The Poco X2 smartphone packs a 120Hz display, six cameras for $225

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  The Poco X2. [credit: Poco ]

Xiaomi is launching a follow-up to one of India's most popular smartphones, the Poco F1, with the Poco X2. Just like the first version, this is a phone that aims to push the boundaries of bang-for-your-buck with a really big spec sheet and a really low price. A phone with a 120Hz display and six cameras for just ₹15,999 ($225)? That's crazy!

India is a major battleground country for smartphone manufacturers, thanks to the combination of the world's second-highest population along with a more open market compared to the tyrannical rules imposed by the government in China. Xiaomi really went after this market in 2018 with the launch of the Poco F1, which offered flagship-class specs (a Snapdragon 845) for $340. Naturally, the first Poco was a real hit with Indian users, but a lot of evidence suggests that Xiaomi was just using the phone as a loss leader. For about half a year, the Poco F1 was a sweetheart deal made just for India, and Xiaomi even did its best to limit the phone's overseas appeal by stripping down the cellular connectivity to India-specific bands.

For the sequel, Xiaomi isn't going quite as hard as it did with the Poco F1. Instead of Qualcomm's highest-end chipset, the Snapdragon 865, this is a Snapdragon 730G. The phone is actually just a rebrand of an earlier Xiaomi phone meant for the Chinese market, the Redmi K30. But again, this was probably the plan. Release a crazy-cheap phone in the Poco F1, build a fan base, then sell more sustainably priced devices under the same brand name.

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