Home » POCO M3 vs POCO M2: What’s Changed?

POCO M3 vs POCO M2: What’s Changed?

Written By Gracey Maala
Published • November 24th, 2020
ComparisonsMobile
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POCO has officially unveiled its latest smartphone under the M-series, the POCO M3. Two months after the release of its predecessor, the M2, let’s find out what has changed and see if it got way better. Read on to learn more!

POCO M3	POCO M2
6.53-inch FHD+ (2340 x 1080) display	6.53-inch FHD+ (2340 x 1080) display
TUV Rheinland certified	TUV Rheinland certified
Corning Gorilla Glass 3	Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 octa-core CPU	MediaTek Helio G80 octa-core CPU
Qualcomm Adreno 610 GPU	ARM G52 MC2 GPU
4GB LPDDR4X RAM	6GB LPDDR4X RAM
64GB UFS 2.1, 128GB UFS 2.2	64GB, 128GB storage
Expandable up to 512GB(via MicroSD slot)	Expandable up to 256GB(via MicroSD slot)
Triple-rear cameras:	Quad-rear cameras:
• 48MP F1.79 (main)	• 13MP F2.2 (main)
	• 8MP F2.2 (ultra-wide)
• 2MP F2.24 (macro)	• 5MP F2.4 (macro)
• 2MP F2.24 (depth)	• 2MP F2.4 (depth)
8MP F2.05 front camera	8MP F2.05 front camera
Dual-SIM	Dual-SIM
4G LTE	4G LTE
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac	WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 5.0	Bluetooth 5.0
USB-C	USB-C
GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou
FM Radio (with headphones)	--
3.5mm headphone jack	3.5mm headphone jack
IR blaster	IR blaster
Dual speakers	Ultra-linear speaker
Fingerprint scanner (side-mounted)	Fingerprint scanner (rear)
MIUI 12 (Android 10)	MIUI 11 (Android 10)
6,000mAh battery w/ 18W fast charging, reverse wired charging	5,000mAh battery w/ 18W fast charging
162.3mm x 77.3mm x 9.6mm	163.3 x 77 x 9.1 mm
198 g	198 g
Cool Blue, POCO Yellow, Power Black	Pitch Black, Brick Red, Slate Blue

Summary of changes/improvements of the POCO M3

• Higher camera resolution
• Larger expandable storage
• Larger battery capacity
• Reverse wired charging

The POCO M3 retains the same 6.5-inch FHD+ display as the M2. Both also secured a TUV Rheinland certification and has Corning Gorilla Glass 3.

Both smartphones run under octa-core processors. The M3 sports the Qualcomm Snapdragon 622 chipset, while the M2 is equipped with MediaTek Helio G80.

The M3 comes with triple rear cameras, while its predecessor sports a quad-rear camera setup. Although the former is equipped with more cameras, it only has a 13MP main shooter, while the latter offers a higher main camera resolution of 48MP. The smartphones also have distinctive orientation and design for its rear camera modules. Both of these, on the other hand, flaunt the same 8MP front cameras.

For the memory, the POCO M3 comes with a smaller configuration option of 4GB of LPDDR4X RAM, while the M2 gives 6GB of LPDDR4X RAM. Both models, however, are available with either 64GB or 128GB of storage. Even so, the M3 levels up as it can support up to 512GB of expandable storage, while the M2 has only up to 256GB.

There’s nothing new with some of its points as both smartphones sport identical connectivity features such as Dual-SIM, 4G LTE, WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, and Bluetooth 5.0. It also retains support for a 3.5mm headphone jack for audio and a USB-C port for charging. Moreover, if you’re looking for their fingerprint scanner spots, the M3’s located on the side, while the M2’s can be found resting at the back.

Lastly, probably one of the M3’s biggest leaps goes to the battery. The brand-new M3 is fueled with a larger 6,000mAh battery, 1,000mAh more than the M2’s 5,000mAh. Yet, these two support the same 18W fast charging, but the former supports reverse wired charging.

Overall, it seems like the M3 hasn’t leveled up that much compared with the M2. Nonetheless, if you look forward to having a higher camera resolution, larger expandable storage support, and larger battery capacity, M3 has it all. If these are the reasons you are eyeing to get, you may aim to get the M3. Although you also need to consider that it comes with a smaller RAM that you might need to sacrifice since its predecessor comes with a larger 6GB. Other than these plus its look, nothing else seems to have changed.

The POCO M3 will be exclusively available online on Lazada for PHP 6,990 (4GB + 64GB) and PHP 7,990 (4GB + 128GB) respectively. Those who will purchase the smartphones from 12 AM to 2 AM will receive the Mi In-Ear headphones Basic Piston Earphone (while stocks last) as a freebie. Moreover, the smartphone will be available for PHP 5,990 (4GB+64GB) and PHP 6,990 (4GB+128GB) for a limited time from November 27 to 28.

What do you guys think? Please share your thoughts about this in the comment section below.