The POCO X8 Pro just launched globally with a chip nobody expected in a $299 phone. The Dimensity 8500 Ultra scored 2,283,558 on AnTuTu V11 in POCO’s own lab testing. That is a 35% jump over the POCO X7 Pro. But can it actually handle heavy gaming without overheating? Here are the real world results.
What Is the Dimensity 8500 Ultra and Why Does It Matter
First, let me clear up the confusion. Some early leaks referred to this chip as the Dimensity 8500. But POCO launched it under the official name Dimensity 8500 Ultra.
The X8 Pro is powered by the Dimensity 8500 Ultra, a 4nm chip with 8x Cortex A725 cores and a Mali G720 GPU. This is an all big core design. There are no efficiency cores. Every single core is a performance core.
The MediaTek Dimensity 8500 Ultra relies on an unusual architecture with eight powerful Cortex A725 cores. The fastest core achieves clock speeds of up to 3.4 GHz. POCO says the chip offers a 15.8 percent AnTuTu performance increase compared to its predecessor along with a 25 percent boost in GPU performance.
In Geekbench 6, the POCO X8 Pro scored 1,708 (single core) and 6,297 (multi core) for the global model. For context, those multi core numbers put the Dimensity 8500 Ultra right around the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4, at least in the multi core scores.
That is a sub flagship chip competing with Qualcomm’s mid range champion. In a $299 phone.
POCO X8 Pro AnTuTu Score: The Official Numbers
Here is the confirmed POCO X8 Pro AnTuTu score, published directly on POCO’s official product page.
AnTuTu score: 2,283,558. Data tested based on AnTuTu V11.0.8 by POCO Internal Labs at around 25°C environmental temperature.
This chip targets an AnTuTu benchmark score of 2,300,000 points. Compared to its predecessor, the POCO X7 Pro (scoring 1,700,000), this is a massive 35% upgrade. And here is the comparison that really turns heads. When placed next to the $700+ Galaxy S25 FE (scoring around 1,990,000), its value to performance advantage is highly prominent.
A $299 phone outscoring a $700 Samsung. That is the story of the POCO X8 Pro in one sentence.
Full Confirmed Spec Sheet
Here is every verified spec for the POCO X8 Pro, cross checked against POCO’s official site, GSMArena, and Beebom.
| Spec | POCO X8 Pro |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.59 inch 1.5K AMOLED, 2756 x 1268, 120Hz, 3500 nits peak |
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 8500 Ultra (4nm) |
| GPU | Mali G720 MC8 |
| RAM | 8GB / 12GB LPDDR5X |
| Storage | 256GB / 512GB UFS 4.1 |
| Rear Camera | 50MP Sony IMX882 f/1.5 OIS + 8MP ultrawide |
| Front Camera | 20MP |
| Battery | 6,500mAh Silicon Carbon |
| Charging | 100W HyperCharge + 27W reverse charging |
| Cooling | 5,300mm² 3D Dual Layer IceLoop |
| Protection | IP66 / IP68 / IP69 / IP69K, Gorilla Glass 7i |
| Software | HyperOS 3, Android 16 |
| Build | Aluminum frame, glass back |
| Dimensions | 157.53 x 75.19 x 8.38mm, 201.47g |
| Colors | Black, White, Mint Green + Iron Man Edition |
| Price | Starting $299 (early bird), $349 regular |
Gaming Thermals: Does the POCO X8 Pro Overheat?
This is the real question. A 2.28 million AnTuTu score means nothing if the phone throttles and overheats during a 45 minute gaming session.
Here is what multiple independent reviewers found.
Beebom’s review was the most specific. What actually surprised me is its thermals. Even after 45 minutes of Genshin Impact, the phone was barely warm to the touch. The vapour chamber cooling system clearly does its job, and all this makes the X8 Pro one of the best gaming mobile phones in its segment.
CGMagazine’s review confirmed similar results. POCO’s 3D dual layer Iceloop cooling system pulls heat away from the guts of the X8 Pro and lets it dissipate through the heat conducting aluminum frame. It makes the phone a little hot on the outside, but not too bad.
PhilNews reported sustained performance under load. Addressing the common issue of heating, throttling, and stuttering during prolonged gaming, POCO X8 Pro packs a 5300mm² 3D dual layer IceLoop system. In our actual tests, the POCO X8 Pro was able to maintain full blooded output for extended periods. Whether it is the silkiness of system scrolling, the speed of app cold starts, or the frame rate stability under high loads in Genshin Impact or Honkai: Star Rail, it handles everything with effortless ease.
NewTechGlobal noted a direct improvement over the predecessor. The X8 Pro’s improved cooling design allows slower thermal throttling compared to the X7 Pro.
The verdict from every major reviewer: No. The POCO X8 Pro does not overheat. The 5,300mm² vapor chamber keeps the Dimensity 8500 Ultra cool under sustained gaming loads. It gets warm, as every phone does, but it does not thermally throttle in a way that affects gameplay.
Real World Gaming Performance
Here are the specific frame rates reviewers recorded.
BGMI runs at Smooth graphics with Ultra Extreme (120FPS), while Call of Duty: Mobile can hit Ultra (120FPS) on Medium graphics. Both maintain a very stable frame rate with only minor drops. Even titles like Genshin Impact ran at the highest settings at 60FPS without any noticeable stutter or frame drop.
Both models also support hardware level ray tracing, enabling more realistic lighting and reflections in supported games.
Integrated dynamic frequency scaling across CPU, GPU, and DDR. This ensures higher, more stable frame rates and lower power consumption even under heavy load gaming. Predicts per frame computing demand within each frame generation cycle, enabling proactive intervention to prevent frame drops.
POCO’s WildBoost Optimization system dynamically manages thermals, frame rates and network connections to meet your needs based on a performance, battery saver or balanced optimization setting.
Battery Life: 6,500mAh with Silicon Carbon
The POCO X8 Pro uses a 6,500mAh silicon carbon battery. That is 30% larger than the 5,000mAh cells inside the Galaxy S26 Ultra or the Galaxy A56.
With a 10% ultra high silicon carbon content, POCO X8 Pro’s battery capacity is significantly boosted, delivering a long battery life experience.
Powered by a P3 charging chip and G1 battery management chip, with multiple protections, POCO X8 Pro retains ≥80% battery capacity after 1,600 charging cycles.
Charging is fast. 48 minutes to 100% is the charging data from 1% by using the 100W in box charger, manually enable “Top speed” mode while keeping the display off.
Inside a slim body measuring just 8.38mm, POCO’s engineers have managed to fit a massive 6500mAh battery. Compared to the roughly 5000mAh batteries found in the similarly priced Galaxy A56 or even the higher priced Galaxy S25 FE, the X8 Pro holds a clear advantage.
The One Big Weakness: Cameras
Every reviewer flagged the same issue. Cameras have traditionally been the Achilles’ heel of Poco phones, and the Poco X8 Pro more or less follows the same pattern. The main camera performs well in daylight. The photos come out sharp with a decent amount of detail in the shot. However, the colours can sometimes look boosted. Especially in shots with a lot of greenery, the tones appear a bit neon.
The rear camera can shoot video at up to 4K at 60 fps, but the front camera can only shoot at a maximum of 1080p at 30 fps, which, even for a midrange phone, is a bit of a letdown.
The camera is serviceable. It is not a reason to buy this phone. Performance and battery are.
The Other Weakness: Bloatware
The phone comes with over 17 bloatware apps, and pushes out adware notifications now and then. There is also the iconic glance lockscreen present here as well. This is quite infuriating to see in 2026.
You can disable most of these manually, but it takes time. And it should not be necessary on a phone you just bought.
POCO X8 Pro vs POCO X7 Pro: Is It Worth the Upgrade?
Here is the quick comparison that matters.
| Spec | POCO X8 Pro | POCO X7 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Dimensity 8500 Ultra (4nm) | Dimensity 8400 Ultra (4nm) |
| AnTuTu Score | ~2,283,558 | ~1,700,000 |
| Display | 6.59 inch 1.5K AMOLED, 120Hz | 6.67 inch 1.5K AMOLED, 120Hz |
| Battery | 6,500mAh Si/C | 6,550mAh Si/C |
| Charging | 100W + 27W reverse | 90W |
| Build | Aluminum frame + glass | Plastic frame |
| Protection | IP69K | IP68 |
| Camera | 50MP IMX882 + 8MP | 50MP IMX882 + 8MP |
| Software | HyperOS 3, Android 16 | HyperOS 2, Android 15 |
The 35% AnTuTu jump, the move from plastic to aluminum, the upgrade from IP68 to IP69K, the addition of 27W reverse charging, and the shift to HyperOS 3 on Android 16 make this a meaningful upgrade.
If you own a POCO X7 Pro and it still works fine, there is no urgency. But if you are buying new in March 2026, the POCO X8 Pro is the clear choice.
Who Should Buy the POCO X8 Pro in 2026
The POCO X8 Pro, like any of the midrange phones in POCO’s lineup, is a real jack of all trades. If you are not in need of the best camera because you are not a creator, or the best gaming experience, but want perfectly good experiences all around, a phone like this is perfect for you. The POCO X8 Pro gives you all of that and more in a phone that looks slick and in no way like a budget device.
Buy it if you want the best performance per dollar in March 2026. A $299 phone that outscores a $700 Galaxy S25 FE on AnTuTu, runs Genshin Impact at max settings at 60FPS, has a 6,500mAh battery, charges to full in 48 minutes, and comes with an aluminum frame and IP69K protection.
Skip it if you need a great camera. The 50MP IMX882 is decent but not competitive with the Galaxy A56 or Nothing Phone 4a in terms of color accuracy and consistency.
Also skip if bloatware bothers you. 17 pre installed apps and adware notifications are a real downside in 2026.
The POCO X8 Pro is not a perfect phone. But at $299, it delivers performance and battery life that phones twice its price still struggle to match. And the Dimensity 8500 Ultra runs cool enough to sustain that performance when it matters most.
