Poco F5 Review

Xiaomi has introduced the PocoF5 this spring as a follow-up to the PocoF4 introduced last year. The device had been considered a top-tier gaming phone because of its low price yet powerful specifications. So, what has the brand done this time around? Let’s take a look.

Design and build

When you first check out the PocoF5, it is going to trigger some flashbacks and feel familiar because it is quite like the Vivo X51 5G introduced a few years ago. The phone is thin and its corners are modestly rounded. You can hold it easily because it is quite light and it looks good with the unassuming and simple paint job on the rear.

The front has a hole punch camera notch with the bezels almost invisible, while the rear boasts a 64Mp camera with three lenses. It is also evident that Poco has not forgotten gamers because it has reintroduced the 3.5mm headphone jack. Wired earbuds are not included in the box, but there is a 67W charges (USB-A to C) included.

Screen and speakers

The PocoF5 comes with a 6.67inch AMOLED display that has a resolution of 2400 x 1800 and boasts a 120Hz refresh rate as well as 240Hz sampling. Therefore, you will have a smooth and responsive experience no matter what you are doing. There may be nothing innovative or spectacular about the screen, but it works in every scenario. There is a reading mode that you can use during the summer days and you can choose from four color presets.

As for the speaker, there is one bottom-firing one on the phone’s top and bottom, but the sound could use some improvement as it gets tinny.

Specs and performance

The Poco F5 appears to be targeting the gaming market brands and this is obvious from the inclusion of the headphone jack. The side power button of the device also functions as a fingerprint sensor, which is lightning fast and facial recognition has also been added. But, the biggest advancement is the inclusion of the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 chip that delivers excellent gaming performance.

The inside of the phone boasts liquid cooling tech, but the Poco F5 does get a bit warm. It also comes with 12GB of RAM, but some markets also have the 8GB option. All in all, this allows the phone to perform quite smoothly no matter what you are using it for.

Cameras

While the Poco F5 does have some serious gaming chops, the 64Mp camera and large lenses are where some compromises have been made. The pictures seem ordinary, but nothing close to exceptional. They are good in natural lighting, but do not do so well where there is a lack of light. Fortunately, the 16Mp camera is perfectly decent and takes some good shots. There is also 4K video available and that’s a plus.