Poco C85 5G review: A budget phone with reliable performance and lasting battery

After a big wave of flagship mobile launches, the focus has started to shift towards mid-range and budget phones as new competitors such as the Poco C85 5G and Redmi 15C 5G join the race. However, the new Poco C85 5G has caught our attention with its aggressive pricing, large display, massive battery, and premium design. Surprisingly, the smartphone has been launched at a starting price of just Rs 12,499, making it a compelling entry-level 5G option available in India right now. 

I have been using the Poco C85 5G for the past week, and I believe it offers some compelling features for basic usage. From a lasting battery to a reliable performance, the phone delivers a smooth everyday experience. Let’s dive deep and see how it performs.

Poco C85 5G review: Design

The Poco C85 5G comes with an attractive design that looks clean, subtle, and premium at first glance. While the device has a plastic back, its matte finish is what makes the phone stand out. The advantage of having a matte finish on the rear panel is that it does not attract fingerprints or dust. In addition, the massive square-shaped camera module with a glass finish further enhances its visual appeal.

The Poco C85 5G measures 8.05mm in thickness, which is bulky to my taste, though it feels relatively light in hand. That said, it does not feel comfortable in the hand for prolonged one-handed use due to its massive size and bulky build. However, a larger form factor also has its perks, so it may appeal to users who prefer big-screen phones. For durability, it offers an IP64 rating for dust and splash resistance, which is decent for the price.

Poco C85 5G review: Display

The Poco C85 5G features a 6.9-inch HD+ IPS LCD display that offers a 120Hz refresh rate. Since it has 720p resolution, it may not have the best picture quality, but it's adequate for everyday tasks, casual streaming, and browsing social media. The colours are vibrant and punchy, although the thick bezel can be distracting. But, I will give points for the 120Hz display as it makes the day-to-day usage smooth, quick, and responsive at all times. In terms of brightness, the smartphone offers up to 810nits of peak brightness, which is not the best, but you can get the job done even in bright conditions.

Poco C85 5G review: Camera

The Poco C85 5G features a dual camera setup that includes a 50MP primary camera and a 2MP bokeh lens. In terms of camera performance, the smartphone captures decent daylight images, and the colours appear balanced, making it perfect for casual camera users. Its bokeh sensor did a fine job as well, with great focus on the subject and decent background blur. 

However, I was not impressed with the low-light or nighttime photography as the details appeared blurry or grainy. In addition, its 8MP front camera also felt average as the skin-tones were not quite accurate, and mostly saturated. Therefore, considering it's a budget phone, the overall camera performance is decent, if not the best.

Poco C85 5G review: Performance and software

Poco C85 5G is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 processor, paired with up to 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. For basic day-to-day use, such as scrolling through social media, browsing, and casual gaming, the phone was swift and lag-free. However, I will not recommend the phone for multitasking or intensive gaming. I ran BGMI on higher graphics, and the phone struggled with consistency, and there was noticeable lag. 

Coming to the software front, the Poco C85 5G runs on HyperOS 2 based on Android 15. While the basic interaction was clean and user-friendly, the phone was filled with bloatware. It has plenty of unnecessary apps and recommendations that made the app menu cluttered. However, you can remove the pre-installed apps to make the experience clutter-free. 

Poco C85 5G review: Battery 

The Poco C85 5G is backed by a massive 6000mAh battery, which offers an impressive battery life for the budget. The smartphone can easily run an entire day with basic to medium usage on a single charge, making it an ideal phone for people who don’t want to worry about frequent charging. Poco also claims that it will retain 80% battery health after 1000 charge cycles. The smartphone supports 33W fast charging, which takes slightly more than 1 hour to fully power the device.

Poco C85 5G review: Verdict

The Poco C85 stands out in the budget market as a strong 5G smartphone with lasting battery life, a smooth display, and dependable everyday performance. The smartphones offer a premium matte design with an IP64 rating massive 6000mAh battery, and a 120Hz refresh rate that may compel many budget-conscious buyers.

However, the smartphone also comes with some compromises. The HD+ resolution and thick bezels limit a good display experience, cameras only offer decent performance in daylight conditions, and the phone is not built for heavy-duty tasks. Therefore, anyone looking for a reliable smartphone for basic tasks, then the Poco C85 could be a great choice, but gaming and photography enthusiasts should look for alternatives.