Poco C71: If you have a budget of just ₹6,499 and want a reasonable smartphone, the Poco C71 seems to be trying too hard. That’s not a great amount for a smartphone in 2025, but Poco is still targeting buyers looking to upgrade from feature phones.

Design and Build

The Poco C71 isn’t one of those phones that looks amazing, but it does make a smart effort. The dual-tone matte pattern at the back, the golden camera ‘capsule’, and the Cool Blue finish make it look a little special. However, it is a bit flimsy and slippery as the frame and back are made of polycarbonate and the weight is 193 grams—it feels a little heavy.

The 6.8-inch HD+ LCD screen comes with very large bezels and a water-drop notch, which clearly shows that this is a budget phone. There is an IP52 rating, which means basic level dust-and-drop-resistance is present.

Performance and software

The phone runs Android 15 (Go Edition) and gets a bit of a stuck-going software. Setting the screen refresh to 120Hz makes it feel a little smoother, but back to 60Hz there is some stuttering. The weird auto-brightness trick doesn’t read the light from the camera and access it immediately—you have to lock-unlock the screen.

The Unisoc T7250 processor makes simple apps like calling, messaging, and social media work fine. But, heavy games are a bit of a hiccup. Light games like Asphalt 8 are possible, but frames keep dropping. High-end games don’t even appear on the Play Store.

Camera and music

Talking about the camera, photos are close-by during the day, but details are a bit blurry. Auto HDR works because of the sky and green, but the result can look like an ‘oil painting’. Low-light conditions are worse—video is available at 1080p, but looks quite shaky.

The 3.5mm headphone jack and radio feature with remote are nice, but the speaker and phone call volume are a little low.

Battery and charging

The phone has a 5200mAh battery that easily lasts a full day—about 14.5 hours of HD video playback. But charging is slow with a 15W charger—a full charge takes two hours and twenty minutes.

Wish it cost a little more…

The Poco C71 has shown that budget phones can be hard-pressed, but if you can spend a little extra, it would be wise to go a little further and buy the Pico C75 or the Redmi A4 5G—both offer 5G, better processors, and longer software support. The ₹9,999 Moto G35 5G also has a better Hello UI and stock Engage experience.

Verdict

If you are on a tight budget and just want a smartphone that can handle basic needs like TV calls, WhatsApp, YouTube, then the Poco C71 is the perfect companion. But adding something above ₹7,000 can get you a robust and future-ready phone that will give you more comfort.

For those on a very tight budget, the Poco C71 is a faster stepping stone—it’s not perfect, but it does offer a compelling solution.