Earlier this year in June, Xiaomi's sub-brand Redmi launched the Redmi 9A and Redmi 9C in Malaysia. The devices featured MediaTek's new Helio G25 and Helio G35 chipsets, large batteries, and a new design. Soon after the launch, we started hearing rumors that POCO was planning on rebranding the Redmi 9C as a new POCO device for the Indian market. A few weeks after the launch, the POCO C3 was spotted in a certification listing with the same model number as the Redmi 9C. Today, POCO finally unveiled the POCO C3 in India, and as expected, it's a rebranded Redmi 9C with some minor tweaks.

POCO C3: Specifications

Specification

POCO C3

Display

  • 6.53-inch LCD
  • HD+ (1600x720p)
  • 20:9

SoC

  • MediaTek Helio G35
    • 8x ARM Cortex-A53 cores @up to 2.3GHz
    • IMG PowerVR GE8320 GPU @680MHz

RAM & Storage

  • 3GB LPDDR4x +32GB
  • 4GB+64GB

Battery & Charging

  • 5,000mAh

Rear Camera(s)

  • 13MP f/2.2 primary camera
  • 2MP f/2.4 macro camera
  • 2MP f/2.4 depth sensor

Front Camera(s)

  • 5MP f/2.2 selfie camera

Port(s)

  • micro USB
  • 3.5mm headphone jack

Connectivity

  • Dual VoLTE
  • VoWiFi

Software

  • POCO Clean Experience based on MIUI 12 (Android 10)

Other Features

  • Triple-slot SIM tray (2 SIM+microSD)
  • P2i Nano splash-proof coating
  • Better Battery 2.0

First, let's start with what's different on the new POCO C3. POCO has made some minor changes to the back panel design of the Redmi 9C, and the POCO C3 has a two-tone pattern on the back panel with an anti-fingerprint texture that offers better grip. Speaking of fingerprints, the POCO C3 doesn't offer a capacitive fingerprint scanner on the back, which can be found on the Redmi 9C.

POCO C3

Other than these minor tweaks, the device is exactly the same as the Redmi 9C. It is powered by MediaTek's octa-core Helio G35 chipset, which features eight ARM Cortex-A53 cores clocked at up to 2.4GHz and an IMG PowerVR GE8320 GPU clocked at 680MHz.

The MediaTek Helio G35 on the POCO C3 is paired with up to 4GB of LPDDR4x RAM and up to 64GB of onboard storage. The device features a triple-slot SIM card tray with a dedicated microSD card slot for expansion up to 512GB. The smartphone has a 6.53-inch HD+ LCD, with a resolution of 1600 x 720 pixels and a waterdrop-style notch for the selfie camera.

POCO C3

In the camera department, the POCO C3 features a triple camera setup on the back enclosed within a square camera module along with the flash. It includes a 13MP primary camera, a 2MP depth sensor, and a 2MP macro camera. Over on the front, the device has a single 5MP selfie camera.

Powering the POCO C3 is a massive 5,000mAh battery that comes with a new software optimization called Better Battery 2.0. As far as the overall software experience is concerned, the POCO C3 runs POCO Clean Experience based on Xiaomi's MIUI 12, which offers users a minimal UI and a promise of no ads. The software includes features like dark mode, icon personalization, an app drawer, quick search categories, and Google Discover Feed support.

POCO C3

As with all entry-level smartphones out there, the POCO C3 includes a 3.5mm headphone jack and a micro USB port for charging and data syncing. The device also features rubberized seals and a P2i Nano water-resistant coating to protect it against accidental splashes.

Pricing & Availability

The POCO C3 will be available in two RAM/storage variants which are priced as follows:

  • 3GB+32GB: ₹7,499
  • 4GB+64GB: ₹8,999

However, the price may increase in the future as the announcement slide that POCO showed during the live stream (see above) clearly mentions 'Introductory Offer'. The device will be available in three color variants — Arctic Blue, Matte Black, and Lime Green — on Flipkart starting from October 16th. Launch offers for the device include a 10% instant discount for SBI credit and debit card users. If you're interested in purchasing the device and don't want to miss the first sale, you can set a sale notification on Flipkart by following the link below.

Buy the POCO C3 on Flipkart