POCO F8 Pro review: Lightweight, heavy hitter
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Xiaomi Poco F8 Ultra Review: High-End Power on a Budget
Poco has built its reputation on delivering budget-friendly smartphones, but the brand is shifting gears with its first-ever “Ultra” model. Priced at £749, the Poco F8 Ultra aims directly at flagship territory, undercutting mainstream giants like the base Google Pixel 10, Samsung Galaxy S25, and iPhone 17 while outperforming them in several key areas.
After putting the device through its paces for over three weeks, it is clear that while it offers immense value, it isn’t without its quirks.
Design & Build: Bold Looks, Significant Bulk
- Distinct Texture: The standout design choice is the Denim Blue version. While it isn’t actual fabric, it convincingly mimics the texture and look of a pair of jeans, offering an excellent, case-free grip that resists dirt. (A standard Black variant is also available).
- Chunky Form Factor: The phone is notably bulky. Weighing 220g and measuring 8.3mm thick to accommodate its large 6.9-inch screen, it can feel cumbersome and tiring to hold over long periods.
- Excellent Durability: It features a tough aluminum alloy frame and comes with an IP68 rating, meaning it is completely dust-proof and can survive being submerged in up to 1.5 meters of freshwater for 30 minutes.
Screen & Speakers: Top-Tier Audio Experience
- Sharp Visuals: The 6.9-inch AMOLED display sports a crisp 1200 x 2608 resolution and a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. While the colors are slightly muted compared to more expensive flagships, and it lacks power-saving LTPO technology (meaning it won’t drop below 60Hz), it remains an excellent screen for media consumption. Outdoor visibility is also great thanks to a 3500-nit peak brightness.
- Bose-Tuned Sound: The real surprise is the audio hardware. Featuring two dedicated stereo speakers and a standalone rear subwoofer tuned by Bose, the F8 Ultra delivers arguably the best sound quality available on a smartphone. The audio is deep, rich, and full of bass without distorting at high volumes.
Performance: Uncompromised Speed
- Flagship Hardware: Driven by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor and paired with either 12GB or 16GB of RAM, this phone handles everyday tasks—like heavy multitasking and web browsing—effortlessly.
- Gaming Powerhouse: It handles demanding mobile games like Genshin Impact, Call of Duty Mobile, and Asphalt Legends at maximum frame rates with ease, suffering only minor warming on the back panel under heavy loads.
- Connectivity: The device supports dual physical SIMs, eSIM, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 6.0.
Cameras: Great in Daylight, Weak at Night
The camera suite offers excellent daytime performance but stumbles when the lights go down.
- Main & Telephoto Lenses: The 50MP main sensor captures highly detailed, vibrant images with excellent dynamic range. The 50MP periscope telephoto lens delivers sharp 5x optical zoom shots and highly usable 10x digital zoom photos.
- Ultrawide & Selfie: The 50MP ultrawide lens is decent, though it suffers from a narrow 102-degree field of view and slight color drops compared to the main sensor. Up front, the 32MP selfie camera produces sharp, highly detailed portraits.
- The Night Mode Letdown: Low-light photography is the phone’s biggest flaw. The automated night mode over-processes images, resulting in unnatural, AI-looking skin tones and poor color accuracy. Furthermore, the slow shutter speed makes capturing moving subjects in the dark incredibly difficult. Turn night mode off, and the photos become too dark to use.
Battery & Charging: Stellar Longevity
- Massive Capacity: Packing a massive 6500mAh battery, the F8 Ultra easily delivers two full days of moderate use (around six hours of screen time) on a single charge.
- Fast Top-Ups: The phone supports rapid 100W wired charging (advertised to hit 100% in 38 minutes), though you have to supply your own compatible charging brick. It also supports handy 22.5W reverse wireless charging for accessories.
Software: Fast but Cluttered
- Bloatware Problems: The phone runs HyperOS 3 (built on Android 16). While the interface is fluid, customizable, and fast, it is heavily weighed down by pre-installed third-party apps, unwanted Xiaomi bloatware, and the intrusive “Wallpaper Carousel” ad feature on the lock screen.
- Support Cycle: While most of the ads and bloatware can be disabled manually, the phone only commits to four major Android OS updates alongside six years of security patches, lagging slightly behind standard flagship longevity.
The Verdict
| Pros | Cons |
| Unique denim-like texture & solid grip | Uncomfortable, heavy build |
| Phenomenal Bose-tuned audio with subwoofer | Poor low-light camera performance |
| Multi-day battery life (6500mAh) | Heavy bloatware & lock screen ads |
| Incredible gaming performance | Only 4 years of major Android updates |
At its full retail price of £749, the software bloat and poor low-light camera performance make it tough to recommend over a Google Pixel or Samsung Galaxy. However, because it is frequently discounted by retailers down to £549, it easily becomes one of the absolute best value-for-money options on the mid-range market. If you can find it on sale, the performance and battery life make it well worth the purchase. (Note: The device is not officially available in the US).