Xiaomi recently created a new Poco sub-brand and released the first phone of this line-up, Poco F1. Was there a need for a new sub-brand? What all things can this sub-brand do, which couldn’t have been done with the original branding? These are two big questions, that arise in everybody’s mind.
The Mi-series phones of Xiaomi haven’t done well as compared to the Redmi series. Probably, this could be a reason to launch a new sub-brand and start from the beginning, with no burden of ruining the original brand image. Also, its competitor Oppo launched a sub-brand Realme, a name quite similar to Xiaomi. So, to counter that Xiaomi launched Poco. But this theory doesn’t have any concrete evidence. Recently, Xiaomi had launched its budget smartphone Mi A2, powered by Android One. Now, let’s come to the new so-called flagship-killer launched by Xiaomi.
Poco F1 Design
The build quality of the phone Poco F1 is rock solid, with the polycarbonate back. The phone is very sturdy, well built and has a premium feel to it, as most of the smartphones of current times do. The phone feels comfortable to hold with the single hand because of the curved corners and gripping texture. The phone is available in 3 colours namely Graphite Black, Rosso Red, Steel Blue and one special Armoured Edition made from Kevlar. The Armoured Edition is only available with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB storage options.
The phone comes with the notched design inspired by iPhone X like many other smartphones, with a quite wider notch. The reason for wider notch is the placement of an IR sensor along with basic microphone and front camera. The IR sensor can be used for face detection while unlocking the phone. On the back of the phone, there is one dual camera setup with dual-LED flash and a fingerprint sensor.
On the right side of the phone Poco F1, there are lock button and volume up-down buttons. And there is a hybrid SIM tray on the left side, with 3.5mm headphone jack and secondary microphone on the top. The important point that must be noted is the absence of IR-blaster, which has become a Xiaomi essential thing. On the bottom, there is speaker setup and Type-C USB port with a primary microphone.
Poco F1 Display
The screen is a 6.18-inch FHD+ IPS LCD panel with resolution 2246×1080 and 18.7:9 aspect ratio. The pixel density is 403 PPI with 1500:1 contrast ratio. The screen is made using Gorilla Glass 3.
Poco F1 Processor
Poco F1 is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 clocked at 2.8 GHz, which is found rarely in this price range. Also, there is dedicated graphics processor Adreno 630 clocked at 710 MHz in the smartphone. Xiaomi has used Liquid Cooling technology in the smartphone Poco F1 to dissipate heat during heavy tasks like prolonged gaming. The specifications are top class and undoubtedly performance centred, as far as the processor is concerned.
Poco F1 Camera
The rear camera is a dual camera setup containing the primary sensor of 12 MP, with f/1.9 aperture and 1.4 μm large pixel and the secondary sensor of 5 MP, with f/2.0 aperture and 1.12 μm large pixel size. The rear camera on this phone is absolutely quick to focus on objects while clicking pictures, thanks to its Dual pixel Autofocus. The clicked pictures are full of detailing under daylight and artificial lighting conditions. In low lighting conditions, the phone struggles a bit with sharpness in the pictures, but the pictures appear to be clear.
The front camera is a 20 MP shooter, which can be used to capture images in Portrait mode. Also, there is a built-in AI Beautify mode, which can be used to smoothen the skin while clicking pictures, thereby enhancing looks.
Poco F1 Battery
The battery backup on this phone can last a day with moderate usage with the 4000 mAh battery. The phone also supports Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0, which reduces the battery recharging time.
Poco F1 Price
The phone is available in 3 combinations of RAM and internal storage options. The 6GB RAM and 64GB storage version is available for ₹20,999, 6GM RAM and 128GB version for ₹23,999. These 2 versions are available in 3 colours. Similarly, the 8GB RAM and 256GB storage version is available for ₹28,999 and the Armoured Edition of this version for one thousand more at ₹29,999. The phone will be available on Flipkart and Xiaomi website from 29 August 2018 @12pm.
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