Just when I thought POCO was done for the first quarter of 2026, I was instantly humbled.

Two months after the M8 Pro I’ve held, POCO is back with another beast, packing an even more powerful punch.

Here’s my extensive experience with the all-new POCO X8 Pro Max.

Nothing flashy, yet still fancy

First time with the POCO X8 Pro Max, it’s honestly nothing too fancy.

While it does not dare to rival the likes of the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro, Infinix’s NOTE 60 Ultra, or TECNO’s POVA Curve 2 5G, the POCO X8 Pro Max still shines in its own way.

The back is clean and minimal with only the ever-so-slightly-protruding camera bump and POCO branding in sight. Upon closer inspection though, those subtle set of lines appears when hit by faint light.

And while we’re at it, that camera bump houses an RGB light deco around the camera duo. It’s customizable with eight (8) colors alongside brightness level adjustments.

Not only does it add flair, but it’s functional too as it glows up to notify you of alerts, to indicate battery charge, to flash for a camera timer, or to light up even when just playing music or games.

The White colorway that I have adds more to that fanciness. I don’t know if it’s the same thing with the Black and Blue shades, though.

Sandwiched by that sturdy metal frame is a back cover made of fiberglass, something that is lightweight and durable at the same time.

Speaking of, the X8 Pro Max boasts quintessential quad IP ratings: IP66, IP68, IP69, and IP69K. It can withstand not just all the fine dust, beach sand, or even fresh water (but not sea water). It’s also able to resist hot jet water streams, just in case you’re stuck in such situations.

It’s great to see that these stronger IP ratings have become a staple, not just in flagships, but in most midrange offerings.

Marvelous and monstrous

Last year, POCO had only the vanilla X7 and X7 Pro (plus a special Iron Man Edition) in its X-rsenal. This year, POCO have changed things quite a bit by bringing in a newcomer with the familiar “Pro Max” naming.

And, they weren’t playing when they said “Pro Max” as this is equipped with the latest MediaTek Dimensity 9500s 3nm SoC. To be fair, this is a slightly under-clocked version of the Dimensity 9500 found on modern-day flagships, such as the vivo X300 Pro I rock daily.

Still, that doesn’t mean an underpowered performance.

First and foremost, the ever-popular Zenless Zone Zero by HoYoverse runs in High graphics settings by default. Genshin Impact has the same default setting.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 found on the POCO M8 Pro, however, goes only for the lowest setting.

Another favorite hardcore game of mine: Racing Master based on Nvidia’s PhysX physics engine.

As expected, this racing game can run in Ultra-High + 60fps configuration. The M8 Pro stutters and throttles a lot during the first gameplay.

This further proves that it’s not always Snapdragon that’s winning over Dimensity.

POCO’s 3D IceLoop Cooling System also prevented those unwanted hiccups. To be precise, it features a large 5800mm² liquid cooling area where the vapor and liquid are separated for an even highly-efficient heat dissipation.

With those examples in mind, it already gives you the idea that this beast of a smartphone can handle most (if not all) of the graphics-intensive titles you can think of.

POCO further proves that this is, indeed, a Pro Max smartphone. With a speedy 12GB LPDDR5X memory and up to 512GB of UFS 4.1 storage, it’s honestly an overkill for a midranger.

Most phones in the range are stuck with the LPDDR4X and UFS 3.1 combo. It’s more evident now that the global RAM (and components) shortage affects everyone — smartphone makers not exempted.

My gaming sessions would not be as easy-breezy without that buttery-smooth 120Hz display alongside that 480Hz/2560Hz touch sampling rates.

Now Playing: Even If This Love Disappears Tonight

With display already in the way, it’s high time to talk deeply about it.

One fine flight, I was bored and cannot sleep. I then just tried to watch something I added in my Netflix list — Even If This Love Disappears Tonight / 오늘 밤, 세계에서 이 사랑이 사라진다 해도 (Oneul bam, segye-eseo i sarangi sarajinda haedo).

Although I am not the type who favors cast over synopsis, Shin Si-ah being the lead honestly enticed me to click this over its gut-wrenching story.

The longer I watch it, the more I get mesmerized — both visuals and overall chemistry of her (as Seoyoon) and Choo Young-woo (as Jaewon).

With its massive 6.83-inch AMOLED 1.5K display with up to 3500 nits of peak brightness, it’s as bright and crystal clear as this beach in Pohang, South Korea.

Spoiler alert ‼️ Much like Jaewon’s disappearance in Seoyoon’s memory, the same can be said on the X8 Pro Max. Once you are already immersed, it makes you think the display bezels have also disappeared into thin air because of how thin they are.

Seoyoon’s heartfelt emotions on-screen can be seen more especially that this display supports all the imaginable pro-grade standards in a modern-day smartphone: 12-bit color depth, 68 Billion Colors, DCI-P3 Wide Color Gamut, HDR10+, Dolby Vision.

You have been warned, though. This film is not for the faint-hearted.

But in case you faint on the ground, Corning’s Gorilla Glass 7i protects that precious display from unwanted scathes and scratches. While not as “pro” as Gorilla Glass Victus 2 or Xiaomi’s very own Dragon Crystal Glass 3, that’s still better than having no protection at all 😜

You know what’s “pro”? The inclusion of an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner.

It’s honestly a dealbreaker whenever you’re in a hurry. Being able to unlock the phone in a split-second compared to conventional optical sensors in most midrangers adds up to the “Pro Max” definition of this phone.

On Queue: IVE, H1-KEY, GIRLSET

To immerse myself more, I also tried playing IVE’s futuristic BLACKHOLE music video.

Whether it’s the darkest of blacks or the whitest of whites in Liz’s scenes, or just a pop of color like Jang Wonyoung, this vibrant display is more than enough to satisfy your eyes.

But what’s a pro-grade display without a “Pro Max” audio? Well, the POCO X8 Pro Max doesn’t want to stop just yet.

With its symmetrical stereo speakers alongside that 400% volume boost feature, it instantly filled the room when I was in my banging streaming sessions in the shivering shower.

POCO promises that those speakers are certified for Hi-Res Audio and Dolby Atmos.

My curiosities led me to streaming H1-KEY’s full LOVECHAPTER EP in Lossless format via Apple Music.

Right off the bat, I can already hear the great separation of treble, mid, and bass in their latest comeback track, To. My First Love. Hwiseo’s adlibs truly astounded me — and so did their harmony in every chorus.

As I listen further, it made me realize it’s a great K-Pop song that brings back that good ol’ 2nd-gen K-Pop vibes. Moreover, it also fits well as an anime opening.

Not Like A Movie is also one of K-Pop’s underrated songs of 2026 that I’ve been playing ever since its release last January 2026. The whole LOVECHAPTER EP honestly deserves more praises much like this phone’s superb sound output.

Additionally, GIRLSET’s TWEAK truly made me weak with how soothing their vocals are. Mind you, I listened both in English and in Spanish (just because I suddenly miss Barcelona).

If that’s not enough, I have also tried listening to the acappella version and I felt like I’m listening to the Gods in heaven with how pure their vocals alongside their soulful harmonization.

Satisfying snapper

Let’s be real: Cameras are the mostly forgotten aspects among phones in this segment.

On paper, none of its cameras have Sony’s LYT / IMX or Samsung’s ISOCELL sensors. Instead, you’ll get a 50MP f/1.5 main rear camera based on LightHunter Fusion 600’s 1/1.95-inch sensor.

Meanwhile, its ultra-wide shooter is nothing special at 8MP f/2.2. For selfies, it’s a 20MP front snapper.

But, as we always say here, specs aren’t everything. Looking solely at the filling of the cake, the POCO X8 Pro Max can still deliver satisfying snaps.

With the right angle, framing, and even lighting, it can deliver quality shots regardless of the camera hardware it possesses.

Portraits are surprisingly decent, too.

They are social media-ready and post-worthy as well.

If you’re not a professional shooter, that shutter responsiveness is enough for those picture-perfect portraits.

Cutouts aren’t flawless, though. But, what should we even expect in a conventional camera combo like this?

The absence of a dedicated zoom camera is evident when you try to capture anything past the 3x range.

Meanwhile, dimly-lit shots can be either a hit or miss.

In a scene where there’s the least amount of natural light, it will rely heavily on sharpening and brightening the image.

Nevertheless, food shots will still look appetizing enough, regardless of lighting condition.

Battery behemoth

Last but certainly not the least, the POCO X8 Pro Max packs a mighty tank inside — an 8500mAh Si/C battery, to be exact. This is currently POCO’s biggest battery offering in their current line of smartphones.

I would be lying though if I didn’t say I am envious that the China variant (REDMI Turbo 5 MAX) has a bigger 9000mAh capacity.

Still, for day-to-day basis, it’s hard to fully drain the phone in one sitting. If you’re chronically online, the POCO X8 Pro Max will surely handle all your social media-ddiction.

As we speak, gaming is pretty much the baseline for being able to tell how power hungry this beast is.

For instance, the moment I set up and installed all the necessary games I can think of, that 5-hour installation of three games only took up about 20% of charge from its 68% battery state — fresh from the factory.

During a mix of 2.5-hour gameplay, the battery depleted from 48% down to 31%.

Even consuming entertainment shouldn’t be much of a battery hog. Binging K-Pop music videos and live performances on YouTube plus Netflix titles for around three hours ears only a measly 10%.

Heck, even with just 1% remaining in the tank, I was still able to play H1-KEY’s latest comeback song in Apple Music for another ten minutes before the phone fully died.

Now, this is where Xiaomi’s 100W HyperCharge capability comes in.

Although the review unit I have doesn’t have one, I was still able to hook it in with an existing 100W HyperCharge adapter from my stash.

However, most users won’t even have one. Thankfully, the POCO X8 Pro Max is compatible with the PPS charging protocol which enables third-party chargers to fully-utilize that 100W charging speeds, and the results aren’t far off.

My GadgetMatch Charge Test further proves that.

	Xiaomi 100W HyperCharge Adapter	UGREEN 100W Uno GaN Charger
START TIME (From 0%)	3:18PM	12:34AM
3 minutes	0%	1%
5 minutes	4%	2%
10 minutes	8%	11%
15 minutes	17%	15%
20 minutes	22%	24%
30 minutes	34%	37%
45 minutes	55%	57%
1 hour	76%	77%
1 hour 15 minutes	94%	95%
END TIME	4:48PM 1 hour 30 minutes	2:08AM 1 hour 34 minutes

As an addition, I also made the POCO X8 Pro Max as my personal hotspot. I went out around 8AM with 100% charge left. The moment I got back home by 11 in the evening, there’s still 43% left. Most phones have already drained right after the sun has set by 6PM.

Moreover, not only it’s limited to just a dual physical SIM slot. Another slot can run eSIM, which is always my go-to option when traveling. It’s a huge relief this POCO phone supports it as the M8 Pro doesn’t have one.

Speaking of, this phone can also serve as your power bank! With its 27W reverse wired charging support, it can top-up the dead batteries of your 5000mAh phones 👀

And before I forget, Xiaomi’s HyperOS 3 isn’t the most power-efficient system out there. If you happened to read my POCO M8 Pro and Xiaomi Pad 8 review write-ups, you already get the gist of this.

To be specific, as I breezed through my last battery settings, I’ve noticed that App Vault drained the second highest when your phone is in idle mode. I haven’t even set up the feature as of this writing.

This is another reason why my sentiments against the company’s OS keep getting stronger. I’m just hoping they could fix these worrisome woes that affects a lot of existing and prospective Xiaomi / REDMI / POCO users.

Is the POCO X8 Pro Max your GadgetMatch?

The arrival of the POCO X8 Pro Max blows the rest of the competition out of the water.

Although Xiaomi’s HyperOS is the elephant in the room, that was easily overshadowed by how mighty this smartphone is.

The POCO X8 Pro Max is as straightforward as it can get. From visuals, to core performance, all the way to battery endurance (and even capable cameras), I honestly cannot speak ill about it — especially for a phone in this price point.

Whether you’re just a casual user looking for a pro-grade yet inexpensive smartphone or you’re purely just a spec-savvy nerd, you’ll easily drool with how great the POCO X8 Pro Max is.

And with a starting price of just PhP / EUR paired with all these powerful hardware, what more can you ask for?

If it is not evident enough with my high praises, the POCO X8 Pro Max is an ultimate Swipe Right, Super Swipe, and a worthy recipient of the GadgetMatch Seal of Approval.

To be honest, I didn’t expect to like Project Hail Mary. I assumed that the decision to reveal the book’s biggest plot twist in the trailer was a mistake. I thought that the two-and-a-half-hour runtime might be too long. I worried that a hard sci-fi story like this one would be hard to translate into a feature-length film. Thank goodness I was wrong.

Project Hail Mary adapts Andy Weir’s novel of the same name. Indeed, that’s the same Andy Weir who wrote The Martian. Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling), a molecular biologist, wakes up in an interstellar ship without his memory. With everyone else on board dead, he must find the answers to two questions on his own: who he is, and why he’s far away from Earth.

Though a soul-searching mystery might be entertaining in its own right, it wouldn’t be an Andy Weir story if it didn’t have some MacGyvering in space. Grace’s mission is apparently one of global importance. When a spacefaring virus starts to feed on the Sun and other surrounding stars, Earth sends a mission — that is, Ryland Grace and his deceased crewmates — to Tau Ceti, a faraway star somehow immune to the so-called astrophages.

Less problem solving, more emotion wrangling

Despite Weir’s tendencies to throw his protagonists into problem after problem, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who directed the adaptation, offers a more emotional story. Now, make no mistake; the original novel is already a tearjerker, but the film ups this even further by masterfully adapting the story’s most iconic character, Rocky.

Upon reaching Tau Ceti’s orbit, Grace realizes that he’s not alone. He isn’t the first visitor to the mysterious star. An alien spaceship is already orbiting the star. However, far from visions of War of the Worlds, this particular alien has a single mission: to save their own star from the same astrophages.

Rocky, as Grace calls them, looks like a living rock. Initially unable to communicate with the alien, Grave eventually builds a friendship with Rocky by translating the latter’s chirps to human words.

In the book, Rocky communicates with Grace (and the reader) through the broken English from a translating software. Naturally, the film adaptation offers more creative freedom. Instead of just text, Rocky gets a voice, thanks to James Ortiz, who offers a friendly-but-snarky character to the alien. As a result, Rocky feels more like a sidekick than just a (literally) alien entity.

Though it comes at the cost of some science-filled problem solving, Rocky’s slight change is more cinematic and can tug tighter at the heartstrings.

A healthy dose of humor

Rocky’s voice isn’t the only change. Despite the long runtime, the adaptation already prunes or shortens plot beats from the novel.

To be fair, all these changes don’t detract from the essence of the novel. Sometimes, they simplify. Other times, Lord and Miller infuse their trademark humor, which can be jarring for those expecting a more technical sci-fi story. But again, the novel’s spirit is still intact.

If anything, the added humor keeps the film entertaining throughout two-and-a-half hours. Now, if you’re tired of the so-called “Marvel humor,” there are moments of slapstick and snark sarcasm that pushes the limits of typical movie tropes. It’s just the price that an adaptation like this has to pay. Project Hail Mary’s plot is too complex to condense into the archetypal 90-minute window.

As someone who read and loved the original novel, it was difficult to see stitches between the book’s story and the screenplay’s changes. And I think that’s what makes the adaptation work so well.

Should you watch Project Hail Mary?

Project Hail Mary is as faithful as an adaptation can be. It doesn’t change the story for the sake of Hollywood. All the changes you’ll see are just ways to keep audiences engaged because of the long story. If you loved the book, there’s no way you wouldn’t love the adaptation, too.

Now, if you haven’t read the book, firstly, you’ll still love this movie. It’s a highly compelling story with high stakes and an emotional rollercoaster. Secondly, read the damn book. It’s a masterpiece of science fiction.

Not every flagship needs to reinvent the wheel.

Some phones try to wow you with dramatic hardware changes. Others focus on making the experience smoother, smarter, and easier to live with every day.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra falls squarely into the latter category.

At first glance, it doesn’t look dramatically different from last year’s model. But spend enough time with it — watching shows, listening to music, recording concerts, charging it between episodes — and the changes begin to make more sense.

A practical display trick

 

@gadgetmatch The Galaxy S26 Ultra introduces something we haven’t really seen on a mainstream smartphone before: a built-in Privacy Display. 🫣 #Unpacked #Unpacked2026 #SamsungGalaxyS26 #withGalaxy #GalaxyS26 ♬ original sound – GadgetMatch

The headline hardware feature this year is Privacy Display.

It’s one of those features that immediately feels useful in the real world. When activated, the screen limits viewing angles so people beside you can’t easily see what’s on your display.

Anyone who has ever used their phone on a train, plane, or crowded café will understand the appeal.

Some users might notice the display resolution dropping when the feature is active, but that’s a natural trade-off given the nature of the feature. Limiting light dispersion requires compromises, and Samsung appears to have struck a reasonable balance between usability and privacy.

More importantly, it’s a feature that solves an everyday problem instead of chasing a spec-sheet headline.

 

@gadgetmatch Say goodbye to prying eyes with Samsung’s newest built-in Privacy Display. 😎 #Unpacked #Unpacked2026 #SamsungGalaxyS26 #withGalaxy #GalaxyS26 ♬ original sound – GadgetMatch

A meaningful charging bump

Another upgrade that quietly improves daily use is charging.

The jump from 45W to 60W charging feels significant.

Previously, I had to watch two anime episodes before the Galaxy S25 Ultra was fully charged from around 20-ish percent. With the Galaxy S26 Ultra, that’s down to roughly a single episode.

It’s a simple comparison, but it’s also how most people experience charging in real life: plugging in while watching something.

Faster charging means you spend less time thinking about battery levels and more time actually using the phone.

Now Playing: Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3

Speaking of anime, I used the phone to catch up on Season 3 of Jujutsu Kaisen.

The latest battle between Yuji Itadori and “Judge Man” Higuruma looked absolutely stunning on the large Ultra display. As is to be expected.

Samsung has long been known for excellent smartphone displays, and that reputation continues here. The panel remains one of the easiest ways to enjoy streaming content on a mobile device.

Now Playing: Steal on Prime Video

The phone also became my late-night streaming companion.

I spent a few evenings watching Steal on Prime Video as I wind down at night. It stars Sophie Turner as a rank and file investment company employee caught in a high stakes hostage situation.

It’s a steady thrill watch – one you can finish in a weekend – where you can watch Turner on Prime before she shifts gears into tomb raiding.

Phones like the Galaxy S26 Ultra increasingly double as our primary personal screens, and the large display makes that transition feel effortless.

 

@gadgetmatch Audio Eraser now works on third-party apps! 🤩 #Unpacked #Unpacked2026 #SamsungGalaxyS26 #withGalaxy #GalaxyS26 ♬ original sound – GadgetMatch

This also feels like the kind of scenario where Samsung’s Audio Eraser could come in handy. The feature can reduce background noise from videos — even from clips on apps like Instagram or YouTube.

While we’ve demonstrated it as a feature that works, I never really felt the need to use it during my week with the phone. Still, it’s nice knowing the tool is there if you ever need to clean up a noisy clip.

Paired with Galaxy Buds4 Pro

Paired with the Galaxy Buds4 Pro, I also started hearing stuff I didn’t usually hear when listening to my MyOPM playlist on Spotify.

The quality certainly feels a step higher than usual and a lot closer to lossless tracks I hear on Apple Music with my usual headphones.

It’s a subtle improvement, but one that adds up when you listen to music throughout the day.

Cameras: consistent, not dramatic

Camera performance remains largely unchanged.

The larger aperture does make a difference somewhat. But you’ll only really notice it if you’re scrutinizing the images.

 

 

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Magic8 Pro vs Galaxy S26 Ultra

I compared it with my personal smartphone camera of choice right now – the HONOR Magic8 Pro – and the difference in color science is staggering.

We’re not going to go in-depth here, but you’ll see that even with its Vibrant shooting filter, the Magic8 Pro’s photos tend to look warmer. They also have more character, especially when you shift to the Authentic filter.

Meanwhile, the photos produced by the Galaxy S26 Ultra tend to look closer to what you see in real life. They’re also flatter.

Some photos lose character when the highs, lows, and mids look a little too close to each other. The preset filters don’t help either. They’re just there for the sake of it.

All photos on the left are from the Magic8 Pro. The Galaxy S26 Ultra are on the right.

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Galaxy S26 Ultra

In terms of color reproduction, it’s a lot closer to the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Less warm and more true-to-life. After close examination, the Galaxy S26 Ultra photos — especially in broad daylight — tend to be brighter. That’s what causes it to look a lot more flat and feel a little soul-less.

All photos on the left are from the iPhone 17 Pro Max. The Galaxy S26 Ultra are on the right.

Still a concert buddy

That said, the zoom video capabilities are definitely still as reliable as they have always been.

If I’m going to a concert and I’m seated nowhere near the barricade, I’m making sure I have the Galaxy S26 Ultra with me to record the experience.

The Horizon Video lock is also impressive. While use-case will vary depending on the activities you engage in, it’s a nice-to-have tool in your video-taking arsenal.

Galaxy AI in daily use

 

 

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Samsung continues to push Galaxy AI as the defining layer of its latest flagship, and the Galaxy S26 Ultra adds a few new tricks to that toolkit.

One of them is Now Brief and Now Nudge, which aim to surface contextual suggestions depending on what you’re doing.

So far, Now Brief still doesn’t feel as essential as it should. But some Now Nudge suggestions already available during our week with the Galaxy S26 Ultra are actually nice.

When a colleague suggested setting a meeting over on WhatsApp, the phone immediately pulled up the Calendar. It also showed if there’s a schedule conflict so you can adjust accordingly.

Next, my colleague asked if my San Francisco photos were ready and the phone immediately showed the Gallery app.

These aren’t dramatic features, but they do save a few taps. Over time, that convenience could add up.

This feature has potential. And it should only get better with time.

AI Photo Assist: promising but limited

I was less enthused by AI Photo Assist.

I thought it was promising at first but the text prompt is limited to 100 characters so you can’t really do super specific prompts.

That opens short prompts to a lot of interpretation by the AI and with my experience so far, it isn’t great.

I’d stick to using Gemini Pro for more detailed prompts and your usual photo editing apps for specific photo edits.

AI Photo Assist may improve over time, but right now it feels more like an experiment than an essential editing tool.

Heating observations

One thing worth noting is thermal behavior. The phone isn’t uncomfortable to use, but heating is definitely noticeable even when just watching a livestream. It also happens when gaming.

Interestingly, I experienced this type of heating recently on another Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 device as well. It may simply be the reality of running increasingly powerful chips in compact devices.

It’s not a dealbreaker, but it’s something power users may want to keep in mind.

A phone that still feels good to hold

Last year I ultimately kept picking up the Galaxy S25 Ultra because of how good it feels to hold.

That aspect remains largely unchanged.

In fact, the Galaxy S26 Ultra feels slightly lighter and easier to hold. That’s true even if you add one of Samsung’s official cases with MagSafe compatibility.

Alternatively, you can use one of CASETiFY’s cases for extra protection. It’s going to feel bulkier, but that’s the tradeoff for adding to your defense stats.

Is the Galaxy S26 Ultra your GadgetMatch?

I wrote about Samsung’s philosophy of not chasing specs anymore. And while it’s a defensible direction, it’s not the “sexy” approach. At least perhaps not one that leads to massive sales or new customer acquisition.

But for anyone who’s been with the Galaxy S series for a while, they know what they’re getting – a reliable, ultra overall performer – one with kickass zoom cameras and now a nifty display trick.

Anyone coming from the Galaxy S23 Ultra or older, this is an easy swipe right.

If you’re into discount hacks and are coming from the Galaxy S25 Ultra, you might be surprised at how much you’ll save if you decide to upgrade.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra still offers good value.

Its overall balance remains the benchmark that most users will measure Android flagships by.

For that reason, Samsung’s flagship is still a Swipe Right.