Poco F6 Overview: Return of the Champion – Uplaza

In a nutshell

The Poco F6 was introduced on Might thirteenth, 2024, after an extended teasing marketing campaign. It’s primarily based on the Chinese language-exclusive Redmi Turbo 3 and is positioned as a “Performance Flagship” by Poco. In apply, that implies that the corporate designed the cellphone with a efficiency precedence with minor compromises elsewhere, primarily within the digicam division.

Just like the F5 earlier than it, the Poco F6 debuts a Qualcomm chip: this time the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, the CPU designer positions the CPU at a better tier, suggesting higher efficiency, one thing that we discovered was true, and we now have the numbers to share under.

The Poco F6 improves on final 12 months’s F5 by upping the display decision from 1080p+ to 2712×1220, sooner charging at 90 W, and promising an additional 12 months of system upgrades and safety updates.

Poco ought to have already got the Poco F6 on the market on its on-line retailer beginning at 450€ for the 8+256 GB mannequin, with the 12+512 GB possibility beginning at a 499,99€ MSRP. Early birds can save by pre-ordering, taking the value to 389,90€ and 419,90€ respectively.

As with previous Poco/Xiaomi launches, the Poco F6 shouldn’t be anticipated to be offered formally in North America, however we anticipate to see third-party sellers providing the cellphone on the same old on-line marketplaces.

Design and Show

The large 6.67” OLED show takes middle stage as soon as once more on the Poco F6. This time, nonetheless, Poco outfitted the cellphone with a brighter, higher-resolution panel on the similar 120 Hz refresh fee. Design-wise, the brand new cellphone presents a pleasing, extra delicate model, with out the shiny (and fingerprint-prone floor) of its predecessor. On the destructive facet, nonetheless, gone is the headphone jack. We misplaced one other one, girls and boys.

Execs:

• Skinny and lightweight construct.
• Vibrant and high-resolution OLED display.
• Skinny bezels.
• Subjectively fairly.

Cons:

• Solely IP64 water splash resistance.
• No expandable reminiscence.
• No headphone jack.

Not one to skip a development, Poco despatched us the assessment pattern within the “Titanium” shade. Jokes apart, we preferred the plastic end, which not solely had a discreet shine, however did not get fingerprints. The corporate may also promote the cellphone in black and inexperienced finishes, so Western audiences should dwell with out the white and Harry Potter (???) choices, at the least for now.

The Poco F6 saved the skinny and compact design of its predecessor, with a premium end on the perimeters. The fingerprint reader moved from the facility button to the show, and all buttons are positioned in handy positions on the left facet. The highest homes the standard IR blaster, speaker, and microphone, and the underside has the opposite speaker, USB-C port, and twin SIM tray, whereas the left facet is clear. The headphone jack discovered within the F5 is gone on the Poco F6.

Like its predecessor, the Poco F6 options skinny bezels on the entrance across the huge 6.67-inch OLED show, which nonetheless refreshes at 120 Hz for clean animations. The decision bought a bump to 2712 × 1220, which is all the time a welcome change, however a good greater improve will be discovered within the peak brightness which (in true 2024 vogue) now reaches 4000 nits. Which can clarify why the model selected to current the cellphone on the sandy dunes of Dubai.

To spherical up this part, the show is roofed by Gorilla Glass Victus, and the ingress resistance bought a small improve between the Poco F5 and F6, going from IP53 to IP64.

Efficiency and Software program

Powered by the brand new Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 processor, the Poco F3 options 8 or 12 GB of quick LPDDR5x RAM and 256 or 512 GB of equally quick UFS 4.0 storage. That leads to snappy efficiency for each each day duties and gaming, with assist for all of the innovative options and results accessible on the Android ecossystem 

Execs:

• Flagship-like and secure efficiency.
• Improved software program replace coverage.

Cons:

We have been impressed by final 12 months’s Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 on the Poco F5, and for the 8s Gen 3, Qualcomm did an total improve, with extra fashionable and sooner CPU cores, whereas adopting an identical GPU to the one used on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. That enchancment had a small side-effect we’ll cowl later, however the necessary factor is that if you’re available in the market for a quick cellphone that does not brake the financial institution, the Poco F6 must be in your watch record.

For non-gaming apps, single-threaded efficiency is sort of double what the Poco F5 provided, which explains the snappy efficiency across the interface, when opening apps, and fast results processing. For multi-threaded duties, with a lot of simultaneous demanding processing, the Poco F6 additionally outperforms its predecessor, however by a smaller 15% margin.

The numbers can’t match 2024’s flagships powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, however simply commerce blows with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 technology: The 8s Gen 3 simply wins in single-thread efficiency, however barely loses in multi-thread. The result’s a really sturdy contender for the sub $600/600€ market.

In gaming, the soar in efficiency for the Poco F6 over its predecessor is near 50%. Which interprets into extra FPS and/or higher picture high quality. The F6 does not supply the near-perfect consistency in efficiency because the Poco F5, however the worst-case situations simulated by the 3D Mark stress take a look at nonetheless returned higher efficiency for the Poco F6 than the F5 at its finest.

When in comparison with 2023’s flagships, the Poco F6’s Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 provided barely decrease peak efficiency, however higher worst-case efficiency than the OnePlus 12R powered by 2023’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. In apply, the extra constant efficiency on the Poco F6 means decrease efficiency drops within the (figurative) warmth of a gaming session.

Software program

First, the excellent news. We have now lengthy criticized Poco’s replace coverage of solely two Android upgrades and three years of safety updates. For the Poco F6 telephones, the corporate prolonged each situations for a 12 months, which suggests three Android upgrades and 4 years of safety updates. The development mirrors comparable steps mum or dad firm Xiaomi has made to higher assist its prospects.

We should always observe that each Samsung and Google nonetheless supply longer assist for his or her telephones in the identical value vary. However Poco (and Xiaomi) must be praised for additionally bettering their replace recreation. And the Poco F6 simply outperforms all telephones the 2 corporations supply in the identical value vary.

One factor that did not change, however, is the quantity of third-party apps pre-installed on the Poco F6. Like its predecessor, the cellphone comes with 18 apps that may be thought-about bloatware. Some will argue that this or that individual app is beneficial, nevertheless it does not change the truth that it ought to have been non-obligatory. Ultimately, that helped inflate the used storage after a clear set up with all apps up to date leading to 36.4 GB of used house from the get-go.

Digital camera

The digicam part is the place we often discover the Poco F line weak factors. The Poco F6 tries to interrupt away from the sample, however nonetheless underperforms when in comparison with the Samsung or Google direct rivals. The principle 50-megapixel sensor is best at capturing mild than the earlier F5, and that resulted in very usable outcomes, day or evening. The ultra-wide digicam was principally okay in the course of the day, and the macro… wait, there is no such thing as a ineffective macro digicam this time round!

Execs:

• Good daylight and evening footage from the primary digicam.
• Good decisions from the automated mode.
• No ineffective macro digicam (sure, that may be a Professional).

Cons:

• Magnificence impact on selfies by default.

The 50 MP Sony IMX882 is probably not a flagship-level digicam sensor, however for a $450/450€ it confirmed aggressive efficiency. The digicam equipment is accomplished by an 8 MP ultra-wide lens and the selfie digicam with 20-megapixels.

The principle digicam carried out effectively in our shoots, with a great degree of element and sensible shade replica. Not having a telephoto lens, customers should resort to the digital zoom (or strolling ahead) for nearer photographs. And the outcomes have been good as much as 4x magnification if you will see the photograph on display or share it over an app.

Night time pictures in all probability confirmed essentially the most enchancment with the brand new sensor, with good leads to the automated mode, which may take barely longer exposures to compensate for low lightning. The ultra-wide digicam did not carry out as effectively in the course of the evening, with barely blurry outcomes. Through the day the ultra-wide lens was higher, though with a small drop in sharpness and, in fact, decision.

As we talked about, there is no such thing as a macro digicam, and we truly praise Poco/Xiaomi on that. Not solely have been macro footage principally ineffective, however the macro mode was additionally hidden within the digicam app, which handled macros as a second (or third) class function.

As for selfies, the Poco F6 had magnificence results on by default, which had the same old results of noticeably shiny and hazy skins. Flip the impact off, and you’ll get good outcomes from the 20-megapixel cameras, for higher or worse. Portrait mode labored effectively, with a great separation between topic and background, so long as you retain your hair tidier than mine within the take a look at pictures.

Battery

The Poco F6 does not supply the identical quick 120 W charging discovered within the Poco F6 Professional, however its 90 W charging continues to be an enchancment over the Poco F5. As with different Poco telephones, the required charger is included, and the excellent news does not cease there, because the 5000 mAh battery provided good run occasions.

Execs:

• Quick charging.
• Features a charger.
• Good battery life.

Cons:

In apply, we did not discover that the 90 W charger on the Poco F6 actually improved issues over the 67 W adapter on the Poco F5. However charging occasions have been already quick sufficient on that mannequin, so the F6 will nonetheless be sooner than the Motorolas and Samsungs it competes with.

On the subject of the battery life, we observed the Poco F6 was not so good as the Poco F5. The extra processing energy could also be guilty right here, because it did not have the identical spectacular outcomes each in actual life and within the PC Mark Battery take a look at. 

On the PC Mark benchmark simulating real-world utilization and measuring the time from when the cost dropped from 80% to twenty%, the Poco F6 lasted round two fewer hours than its predecessor. The efficiency rating, however, was roughly 10% larger as a form of comfort prize.

You’ll be able to anticipate higher than someday of battery life with common utilization, however we aren’t as assured to declare the Poco F6 a “two-day battery life” cellphone as its predecessor. Utilizing the Battery saver mode can in all probability get the F6 there, and there’s even an “Ultra battery saver” possibility for lengthy stays away from the facility socket. 

Talking of energy shops, that’s the solely methodology for charging the Poco F6 as wi-fi charging shouldn’t be accessible. We talked about final 12 months that it’s not a typical function within the value class. That is beginning to change, however most fashions nonetheless lack the wi-fi charging function on this class.

Key Options

Conclusion