Notebookcheck Praises Poco X8 Pro Max's 8,500-mAh Battery, Questions $529 Value

Q: Is a massive battery and raw power enough to excuse a weak camera in today's market?

No. In 2026, a huge battery and strong chipset can justify a camera compromise for a niche audience, but they do not fully excuse it in the broader smartphone market. The Poco X8 Pro Max shows why. At $529, it offers real strengths: an 8,500-mAh battery, 100W charging, a bright 120Hz AMOLED display, IP68 protection, and a Dimensity 9500s that benchmarks near flagship-class silicon. For buyers focused on endurance, gaming, and raw speed, that is a compelling package. But the market has moved. Camera quality is now one of the main purchase drivers across price tiers, not just in flagships. Midrange phones are increasingly expected to deliver competent ultrawide cameras, better selfie processing, solid video, and at least some zoom flexibility. The Poco falls short on several of those basics: no optical zoom, weak ultrawide results, and an over-sharpened front camera. That makes the trade-off more visible. Its other weaknesses also reduce the case for forgiving the camera. Notebookcheck noted throttling under load, distorted speakers, USB 2.0, no wireless charging, and ad-heavy software. When a phone is not well-rounded elsewhere, buyers are less likely to overlook imaging flaws. So battery life and performance are enough only if the buyer explicitly prioritizes those above photography. For mainstream consumers, especially at over $500, a weak camera is still a meaningful drawback, because rivals increasingly offer better balance rather than forcing that trade-off.

3 articles · Updated · Notebookcheck.net · Jun 8

$529 Poco X8 Pro Max earns a favorable but mixed verdict, with Notebookcheck saying its biggest strengths are battery life, fast charging and strong mid-range performance.
An 8,500-mAh battery, 100-watt wired charging and a bright 6.83-inch AMOLED display stand out, while the Dimensity 9500s delivers solid speed and the phone adds IP68 protection and NFC.
Camera and media compromises weaken the package: there is no optical zoom, the ultra-wide lens is weak, selfies look oversharpened, and the speakers sound muffled and distorted.
Performance also falls short of the spec sheet in places, with significant throttling under load, slow real-world UFS 4.1 storage, USB 2.0 only, no wireless charging, and ad-heavy HyperOS software.
As the successor to the Poco X7 Pro, the X8 Pro Max raises specs and price, but Notebookcheck says buyers wanting a balanced all-rounder may find better options elsewhere.