Poco C51 Review: A Promising Yet Average Player in the Budget Smartphone Arena

Poco has recently unveiled its budget-friendly smartphone, the Poco C51, in India, with a price tag of approximately Rs. 8,000. While numerous smartphones are available within this price segment, not many manage to provide a satisfactory combination of features and performance. The C51 takes on competitors like the Lava Yuva 2 Pro and Moto E13. Is the Poco C51 worth purchasing in this price segment? This review will provide the insights you need.

Price of Poco C51 in India

Poco C51 is available in one variant featuring 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, retailing for Rs. 7,999. Two color options are available, Power Black and Royal Blue, with the latter chosen for review purposes.

Design and Software of Poco C51

Typical of entry-level smartphones, many have fairly basic designs and limited build quality. However, the Poco C51 surpasses expectations in this regard. The smartphone boasts a more appealing design and improved grip compared to its peers. It features a polycarbonate back with a textured finish, providing comfort even during prolonged use. The weight distribution makes it feel light at 192g, not heavy on the hand.

The back of the Poco C51 houses a subtle camera module, which includes a dual-camera system along with an LED flash. Up front, there’s a waterdrop-shaped notch. Being an entry-level smartphone, thick bezels are present around the display. The volume and power buttons are conveniently situated on the right side. The phone’s slightly larger size may require some adjustment to reach the volume buttons one-handed.

The rear back panel features a circular fingerprint sensor that is easily accessible. The bottom houses a Micro-USB port and a 3.5mm headphone jack, while the top includes a loud single speaker. On the left side, there’s a SIM card slot that accommodates dual SIMs and a microSD card. Overall, the design of the Poco C51 is commendable for a budget smartphone.

The display on the Poco C51 is satisfactory but not exceptional

Focusing on the display, the Poco C51 features a 6.52-inch LCD with a standard refresh rate of 60Hz and HD+ resolution. While the display doesn’t offer high crispness, it still stands above the average quality for its class. Colors may appear slightly muted, with no settings available for adjustments. The peak brightness is rated at 400 nits, which could seem low, yet I had no trouble consuming content in direct sunlight.

The Poco C51 offers a streamlined software experience powered by Android 14 Go Edition. When I compiled this review, I received the March 2023 security patch, but nothing more recent. It does come pre-installed with certain apps that can be removed. However, if you’re after advanced customization, you’ll find it lacking. Overall, the interface remains simple and basic, in certain aspects, it surpasses the experience of mid-range and premium Poco models.

Performance and Battery Life of Poco C51

The Poco C51 is equipped with a MediaTek Helio G36 SoC and operates on the Android 13 Go Edition, which is a lighter variant of Android 13. Unfortunately, the user experience isn’t as fluid as I had hoped, even with this stripped-down version. Even before loading apps or data, I found the device sluggish during regular tasks. App loading times were prolonged, and multitasking exhibited noticeable lag.

It’s unreasonable to expect remarkable benchmark figures from an entry-level device, but to provide a reference, the Poco C51 scored 101,771 on AnTuTu and registered 5.7fps and 29fps in GFXbench’s Car Chase and T-Rex tests, respectively. As for gaming, while the C51 can handle Call of Duty: Mobile, it experiences long loading times and occasional lag even at the lowest graphics settings. Simpler games such as Clash of Clans, Candy Crush Saga, and Shadow Fight 4 ran smoothly on this device.

The Poco C51 includes a Micro-USB port for charging

Powered by a 5,000mAh battery, the Poco C51 supports only 10W charging. With moderate to light use (social media, messaging, calling, and some media streaming), the device can last up to two days. In our HD video loop test, it performed for 15 hours and 13 minutes, which is above average. However, with the 10W charging capability, expect lengthy wait times for a full charge. I found the device reached just 21 percent charge in 30 minutes, with a complete recharge taking 2 hours and 40 minutes.

Camera Performance of Poco C51

The Poco C51 features a dual rear camera configuration, comprising an 8-megapixel primary camera alongside a VGA (0.3-megapixel) depth sensor. The main camera captures average-quality photos in good lighting, though colors can appear muted and some images are prone to overexposure. HDR performance lacks consistency as well. Nevertheless, most photos are adequate for social media without requiring significant editing. The depth sensor appears to provide limited benefits, as portrait shots often display minimal blur or significant background overexposure. The background blur appears rather artificial.

Poco C51 daylight camera samples (tap to see full size)

The primary camera struggles considerably in low-light situations, with most images lacking clarity and detail. The 5-megapixel selfie camera takes decent daylight photos in both standard and portrait modes, but the edge detection is poor in the latter, often failing to blur the background effectively. The front camera also encounters challenges in low-light conditions, lagging in the viewfinder while framing subjects, resulting in noisy and low-detail images.

Poco C51 low-light camera samples (tap to see full size)

Video recording quality is also mediocre, as footage in various lighting conditions—daylight, indoors, or darkness—tends to be slightly blurry and lacks detail. Both rear and front cameras support recording up to 1080p at 30fps, and the phone provides timelapse and short video shooting modes.

Poco C51: Is it a worthwhile purchase?

If you’re on the hunt for a cost-effective smartphone with excellent battery longevity, a bright screen, and solid build quality, the Poco C51 is worth considering. However, be aware that its performance and camera capabilities are merely average. For enhanced camera performance within this price range, the Moto E13 might provide superior low-light photography along with better overall system performance. Additionally, it features a USB Type-C port as an extra benefit.