Poco F4 review

Introduction, specifications, unboxing

The Poco F3 was a truly unique device – it’s probably the most recommended competitor we’ve had to date. A true bestseller that offered a lot more bounce per ounce and quickly became a favorite of fans and critics alike. And today, fifteen months after its preview, we meet its long-awaited sequel: the Poco F4.

The Poco F4 GT was announced and released prior to the premiere of the Poco F4 and we found it to be a compelling device offering the most current Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset on a budget. But the F3 wasn’t popular due to the state-of-the-art hardware; it didn’t even come with the latest chipset. It had the most thoughtful choice of features and components, operated like a well-oiled machine, and offered great stability and reliability. And that’s what the Poco F4 is ready to offer once again.

Unfortunately, the year 2022 is certainly not in favor of smartphones, among other things. There is high inflation, a shortage of components, an ongoing pandemic and the looming threat of global war. The mobile industry, especially chipsets, hasn’t made much progress since 2020 and it’s no surprise that the Snapdragon 870 platform, a repackaged version of the Snapdragon 865+, is still considered the most stable flagship kit.

Indeed, there has also been a turn for the worse, as there are many new phones using less capable chipsets than their 2021 releases due to what is happening right now.

Well, the Poco F4 is an updated version of the F3 and, thankfully, it only has one downgrade: a lower macro camera. The updates aren’t that exciting, at least not for Poco F3 owners, but still worthy.

Hence, the Poco F4 offers Dolby Vision support, a better 64MP OIS main camera, and faster 67W charging than the Poco F3.

The Poco F4 uses the same 6.67-inch E4 AMOLED panel as the Poco F3 with extended 1080p resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and 360Hz touch response. It supports HDR10 +, but now also gets Dolby Vision certification.

The Snapdragon 870 5G chipset remains the same, as are the RAM and storage options: 6GB + 128GB and 8GB + 256GB. There is no microSD expansion. There are two updates here that aren’t immediately noticeable from the spec sheet: RAM is now LPDDR5, and the entire chipset has a larger cooling system.

There are three cameras on the rear, just like on the F3, but the main one now uses a high-resolution 64MP sensor with an optically stabilized lens and support for 4K60fps video capture. The 8MP ultrawide camera remains intact, while the macro shooter has been downgraded from the awesome 5MP AF telemacro to a 2MP base cam with a 4cm fixed focus.

The Poco F4 retains the same 4,500mAh battery as the F3, but offers faster 67W wired charging. There are also similar stereo speakers, NFC, IR blaster, Wi-Fi 6, side-mounted fingerprint scanner.

Obviously, the Poco F4 is not a major upgrade over the Poco F3. But looking at its data sheet and its tempting price of € 349 early bird, it is one of the most interesting offers within the entire mid-range. Something we usually call a top killer.

The specifications of the Poco F4 at a glance:

• Body: 163.2×76.0x7.7mm, 195g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), plastic frame, glass back; IP53 rating for dust and splash resistance.
• Screen: 6.67-inch AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10 +, Dolby Vision, 1300 nits (peak), 1080x2400px resolution, 20: 9 aspect ratio, 395ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM8250-AC Snapdragon 870 5G (7 nm): Octa-core (1×3.2 GHz Kryo 585 and 3×2.42 GHz Kryo 585 and 4×1.80 GHz Kryo 585); Adreno 650.
• Memory: 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM; UFS 3.1.
• Operating system / software: Android 12, MIUI 13 for POCO.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 64 MP, f / 1.8 1 / 2.0 “, 0.7µm, PDAF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f / 2.2, 119˚; Macro: 2 MP, f / 2.4.
• Front Camera: 20 MP, f / 2.5, (wide angle).
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K at 30 fps, 1080p at 30/60 fps; gyroscope-EIS; Front camera: 1080p @ 30fps.
• Battery: 4500 mAh; Fast charging 67W, 100% in 38 min (advertised), Power Delivery 3.0, Quick Charge 3+.
• Various: Fingerprint reader (side mounted); NFC; stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos.

If this spec sheet and the design of the Poco F4 seem familiar, it is because the Poco F4 is a version of the Redmi K40s with an improved main camera.

Poco F4’s list of omissions requires some serious details, but if you’re interested, here are a few. The F4 has basic waterproofing, while Samsung’s A series is completely waterproof. It would have been nice to have a zoom camera instead of the demoted macro one, but we assume that at that price and in the current state of global affairs, that wasn’t possible.

Well, we’re intrigued to see what this Poco F4 has to offer, especially now that we’ve reviewed the higher-tier Poco F4 GT. So without further ado, here’s the Poco F4 unboxed.

Unpack the Poco F4

The Poco F4 arrives in a black box with the usual yellow Poco markings. It is quite dense and contains a lot. In addition to the F4, you’ll also find a 67W power supply and a Class 6A USB-AC cable.

There’s a large card compartment, which houses a transparent soft case, slim screen protector, and a USB-C to 3.5mm jack adapter. Nice!

Little has spared anything on the F4 bundle and we can only praise him for it.