1. Specifications Comparison
Design
| Feature | Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro | Honor 90 | Practical Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical Size | 165.3 × 76.8 × 9.4 mm | 161.9 × 74.1 × 7.8 mm | Honor 90 is more compact and easier to handle, especially for smaller hands or one-handed use. Poco X3 Pro is noticeably larger and bulkier. |
| Weight | 215g | 183g | Honor 90 is significantly lighter, making it more comfortable for extended use and carrying around. Poco X3 Pro feels heavier and less portable. |
Display
| Feature | Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro | Honor 90 | Practical Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size | 6.67" | 6.7" | Minimal difference in size; both offer immersive viewing experiences. |
| Resolution | 1080x2400 | 1200x2664 | Honor 90 has a sharper display, resulting in clearer text and images. |
| Pixel Density | 395 ppi | 435 ppi | Honor 90 offers a slightly sharper image with more detail. |
| Technology | IPS LCD | AMOLED | Honor 90’s AMOLED screen offers better contrast, deeper blacks, and more vibrant colors, enhancing media consumption and overall visual quality. |
| Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 120Hz | Both offer smooth scrolling and animations for a fluid user experience. |
| Brightness | 0 nits | 1600 nits | Honor 90 is significantly brighter and easier to use in direct sunlight. Poco X3 Pro's brightness is unknown which is a disadvantage. |
Performance
| Feature | Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro | Honor 90 | Practical Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 860 (7 nm) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 Accelerated Edition (4 nm) | Honor 90 has a newer, more efficient chip for better performance and battery management. |
| AnTuTu Score | 627,869 | 701,227 | Honor 90 scores higher, suggesting faster overall performance for gaming and heavy tasks. |
| GPU | Adreno 640 | Adreno 644 | Honor 90’s newer GPU provides a slight performance advantage in graphics-intensive tasks like gaming. |
Camera
| Feature | Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro | Honor 90 | Practical Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Camera | 48MP, f/1.79, 1/2" | 200MP, f/1.9, 1/1.4" | Honor 90 offers significantly more detail and better low-light performance due to its larger sensor and higher resolution. |
| Selfie Camera | 20MP, f/2.2, 1/3.4" | 50MP, f/2.4 | Honor 90 captures more detailed selfies with higher resolution. Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro has a slightly wider aperture which could benefit low-light selfies. |
| Wide Angle Lens | 8MP, f/2.2, 1/4" | Not available | Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro offers a dedicated wide-angle lens for capturing expansive scenes. |
| Portrait Lens | 2MP, f/2.4, 1/5" | 2MP, f/2.4 | Both have a dedicated portrait lens with slightly different pixel sizes; these are mostly for depth information. |
| Macro Lens | 2MP, f/2.4, 1/5" | Not available | Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro offers a dedicated macro lens for extreme close-up shots. |
| Wide Angle + Macro | Not available | 12MP, f/2.2 | Honor 90 offers a versatile wide-angle + macro lens, combining the two functions in one sensor. |
| Video | Up to 4K@30fps | Up to 4K@30fps | Both offer similar video recording capabilities and Electronic Image Stabilization for smooth video footage. |
| DXOMark Score | Not available | 122 | Honor 90 has a decent camera performance, but a score is not available for Poco X3 Pro. |
Battery
| Feature | Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro | Honor 90 | Practical Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 5160mAh | 5000mAh | Both have comparable battery capacity and should offer similar battery life, though software optimization plays a bigger role. |
| Charging | 33W | 66W | Honor 90 charges significantly faster, reducing downtime. |
| Battery Type | Li-Polymer | Li-Ion | Little difference in real world usage. |
Connectivity and Storage
| Feature | Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro | Honor 90 | Practical Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 5 | Wi-Fi 6 | Honor 90's Wi-Fi 6 offers faster speeds, lower latency and better performance in crowded networks. |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 5.2 | Honor 90 has a more modern Bluetooth version, offering improved connectivity and performance. |
| Storage | 128GB/256GB | 256GB/512GB | Honor 90 offers higher storage options, ideal for users with large media libraries. |
| RAM | 6GB/8GB | 8GB/12GB/16GB | Honor 90 offers more RAM for smoother multitasking and better performance in demanding applications. |
2. Key Differences Analysis
Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro Advantages:
- Wider Aperture on Main Camera: Slightly better low-light performance in theory but a smaller sensor size and much lower resolution will impact real-world usage.
- Dedicated Wide-Angle and Macro Lenses: Provides more versatility in capturing different types of shots.
- Stereo Speakers & Hi-Res Audio: Enhances the audio experience for media consumption and gaming.
- Gorilla Glass 6: Offers superior screen protection against scratches and drops.
- Side-mounted fingerprint sensor: More convenient, more reliable than basic fingerprint sensor.
Honor 90 Advantages:
- Superior Display: AMOLED panel with higher resolution, brightness, and color accuracy.
- Faster Charging: 66W charging significantly reduces charging time.
- Better Performance: Newer chipset with better benchmark scores and more efficient power consumption.
- Significantly Better Main Camera: Much higher resolution and sensor size for superior photo quality and detail.
- Higher RAM Options: Up to 16GB for smoother multitasking and demanding games.
- Larger Storage Options: Up to 512GB for more media and apps.
- Newer Bluetooth and Wi-Fi standards: Better overall connectivity and speed.
- Lighter and More Compact Design: Easier to handle and carry around.
- Front Flash: Useful for low light selfies.
Trade-offs:
- Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro sacrifices display quality and camera resolution for a slightly wider main camera aperture, dedicated wide and macro lenses, and better audio.
- Honor 90 offers a superior display, camera, and performance, but lacks dedicated wide and macro lenses and stereo speakers.
3. User Profiles & Recommendations
Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro:
- Ideal User: Budget-conscious users who prioritize gaming performance, versatility with a wide angle and macro lens, and better audio features, and don't mind a heavier phone.
- Use Cases:
- Casual gaming and multimedia consumption
- Users who want a more versatile camera system with wide and macro lenses
- Users who prioritize audio quality.
- Users who like side-mounted fingerprint sensors.
Honor 90:
- Ideal User: Users who want a modern phone with a premium display, a great camera, a faster phone and prefer lighter, more compact designs.
- Use Cases:
- Users who want a great all-around smartphone
- Photography enthusiasts who want a higher quality main camera and great selfies
- Users who enjoy streaming videos and consuming media
- Users who need fast charging and a lighter phone.
4. Decision Framework
Key Questions:
- What's more important, display quality or camera versatility? (Honor 90 has a superior display; Xiaomi has a wider selection of lenses.)
- Is faster charging and a lighter design a priority? (Honor 90 offers faster charging and is lighter.)
- Is storage capacity more important than audio performance? (Honor 90 offers higher storage and RAM, but the Poco X3 Pro offers better audio features.)
Scenario-Based Recommendations:
- For Gaming: If budget is a primary concern, the Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro is a decent option, but the Honor 90 will provide better performance.
- For Photography Enthusiasts: Honor 90 is the clear winner with a superior main camera and selfie camera quality.
- For Multimedia Consumption: Honor 90 is the better choice with its AMOLED display, however the Poco X3 Pro offers more immersive sound with stereo speakers.
- For Everyday Usage: Honor 90 is the better choice due to its lighter design, better screen, and fast charging capabilities.
What I Would Choose and Why:
I would choose the Honor 90 and the main reason is that it is a much more complete device for most use cases. While the Poco X3 Pro has some advantages such as the wide angle and macro lens, in most real world scenarios the superior image quality on the Honor 90 far outweighs the versatility of the Poco X3 Pro. The dramatically better screen and faster charging are also major plus points for the Honor 90. While the X3 Pro has better speakers, the trade off is well worth the benefits of the Honor 90.
