Xiaomi Poco F8 Ultra review: Bang for your buck
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Xiaomi Poco F8 Ultra Review: Premium Performance with a Mid-Range Price Tag
Poco has built its reputation on delivering budget-friendly smartphones, but the brand is shifting gears. With the introduction of the Poco F8 Ultra, the company is making its first definitive move into the premium market. Priced competitively at £749, it significantly undercuts standard flagship options like the Samsung Galaxy S25, Google Pixel 10, and iPhone 17—all while offering top-tier specs that challenge its pricier rivals.
Does this mark a new era for affordable flagships? After three weeks of intensive real-world testing, here is how the device holds up.
The At-A-Glance Verdict;xiaomi poco f8 ultra
Pros
- Striking Aesthetic: The distinct Denim Blue variant offers a refreshing look and excellent grip.
- Exceptional Endurance: Easily stretches to a full two days of normal use.
- Powerhouse Performance: Powered by a high-end chipset that handles any task effortlessly.
- Elite Audio: Incredible, bass-rich sound quality that sets a new industry standard.
Cons
- Weak Night Photography: Low-light images suffer from aggressive AI processing and motion blur.
- Intrusive Software Bloat: HyperOS 3 comes packed with unwanted pre-installed applications and ads.
- Limited Software Support: Only eligible for 4 major Android version updates.
Our Verdict: The Poco F8 Ultra provides the uncompromising flagship hardware performance that budget-conscious tech enthusiasts have been waiting for. However, software quirks and low-light camera limitations mean mainstream buyers might still prefer the Pixel 10 or Galaxy S25—unless you can secure the F8 Ultra at a solid discount.
Design & Build: Bold Aesthetics, Significant Heft
The phone comes in Black or an eye-catching Denim Blue. The blue model is the real standout; while constructed from a robust fiber-reinforced plastic rather than actual fabric, it beautifully mimics the look and tactile texture of actual denim jeans. This textured finish provides a superb grip, making it a viable option to use without a protective case. Over three weeks of use, the back panel has remained surprisingly clean and resilient against everyday dirt.
+------------------+---------------------------+
| Design Aspect | Specification / Material |
+------------------+---------------------------+
| Back Panel (Blue)| Fiber-reinforced plastic |
| Back Panel (Black| Silicone polymer |
| Frame | Aluminum alloy |
| Water Resistance | IP68 (1.5m for 30 mins) |
| Thickness/Weight | 8.3mm / 220g |
+------------------+---------------------------+
The device feels exceptionally sturdy thanks to its aluminum alloy frame and carries an IP68 rating, meaning it is entirely dust-proof and can survive freshwater immersion for up to half an hour.
The main drawback is its physical footprint. Weighing 220g and measuring 8.3mm thick for the blue model, this 6.9-inch device feels undeniably bulky and can become uncomfortable to hold during extended single-handed sessions.
Display & Speakers: A Masterclass in Audio
The display on the Poco F8 Ultra is an expansive 6.9-inch AMOLED panel with a sharp 1200 x 2608 resolution and a fluid 120Hz refresh rate. It delivers the deep contrast and infinite blacks characteristic of high-quality AMOLED screens, with a staggering peak brightness of 3500 nits that ensures great outdoor visibility.
However, it lacks LTPO technology (meaning the refresh rate won’t scale down below 60Hz), and the colors are a bit more muted than what you’ll find on elite-tier competitors. Under the glass sits an excellent optical under-display fingerprint sensor that is incredibly fast and reliable.
Unmatched Audio Quality
Where this phone truly triumphs is its sound system. Tuned by Bose, it features dual dedicated speakers alongside an independent rear-facing subwoofer.
The audio experience is arguably the best ever heard on a smartphone. The sound stage is wide, rich, and filled with robust bass, managing to fill a room without distorting at maximum volume. It completely eliminates the immediate need for a Bluetooth speaker or headphones when watching videos or listening to music at home.
Performance: Absolute Speed Without Compromise
Equipped with Qualcomm’s formidable Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor and paired with either 12GB or 16GB of RAM, the Poco F8 Ultra handles regular multitasking with an excessive amount of power to spare. Scrolling, web browsing, emailing, and productivity work feel instantaneous on the massive screen.
POCO F8 ULTRA GAMING PERFORMANCE
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Call of Duty Mobile | [====================] Smooth / High FPS
Asphalt Legends | [====================] Smooth / High FPS
PUBG Mobile | [====================] Smooth / High FPS
Genshin Impact | [====================] Smooth / High FPS
Mobile gaming is flawless. Testing across demanding titles like Genshin Impact and Call of Duty Mobile yielded consistently high frame rates without stuttering. The phone’s cooling system does an admirable job; the back panel gets only slightly warm under sustained heavy gaming loads.
- Storage Tiers: Choose between 12GB/256GB or 16GB/512GB configurations.
- Connectivity: Features dual physical SIM slots plus eSIM capabilities, running on the latest Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0 standards.
Cameras: Stellar by Day, Disappointing by Night
The imaging system on the Poco F8 Ultra is highly capable under the right circumstances, but it stumbles in challenging environments.
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
| CAMERA SPECIFICATIONS |
+-------------------+-------------------+-------------------------+
| Sensor | Megapixels | Special Features |
+-------------------+-------------------+-------------------------+
| Main | 50Mp (f/1.7) | Optical Stabilization |
| Periscope Tele. | 50Mp (f/3.0) | 5x Optical / OIS |
| Ultrawide | 50Mp (f/2.4) | 102-degree FOV |
| Front Selfie | 32Mp (f/2.2) | Portrait Mode |
+-------------------+-------------------+-------------------------+
Daytime Performance
In well-lit environments, the 50Mp main camera produces vibrant, sharp images with excellent dynamic range and faithful color reproduction. The 50Mp telephoto lens offers a sharp 5x optical zoom, and even 10x digital zoom shots remain highly usable. The telephoto lens also pulls double duty as an excellent portrait shooter, delivering natural-looking background blur.
The 32Mp front camera captures an outstanding level of facial detail, while the 50Mp ultrawide lens is decent, though it suffers from a somewhat narrow 102-degree field of view and a slight drop in edge detail. Video recording tops out at 8K at 30fps, assisted by effective Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) on both the main and zoom lenses.
Low-Light Struggles
The camera setup falls short in low-light environments. The automated night mode over-processes images, leading to inaccurate colors and giving human subjects an artificial, “AI-generated” look.
Furthermore, the long exposure time causes a severe shutter delay. Trying to take photos of moving subjects in low light results in heavy motion blur. Disabling night mode entirely is not an option either, as the resulting photos turn out far too dark to be usable.
Battery & Charging: Exceptional Two-Day Lifespan
Armed with a massive 6500mAh lithium-ion battery, endurance is a major high point for this phone. For standard workflows, the phone easily cruises through two full days of use on a single charge. Even on heavy usage days, battery anxiety is nonexistent.
While the device supports blazing-fast 100W wired charging (capable of a full top-up in 38 minutes), a compatible brick is not included in the retail box. Using a standard 67W power delivery adapter, the phone reached 64% in half an hour and completed a full charge in 68 minutes. Wireless charging hits speeds up to 50W, and it features useful 22.5W reverse wireless charging to quickly power up your wireless earbuds or accessories.
Software: Capable but Cluttered
The device ships with HyperOS 3, which is built on top of Android 16. While the underlying system feels fast, responsive, and highly customizable, it is heavily burdened by pre-installed third-party software, Xiaomi bloatware, and integrated advertisements.
Features like the “Wallpaper Carousel” push unrequested articles onto your lock screen constantly. While you can manually dive into settings to uninstall these applications and toggle off ads, it detracts from an otherwise premium out-of-the-box user experience.
On the longevity front, Xiaomi promises four generations of major Android OS upgrades alongside six years of security patches.
Value and Final Thoughts
With an official launch price of £749, the Poco F8 Ultra challenges standard entry-level flagships. However, frequent retail discounts often drop its price tag closer to £549, making it an absolute steal in the upper-mid-range segment. Note that the phone does not see an official release in the US market.
If you can find it below its standard retail price, the Poco F8 Ultra offers incredible value, matching top-tier processing speeds with class-leading battery life and unrivaled speaker performance. If you are willing to look past its bulky build, aggressive software bloat, and mediocre low-light photography, it stands out as an exceptional hardware package.