The Iron Man era in the MCU has ended with his death at the end of Avengers End Game. However, the Iron Man character is still popular because of Robert Downey Jr's charismatic acting and he will be returning as Doctor Doom. So when the Poco X8 Pro Iron Man Edition was launched in Malaysia recently, I wanted to answer the question: is it a good device to buy or save your money for a more superhero device?
Specifications
Poco X8 Pro
6.59″ AMOLED screen
1268 x 2756 pixels, 120Hz, Dolby Vision
Corning Gorilla Glass 7i
Dimensity 8500 Ultra (4nm) processor
1x Cortex-A725 3.4 GHz chip
3xCortex-A725 3.2 GHz
4xCortex-A725 2.2 GHz
GPU Mali-G720 MC8
RAM 12 LPDDR5x
12GB virtual memory
Storage 512 GB UFS 4.1
Main camera 50MP f/1.5, OIS (Wide Angle)
8MP f/2.2 (Ultra Wide Angle)
Front camera 20 MP f/2.0
Battery 6500 mAh
Wired charging 100W
Dual SIM/Telephony/5G
NFC Yes
Audio jack No
Waterproof IP69K
Optical Under-Screen Fingerprint Scanning System
Face Scanning
Price RM 1899 (12/512GB)
Screen
The 6.59″ AMOLED screen has a resolution of 1268 x 2756 pixels with a refresh rate of 120Hz but not LTPO. The refresh rate is only 60Hz or 120Hz. There is a mode for it to change according to the application, change automatically or set all the time to 60 or 120Hz.
The flat screen has a thin, even bezel. The screen brightness is up to 3600 nits so there is no issue seeing the screen under bright sunlight. There is Dolby Vision support in the Neflix, HBO Max and Apple TV applications. The color display is beautiful and every touch and swipe is detected well. The haptic system is only a little simple, not comparable to that used on the Xiaomi 17 flagship device.
Biometrics
An optical fingerprint scanner with it located quite low at the bottom of the screen. Scanning can be done quickly as long as the finger is not dirty or wet. The facial scanning system, even if it is just 2D, is fast, but it requires a light source.
Design
The design is similar to the Xiaomi 17 that I reviewed a few weeks ago, only the X8 Pro is slightly larger. The flat sides with a metal frame make the device comfortable to hold in the hand. The weight of the device is balanced because there is no large camera bump.
The entire body is black with the back panel decorated with an Iron Man design in the form of a bas-relief. The futuristic pattern like electronic circuits can be seen when viewed from a certain angle. Usually special edition devices only play with color, but on this X8 Pro Iron Man, this superhero theme is very comprehensive and prominent.
I am not the target group of this phone because I prefer minimalist phone designs. But if my two nephews who saw this phone while returning from Hari Raya the other day said this phone looks "cool".
The audio adjustment and power buttons are located on the right side. Above are the microphone holes and infrared emitters. Below is a USB-C port sandwiched by a speaker grille and a SIM tray that supports dual nano SIMs.
The body also has IP69K waterproofing. No need to worry about it being damaged if it accidentally dives into the pool if attacked by Namor the Submariner. If you're still worried that the body of this special edition device might be damaged, Poco provides a hard plastic frame that has an Iron Man armor spine motif and electronic circuits.
Usage and Software
The HyperOS 3.0.1.0 operating system that I use is based on Android 16. This is an older version compared to the one I used on the Xiaomi 17 recently. In terms of features, there's not much difference with this more prominent device. What makes the X8 Pro Iron Man Edition unique is the Iron Man theme that changes the icon design and comes with a special background image.
I actually don't like the Iron Man theme because it changes the icons so much that it's hard to recognize. You can change to the default HyperOS 3 theme which I think looks more beautiful and pleasing to the eye. However, if you are a fan of Tony Stark, this theme is indeed compatible with the design of the device, which is all about Iron Man.
Poco provides 5 Android version updates and 6 years of security patches which is quite a long time for a mid-range device. It is an improvement over the 4+6 years offered last year. In the mid-range, only the Samsung Galaxy series offers longer support but the devices are sold at a much higher price.
There is support for Circle to Search and Google Gemini which I find very useful on Android devices. There is no AI agent like on the Galaxy S26 series but there are features for real-time translation, image editing, image enlargement, document summarization, and transcription of recorded audio. Jarvis is not yet available but Gemini is still useful on the X8 Pro Iron Man Edition.
Another gimmick is that there are two LED lights on the camera lens loop. They can be activated to flash when receiving a phone call or important notification. The color can be changed according to taste. When lit, it looks like the X8 Pro has two Arc Reactors on the back.
What I am a little unhappy with is the large number of ads in the Xiaomi app. Try changing the theme? Look at the fish first. Want to do a device scan? Ads double tap. Want to download an app from the Xioami store? More ads. Ads can be turned off but have to be done one by one in each app without a global switch in the device settings.
Benchmarks
The Poco X8 Pro uses the Dimensity 8500 Ultra (4nm) chip paired with 12GB of LPDDR5x RAM and 512GB of UFS 4.1 internal storage. This mid-range chip is one of the fastest in its class. Let's compare it with the devices below.
Vivo V70 – Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 (4nm)
Oppo Reno15 – Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 (4nm)
Oppo Reno14 Pro – Dimensity 8450 (4 nm)
Honor 400 Pro – Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm)
Google Pixel 10 Pro XL – Tensor G5 (3 nm)
Poco X7 Pro – Dimensity 8400 Ultra (4 nm)
AnTuTu 3D
Score Device
Poco X8 Pro 2,086,502
Vivo V70 1,464,284
Oppo Reno15 1,412,018
Oppo Reno14 Pro 1,437,541
Honor 400 Pro 1,861,573
Google Pixel 10 Pro XL 1,214,735
Poco X7 Pro 1,590,533
Geekbench 6
Multi Core Single Device Core
Poco X8 Pro 1721 6340
Vivo V70 1361 4181
Oppo Reno15 1280 3857
Oppo Reno14 Pro 1615 6174
Honor 400 Pro 1224 6083
Google Pixel 10 Pro XL 2303 6134
Poco X7 Pro 1575 6121
3DMark Wildlife Extreme
Chip Score
Poco X8 Pro 4120
Vivo X70 2093
Oppo Reno15 2082
Oppo Reno14 Pro 3780
Honor 400 Pro 4467
Google Pixel 10 Pro XL 2567
Poco X7 Pro 3839
During this usage, there was no problem for normal activities such as scrolling through social media, opening applications, running popular apps. Its performance is better than the Pixel 10 Pro XL which is a much more expensive flagship device.
Camera
The main camera consists of a 50MP f/1.5 wide-angle lens (OIS) and an 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle lens, with a 20 MP f/2.0 front camera. The camera system is quite limited and the same as last year's X7 Pro.
But I feel that there is an improvement in terms of the quality of the pictures taken. They look sharper, brighter and stand out especially in good lighting situations. At night, the images start to lose sharpness but are still satisfactory. It is not surprising that the pictures taken through the ultra-wide lens are not as good as the main lens because the sensor is smaller and the lens is slower. For a device priced under RM200, the camera quality is quite good.
Audio
There are stereo speakers with loud audio with Dolby Atmos support. Although the speakers are not symmetrical, the audio experience is still good and satisfactory for a smartphone in this mid-range class. Loud and clear enough for viewing various media using the built-in physical speakers.
Battery
The 6500 mAh battery of silicon carbide (SiC) type can be recharged using a 100W charger only wired. No wireless or reverse wireless system is supported. But the phone can be used as a powerbank charging other devices at an output of 27W only.
On average SOT between 10-12 hours can be achieved in moderate use and so can all-day endurance. On heavier use, almost 17 hours of use can be achieved. The time to recharge the battery is only 45 minutes using 100W charging. A charger is not provided in the box with Poco only providing a USB-A to USB-C cable.
In the Box
Here is what you receive in the box with purchase.
1x Poco X8 Pro Iron Man.
1x Iron Man plastic case.
1x USB-A to USB-C charging cable.
1x Manual.
1x Marvel SIM Pin.
1x Iron Man special edition box.
Conclusion
The Poco X8 Pro Iron Man Edition is priced at RM1899 in Malaysia and it is a device that offers satisfactory performance, a beautiful screen, a very unique companion and a satisfactory battery life. For a mid-range device, it offers an attractive value.
For MCU fans, especially Iron Man, it is not so expensive to include in your personal memorabilia collection. If you do not want the Iron Man version, the Poco X8 Pro is sold at a starting price of RM1299 for the 8/256GB version.
The disadvantages are the same camera as last year without a telephoto lens, no wireless charging and the 100W charger has to be purchased separately.
Pros
The screen supports Dolby Vision on major streaming apps.
The Dimensity 8500 Ultra is powerful for a mid-range device.
Satisfactory main camera performance.
IP69K waterproof and dustproof
Battery life is excellent with 100W charging.
Updates to 5 versions of Android 6 years of security patches.
Cons
No wireless charging.
The ultra-wide lens is less than satisfactory.
No charger provided.
Ads in HyperOS that are annoying to turn off.
