Poco F6 Pro Review: A Pixel 8a Competitor Worth Considering

I’ve been testing out the Poco F6 Pro with my SIM card inside for the past few days, and to quote the wise words of 50 Cent, I’m loving it like a fat kid loves cake. This mid-range beauty packs a punch, especially when it comes to gaming. With its 120W fast charging, you can juice up the sizable battery in no time. Plus, the new 50-megapixel Light Fusion camera captures stunning shots. Of course, it wouldn’t be a smartphone without a bunch of unwanted apps pre-installed, but let’s not dwell on that. Join me as we take a closer look at the Poco F6 Pro. And if you’re hungry for more tech updates, don’t forget to subscribe and hit the notifications bell. Cheers!

When it comes to design, the Poco F6 Pro doesn’t really break any new ground in the realm of modern smartphones. Sporting a 6.67-inch screen, it’s pretty much par for the course in terms of size, and it’s got a nice, solid feel to it, weighing in at just over 200 grams. Its design seems to borrow a bit from the iPhone, though it’s not quite as bulky. Personally, I would’ve preferred more rounded edges. There’s a subtle curve around the edges that makes it a tad more comfortable to hold compared to an iPhone, but it’s not a huge difference. The front is protected by Gorilla Glass 5, which is decent, but I was hoping for something a bit more advanced, especially since the regular Poco F6 apparently features Victus glass. However, it does come with a pre-installed screen protector, which is a nice touch. The bezels aren’t too thick, and the selfie camera cutout is small and unobtrusive. While Poco may have cut some corners on the glass, the metal frame around the device does give it a more premium feel. As for the back, it’s once again made of glass, though Poco didn’t specify if it’s Gorilla Glass or not. But after using it as my main phone for about a week, I haven’t noticed any scratches or scuffs, so it seems pretty durable. You can choose between black and white colors, but I’m still on the fence about the funky pattern design—it kinda reminds me of the tiles in a Berlin hotel bathroom I once stayed in. At first, it was a bit jarring, like walking in on something you weren’t supposed to see, but it’s grown on me over time, despite my less-than-fond memories of that bathroom. Thankfully, the matte finish on the back resists fingerprints well, although the glossy area around the camera lenses does attract a lot of dust. And be careful, because the smooth finish makes the phone quite slippery. It’s got an IP54 splash and dust resistance rating, so don’t go dunking it in water—you’ll regret it.

The latest offering from Xiaomi, the Poco F6 Pro, boasts minimal tweaks to its HyperOS and software surprises. It runs on Android 14 with Xiaomi’s unique HyperOS layer, promising three major Android updates (15, 16, and 17) and four years of security patches—a reassuring commitment to software support.

The device features a speedy optical fingerprint sensor and reliable face unlock for added security. It offers extensive customization options, including themes, and a fully customizable always-on display. Xiaomi’s security app helps optimize performance and tackle spam effectively with its block list feature.

Gaming enthusiasts will appreciate Xiaomi’s gaming mode, which enhances performance and minimizes distractions. During testing, occasional glitches like delayed notifications and sporadic issues with the Do Not Disturb feature were noted, but they didn’t significantly impact usability.

One gripe, however, is the pre-installed bloatware, which clutters the device. While the Poco F6 Pro provides generous storage options, it’s advisable to declutter the device for smoother performance. And a word of caution: steer clear of Snake Zone, as its repetitive music can be grating beyond measure!
The Poco F6 Pro boasts a stunning 6.67-inch AMOLED display, much like its mid-range counterparts, reminiscent of the premium panel seen on the Alder F5 Pro. Sporting a 3200×1440 pixel resolution, your photos and videos are treated to unparalleled crispness and detail, provided you tweak the resolution in the display settings. This panel supports 12-bit color reproduction, HDR10, and Dolby Vision streaming for platforms like Netflix, offering a plethora of color modes to suit your preferences. Out of the box, the default setting delivers vibrant tones, while the high brightness mode punches up to around 1200 nits, with a peak local brightness of 4000 nits, ensuring visibility even in glaring sunlight.

The refresh rate peaks at 120 Hz, allowing manual adjustment to either 60 or 120 Hz as per your preference. Just like its regular counterpart, the Poco F6, the F6 Pro features stereo speakers with full Dolby Atmos support, although they’re slightly quieter than those on the regular F6. However, the audio quality sees a slight improvement. Nonetheless, noisy environments might pose challenges for clear audio, especially without a headphone jack, leaving Bluetooth streaming or dongle use as the go-to options. While wireless audio streaming may experience occasional hiccups, performance remains robust thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and 12GB of RAM, delivering consistently smooth everyday usage.


Using the camera didn’t cause any annoying slowdowns or glitches, which was a relief. Like I mentioned earlier, the HyperOS gaming mode comes with a bunch of features, including a performance booster tool. When I turned that on, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Genshin Impact ran smoothly even on the highest graphics settings. The frame rate stayed consistent, keeping the gameplay super smooth no matter how intense things got. Plus, the screen is really responsive with its 2160 Hz touch sampling, which is perfect for playing fast-paced online games like PUBG. The Liquid Cool Tech 4.0 from Poco does a great job of keeping the phone cool, even during long gaming sessions. On the downside, the connectivity could be better. I noticed that the reception at home wasn’t as strong as on other phones, and when I went to Norwich last weekend, I had trouble getting a signal in some places. But then again, it’s Norwich, so that might just be how it is there!

The battery packed into the Poco F5 Pro may be slightly smaller than its predecessor, clocking in at 5,000mAh, but its performance is still pretty darn impressive. I’ve put this phone through some long and intense days without ever worrying about running out of juice before bedtime. Picture this: 6 to 7 hours of screen time, tons of snapping photos to test out the camera, a good amount of video streaming, catching up with friends on Skype, and plenty of background music streaming while the phone’s been resting. And yet, by the end of the day, I’m usually left with about 10 to 15% battery, prompting me to switch on battery saver mode. But even if I do find myself dangerously low on power during the day, no sweat – this thing supports crazy-fast 120W hypercharging, which means it can go from dead to fully charged in about 20 minutes. The only downside? No wireless charging support, so it’s back to the good ol’ cables for now.
The Poco F6 Pro stands out in terms of its display and audio features, putting it on par with many mid-range competitors. With a 6.67-inch AMOLED display, it’s not far behind the premium panel found on the Alder F5 Pro. Offering a resolution of 3200×1440 pixels, this screen ensures your photos and videos are incredibly sharp and detailed, especially when you crank up the resolution in the display settings. Supporting 12-bit color reproduction, HDR10, and Dolby Vision streaming for apps like Netflix, the visual experience is truly stunning. Plus, with various color modes available in the display settings, you can customize your viewing experience. The default setting provides vibrant tones, and the high brightness mode reaches around 1200 nits, with a peak local brightness of 4000 nits, ensuring visibility even in bright sunlight.

The refresh rate maxes out at 120 Hz, offering smooth transitions, and you can manually adjust it to either 60 or 120 Hz depending on your preference. Similar to the standard Poco F6, the F6 Pro features a stereo speaker setup with full Dolby Atmos support, though it’s slightly quieter than the regular F6, it offers slightly better audio quality. However, in noisy environments like a busy kitchen, hearing content such as YouTube videos or podcasts might be a challenge due to the absence of a headphone jack. For audio connectivity, you’ll need to rely on Bluetooth streaming or use a dongle.

In terms of wireless audio streaming, there were occasional minor interruptions experienced in busy areas like central London, such as London Bridge station, especially when using LDAC. However, these interruptions were minimal. As for performance, the Poco F6 Pro is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, which despite being around a year and a half old, still delivers impressive performance.

“Powered by a hefty 12 gigs of RAM, using this device on a daily basis was incredibly smooth. There were no irritating lags, even when I was juggling multiple tasks like using the camera. And let’s talk gaming – the HyperOS gaming mode is packed with features, including a nifty performance booster tool. Turning it on, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Genshin Impact ran flawlessly, even on the most demanding graphics settings. The frame rate stayed consistently high, ensuring a silky-smooth gaming experience no matter how intense the action got.

Now, let’s talk about that gorgeous screen. With a touch sampling rate of 2160 Hz, it’s super responsive, especially for fast-paced online games like PUBG. And thanks to Poco’s Liquid Cool Tech 4.0, the F6 Pro stays cool under pressure, even during marathon gaming sessions.

But, there’s a slight downside – the connectivity. After gaming for a while, I noticed that the signal strength wasn’t as strong as I’d like, especially at home. And even during a recent trip to Norwich, I had trouble finding a signal in some areas. Although, to be fair, that might just be Norwich being Norwich.”
The battery packed into this device is a tad smaller than the older Poco F5 Pro, clocking in at 5,000mAh. But let me tell you, its performance is nothing short of amazing. I’ve put this thing through some serious paces – think 6 to 7 hours of screen time, plenty of camera action, testing out the optics, loads of video streaming, frequent video chats on Skype, and even a bunch of background audio streaming while the phone’s been on standby. And you know what? At the end of the day, I usually still have about 10 to 15% juice left, often resorting to battery saver mode. But here’s the kicker – even if I somehow manage to drain it during the day, I’m not sweating it at all. With support for the insanely fast 120W hypercharge tech, this bad boy goes from zero to hero in just around 20 minutes. The only downside? No wireless charging support, so it’s all about those good old cables.

Let’s wrap up this lovely little Poco F6 Pro review by taking a closer look at its camera technology. The triple-lens setup is anchored by a powerful 50-megapixel Light Fusion 800 sensor, offering impressive optical image stabilization for steady shots. Xiaomi’s camera app has come a long way, becoming much more user-friendly over time. It provides quick access to a variety of controls, including some nifty features like voice shutter and motion tracking, perfect for capturing pets, kids, or whatever else catches your eye. And if you’re into tinkering with camera settings, you’ll love the Pro mode, which lets you fine-tune things like white balance and shutter speed before snapping a pic. Plus, there are cool extras like focus peaking and a 50-megapixel high-res mode for even more flexibility. During my testing, I mostly stuck with the automatic mode, which produced some pretty impressive results. Just be aware that the Poco F6 Pro tends to amp up colors, making them brighter and warmer, but it definitely makes photos more visually appealing, even without AI enhancements. And the HDR feature does a great job of preventing washed-out or overly saturated shots, handling tricky lighting situations like shooting against a bright sky with ease. Even in low-light conditions, the Poco F6 Pro performs admirably, capturing plenty of detail with minimal graininess as long as there’s not too much movement. The secondary 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens offers similar results to the primary lens, with rich, warm tones, though it does struggle a bit more in low light. Overall, the Poco F6 Pro’s camera setup is impressive, offering plenty of features and solid performance in various shooting conditions.

When it comes to the third and final lens, don’t expect anything fancy like a telephoto shooter. It’s just a run-of-the-mill 2-megapixel macro snapper. However, the 50-megapixel high-res mode does come in handy for capturing highly detailed shots, allowing you to crop in as an alternative to having a telephoto lens. While it does help sharpen things up a bit, it’s not a complete replacement.

For shooting videos, the Poco F6 Pro impresses with its ability to capture footage in up to 8K resolution at 24 frames per second, or you can opt for 4K Ultra HD at 30 or 60 FPS. Xiaomi’s director mode is a neat addition, giving you the flexibility to adjust settings like white balance. It also allows you to connect to other devices and use them as a camera monitor when shooting in 4K resolution.

Even without diving into director mode, video results from the Poco F6 Pro are pretty decent. You get reliable stabilization for smooth footage, even when on the move. Low-light performance is surprisingly good, outshining what you’d get from a Pixel A under similar conditions. However, I did notice some slight audio distortion when shooting outdoors, especially on windy days.

On the front side, the 16-megapixel selfie camera does a decent job, but it tends to overexpose shots when there’s backlighting. And when it comes to nighttime selfies, it’s not exactly stellar either.
Alright, folks, here’s my verdict on the new Poco F6 Pro after a week of putting it through its paces. Gotta say, I quite enjoyed my time with it. Though, as usual, there were a few annoyances – like the boatload of pre-installed junk, some minor flaws here and there, and the fact that it rocks Gorilla Glass 5 on the front, among other seemingly cost-cutting choices. But you know what? Despite these nitpicks, the phone’s overall performance is pretty darn impressive. So, that’s my take. I’m eager to hear what you all think about the Poco F6 Pro down in the comments. And hey, if you haven’t already, hit subscribe and that notification bell for more tech goodness. Oh, and don’t miss my Poco F6 versus F6 Pro unboxing – it’s either live now or dropping real soon. Alright, that’s enough from me. Have yourselves a fantastic week ahead, folks. Cheers, and catch you later!”

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