In context: The Xiaomi Pocophone F1 surprised the Android smartphone market in 2018 by combining flagship specs with a budget price, just like the original OnePlus. Excluding the US and Canadian markets, the phone launched globally in 65 countries and became popular enough for Xiaomi to make a spin-off 'Poco' brand. The X2, revealed recently, is the first handset under this new brand and includes a number of niceties unheard of at this price point.

The Poco X2 has the same target audience that was left impressed by the Pocophone F1's value proposition. There are, however, two notable differences this time that doesn't make the X2 a genuine successor to the F1.

While the 2018 model featured the then flagship Snapdragon 845 SoC, the X2 drops this year's controversial update in favor of the 8nm 730G chip. It's also essentially a rebrand of another Chinese model (Redmi K30), instead of being built from the ground up like the F1.

The costs saved by going the rebranding route results in the X2 packing an impressive spec-sheet at its Rs 15,999 ($225) starting price. It comes with a tall 6.67-inch FHD+ HDR10 120Hz display, a 4,500mAH battery with 27W fast charging for 0 to full charge in 68 minutes and a quad-camera array (64MP + 8MP + 2MP + 2MP) on the back featuring Sony's IMX686 sensor on the primary shooter.

RAM can be had in 6GB or 8GB capacity and the UFS 2.1 internal storage comes in 64GB/128GB/256GB configurations. The phone's front has a Samsung-esque punch-hole design with two cameras (20MP + 2MP), and the side includes a fingerprint scanner embedded in the power button, along with a microSD slot in the sim tray.

Other details include a liquid-cooling solution for keeping thermals in-check during gaming sessions with the 120Hz display or when fast charging the phone. There's also a 3.5mm headphone jack and a USB-C port for interfacing.

The X2 runs on Xiaomi's Android 10-based MIUI 11 and is set to go on sale in India on February 11. It remains to be seen if this phone, like the F1, makes an international debut a week later from this date.