POCO has been on a roll recently, and the brand is doing all the right things with its budget and mid-range phones. What’s particularly interesting is that POCO now collaborates with Marvel to release limited-edition models of its phones, like last year’s X7 Pro Iron Man Edition. The brand is renewing that license in 2026 with the introduction of the POCO X8 Pro Iron Man Edition.
This year’s phone looks quite different, and if anything, it grabs even more attention. I’ll get to the design in a minute, but let’s start with the X8 series. POCO is debuting the X8 Pro and X8 Pro Max globally, and the devices are now on sale in the U.K., India, and other key markets. The X8 Pro starts at £289 ($385) in the U.K. for the 8GB/256GB model, and ₹33,999 ($367) in India.
(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)
The Iron Man edition comes in at $399, and it is sold in a 12GB/512GB configuration — the phone costs ₹43,999 ($476) in India. The POCO X8 Pro Max, meanwhile, starts at the equivalent of $469. This is what the devices cost:
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- POCO X8 Pro (8GB/256GB): $329 / £289 / ₹32,999
- POCO X8 Pro (12GB/256GB): ₹37,999
- POCO X8 Pro (8GB/512GB): $369 / £319
- POCO X8 Pro (12GB/512GB): $399 / £349
- POCO X8 Pro Iron Man Edition (12GB/512GB): $399 / ₹37,999
- POCO X8 Pro Max (12GB/256GB): $469 / £359 / ₹42,999
- POCO X8 Pro Max (12GB/512GB): $529 / £399 / ₹46,999
The POCO X8 Pro Max is quite interesting as it comes with MediaTek’s Dimensity 9500s platform and a huge 8,500mAh battery. It’s clear that POCO is aiming the device to be a mid-range alternative to the Nord 5 and the Pixel 10a, and it has plenty to deliver in that area. I’ll talk about the X8 Pro Max in a different post, instead turning my attention to the X8 Pro.
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(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)
As I’m using the X8 Pro Iron Man Edition, I’ll focus on the design. The phone comes in a unique box with plenty of Marvel accouterments — including a custom case — and there’s a sense of occasion when unboxing the phone. The phone itself feels better in-hand than its predecessor, and that’s because it has a smaller 6.59-inch panel.
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(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)
You get Iron Man in a black-and-gold armor, with the Stark Industries logo inscribed underneath. The gold accent serves to differentiate the design a little bit, and it contrasts well with the overall aesthetic. While it is a bit ostentatious, there’s no doubting that the X8 Pro Iron Man Edition is built to draw eyeballs — even with the case on, you’ll get plenty of attention while using this phone outdoors (I definitely did).
I also like that the cameras don’t jut out too much, and the camera housing has a minimalist design that doesn’t draw attention away from the Iron Man armor. The rear has a silky texture that feels good to hold, and I didn’t bother with the case most of the time. Another positive is the metal mid-frame; it feels much nicer to hold and use, and definitely gives the phone an upmarket look.
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(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)
There’s also a few custom icons and software effects, but other than that, the X8 Pro Iron Man Edition is similar to the regular model. The 12GB/512GB configuration is ideally suited, and you get LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.1 storage modules, so in this area, the device is no different to the F8 Ultra or other flagships.
I like that the global model also gets a bigger 6,500mAh battery this time — it was exclusive to the Indian model last year. The bigger battery lasts all day with ease, and even with heavy use, there are no problems getting to the end of the day. Xiaomi’s standard 100W charging tech is intact, and as it’s based on USB PD, you can use any PD charger and charge the phone at 100W.
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(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)
The smaller 6.58-inch OLED panel is a joy to use; it gets brighter than last year and has excellent colors, and you get all the software customizability that you’re used to with other POCO phones. You get 3,840Hz PWM dimming as well, and Dolby Vision content in select streaming platforms.
Switching to the internals, the Dimensity 8500 Ultra is nearly identical to last year’s 8400 Ultra; it uses the same cores and is also built on a 4nm node. It gets slightly faster thanks to higher frequencies, but the difference isn’t noticeable in daily use. That said, it remains a decent mid-range chipset, and I didn’t see any issues in regular use.
(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)
It’s a similar story with the cameras, and the 50MP main camera does a decent enough job. It isn’t on the same level as the F8 Ultra, but it is better than its predecessor, and it holds up well enough in this category.
The X series has sold incredibly well in India, and the X8 Pro builds on last year’s X7 Pro. It is slightly faster, lasts slightly longer, and the cameras take slightly better photos — an iterative upgrade if ever there was one. However, the X7 Pro debuted at ₹26,999 ($292), so POCO somehow needs to convince buyers to pay a lot more to get a phone that’s largely similar. I think there’s enough new with the X8 Pro to justify a purchase, and if you’re interested in the device, the X8 Pro Iron Man Edition is the obvious choice.
