People looking to buy a smartphone this year are in for a treat. Almost all, if not all, manufacturers have released their latest devices, from mid-range to flagships, just in time for the Christmas season.
POCO is definitely one of those manufacturers, launching the F7 Pro and F7 Ultra in March, followed by the base F7 in June this year. Now, POCO’s back to follow that up with the F8 Series.
We’ll start with the POCO F8 Pro. Stay tuned to our official Facebook and YouTube channels to see our unboxing and know our first impressions on the POCO F8 Ultra.
The Same Old But With A Twist
Unlike other manufacturers that come in guns blazing starting with the unboxing, POCO didn’t focus much on the unboxing experience. Coming in the usual black and yellow box with the welcome addition of the “Sound by Bose” logo which hints at the improved audio experience.
When we first got our unit, I was kinda puzzled at how small the box is compared to the previous ones. I thought POCO was able to magically cramp all the accessories that it usually comes with in a smaller box but alas! There was one piece missing, the charging brick.
Inside, you’ll only find the following:
- The POCO F8 Pro itself
- A Matte Black Protective Case
- A USB-A to USB-C Cable
- Quick Start Guide
- Warranty Information
Asked and Answered
For many, the F7 Series’ design was a bit of a swing and a miss for POCO. Don’t get me wrong, the build was top notch, premium even. It’s just that the circular camera island looked a little out of place with the rest of the phone’s design, but that’s just my opinion.
Well, POCO took that to heart and completely overhauled the design language from top to bottom. They’ve streamlined the top part of the two-tone design and went for a rectangular platform to house the triple-camera system.
Material choice remains top-tier. Made from a unibody cold-sculpted glass with a micro-arc metal frame, it doesn’t feel like a smartphone of this price point. The POCO F8 Pro comes in three colors: Black, Silver, and the one we’re reviewing, Blue.
At 8mm thin and 206 g weight, it’s not the thinnest smartphone around, but it’s also not the thickest. POCO opted to go as thin as it can without risking thermal performance. And if you decide to go case-less, the POCO Shield Glass and IP68 dust and water resistance rating should keep the everyday elements away.
Ports and buttons-wise, all the buttons are situated on the right side. While the SIM slot and USB Type-C port are found at the bottom. You’ll also find one of the stereo speakers at the bottom with the other found at the top.
Brighter, Bolder, and Overall Better
Apart from having an unbeatable price-to-performance ratio, POCO has always prided itself on delivering amazing displays for far less than what traditional flagships offer. That legacy continues on with the POCO F8 Series.
Up front is a stunning 6.59-inch 1.5K HyperRGB AMOLED display with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. Plus, support for Dolby Vision and HDR 10+ which in my mind makes it an absolute entertainment unit.
We’ll give you more detail on what HyperRGB is and what it does for the POCO F8 Pro’s display when our full review of the POCO F8 Ultra drops. But the basic idea is that because of the new pixel arrangement, all the information now appears clearer, almost appearing like a 2K OLED display.
Hell, even the harsh afternoon sunlight is no match for the POCO F8 Pro’s peak brightness of up to 3500 nits.
Flagship Killer True and True
The moment everyone’s been waiting for. Staying true to its“flagship killer” DNA, the POCO F8 Pro is equipped with last year’s flagship chip, the Snapdragon 8 Elite.
Complementing the SD 8 Elite is a choice between 12 or 16GB of LPDDR5x RAM and either 256 or 512GB of blazing fast UFS 4.1 storage. I mean just look at our initial Geekbench and AnTuTu scores.
Out of the box, it’s rocking the latest HyperOS 3, so no more waiting for Android 16 to arrive. HyperOS 3 brings a slew of new features both aesthetically and practically that’ll make your smartphone faster and smarter.
Want to dive deeper into the POCO F8 Pro and HyperOS 3? Watch our full hands-on video on YouTube!
Bose? Bose-ing!
Another aspect where POCO takes things up a notch is with the F8 Series’ audio. On its own, the POCO F8 Pro already supports high-res audio but taking things up to eleven is a 2.1-channel speaker that’s tuned by one of the most highly regarded audio makers in the industry, Bose
I wish you could hear it in person because let me tell you, it’s a very different experience than what you’d find on some other phones. While others only boost the loudness, POCO enriches it, letting you hear every thump, pop, and blow as if it came from a dedicated surround sound speaker.
Back With A Vengeance
POCO’s F series has historically never excelled at camera performance. It’s one of the things that I think POCO cuts corners to severely undercut the competition. But this year, POCO wants to tick all the boxes. Not just by upgrading the sensor but also improving the processing to close the gap.
Instead of the dual-camera setup like the one we had with the F7 Pro, the triple-camera setup is now standard on both devices. With a 50 MP Light Fusion 800 main sensor leading the way, a new 50 MP telephoto lens, and an 8 MP ultra-wide sensor. Plus, a 20 MP front facing camera to round things off.
With the Light Fusion 800 sensor, the POCO F8 Pro now delivers even cleaner shadows, more refined tones, and more detailed highlights even in dimly lit situations. The new telephoto brings about 2.5x optical zoom with OIS. There’s even AI enhanced features to further improve your creativity.
Check out some of the shots we took with the POCO F8 Pro:
Here’s some using the new 50 MP Telephoto lens:
Last but not the least, here’s some from the 20 MP front facing camera:
Battery & Charging
Powering all those features is a massive 6210 mAh battery that is more than enough for the average user. You may even stretch that to a day and a half if you’re really battery conscious.
But when it’s time to recharge, the 100W fast wired charging can top off the F8 Pro from 0 to 100% in just under an hour. Unfortunately for the F8 Pro, wireless charging only exists in the F8 Ultra. Although the F8 Pro does have 22.5W reverse wired charging so you can share that massive battery.
Initial Thoughts
Although we’ve only spent a bit of time with the POCO F8 Pro, it cannot be understated that POCO does what it does best, which is powerful hardware at a competitive price that leaves everyone in its class sweating.
They’ve hunkered down and addressed all the weaknesses of the previous generation while innovating on the things they’re doing well. Sure, the F8 Pro may not be the thinnest like other flagships but for many, that’s actually one of its strengths.
It’s well balanced, not just in feel but also in the value that it offers. Of course, this is just our first impressions of the POCO F8 Pro. But by the way things are going? The POCO F8 Pro might be one of the best “flagship killer” devices of 2025.
After seeing our first look, do you think the POCO F8 Pro is the flagship killer of 2025?
Let us know what you think!