Poco F6 Pro Review: Is the Poco F6 Pro a Good Purchase?

The mobile tech landscape is dotted with a variety of gadget types. There are inexpensive phones, mid-range phones, and flagship phones. However, what occurs if a mid-ranger unintentionally enters the flagship segment without realizing it? You get the Flagship Killer, which is among the best phones available. The Xiaomi Poco brand has produced these kinds of phones for a long time, and it doesn’t appear that this trend will end very soon. I got the chance to evaluate the Poco F6 Pro. Does this phone continue the legacy of the Poco brand? Let’s investigate!

For those unaware, the Poco series began in 2018 with the release of the first phone to use the most potent Snapdragon chip available at the time. This and a few other flagship specifications gave the approximate $299 price point the appearance of a typo. It was simply another one for the pile, though, because the moniker “Flagship Killer” was in full force back then.

As the distinction between flagship and low-cost phones becomes more hazy, the term “flagship killer” is becoming less relevant in 2024. Thus, the Poco F6 Pro must overcome significant obstacles to win that title.

POCO F6 PRO KEY FEATURES

The Poco F6 Pro upholds the brand’s commitment to providing excellent value for the money. The Poco F6 Pro is considered the “flagship” of the company, just like the F5 Pro was before it. It does make some compromises to deliver on the value front, such as sticking with the top-tier Qualcomm chip from the previous year rather than the most recent model. Even so, it is an extremely high-end upper-midrange—some could even say “flagship killer”—with an appealing price tag and very few concessions in terms of use.

Just to let you know, the Poco F6 Pro is simply the Xiaomi Redmi K70 rebranded. If you ever run across one of these phones, it’s the same model. Throughout this review, we will refer to the device as the Poco F6 Pro, however, the Redmi K70 should be covered by all of the article’s conclusions as well.

As previously established, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset from last year powers the Poco F6 Pro. It may not be the best processor available right now, but it’s still a very strong chip that can easily handle any task.

Additionally, the Poco F6 Pro specs sheet highlights more than just the chipset. The phone also boasts a 6.67-inch, 120Hz AMOLED screen that is quite good overall. It features a resolution of 3200 x 1440 pixels, 12-bit color depth, 3840Hz PWD dimming, and an amazing 4,000 nits of peak brightness.

The Poco F6 Pro’s camera configuration is also quite good. The primary camera from the previous model has been replaced with a 50MP, larger, brighter unit that once again supports OIS. Along with the primary camera and a 16MP selfie, you also get an 8MP ultrawide and a 2MP macro.

Not to be overlooked are a few other intriguing features of the Poco F6 Pro, like as its 120W HyperCharge fast charging capability on its 5,000 mAh battery, which is even more delightful given that the charger comes in a retail box. To mention a few, you also get NFC, dual speakers, and an IR blaster.

POCO F6 PRO UNBOXING

The packaging for the F6 Pro is a very typical two-piece cardboard package. In keeping with the brand’s classic color palette, it is entirely black with yellow lettering. Both the box and its internal cradles—including the one that holds the phone—are composed of cardboard. In the wrapping encasing the phone, we only saw one plastic component. Apart from that, great job being environmentally conscious.

The Poco F6 Pro comes with an extremely extensive accessory kit. It comes with a proprietary USB Type-A to Type-C connector and a 120W HyperCharge charger. If you wish to fully charge the phone, you should monitor both. A very good, robust, somewhat thick, opaque black TPU case is also included in the box. To be honest, we were not able to ask for more.

CAMERA

With three cameras total, the Poco F6 Pro is fronted by a 50MP primary sensor that has optical image stabilization. With time, Xiaomi’s camera app has improved in usability, providing instant access to functions like motion tracking and voice shutter. Pro mode gives manual white balance and shutter speed changes, while a 50MP high-resolution option provides detailed photos.

Photos taken in ordinary auto mode tend to be more colorful, but they are still visually appealing. HDR ensures balanced photos by effectively managing bright and dark areas. The phone takes good low-light photos with very little grain, although moving objects could look hazy.

Warm-toned images similar to those from the primary camera are produced by the 8MP ultra-wide shooter on the second lens. A simple 2MP macro camera serves as the third lens; it is good for close-ups but not the best for zoomed-in photos.

You can record in 4K at 30/60 frames per second or up to 8K at 24 frames per second. For more creative flexibility, Xiaomi’s Director Mode provides sophisticated video options. Even when moving, stabilization is dependable, however in windy circumstances, there could be a small amount of audio distortion. The 16MP front camera does a respectable job taking selfies, while it has issues with backlighting and low light.

In general, the Poco F6 Pro’s cameras perform well for regular photography and filmmaking, while there are certain drawbacks in difficult lighting conditions.

DESIGN AND SCREEN

Aesthetically, the Poco F6 Pro is much more similar to the X6 models than last year’s F5 Pro. It features a fully flat display, boxy iPhone-like borders, and a softly curved glass back panel. Everything about this phone seems like a flagship. It has an aluminum frame and a silky smooth glass back with a rock-like design that varies with the light. It’s also very large and heavy, giving it a more premium feel than lightweight plastic-framed mid-rangers.

The silky backside feels great in your hand, but it’s really slippery, so you’ll need an iron grip if you plan on using it without a case. Thankfully, a great matte black TPU covering is included in the box, and it’s really gripping with it on. I have the black version here for testing, and as previously said, the rear has a distinctive repeating pattern in graphite gray. The camera surround has a mirror-like quality that is difficult to clean, and each lens is surrounded with a yellow-gold accent ring, which I think looks great. However, the mirrored surround’s continuous smudges and dust detract from its excellent touches.

It is also available in white, and the white model features the same pattern on the back. However, it appears more faint with a lighter tone of grey. There is no distinctive Poco yellow option this time, which is probably good news for most people, but I personally prefer a banana-colored phone. Interestingly, the Poco F6 Pro only has an IP54 rating for dust and water protection, whilst the cheaper Poco F6 has an IP64 rating. It’s unlikely to matter unless you routinely deal with dust storms, but it’s worth noting.

It also boasts a 120Hz refresh rate that can be dynamically reduced to 60Hz to save power. It isn’t as remarkable as LTPO rivals’ 1-120Hz range, but it’s still useful. If that wasn’t enough, the panel is also quite brilliant. Poco claims it can raise to 4000 nits under certain conditions. In real-world use, it has no issue competing with direct sunshine, and because it is fully flat, there will be no irritating edge reflections.

The display supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+, and it can also display 12-bit color. This means that HDR content from apps like Netflix and Prime Video looks incredible, with rich, accurate colors and brilliant highlights.More encouraging news for people concerned about their eyes. The Poco F6 Pro is TUV Low Blue Light, Flicker Free, and Circadian Friendly certified, with an unusually high PWM dimming rate of up to 3840Hz.

HOW’S THE PERFORMANCE?

Sure, the phone is attractive, has a decent display, and good speakers, but how does it perform? One of the distinguishing features of Xiaomi’s first Poco phone was the inclusion of a flagship-grade chipset. One of the things that made this phone stand out was its Snapdragon 845 processor.

This time around, Xiaomi didn’t quite replicate what it did with the first one, but it’s still not bad. The business outfitted this phone with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. This is the primary flagship processor that drove the most powerful phones last year. So, while this phone’s silicon is a year old, it’s far from slow. Out of the box, this phone delivered nothing but fast performance. I saw no dropped frames, UI stutters, or anything of the type.

The same is true for opening and utilizing applications. None of the apps I used slowed down the phone. Even after a long period of use and increased load, the Poco F6 Pro performed well. This is true flagship phone behavior. You won’t have to worry about a cheap phone having poor performance. This phone flies!

Because the Poco F6 Pro is such a great performer, you should expect its gaming capabilities to be equally remarkable. Phones can navigate software and execute apps with ease, but they fall short when it comes to gaming. However, when dealing with flagship silicon, strong overall performance and gaming performance are usually synonymous.

Before we begin, it’s worth noting that the Poco F6 Pro includes a feature called Game Turbo. Using this tool, you can improve gaming performance and get the most out of your Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. During my testing, I utilized the game booster mode.

On the audio front, the built-in speakers are likewise far above average. You get twin stereo drivers, which produce a beautiful soundstage and improve positioning accuracy in FPS games like PUBG. There’s plenty of clarity in the mids and higher frequencies, as well as a reasonable amount of bass for music.

Buy it if...

• Solid retail bundle.
• Premium construction quality and straightforward design.
• Excellent OLED display with outstanding HDR compatibility and high refresh rate performance.
• Very quick charging.
• Very nice stereo speaker setup.
• The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset delivers impressive performance, top connectivity, and features.
• Great overall camera performance.

Don't buy it if…

• Battery life could be improved.
• The ultrawide sensor is somewhat antiquated, with largely mediocre video capturing.