The Poco M3 Pro 5G is here and takes over as the most affordable smartphone in India that supports 5G connectivity. Along with 5G, it has got all the bells and whistles that one expects from a sub-Rs 15,000 smartphone these days. Those looking for a bragworthy spec sheet at this price cannot probably do any better. Or, can they?
Because starting at Rs 14,499, the Moto G40 Fusion is another phone with a spec sheet that serves the nerds well. It’s got the most capable midrange 4G chip, a high refresh rate display, and stock Android interface. In fact, it is hard to beat the Moto G40 Fusion in terms of the value this phone offers.
Hence, if you have Rs 15,000 to spend on a phone and want something exciting, which of these two fits your bill better? While we are yet to get our hands on the Poco, here’s a quick comparison between these two.
Poco M3 Pro 5G vs Moto G40 Fusion
Poco M3 Pro 5G
Design
Poco is rewriting budget smartphone designing this year with its entire range and after the stunning Poco M3, it is the M3 Pro that amps up the glamour quotient. The basic design layout isn’t that different to the Moto G40 Fusion but the clever play with colours and black patches makes the Poco stand out.
That design, however, is polarising and many could rather prefer the subtle and understated design of the Moto G40 Fusion. Both phones have plastic unibody construction, with the Poco offering Gorilla Glass protection.
Display
Poco is using a 6.5-inch IPS LCD display with Full HD+ resolution that has a refresh rate of 90Hz. The display can alter the refresh rate based on the content, between 30Hz to 90Hz. While this sounds fine, the Moto G40 Fusion offers a larger 6.8-inch 1080p IPS LCD display with an aspect ratio of 21:9 and a refresh rate of 120Hz. Those who love to watch videos and browse social media a lot will like the Motorola’s display better.
Performance bits
The Poco M3 Pro 5G gets the MediaTek Dimensity 700 chip that supports 5G networks, up to 6GB RAM and up to 128GB UFS 2.2 storage. This is paired with the MIUI 12 based on Android 11. The Moto G40 Fusion, on the other hand, gets a Snapdragon 732G chip with up to 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. It boots a near-stock flavour of Android 11 with Moto additions baked in.
In terms of raw benchmark data, the Snapdragon 732G exceeds the Dimensity 700 by a slight margin in terms of overall performance, with gains in battery life and CPU speed. Moreover, the stock Android interface is lighter on system resources than the highly customised MIUI 12 skin. However, real-world performance depends on software optimization and usage patterns.
Cameras
The Poco M3 Pro 5G has a triple rear camera setup that includes a 48-megapixel main camera, a 2-megapixel macro camera, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. For selfies, there is an 8-megapixel camera at the front.
The Moto G40 Fusion also has a triple camera but gets a 64-megapixel sensor for the main camera along with an 8-megapixel wide-angle camera and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. The ultra-wide camera doubles as a macro camera sensor. The front camera uses a 16-megapixel sensor for selfies.
Battery
The Poco M3 Pro 5G only gets a 5000mAh battery powering itself along with an 18W fast charging solution The Motorola phone goes a step ahead with its 6000mAh battery and uses a 20W charging solution. The G40 Fusion is known for its good battery life and it remains to be seen how well does the Poco M3 Pro do.
Price
The Poco M3 Pro starts at Rs 13,999 for the base variant with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage, and goes up to Rs 15,999 for the top-end version with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. The Moto G40 Fusion starts at Rs 14,499 for the base version with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. The top-end version with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage costs Rs 16,499.
Conclusion
It is difficult to arrive at a conclusion without trying out the Poco M3 Pro 5G for ourselves. However, based on the spec sheet alone, it seems that Moto G40 Fusion still holds itself as a superior phone with some margin over the Poco M3 Pro. The only major advantage for the Poco device is support for 5G networks, which the Motorola phone lacks. Also, the Poco device is cheaper by Rs 500.
Hence, you have to decide whether 5G is truly important to you now, given that the technology is yet to arrive in India.
