Launched in March 2024, the Poco C61 is a budget-friendly smartphone offering solid features at a very affordable price. It’s designed to appeal to users looking for basic smartphone functionality, reliable performance, and durability. Let’s break down the Poco C61's key features and see if it’s the right fit for your needs.
The Poco C61 sports a simple yet sturdy design, with dimensions of 168.4 x 76.3 x 8.3 mm and a weight of 199 g. While it’s not the slimmest phone on the market, the weight distribution and build quality feel solid in hand. The phone is encased in a plastic body with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protecting the front, which offers scratch resistance and a degree of durability. It features dual SIM support, making it ideal for users who need to switch between two networks seamlessly.
The Poco C61 comes with a 6.71-inch IPS LCD display, offering a 90Hz refresh rate. This smooth refresh rate is a notable feature at this price point, providing a more fluid experience for scrolling and light gaming. The display resolution is 720 x 1650 pixels, translating to about 268 ppi density. While it’s not as sharp as full HD displays, it’s perfectly adequate for browsing, video streaming, and social media.
The 500 nits brightness ensures the display is visible even in outdoor conditions, though it might struggle under direct sunlight. Overall, the display quality strikes a balance between affordability and usability.
Powered by the Mediatek Helio G36 (12 nm) chipset, the Poco C61 delivers reliable performance for everyday tasks like web browsing, social media, and media consumption. The Octa-core CPU (4x2.2 GHz Cortex-A53 & 4x1.6 GHz Cortex-A53) is complemented by the PowerVR GE8320 GPU, ensuring smooth multitasking and light gaming.
Available in two configurations—64GB with 4GB RAM and 128GB with 6GB RAM—the Poco C61 offers a respectable amount of storage for a budget phone, and it supports memory expansion through a dedicated microSD slot.
The phone runs on Android 14 with MIUI, providing a modern and clean user interface. However, heavy gaming or intensive multitasking may lead to some slowdowns, but for the price, the Poco C61 handles general usage with ease.
The camera setup on the Poco C61 is straightforward, featuring a single 8 MP wide lens with an auxiliary 0.08 MP lens. While the camera is not designed for high-end photography, it captures decent images in well-lit conditions. Features like dual-LED flash and HDR help improve photo quality in challenging lighting, but don't expect professional-level shots.
The 5 MP front camera is modest, suitable for video calls and casual selfies. Both cameras are capable of recording video at 1080p at 30fps, which is a decent feature for a budget phone.
Battery life is one of the Poco C61’s strengths. Equipped with a 5000 mAh battery, this phone easily lasts a full day with regular usage. From watching videos to browsing the web, the battery capacity ensures you won’t be scrambling for a charger by midday. The phone supports 10W wired charging, which isn’t particularly fast but is standard for budget phones in this range.
The Poco C61 offers reliable connectivity options, including Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 5.4 for wireless connections. It also has GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, and BDS for precise location tracking, making it great for navigation.
While it lacks NFC for contactless payments, it includes an FM radio with recording capability, appealing to users who still enjoy tuning into radio stations. The phone also has a USB Type-C 2.0 port with OTG support, which is a great addition for data transfers and connecting peripherals.
The side-mounted fingerprint sensor is fast and reliable, ensuring quick access to your phone without fumbling around with passwords or PINs.
The Poco C61 is priced at ₹5,499 in India, making it one of the most affordable smartphones on the market. At this price, it competes with other entry-level smartphones but stands out due to its 90Hz display, large 5000 mAh battery, and the overall smooth experience provided by the Helio G36 chipset.
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If you’re looking for a budget smartphone that offers solid performance for everyday tasks, the Poco C61 is a great option. It’s perfect for users who prioritize battery life, display smoothness, and essential connectivity features like dual SIM and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor.
However, if you’re a heavy gamer or a photography enthusiast, this phone may not meet your expectations. The camera is basic, and performance can slow down under heavy loads. But for general use and at such a low price, the Poco C61 offers excellent value for money.
For anyone seeking a functional, affordable smartphone in 2024, the Poco C61 is definitely worth considering.
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