POCO M8 5G Launched in India: What the Hype Isn’t Telling Indian Buyers

The POCO M8 Series has launched in India with two models: the POCO M8 5G and the POCO M8 Pro 5G. Both are aimed at the mid-range budget segment but come with better features and improved performance.

Powered by the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 4nm chip and 4 performance cores, these phones promise smooth performance for everyday tasks and multitasking.

From the specs and design, it’s clear that POCO has focused not just on performance but also on the look and feel of the phones, making them appealing for regular users who want a reliable device for daily use.

POCO M8 Specifications

Here are the full specifications of the POCO M8 5G Mobile (Indian Variant).

Feature Poco M8 5G
Launch Date (India) 8 January 2026
Price (India) Rs. 18,999 – 21,999
Sale Date (India) 13 January 2026
Colors Carbon Black, Glacial Blue, Frost Silver
Display 6.77-inch 3D Curved Display, 1080×2392 px, 387 ppi
Refresh Rate 120Hz
Peak Brightness 3,200 nits
Touch Sampling Rate 240Hz
Color Gamut 100% DCI-P3, 68.7 billion colors
OS Android 15-based HyperOS 2.0
OS Updates 4 years OS upgrades, 6 years security updates
Chipset / SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3,
Octa-core, 4nm, up to 2.4GHz
GPU Adreno
RAM 6GB / 8GB LPDDR4x
Internal Storage 128GB / 256GB UFS 2.2
SIM Dual SIM
Rear Camera 50MP primary + 2MP Light Fusion 400 sensor
Front Camera 20MP
Video Recording Up to 4K
Security In-display fingerprint sensor
Battery 5,520mAh
Charging 45W wired fast charging, 18W wired reverse charging
Connectivity 5G, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.1, Wi-Fi 5, USB Type-C
Dimensions 164 × 75.42 × 7.35 mm
Weight 178 g
Water & Dust Resistance IP65 + IP66

According to the specs, the POCO M8 Series can easily be used as a primary phone for calls, watching movies, enjoying music, and taking good photos. However, if you’re looking for a phone for high-end gaming, this device may struggle with heavy tasks.

Design Is Leading the Conversation

According to POCO’s promotional teaser, the phone mainly focuses on its design, while in India, mid-range consumers look for better performance, a good camera, and strong battery life.

POCO M8 5G side and back view showing slim design and rear camera layout, highlighting its style-first focus for Indian mid-range buyers.
POCO’s teasers push the POCO M8 5G’s slim design, while its Snapdragon 6 Gen 3, 120Hz AMOLED display, and 50MP camera remain fairly common for mid-range phones in India.

Interestingly, the phone gives little attention to real-world and essential factors like software optimization or long-term update support, which are often the key reasons a phone ages well or not.

According to reports, the phone is powered by the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chipset and a battery slightly above 5,500mAh. On closer look, this is not a major improvement, as such features are now common in most smartphones.

The chip architecture includes two clusters, with four cores running at a maximum clock speed of 2.4GHz and another four efficiency cores capped at 1.8GHz. This may not be ideal even for general users, as today most people multitask regularly, from college work to office tasks.

Pricing Will Decide the Narrative

The real test for the POCO M8 5G will be its price. If it is priced aggressively, it could still attract value-focused buyers, as users can capture special moments, play light games in their free time, or watch a web series. If not, consumers might find better overall alternatives in the same range. Until the official price and full specifications are revealed, it’s best to stay cautious.

Why Buyers Should Pay Attention

Today, smartphone launches and sales mostly depend on the hype around features and design, even though users should first check the specifications. If a user needs a good camera, but the phone is launched mainly for its looks or gaming, it won’t be useful for them. Users need to be careful during a smartphone launch and choose a phone that matches their actual needs.

The POCO M8 5G is mostly talked about for its looks and design. However, this doesn’t mean the specs are bad—they are just common in this range. If you already have a well-tested phone with similar specs, it’s better to stick with that instead of a newly launched, untested one. In my personal view, the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 is fine for taking regular photos, watching videos, listening to music, or playing light games like Candy Crush, but it is not suitable for playing battle royale games.

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Rakesh Sahani is the founder and lead writer at GSM Rumors, covering smartphone and consumer technology news, in-depth guides, analysis, and expert insights, with over four years of experience in consumer tech journalism.

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