In 2023, Xiaomi‘s sub-brand revealed the world’s first phone from that year. The new POCO C50 made its debut a few days ago. It’s the lowest-end model in the brand’s most economical lineup. Therefore it has low-end specs. However, it has a large battery and the latest version of Android. The POCO C40, its forerunner, was introduced around the same time last year. It has become more complicated to know which smartphone to buy in a world where new phones are only sometimes superior to older ones. Which phone should you get, the new POCO C50 or the POCO C40? We hope our comparison of the brand’s latest budget phones might shed some light on this subject.
Related: POCO C40 specs revealed, powered by JLQ Technology chipset
Design & Display
POCO C40 and C50 designs differ significantly. The latter has a back design like the Xiaomi 11 series, while the former is uglier due to its sizeable black camera module. A smaller display and battery make the C50 smaller, and you know which is best. Both phones are dust- and splash-resistant but not IP-certified. Like vintage phones, they have waterdrop notches, large bezels, and back fingerprint readers.
Comparing their screens, the POCO C40 is more prominent (6.71 inches), and the POCO C50 is smaller (6.52 inches). Other than that, they’re interchangeable. Two IPS LCD panels, each with a resolution of HD+. It’s not entirely useless but a low-end display lacking fine detail and unnatural colors. It meets everyone’s needs, but it’s nothing unique. While Gorilla Glass shields the screen, the fingerprint reader has been moved to the back of the device.
Camera & Speaker
Talking about their cameras, the POCO C40 has upgraded back cameras. It contains a 13-megapixel primary camera and a second, 2-megapixel camera for depth perception. The POCO C50’s primary camera only has 8 megapixels, while its depth sensor has a resolution of less than 1 megapixel. Both phones include front-facing cameras that are 5 megapixels in resolution.
Both devices have loudspeakers and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
OS, RAM & Storage
Compared to the C40, which is based on Android 11, the POCO C50 ships with Android 12 (Go Edition). Despite its age, the POCO C40 boasts superb hardware. First of all, despite being an unnamed CPU from an unnamed chipmaker, it has a superior SoC. The chipset in question is the JLQ JR510, which features a Mali G57 MC1 GPU and 11 nm technology. However, the POCO C50’s lesser MediaTek Helio A22 processor and PowerVR GE8320 GPU hold it behind in comparison. Also included with the chipset are up to 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage.
Battery & Charging
The POCO C40 comes out on top in comparing batteries because it has a larger 6000 mAh battery, making it one of the giant batteries released this year. Even faster charging at 18W is supported, unlike the POCO C50, which does support 10W fast charging.
Price & Availability
The beginning price of the POCO C50 is around CNY 590, which is equivalent to about Php 4,749, while the beginning price of the POCO C40 is CNY 942 (approx. Php 7,579). The C40 comes out on top in this comparison.
