Xiaomi Pocophone F1 Review

• Overview
• Design and Build Quality
• Display
• Performance
• Software and User Interface
• Camera
• Battery Life
• Connectivity and Networking
• Additional Features
• Comparison with Other Related Phones
• Pros and Cons
• Conclusion

Overview

The Xiaomi Pocophone F1 is a budget-friendly smartphone that packs a punch. With its powerful Snapdragon 845 processor and up to 8GB of RAM, it delivers impressive performance at a fraction of the cost of other flagship devices. The Pocophone F1 features a 6.18-inch display with vibrant colors and a large 4,000mAh battery for all-day usage. It also boasts a 12-megapixel camera for capturing stunning photos. With prices starting at £330, the Pocophone F1 offers incredible value for money. Whether you're a tech enthusiast or just looking for a reliable smartphone, the Xiaomi Pocophone F1 is definitely worth considering.

Design and Build Quality

The Xiaomi Pocophone F1 may not offer a premium look and feel like flagship phones, but it still has its own unique design elements. The phone features a 6.18-inch display with an 18:9 aspect ratio, providing a decent amount of screen real estate. While the design may not be the most aesthetically pleasing, it does have silver-tinted chamfered edges that add a touch of sophistication. The phone is constructed with an all-plastic chassis, which may not feel as robust as metal and glass designs but does contribute to its lightweight nature. Despite its plastic build, the Pocophone F1 still feels sturdy and durable. The back panel has a textured finish, which adds a bit of grip and prevents fingerprints from smudging the surface. The placement of buttons and controls is ergonomic, making them easily accessible for one-handed usability. The bezels surrounding the display are noticeable but not overly thick. In terms of dimensions, the phone is relatively compact and easy to hold. Overall, while the Pocophone F1 may not have the sleek design and premium look of flagship phones, it offers a solid build quality and practical design that prioritizes affordability and functionality.

Display

The Xiaomi Pocophone F1 features a 6.18-inch display with a resolution of 2246 x 1080 pixels. The LCD technology used in the display provides good color accuracy and vibrancy, making images and videos look vibrant and true to life. The brightness levels of the display are decent, allowing for good visibility even in outdoor conditions. The touch responsiveness is smooth and accurate, ensuring a seamless user experience. While the Pocophone F1 does not have any specific display protection mentioned, it is worth noting that it does not come with Gorilla Glass or any mention of screen protection. The pixel density of the display is high, resulting in sharp and crisp visuals. The viewing angles are also good, with minimal color distortion when viewing from different angles. The Pocophone F1 does not have an OLED display, so it does not offer features like HDR or wide color gamut. The notch design on the display can be hidden through settings, and the bezels are relatively slim, offering a modern and immersive look. Overall, the display of the Xiaomi Pocophone F1 is impressive, providing a visually pleasing experience with good colors and sharpness.

Performance

The Xiaomi Pocophone F1 boasts impressive performance capabilities thanks to its powerful chipset and optimized software. The phone is equipped with Qualcomm's top-of-the-line Snapdragon 845 processor, which ensures smooth multitasking and lag-free performance. The chipset's GPU benchmarks indicate excellent gaming capabilities, providing an immersive and enjoyable gaming experience.

In terms of graphics scores, the Pocophone F1 delivers exceptional results, allowing for crisp and detailed visuals in games and other multimedia applications. CPU benchmarks also showcase the phone's impressive processing power, enabling swift app loading speeds and efficient multitasking.

The Pocophone F1's performance is further enhanced by its system optimization and thermal management. The phone's software is finely tuned to maximize processor efficiency, resulting in seamless performance even during resource-intensive tasks. Heating issues are minimized thanks to the device's thermal management system, ensuring that the phone remains cool and stable during prolonged usage.

Benchmark tests and synthetic benchmarks conducted on the Pocophone F1 consistently yield high scores, highlighting the device's overall performance prowess. Gaming benchmarks demonstrate the phone's ability to handle demanding games without any noticeable slowdowns or frame rate drops.

The Pocophone F1 provides a smooth user experience, with its powerful chipset and efficient software working in harmony. Whether it's browsing the web, streaming videos, or running multiple apps simultaneously, the phone handles it all with ease, delivering a lag-free and responsive performance.

Overall, the Xiaomi Pocophone F1 excels in terms of performance, offering a powerful chipset, GPU benchmarks, and efficient software optimization. Its gaming capabilities, graphics scores, and CPU benchmarks make it an excellent choice for gamers and power users alike. With its smooth user experience and impressive performance metrics, the Pocophone F1 proves to be a top contender in the mid-range smartphone market.

Software and User Interface

The Xiaomi Pocophone F1 runs on Xiaomi's custom MIUI software, which is based on the Android 8.1 operating system. The MIUI interface offers a range of customization options, allowing users to personalize their device according to their preferences. The software comes with a number of pre-installed apps, some of which may be considered bloatware by some users. However, these apps can be uninstalled if desired.

The MIUI software on the Pocophone F1 is user-friendly and offers a smooth and snappy experience. The interface is clean and intuitive, making it easy to navigate through the various settings and features. The full-screen gesture-based navigation is a convenient addition, allowing for a more immersive and seamless user experience.

One aspect of the MIUI software that some users may find off-putting is the presence of ads. While Xiaomi has taken steps to reduce the number of ads in recent updates, they can still be encountered in various parts of the software. This can be a deal breaker for some users who prefer an ad-free experience.

Overall, the software on the Xiaomi Pocophone F1 provides a good balance between customization and user-friendliness. While the presence of ads may be a downside for some, the clean interface and range of customization options make the MIUI software a decent choice for users looking for a unique and personalized user experience.

Camera

The Xiaomi Pocophone F1 is equipped with a 12-megapixel camera that offers impressive image quality. The camera has a wide aperture and a focal length that allows for capturing clear and sharp images in various lighting conditions. The sensor size of the camera ensures good low-light performance and low-light sensitivity, making it suitable for night photography.

During daylight photography, the Pocophone F1 captures images with accurate and natural colors, along with excellent sharpness and detail. The camera also offers a dynamic range that helps in preserving details in both the highlights and shadows of the image.

For indoor photography, the Pocophone F1 performs well, producing images with good exposure and minimal noise. The camera features image stabilization, which helps in reducing any blurriness caused by hand movements.

The Pocophone F1 also offers a variety of camera modes and features, including portrait mode, HDR, panorama mode, and pro mode. These modes allow users to experiment with different shooting styles and capture stunning images.

In terms of video recording, the Pocophone F1 supports 4K video and offers video stabilization for smooth and steady footage. It also offers slow-motion video and time-lapse modes, allowing users to get creative with their videos. The phone supports various video formats, providing flexibility in sharing and editing the recorded videos.

Overall, the camera on the Xiaomi Pocophone F1 delivers excellent performance, whether it's for capturing photos or recording videos, making it a great choice for photography enthusiasts.

Battery Life

The Xiaomi Pocophone F1 comes with a 4,000mAh battery, which is impressive considering its price range. The battery capacity is more than sufficient to last a full day of heavy usage without needing to be recharged. The phone also supports fast charging technology, allowing for quick top-ups when needed. With its power efficient Snapdragon 845 processor and optimized MIUI software, the Pocophone F1 offers good battery performance and optimization features. Users can expect a decent screen-on time and standby time with minimal battery drain. While the phone does not support wireless charging, the combination of a large battery capacity and fast charging capabilities ensures a reliable and convenient battery experience. Overall, the Xiaomi Pocophone F1 delivers a strong battery performance that can easily keep up with the demands of daily use.

Connectivity and Networking

The Xiaomi Pocophone F1 offers a range of connectivity options to ensure a seamless user experience. It supports dual SIM cards, allowing users to easily switch between two different phone numbers or data plans. In terms of network compatibility, the Pocophone F1 is compatible with various LTE bands, ensuring reliable and fast data speeds.

When it comes to wireless connectivity, the Pocophone F1 supports Wi-Fi standards such as 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, providing fast and stable internet connections. The device also features Bluetooth, with the specific Bluetooth version not specified in the available information. Nonetheless, Bluetooth is a convenient feature for connecting wireless headphones, speakers, or other compatible devices.

Unfortunately, the Xiaomi Pocophone F1 does not have NFC capabilities, which means it cannot be used for contactless payments or other NFC-related functions. Additionally, the phone does not support wireless charging, so users will need to rely on the included USB-C port for charging and data transfer.

In terms of navigation, the Pocophone F1 includes GPS functionality, allowing users to accurately track their location and access navigation services. This is particularly useful when using mapping apps or when driving and needing turn-by-turn directions.

Overall, the Xiaomi Pocophone F1 offers a solid range of connectivity options, including dual SIM support, fast LTE data speeds, Wi-Fi connectivity, Bluetooth, and GPS. However, it lacks NFC capabilities and wireless charging.

Additional Features

Comparison with Other Related Phones

When comparing the Xiaomi Pocophone F1 with related gadgets in the market, it is clear that this mid-range smartphone offers excellent value for money. One of its main competitors is the OnePlus 6, which also provides flagship-grade hardware at a higher price point. The Pocophone F1, priced at around $350, beats the OnePlus 6 in terms of affordability.

In terms of design, the Pocophone F1 falls short compared to flagship phones like the Samsung Galaxy S9 or the iPhone X. With its all-plastic chassis, it lacks the premium look and feel of its competitors. However, it does have some nice touches, such as silver-tinted chamfered edges and a rear-mounted fingerprint reader.

The Pocophone F1 features a 6.18-inch LCD display, which offers decent outdoor visibility but lacks the iridescence seen in higher-end phones like the Huawei P20 Pro. It also has a notch, which can be hidden through settings.

Powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 845 processor and with options for 6GB or 8GB of RAM, the Pocophone F1 delivers great performance for its price. It outperforms many mid-range and even some flagship devices in benchmark tests, such as 3DMark Wild Life and PCMark for Android Work.

The phone runs on Xiaomi's MIUI software, which is feature-rich and offers some unique customization options. However, it may not be everyone's cup of tea, as some users prefer a cleaner, stock Android experience.

In terms of camera performance, the Pocophone F1 delivers good results in well-lit conditions, but struggles in low-light situations. It does not match the quality of cameras found in flagship devices like the Google Pixel 3 or the Samsung Galaxy Note 9.

One of the standout features of the Pocophone F1 is its battery life. With its 4,000mAh battery, it easily lasts a full day with heavy usage, outperforming many devices in its price range.

Overall, the Xiaomi Pocophone F1 offers impressive performance and features for its price, making it a strong competitor in the mid-range smartphone market. While it may not have the premium design or camera quality of flagship devices, its affordability and excellent battery life make it a compelling choice for budget-conscious consumers.

Pros and Cons

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Xiaomi Pocophone F1 is a budget-friendly smartphone that offers impressive performance and features. With its Snapdragon 845 processor, ample RAM, and multiple storage options, it delivers smooth and snappy performance. The long-lasting battery life is a definite plus, ensuring that you won't be left scrambling for a charger throughout the day. However, the design of the phone lacks the premium feel of flagship devices, and the presence of ads in the MIUI software may be a deal breaker for some. Overall, if you're looking for a powerful and affordable smartphone with great performance, the Pocophone F1 is definitely worth considering.