides buyers with some relatively fashionable variety to choose from.
Handset, despite its budget division, doesn’t feel cheap. It doesn’t shout “cheap,” which is more than I can say for many devices in this price range.
Big Screen for Budget Entertainment
(The C71’s screen is a 6.71-inch HD+ display, which is massive for a budget-phone screen size.) It is excellent for watching YouTube, scrolling through social media and reading.
The screen isn’t the sharpest around, but colors look reasonably vibrant, and it’s bright enough for indoor use and moderate outdoor use.
The bezels are a smidge on the thick side, but nothing to be distracted by. At the top is a waterdrop notch which encloses the front camera. Poco has obviously prioritised screen size to improve the multimedia experience, which it does just fine, or at least, for a casual user.
A Sexy Motor That Does the Business
For performance, the Poco C71 is equipped with a Unisoc T606 processor and it comes with up to 6GB of RAM and up to 128GB of built-in storage (supports microSD). For normal usage, such as browsing, texting, calling, light gaming, video watching etc works very well without much of a hitch.
Apps open with reasonable promptness and switching between them is generally smooth. Just don’t get carried away with multitasking or gaming. It is intended for ease of use — and within its parameters, it works reliably.
The software experience is another win. It runs on MIUI which is based on Android 14 (Go Edition) and the interface is quite neat and well optimized. It avoids gratuitous animations, which helps things remain snappy even on modest hardware.
Battery That Keeps on Going
The Poco C71 impresses with its battery life. Its 5000mAh battery will comfortably get you through a day and a half (or more) if you’re not a heavy user. Like it’s endless scrolling on social media, casual gaming or YouTube marathons, this phone never quits.
Charging is done through a USB-C port, and the 10W charge isn’t what we’d call fast, but it’s about what we’d expect at this price point. The key takeaway? You never have to worry about finding a charger in the middle of the day.
Camera: Basic but Gets the Job Done
That includes a dual rear camera setup as well, with a 8MP main sensor and a depth sensor. The photos I took in a well-lit room were fine, but you shouldn’t expect high levels of detail or dynamic range. It’s functional, not flashy.
Selfies and video calls are decently catered for by the 5MP front camera. If you use the camera casually or mostly with social media, it’s fine.
Pros:
Massive display The S20+ isn’t quite as large as the Galaxy S20 Ultra’s 6.9-inch behemoth, but it’s pretty close with its 6.71-inch screen.
5000mAh power bank Great for long travel nights, it will keep your device running until you can power it up.
Neat and clean UI with Android Go optimization
Yes decent construction and colour choices
Expandable storage up to 1TB
Cons:
mediocre in-camera quality, particularly in low light
Slow 10W charging speeds
No fingerprint sensor (face unlock only)
Performance is not ideal for heavy gaming or multitasking
Lacks a full HD+ display
Poco C71 Final Verdict
The Poco C71 isn’t all about flashy lights and noisemakers, you understand – this phone is all about delivering a rock-solid, no-nonsense smartphone experience for as little money as possible. This phone has everything good: reliability, extra-long battery life, lots of screen for media and users who want pure software.
It isn’t a powerhouse but is certainly value for money, if nothing more, the Poco C71 in the entry-level segment.
If you can deal with something relatively basic, yet non-negotiable, this budget warrior is certainly worth a gander.
