Poco F6 review

Competition

The Poco F6 is definitely an improvement over the Poco F5 and Xiaomi didn't increase the price either. However, there are still quite a bit of alternatives at the given price that may suit your needs better.

The Poco F6 starts at $379 globally ($339 early bird price) or INR 29,999 in India (INR 25,999 with some local price cuts). That's for the 8GB/256GB option, of course.

Perhaps your first question is whether the Poco F6 Pro is worth the extra few bucks over the vanilla. Well, the former offers higher performance, faster charging and marginally better camera quality, so if these features are high on your priority list, then one could make a case. Still, the vanilla F6 is perfectly fine as it undercuts its sibling by more than $100 while offering largely the same user experience.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+ • Realme 12 Pro • Realme 12 Pro+ • Xiaomi Poco X6 Pro

The device faces some homegrown competition from the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G as well. The Redmi Note is slightly cheaper but with impressive charging speed and camera quality. The Poco F6, on the other hand, stands out with better performance while matching the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ in the display and battery department.

That's not all. The lower-tier Poco X6 Pro is considerably cheaper than the F6, it's a recently launched handset and you can save around €100 if you go for the X6 Pro. Ultimately, these two devices are very similar to each other, but you will be missing out on a little bit of performance, a little bit of camera quality and a little bit of charging speed. We are not implying that the X6 Pro's performance or charging aren't competitive, though. In fact, we believe it's probably the more sensible choice of the two, given the current pricing strategy from Xiaomi.

Depending on your region, the Poco F6 goes against the Realme 12 Pro or the 12 Pro+. The latter is more affordable in India and matches the Poco F6's price, while the 12 Pro is the natural rival in other markets.

In either case, the choice is pretty hard to make. Тhe Poco F6 is slightly more expensive but has a superior display, better performance and faster charging. The Realme 12 Pro duo, on the other hand, has better camera capabilities with telephoto units and longer battery life.

The recently released Samsung Galaxy A55 falls in the same price bracket, and despite falling behind in terms of display quality (no Dolby Vision support and thick bezels), raw performance, memory and charging speed, the handset will surely appeal to users looking for better camera performance and longer endurance. The IP67 certification, the more premium build and the microSD card slot help with the Galaxy A55's case, too.

Samsung Galaxy A55 • Nothing Phone (2a) • Tecno Camon 30 Premier

Some lesser-known alternatives are worth looking into. Мore specifically, the Nothing Phone (2a) and the Tecno Camon 30 Premier. These devices sit on both ends of the price spectrum, with the former being cheaper than the Poco F6, while the Camon 30 Premier asking more.

Both phones are equally good options, with Tecno's probably giving you the best value for money. It has an exceptional camera setup for its price, extra long battery life, fast charging and an LTPO OLED panel. The Nothing Phone (2a) is very proficient in the battery department and offers nice cameras too. However, the Poco still comes out on top with more powerful hardware, great display and faster charging.

Verdict

The Poco F6 may not be the real flagship killer you are looking for, but it gets pretty close and tries to specialize in certain aspects. For instance, the handset offers an excellent viewing experience, good speakers, unmatched performance in the segment, reliable, sustained performance and fast charging. In a way, the Poco F6 seems like a solid multimedia/gaming device on the cheap. Despite the omission of a 3.5mm jack, which many will miss. The absence of a proper proximity sensor may also annoy quite a bit of users.

However, the mediocre battery life and okay-ish camera quality keep us from giving the device a higher score. It's just not the all-rounder that would appeal to the masses. As the dust settles, the Poco F6 will become a more appealing handset, but the current price doesn't make it an outright recommendation.

Pros

• Excellent OLED display with HDR10+ and Dolby Vision.
• The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 provides unmatched performance in this class.
• Very fast charging.
• Very good stereo speaker setup.
• Great main camera performance.
• Solid retail bundle.

Cons

• Battery life leaves more to be desired.
• The 8MP ultrawide camera could be better.
• Virtual proximity sensor instead of hardware.