The new POCO C31 is a big battery Android phone with a small price tag

Disappointingly, the phone isn't a big upgrade over last year's POCO C3.

What you need to know

• POCO has launched a new C series phone in India.
• The POCO C31 is a follow-up to last year's POCO C3.
• It is powered by a MediaTek Helio G35 chipset and features a 6.53-inch HD+ display.

Xiaomi's POCO brand has finally unveiled a successor to the POCO C3, which was launched in October last year.

POCO's second C series phone sports a 6.53-inch HD+ display with a tall 20:9 aspect ratio. The waterdrop notch at the top of the display houses a 5MP selfie camera. Powering the POCO C31 is MediaTek's 12nm Helio G35 chipset.

The phone comes equipped with a triple-camera setup on the back, featuring a 13MP primary sensor, a 2MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth sensor. It packs a large 5,000mAh battery, which POCO claims can provide up to two days of usage on a single charge.

The phone also has rubberized seals and P2i nano-coating to protect it from accidental splashes. Other key features include a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, Face Unlock support, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Disappointingly, the POCO C31 doesn't run a newer version of Android than its predecessor. The "new" C31 will ship with Android 10-based MIUI 12 out of the box. And since it is an entry-level device, it remains to be seen if POCO will update the device to Android 11.

Unlike Xiaomi's best budget phones, however, the POCO C31's MIUI 12 software doesn't include any ads.

The POCO C31 is slated to go on sale via Flipkart starting October 2. While the 3GB/32GB version of the phone is priced at ₹8,499 (about $115), the 4GB/64GB version will cost ₹9,499 (about $128). ). During Flipkart's Big Billion Days sale, however, both variants of the phone will be available with a discount of ₹500. Customers with Axis Bank or ICICI Bank credit/debit cards can get an additional 10% off on their purchase.

POCO C3

From ₹7,349 at Flipkart

The POCO C3 is an entry-level Android phone powered by MediaTek's Helio G35 chipset. It also features a large 6.53-inch display, a large 5000mAh battery, and triple rear cameras.