We’ve been tracking the global Xiaomi Poco C81 Pro for a while. The leaks were true after all. This handset is actually a one-to-one replica of the original Redmi A7 Pro. They’ve slapped a Poco moniker on the back. But the rest of the design and specs are an exact match. They’ve unveiled the device on the global website. This is what you need to know.
The Redmi A7 Pro came out in February. It had Android 16 out of the box, exactly what you would expect from a 2026 device. Poco C81 Pro is said to support Hyper OS 3, which is basically an Android 16 custom build from Xiaomi. The phone uses a Unisoc T7250 to run this operating system.
The performance is nothing to write home about. It’s just a 1.8 GHz CPU, which is kneecapped with a low 4GB RAM. HyperOS 3 has a heavy UI, so there will be occasional frame spikes and stutters. It’s still a serviceable phone for an average user if you can overlook the slow performance.
There’s a huge display up front. Xiaomi's new Poco model is built around a 6.9” IPS LCD that will push pixels at a 120Hz rate. It’s not the sharpest display with only HD+ resolution, but it’s definitely smooth. And there’s apparently 800nits max brightness on the screen.
There’s just a single camera piece on the rear. It’s a 13MP sensor at f/2.2 with no OIS or PDAF. It’s a basic setup. You have an LED flash, and the video recording is capped at 1080p 30 FPS. There’s also a front camera in the notch: an 8MP outsole for selfies.
The battery is above average on the Poco C81 Pro. It’s a 6000mAh Li-ion cell. The phone will last a full day with some juice left in the tank. The charging, however, is quite sluggish. It’s not a high-end phone, so all you get is 15W slow charging.
Poco C81 Pro only outputs mono audio from a single speaker, though it does get pretty loud with 200% volume boost. And it has a side fingerprint ID for quick access. There are three Poco C81 Pro variants, all with 4GB RAM. 64GB trim is the cheapest at $99 (~PKR 27,000). There’s a 128GB option at $109 (~PKR 30,000). 256GB is the priciest at $129 (~PKR 36,000).
