POCO F6: Can this POCO dominate the flagships?

With each passing year, smartphones seem to reach a point where hardware upgrades are minor, and software changes are minimal. Some companies even remove features in new generations. However, POCO continues to excite with its F series, and the POCO F6 is no exception. After my impressive experience with the F5 Pro last year, I was eager to test the POCO F6 to see how it could further amaze me.

POCO F6 5G – Technical Specifications

• 6.7-inch (2712 x 1220 pixels) 1.5K 12-bit OLED display, 120Hz refresh rate, 480Hz touch sampling rate, up to 2400 nits peak brightness, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, 1920Hz PWM Dimming, DC Dimming, Dolby Vision, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection
• Octa Core Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 4nm Mobile Platform with Adreno 735 GPU
• 8GB / 12GB LPPDDR5x RAM with 256GB / 512GB UFS 4.0 storage
• Dual SIM (nano + nano)
• Xiaomi HyperOS
• 50MP rear camera with 1/ 1.95″ Sony IMX882 sensor, f/1.59 aperture, OIS, LED flash, 8MP ultra-wide angle lens with f/2.2 aperture, 4K video recording
• 20MP OmniVision OV20B front-facing camera with 1080p video recording
• In-display fingerprint sensor, Infrared sensor
• USB Type-C audio, Hi-Res audio, Stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos
• Dimensions: 160.5×74.4×7.8mm; Weight: 179g
• Dust and Splash resistant (IP64)
• 5G SA/NSA, Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 6 802.11 be, Bluetooth 5.4, Beidou, Galileo, GLONASS, GPS (L1 + L5), NavIC, USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 1, NFC
• 5000mAh (Typical) battery with 90W fast charging

Unboxing: A Great Experience

Unboxing the POCO F6 was a refreshing experience. Inside the box, I found the handset, a 90W charging adapter, a USB A-USB C charging cable, a silicon phone case, and the SIM ejection pin. This comprehensive package is a testament to POCO’s commitment to offering value. The EU-style plug for the charger was a minor inconvenience, but it’s great to see such powerful charging capabilities included.

Design: Practical and Stylish

Materials and Build

While I have mixed feelings about the phone being primarily made of plastic, I appreciate not having to worry about the back glass shattering. The matte finish also means fingerprints are a thing of the past. However, I would have preferred aluminum sides over plastic, especially for a model aimed at competing with flagships.

Cameras and Aesthetics

The large camera lenses on the back have been commented on by others. Although they remind me of the Asus Zenfone 10 and don’t bother me, some complaints are that they make the phone look unattractive.

The camera setup on the POCO F6 is impressive, featuring a 50MP main shooter with OIS and an 8MP ultra-wide lens. The 2MP macro camera has been dropped, which I didn’t mind as it was rarely used. A zoom lens would have been a nice addition, but the existing camera setup still delivers remarkable photos. The main shooter captures incredible detail, especially in bright lighting. Night shots can be hit or miss, but the dedicated long exposure mode produces frame-worthy images with practice.

Performance: Exceptional and Fast

Upon powering up the device, the familiar POCO logo appeared, signaling the start of my new smartphone journey. The start-up process was smooth, and transferring data from my old Samsung was mostly successful. However, I lost my cherished golf game score, reminding me of the importance of not becoming too attached to digital accomplishments.

Processor and RAM

The POCO F6 is powered by the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 processor, making it incredibly fast and responsive. The phone comes in two versions: 8GB RAM with 256GB storage and 12GB RAM with 512GB storage. The latter version allowed me to carry all my files and even back up my laptop, showcasing the phone’s ample storage capacity.

Benchmark Performance

In benchmark tests, the POCO F6 delivered outstanding results. On Antutu 3D, it achieved a score of 1,433,193, significantly higher than last year’s F5 Pro. Geekbench 6 also produced impressive numbers, with 1850 in single-core and 4664 in multi-core.

The gaming performance was exceptional, with titles like Fortnite, Genshin Impact, and Call of Duty Warzone running smoothly at high settings.

Display and Media

The 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a 1.5K resolution and 120Hz refresh rate offers stunning colors and detail. The brightness reaches 500 nits under normal conditions and 2400 peak nits in bright light, making the screen easily readable even on sunny days. Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection ensures durability under harsh conditions.

Battery: Long Life and Fast Charging

The POCO F6’s 5000mAh battery ensures it lasts even through the most demanding days. With heavy use, I could go through a 17-hour day with 10 hours of screen time. On lighter days, the battery could last almost two days. The 90W fast charging allows quick recharging, ensuring you never run out of power.

Conclusion

The POCO F6 is an exceptional smartphone that continues POCO’s tradition of offering great value. With impressive cameras, fast performance, and long battery life, it’s hard to justify paying more for flagships when such great value phones are available. Despite a few minor drawbacks, the POCO F6 stands out as a powerful and stylish device that can compete with the best in the market.