Xiaomi Poco F1 Review: A Phone with Unbelievable Price & Specs

Xiaomi tried really hard to impress users in an upper mid-range segment by launching some flagship-level smartphones but unfortunately, they failed to impress the potential buyers. Now, the company has introduced a sub-brand – Poco which launched its very first smartphone – the Xiaomi Poco F1.

The Xiaomi Poco F1 is the world’s cheapest Snapdragon 845-powered smartphone. With a starting price of ₹20,999, the handset comes with flagship-grade specifications. Now it seems that the new Poco F1 will definitely impress the buyers and will compete very well with Zenfone 5Z and OnePlus 6.

Xiaomi Poco F1 Specifications and Features

Display	6.18-inch full HD+, 1080x2246px, 18.7:9 Ratio, ~403ppi
SoC & GPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 | Adreno 630
OS & RAM	Android 8.1 Oreo | 6GB or 8GB RAM
Storage	64GB, 128GB or 256GB | Expandable up to 256GB
Rear Camera	Dual 12MP(f/1.9, Dual Pixel PDAF)+5MP (f/2.0), dual-LED flash
Front Camera	20MP (f/2.0, HDR)
Battery	Li-Po 4,000 mAh

Design & Build Quality

Xiaomi has taken a bold move by implementing Kevlar and Polycarbonate body. It doesn’t stand a chance against the glossy and shiny glass rear panel but it does have its own advantages. For example, it can survive multiple accidental falls compared to the glass panel-equipped smartphones that shatter in a single drop.

Talking more about design, the Xiaomi Poco F1 comes with 3.55mm audio jack which is a good thing for music and game lovers. All of the buttons are placed on the right edge whereas the left edge houses SIM slot. At the bottom, you get speaker grills and USB type-c port.

Coming to the back, Xiaomi has placed the dual camera setup vertically right in the center. Below the camera module is a fingerprint sensor which is blazing fast. And at the bottom, you can see “Poco” branding.

Overall, the design is good and is more durable than the glass panel-equipped smartphones.

Display and UI

The Xiaomi Poco F1 features a 6.18-inch full HD+ display which is big enough for people who love to watch videos or play games on their phone. Xiaomi has claimed that the display carries 500nits of brightness which means it is bright enough to be operated normally under direct sunlight.

Talking about its quality, the display looks good. It is bright, crisp and vibrant. Colors on this device look very good, however; we also noticed that the display looks a bit yellowish. Anyway, we will talk more about it in our detailed review. Please wait for it.

The Xiaomi Poco F1 runs on MIUI 9.6 based on Android 8.1 Oreo but it is different than the original MIUI. Poco has customized it and the biggest change is probably the inclusion of an app drawer. Plus, the search bar right above the navigation buttons helps you search for anything on your phone.

Gaming and Performance

The Xiaomi Poco F1 is powered by world’s most powerful mobile processor – the Snapdragon 845. So, the performance is just as smooth. No matter what task you have given to your phone, it just executes everything with an ease. From normal to heavy games and multi-tasking to app switching, the Poco F1 smoothly handles everything.

For people like me who love to play graphics-rich games, any phone with Snapdragon 845 would be fine. Heavy games like PUBG Mobile, Gangster Vegas – the Mafia Game, Asphalt 8: Airborne and Shadow Fight 3 can be played on high graphics settings.

We will talk more about it in our detailed review.

Camera

Coming to another major department that people care for, the Xiaomi Poco F1 has a dual rear camera setup which includes a 12MP sensor with f/1.9 aperture and 5MP sensor with f/2.0 aperture. For selfies and video calling, the company has placed a 20 megapixels camera at the front.

Both the rear and front facing cameras are powered by artificial intelligence technology which enhances the photo quality instantly. While initial testing, we found that the handset was able to focus on objects quickly. Initial samples were also looking decent. But hey, we are not judging the camera here as we will do the extended test in our detailed review.

Battery

The Xiaomi Poco F1 is backed by a 4,000 mAh battery. The handset easily lasts a day with moderate usage. During normal usage, it can last around 1 and a half day. We haven’t done the heavy usage test so stay tuned for our detailed review. Further, the battery is powered by Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0.

Our Verdict

The Xiaomi Poco F1 does come with flagship-level specifications with a mid-range price tag. It is the cheapest smartphone to feature top-of-the-line Snapdragon 845 processor. Xiaomi has definitely done a good job and we, at Gadget2Buy, think that this smartphone is going to kill other flagships available in the market including Zenfone 5Z and OnePlus 6. This smartphone does justify its price. Heck, it offers more in a lesser price tag.

Furthermore, stay tuned to Gadget2Buy for detailed comparison. We will also be comparing this smartphone with its competitors.