Poco F4 review

Alternative offers

The Poco F4 is a minor update over the Poco F3. Considering the immense popularity and success of the F3, as well as the ongoing global hurdles, it's hardly a surprise. The good news is that the Poco F4 price remains quite attractive at €349 for the early birds (and future promos) and €399 when not at a discount.

The Poco F4 impresses with its Dolby kit - a Dolby Vision AMOLED and Dolby Atmos speakers. Its Snapdragon 870 5G chipset delivers both great performance and stability. And the updated camera offers likable photos and videos, both day and night.

Indeed, the F4 sounds like a great offer, but it's not without competition, of course.

Take the €430 Realme GT Neo 3T, for example. It is pretty much the same phone but has a slightly larger battery with faster 80W charging and offers an under-display fingerprint scanner. The Poco F4, on the other hand, trumps the Neo 3T with broader HDR streaming, OIS for the main camera, and a better build with a glass back and IP53 splash resistance.

The OnePlus Nord 2 5G is another excellent smartphone priced at €380. It has a 90Hz Fluid AMOLED with HDR10+ and runs on a similarly capable Dimensity 1200 5G chipset. If you like OnePlus OS better and you don't mind a 90Hz display, it's a very good alternative.

The Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G is one of the best midrangers in this price backet, and it is noticeably cheaper than the F4 at about €280. The A52s is a fully waterproofed smartphone, with a 120Hz Super AMOLED screen, the Snapdragon 778G 5G chipset, and an even better camera kit on both ends. It may not be as HDR-capable as the Poco F4, and not flagship-fast, but it is the better allrounder, and we do recommend putting it on your shortlist and exploring it while supplies last.

If you live in India, the iQOO Neo 6 could be a great alternative. The price difference between the F4 and Neo 6 is about INR 2,000 in favor of the F4. The two phones are nearly identical to the Neo 6, having faster 80W charging, while the F4 offers an IP53-rated glass design.

Realme GT Neo 3T • OnePlus Nord 2 5G • Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G • vivo iQOO Neo 6

We can't but look through the Xiaomi offers, too.

The Xiaomi 11T retails at €399, the same as the Poco F4. It has a 10-bit color display, a 5MP telemacro camera, and a more premium design with a Gorilla Glass Victus and aluminum frame. There is no Dolby Vision support and no OIS for the primary camera, though.

The Poco X4 GT was announced side by side with the Poco F3 and costs about €30 on top of the F3 at launch. It has an even smoother 144Hz Dolby Vision LCD screen, a slightly faster Dimensity 8100 chip and a bit larger battery. There is also a 3.5mm jack on the X4 GT. On the other hand, the F4 offers an AMOLED screen and OIS for the main camera.

You may want to consider the flagship Poco F4 GT, which is intended for gamers. Its display offers over 1 billion colors, the phone runs on the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, there are physical gaming triggers, and four JBL speakers for an immersive audio experience. The F4 GT supports the impressive 120W fast charging, and it features an even better design with Gorilla Glass Victus and a metal frame. The X4 GT is naturally more expensive at €550.

Finally, if you don't need all that speed, but you are a Xiaomi fan, you may explore the €330 Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G for its great 120Hz AMOLED its excellent camera quality, and the incredibly fast 120W wired charging.

Xiaomi 11T • Xiaomi Poco X4 GT • Xiaomi Poco F4 GT • Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G

Our verdict

The Poco F4 is a reliable smartphone and an excellent allrounder that ticks all the boxes - display, speakers, performance, camera, battery, charging, and even build quality. That has always been the point of the Poco F series, and the F4 delivers across the board.

The new F4 won't make the Poco F3 owners upgrade as it offers a few novelties - Dolby Vision HDR support, OIS for the main camera, and faster 67W charging. It is not intended for them but for those needing a new smartphone - one that will give them the most bang for their buck.

The Poco F4 aced most of our tests - it offers an outstanding display, likable splash-resistant design, good stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos, dependable camera experience, good battery life with fast charging, and above all - excellent performance with great stability.

There is little not to like within the Poco F4. Maybe it could have retained the 5MP telemacro camera. Or offered IP67-rated design like the Galaxy A series.

But at that attractive pricing, especially in 2022, we'd say we are getting not only more than the average, but more than we even expected. And that's why it gets our recommendation right away!

Pros

• Excellent AMOLED, 120Hz refresh, Dolby Vision.
• Top-notch performance, great stability, 5G.
• Loud dual speakers, Dolby Atmos.
• Dependable battery life, fast to charge.
• Good all-round camera experience.
• NFC, IR blaster, Android 12, MIUI 13.

Cons

• Downgraded macro camera since F3.
• The videos could benefit from a contrast boost.
• The video stabilization on the main camera needs an update.