Today, POCO launched its newest flagship smartphone in India – the POCO F6 5G at a price of ₹29,999 alongside the global release of its pro variant – the POCO F6 Pro and the brand’s first tablet – POCO Pad. The launch event was held in Dubai showcasing the devices. The POCO F6 5G is the company’s newest smartphone under the POCO F Series and is also the successor to last year’s POCO F5 5G. Here’s what we have to say about the smartphone in our POCO F6 5G review.
The major highlight of the smartphone is the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 making it the first smartphone in the country using Qualcomm’s latest chip scoring over 1.5 million points in the AnTuTu benchmark according to POCO. Other features on the phone are a 120 Hz 12-bit AMOLED 1.5K screen, 90W fast charging, up to 12 GB RAM and 512 GB storage options, 50 MP Sony IMX822 OIS + EIS camera, 20 MP selfie camera, IP64 water-resistant design, Gorilla Glass Victus protection, and more.
POCO F6 5G Specifications & Features
- Display & Design: 6.7-inch AMOLED display, 12-bit color depth (68.7B colors), 1.5K resolution (2,712 x 1,220 pixels, 446 ppi), 120 Hz refresh rate, 480 Hz touch sampling rate, 2,400 nits peak brightness, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, 2,160 Hz high-frequency PWM dimming, DC dimming, 5,000,000:1 contrast ratio, 100% DCI-P3 wide color gamut, IP64 dust and splash resistant, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, 7.8 mm slim, 179 grams
- Software: Xiaomi HyperOS, Android 14
- CPU: 4nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 octa-core SoC clocked up to 3.0 GHz
- GPU: Adreno 735 Graphics (~1.1 GHz)
- Memory: 8 GB RAM OR 12 GB LPDDR5x RAM, up to +12 GB RAM Expansion
- Storage: 256 GB OR 512 GB UFS 4.0 internal storage
- Main Camera: Dual Cameras (50 MP f/1.95 Sony IMX822 OIS main + 8 MP f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle), OIS, EIS, 4K at 60 fps video recording, dual LED flash
- Selfie Camera: 20 MP OmniVision OV20B
- Connectivity & Others: USB Type-C (v3.2 Gen1), Wi-Fi 6 802.11be, Bluetooth 5.4, GPS (L1 + L5), GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo, NavIC, in-display fingerprint scanner, stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos, Hi-Res Audio, Infrared sensor, IceLoop cooling system
- Cellular: 5G network, dual-SIM, dual VoLTE
- Battery & Charging: 5,000 mAh, 90W fast charging (120W in the box), 50% in 12 minutes, 100% in 35 minutes
- Colors: Black, Titanium
- Price: ₹29,999 (8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage), ₹31,999 (12 GB RAM + 256 GB storage), ₹33,999 (12 GB RAM + 512 GB storage)
- Availability: 29th May 2024 on Flipkart.com
- Offers: ₹2,000 instant discount on ICICI bank cards and EMI, ₹2,000 additional discount on exchange, 2 years warranty on first sale
Design, Display, & Build Quality
The POCO F6 5G flaunts its glittering matte back in Black color as you can see in the images while it also comes in the Titanium color option. It comes with a 7.8 mm slim form factor with 179 grams which is pretty handy and lighter than many smartphones, however, it doesn’t use a glass back or leather finish.
The rear side has two big camera modules, a ring-designed LED flash, and a very plain POCO branding. The phone offers IP64 dust and water-resistant rating and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection (front) with an in-display fingerprint scanner. The front side has a bezel-less screen with a stunning 6.7-inch AMOLED that boasts a 12-bit color depth (68.7B colors), 1.5K resolution (2,712 x 1,220 pixels, 446 ppi), and a 120 Hz refresh rate.
Other display features include a peak brightness of 2,400 nits, 480 Hz touch sampling rate, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, 2,160 Hz high-frequency PWM dimming, DC dimming, 5,000,000:1 contrast ratio, and 100% DCI-P3 wide color gamut. The display offers more room due to its bezel-less design, better viewing angles, and high brightness for this segment.
As for the sides, connectivity, and audio, the right side has a power button and volume controls, while the left side remains plain. The bottom has a USB Type-C port, stereo loudspeakers, a microphone, and a dual 5G SIM tray that supports dual SIM slots without the microSD slot. The top side has another loudspeaker making it stereo, a microphone, and an infrared sensor. The smartphone comes with dual stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos for louder volumes enhancing the overall audio experience. No 3.5mm jack is available means you have to use a converter if using wired audio.
Software, & User Interface
For the software and user interface, the POCO F6 5G runs on the new HyperOS based on Android 14. The HyperOS is Xiaomi’s new operating system debuted with the launch of Xiaomi 14 Series smartphones. Unlike the POCO smartphones that come equipped with the MIUI-based Android operating system, the POCO F6 5G uses a new OS but is quite similar to the MIUI.
The HyperOS is built on the success of the MIUI and offers a variety of features and perks. The HyperOS has various improvements over its predecessor, including refined design elements, enhanced background efficiency, faster processing speeds, and optimized battery performance.
The newly introduced HyperOS by Xiaomi enhances device performance and connectivity. It incorporates features such as an AI-powered gallery, refreshed color schemes, updated icons, and Xiaomi’s HyperConnect to enhance productivity across all devices running HyperOS. Moreover, AON (Always-On) debuts on the POCO F6 5G introducing the air gestures for controlling the content without touching the screen.
The Android 14 introduces several improvements over its predecessors including refined design elements, enhanced background efficiency, faster processing speeds, and optimized battery performance. The smartphone has an Android Security Patch dated 1st March 2024.
Additionally, the POCO F6 5G has pre-installed apps with a selection of popular apps such as Facebook, Spotify, Netflix, PhonePe, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Amazon, Opera Browser, and apps from Xiaomi and Google. You also get some bloatware in games like Tile Fun, Word Trip, Snake Zone.io, Jewels Blast, Dust Settle, Crazy Juicer, Bubble Shooter Relaxing, Bubble Shooter And Friends, and Block Puzzle Guardian. You can remove many of these unwanted apps to keep the interface clutter-free.
Hardware, Performance, & Features
The POCO F6 5G is powered by the 4nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 octa-core SoC clocked up to 3.0 GHz paired with Adreno 735 Graphics and comes with up to 12 GB LPDDR5x RAM and 512 GB UFS 4.0 internal storage. Moreover, it uses an ultra-large IceLoop cooling system (4,800mm²) which the company claims is three times better than conventional VC cooling.
You get to choose from three RAM and storage options – 8 GB RAM + 256 GB as the base variant, 12 GB RAM + 256 GB as the mid variant, and 12 GB RAM + 512 GB as the top variant. The RAM type is LPDDR5x and the storage type is UFS 4.0 which is currently the flagship class level. It also uses RAM expansion which expands the RAM virtually.
The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 performs slightly below the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. In terms of overall performance, the SoC is faster than several chips in the segment, so you can expect a smoother and faster performance. For gaming enthusiasts, the Adreno 735 acts as a fast GPU in the segment which is great for gamers on a budget (under ₹30,000). The GPU delivers notably faster gaming performance in its class with the highest possible graphics settings for most games.
The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 is a high-performance octa-core SoC manufactured in a 4nm TSMC process with a 1 + 4 + 3 core configuration. This includes a high-performance prime core ARM Cortex-X4 clocked at 3.0 GHz, four performance ARM Cortex-A720 cores at 2.8 GHz, three ARM Cortex-A520 power-efficient cores at 2.0 GHz along with an 8 MB L3 CPU cache and Adreno 735 GPU.
The SoC inherits the same architecture as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC including 4nm TSMC manufacturing, ARM Cortex-X4 cores, Image ISP, Display, Memory, and Modem Architecture. The SoC offers an X70 5G Modem-RF System, a Qualcomm Spectra ISP, Dolby Vision, and Hi-Res Audio (Wired & Wireless). Moreover, it supports 10 billion parameters for on-device AI, and multi-modal generative AI, and supports a broad array of AI models including popular large language models (LLM) such as Baichuan-7B, Llama 2, and Gemini Nano.
The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 was recently announced by Qualcomm, its newest flagship SoC, and POCO F6 5G is the first one to use it. The flagship SoC scores over 1.5 million points in the AnTuTu benchmark. On the contrary, the POCO F6 5G is a direct competitor for the realme GT 6T which is powered by the flagship-grade Qualcomm Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 SoC with an identical AnTuTu score of 1.5+ million points. POCO has already emerged as the 6th largest Android smartphone brand in India surpassing OnePlus in the Indian market with a year-on-year growth of 72.2% in Q1 2024, according to the latest IDC report.
Other features of the smartphone include USB Type-C (v3.2 Gen1), Wi-Fi 6 802.11be, Bluetooth 5.4, GPS (L1 + L5), GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo, NavIC, stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos, Hi-Res Audio, Infrared sensor, IceLoop cooling system, and 5G connectivity with dual-SIM and dual VoLTE support.
Cameras
Moving to the cameras, the POCO F6 5G is equipped with dual cameras onboard with 50 MP as the primary camera with f/1.95 aperture using the Sony IMX822 sensor with OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) and EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization) support. The secondary camera is an 8 MP ultra-wide-angle with f/2.2 aperture and both are aided by dual LED Ring flash. The selfie camera is a 20 MP using the OmniVision OV20B sensor.
The camera performance is impressive, especially for the price it holds, you get satisfying results from the main camera while the other two also work well, check out some samples attached below. The POCO F6 5G has optimized camera features due to the new HyperOS. The camera offers a better quality sensor, OIS + EIS support, and 4k at 60 fps video recording. POCO F6 5G supports AI Image Expansion, Magic Eraser Pro, AI Bokeh, Magic Cutout, and more.
The camera interface offers features and modes such as Night Mode, Ultrawide, Documents Mode, 50MP, Short Film, Slow Motion, Timelapse, Motion Tracking Focus, Portrait Mode with Beautify, Depth Control & Filters, Steady Video, EV, AI Camera, Shutter Type, Assist Cam, HDR, Timed Burst, Tilt-Shift, AI Beautify, AI Watermark, Filters, Pro Mode, Panorama, Voice Shutter, Long Exposure, HEIF Format, Google Lens, HDR 10+ Video, Ultrawide Video, Timelapse Mode, Palm Shutter, Kaleidoscope, and Timelapse Selfie.
POCO F6 5G Camera Samples
Battery Runtime & Charging
The POCO F6 5G is equipped with a 5,000 mAh battery with 90W fast charging (120W provided in the box) that allows you to charge up to 50% in just 12 minutes. The 5,000 mAh battery ensures up to 2 days of battery life depending on your usage patterns. With the 90W fast charger, you can expect the battery to be charged from 100% in 35 minutes while a quick 10-minute charging can provide you almost half the battery power. The charging is faster than several smartphones in this segment (45W, 67W, 80W).
Verdict – POCO F6 5G Review
The POCO F6 5G is a top-notch performer when it comes to raw power, the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 is faster than all the other smartphones currently available in this segment. From its fast CPU processing, smooth gaming, quick 90W charging, high-quality 12-bit AMOLED display, impressive cameras, stereo speakers, and perks from the HyperOS, the POCO F6 5G offers a compressive package all together in its class. With all it has to offer in this budget, the POCO F6 5G offers great value and is among the best picks for performance users, gamers, and users who are seeking a smartphone under ₹30,000. The price starts at ₹29,999 for the base variant i.e. 8 GB RAM and 256 GB which can be grabbed at ₹26,999 using the launch offers and exchange bonus. The smartphone is also available in 12 GB RAM and 512 GB storage variant as the top model.
POCO F6 5G Price In India – Where To Buy
The POCO F6 5G starts at a price of ₹29,999 for its 8 GB RAM and 256 GB storage variant, ₹31,999 for its 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage variant, and ₹33,999 for its 12 GB RAM and 512 GB storage variant. The smartphone will be available from 29th May 2024 on Flipkart.com. The launch offers include a ₹2,000 instant discount with ICICI bank cards and EMI, ₹2,000 additional discount on exchange, and a 2-year warranty on the first sale.
