Poco F5 Pro review

Design and ergonomics

The Poco F5 Pro adopts a different design than its more affordable sibling, the Poco F5, and it's more similar to its spiritual predecessor, the Poco F4 GT from last year. However, the F5 Pro's build isn't on the same level. It has Gorilla Glass 5 on the front (instead of Victus), the back plate is still glass, but the side frame is now polycarbonate. And since the shoulder triggers are gone in the F5 Pro, it gets IP53 certification against water and dust.

The phone feels nice in hand, albeit slippery. It's your regular glass sandwich phone, after all. There are only two color options - classic Black and White. We have the Black version, which collects some fingerprints and smudges but features nice carbon-patterned strips running along the side frame on both sides. The White version has slightly accented edges, but that's about it. Both designs are somewhat clean and in line with the current design trends.

The camera island is the only thing that stands out with its unusual shape. The camera sensors are vertically stacked with metal slopes on both sides of the camera island. They add a little bit of complexity in a good way and look nice.

The glass sheet on the back is curved to the sides where it meets the side frame and forms a ridge, which doesn't get in the way, but it does feel a bit unpleasant. The same goes for the display panel. The Poco F5 was better in this regard, as all pieces made a somewhat seamless and unobtrusive chassis.

Poco F5 Pro (black) next to Poco F5 (white)

There's nothing out of the ordinary with the side frame, though. It's flat, thin to the sides and thicker at the top and bottom. The USB-C connector is joined by the SIM card tray and the loudspeaker grille on the bottom, while the top houses the IR blaster and the second opening for the other speaker. On the right, you will find the volume rocker and the power button.

Poco F5 Pro

The fingerprint reader is under the display this time around, which works as expected - snappy and reliable. However, we find it too close to the bottom edge requiring some weird thumb gymnastics to reach it if you have the tendency to hold the phone near the middle.

Overall, the design doesn't stand out, nor does the build. It's mostly what you'd expect from a phone in this price category. On the other hand, it's unusual to see the Poco F5 having a better build than its more expensive Pro counterpart. Not to mention the F5 is entirely made of plastic and still feels nicer and lighter.

Poco F5 Pro