POCO's F-series has a reputation for delivering flagship-level performance at reasonable prices, and the latest POCO F6 raises the bar with its Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset. I've spent the last few weeks testing the F6 to see if it maintains its position as an affordable flagship killer or if it's stepped up into the upper mid-range category. Let's dive into the details to find out.
POCO F6 Unboxing
POCO F6 Specs
Android 14, Xiaomi HyperOS
6.67-inch CrystalRes 1.5K Flow AMOLED display, 2712 x 1220 pixel resolution, 446ppi
120Hz refresh rate, 2160Hz touch sampling rate
2400 nits peak brightness
1920Hz PWM dimming
Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
3.0GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 octa-core processor
Adreno 735 GPU
AI: Qualcomm AI Engine
8GB/12GB LPDDR5X RAM
256GB/512GB UFS 4.0 internal storage
50MP f/1.6, OIS + 8mp ultra-wide rear cameras, LED flash
20MP f/2.2 selfie camera
In-display fingerprint scanner
AI Face Unlock
IP64 dust and splash resistant
Dual speakers
Dual SIM, Dual standby
4G, 5G
Wi-Fi Protocol: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax
Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, GPS
USB-C
5,000mAh battery, 90W wired fast charging
Colors: Green, Brown, Black
179g
Design and Build Quality
Up front, the Poco F6 boasts a large 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. This is a great combination of crisp visuals and responsive actions, but I dive deeper into the display's features in a bit.
The Poco F6 boasts a slim profile of just 7.8mm. It feels nice in my hand, and it's also not bulky at only 179 grams. The Black color looks really nice. The back has this subtle shimmer that catches the light, which is way cooler than Titanium or Green version. Plus, there's a free case included in the box for added protection.
It doesn't seem to attract fingerprints, or smudges, which makes it more attractive. Plus, it has an IP64 rating, so it can handle rain, splashes, and dust without any problems.
The camera setup on the back has these two big, circular camera rings that kind of stick out. They're not really my kind of design, but some people might like the bold look. There's also the Poco branding and a "50MP OIS" label etched on the back, which is pretty subtle. The curved edges make it really comfy to hold for extended usage.
The volume and power buttons are on the right, which makes it easy to reach with my thumb. On the top, there's an IR blaster that can be use to control appliances (still a cool feature).
The bottom houses the dual SIM slot (no microSD card slot, which is a bummer) and the USB-C port for charging and data transfer. Basically, everything is where you'd expect it to be.
Overall, the POCO F6 feels well-made smartphone with a premium look. It might not have the fanciest glass back panel, but the design is sleek and functional. It's lightweight and comfortable to hold, and the IP rating adds a layer of protection. Plus, the Titanium color looks really cool (at least in my opinion!).
Display and Audio Quality
The POCO F6 boasts a 6.67-inch CrystalRes 1.5K Flow AMOLED display with minimal bezels, with an impressive 94.2% screen-to-body ratio. This translates to a better viewing experience.
Overall, the POCO F6 feels well-made smartphone with a premium look. It might not have the fanciest glass back panel, but the design is sleek and functional. It's lightweight and comfortable to hold, and the IP rating adds a layer of protection. Plus, the Titanium color looks really cool (at least in my opinion!).
Display and Audio Quality
The POCO F6 boasts a 6.67-inch CrystalRes 1.5K Flow AMOLED display with minimal bezels, with an impressive 94.2% screen-to-body ratio. This translates to a better viewing experience.
The display’s smooth 120Hz refresh rate delivers smooth visuals, complemented by a highly responsive touch sampling rate that can reach up to 2160Hz, ensuring precise finger tracking. With a peak brightness of 2400 nits, that ensures clear visibility even in direct sunlight.
One aspect I appreciate is the display’s flexibility. It offers two refresh rate settings: a default mode and a custom mode where you can manually set the refresh rate to 60Hz or 120Hz, with the latter capable of adjusting automatically based on performance needs. This flexibility extends to its light and dark modes, which can be easily toggled in the settings menu, adapting to different lighting conditions and user preferences.
The display also incorporates several eye protection certifications, including TÜV Low Blue Light, TÜV Flicker Free, and TÜV Circadian Friendly certifications. These features are designed to reduce eye strain during prolonged use, which is a thoughtful addition for heavy users like myself.
It also features an AI image engine, which enhances video resolution when activated, and an AI HDR enhancement that processes videos with HDR effects to bring out more detail. However, a drawback is that these enhancements can consume more power.
The POCO F6’s display supports Dolby Vision HDR 10+, offering vibrant colors and deep blacks for an immersive viewing experience. Corning Gorilla Glass Victus provides added protection against scratches. For added security, the in-display fingerprint sensor offers convenient and secure unlocking. The punch-hole cutout for the front-facing camera is subtly placed at the top center, minimizing visual disruption.
Audio quality on the POCO F6 is good but not impressive, thanks to its hybrid speaker setup that produces clear and loud sound with a decent bass presence. Vocals are distinct even at full volume, making them suitable for media consumption and calls. The microphones perform well, even in noisy outdoor environments. However, the absence of a 3.5mm audio jack is a downside for those who prefer wired earphones like me. Instead, you'll need to rely on Bluetooth or a USB-C adapter for audio connections.
Overall, the POCO F6’s display offers a top-tier visual experience. However, the lack of a 3.5mm audio jack and the power consumption of some of its advanced features are minor drawbacks. and I occasionally found the auto-brightness setting to be a bit too aggressive, dimming the screen more than I preferred in low-light conditions.
Performance
The Poco F6 delivers impressive performance for a mid-range smartphone. While its Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip isn't quite as powerful as the latest flagships (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2/3), it offers a fantastic balance of speed and efficiency. This translates to smooth operation and long battery life, making the Poco F6 a good choice for everyday users and gamers alike.
During my experience with the device, it handled everything I installed on it effortlessly. Multitasking was smooth, whether I was juggling between multiple apps or streaming content while browsing. The combination of 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 4GB dynamic RAM ensured a lag-free experience, even with demanding tasks. Plus, the 256GB of storage space is more than enough space for my apps and media.
Benchmark scores also reflected the device's capabilities. In AnTuTu v10.7 the Poco F6 scored an impressive 1,437,278 points in performance mode, showcasing its power. In Geekbench 6, it scores 1,675 in single-core CPU tests and 4,383 in multi-core tests.
Gaming on the Poco F6 was a delight. Playing casual games is smooth and runs without a hitch, and even graphics-intensive titles like Genshin Impact, Call of Duty: Mobile, and PUBG Mobile performed admirably at their highest settings. The touch sensitivity is also great, and using the Game Turbo app further optimizes the gaming experience.
The 120Hz CrystalRes AMOLED display delivered a smooth and responsive gaming experience, which ensured I never missed a beat in fast-paced games. The vibrant visuals added to the immersion, making gaming sessions enjoyable.
However, I did encounter minor issues during extended gaming sessions. While LiquidCool Technology 4.0 helped keep temperatures in check, there were moments when the device warmed up slightly, affecting prolonged gaming comfort. Additionally, the battery drain during intensive gaming was noticeable.
Despite these minor drawbacks, the Poco F6 is a solid choice for gamers and power users alike. Its impressive performance, smooth high-refresh-rate display, and efficient cooling system make it a good option in the mid-range smartphone market.
Xiaomi HyperOS
Booting up the new POCO F6, the first thing that struck me was its clean and modern interface. Xiaomi's HyperOS, layered on top of Android 14, offers a simple yet modern look. The eye-catching app icons and well-organized layout make navigation intuitive and enjoyable.
While it comes with some pre-installed bloatware, such as social media apps and game recommendations, these can be easily uninstalled, allowing for a more personalized and streamlined user experience.
The POCO F6 includes several AI-driven features that significantly enhance usability and performance. For instance, AI Gesture Control makes navigation easier with intuitive gestures, while AI Image Expansion and AI Eraser Pro allow for seamless photo editing.
The AI Bokeh feature is perfect for portrait photography, creating a professional-looking background blur, and AI Noise Cancellation ensures clear audio during calls. The AI Network and Connectivity features ensure stable and fast connections, even in challenging environments. Wildboost 3.0 optimizes performance by intelligently managing system resources.
Camera
Let's dive into the camera capabilities of the POCO F6, which are a bit of a mixed bag. The POCO F6 has a dual-camera setup, which is becoming a new standard in mid-range devices today.
Sporting a dual-camera setup, it packs a 50-megapixel Sony IMX882 main sensor with a bright f/1.6 aperture and OIS, paired with an 8-megapixel Sony IMX355 ultra-wide unit boasting a 119-degree field of view. And for taking selfies, there’s a 20-megapixel front-facing camera that doesn’t disappoint.
When it comes to image quality, the POCO F6 primary camera delivers impressive results, particularly in daylight conditions. The photos I took were well-detailed, with vibrant colors, good dynamic range, and almost accurate white balance. The colors are slightly enhanced, giving photos a nice, almost Instagram-ready look straight out of the camera.
In low light, the primary camera also performs admirably, both in auto and Night mode. The images captured are often brighter than the actual scene, which can be particularly useful for night photography. However, this enhancement sometimes shows a bit of grain, especially in very dark conditions. Despite this, the photos retain good detail and minimal noise, provided there is enough light around.
Sample Photos
I noticed that, even with Beauty Mode turned off, the camera tends to smoothen and whiten skin tones slightly. This may be a feature some users appreciate, but it’s worth noting for those who prefer a more natural look. Additionally, I didn't observe a significant difference in detail when switching to the 50-megapixel mode, which is somewhat surprising but not uncommon in mid-range smartphones.
The 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera, while not as sharp as the primary sensor, offers decent performance with a wide 119-degree field of view, making it great for capturing expansive landscapes and group shots. The 20-megapixel front-facing camera is also quite capable, delivering clear and detailed selfies. The wide field of view is handy for video calls, allowing me to include more of my surroundings, making it perfect for video calls and social media.
Video Recoding
When it comes to video capabilities, the Poco F6 certainly doesn't disappoint. It's capable of shooting 4K at 60fps for the main camera. The details in the recorded videos are impressive, however, I did notice that the colors appeared slightly muted and the shadows were not as rich as I'd hoped for.
The panning shots turned out well, maintaining smooth transitions between frames. However, when it came to more dynamic movements like walking or running, the stabilization didn't quite meet my expectations. But switching to 1080p at 30fps with OIS enabled videos is noticeably smoother, with the OIS minimizing shakes and jitters. While you sacrifice a bit of resolution, the trade-off in stability can be worth it, especially for fast-paced videos.
In low-light conditions, the primary camera performs admirably, but with some added noise. The videos retain decent clarity, although it's advisable to avoid extremely dim settings for optimal results.
The ultra-wide camera's video capabilities, while it can shoot in 1080p at 30fps, don't quite match up to the primary camera, even in well-lit environments. The videos have noticeable noise and darker shadows, detracting from the overall visual appeal.
Overall, the Poco F6 delivers solid video recording capabilities, especially with its primary camera in 4K and 1080p modes. While there are some minor drawbacks, it still remains a reliable choice for shooting high-quality video content on the go.
POCO F6 offers good battery life, it packs a 5,000mAh battery and supports 90W wired fast charging. In my battery test, it lasted an impressive 22 hours in our HD video loop test, which is actually good, and it shows the efficiency of both hardware and software optimization.
My daily routine involves a mix of tasks, including gaming sessions with high graphics settings, video streaming on YouTube, TikTok, Disney+ and Netflix for my commute, frequent GPS use for navigation, and capturing photos throughout the day. It delivered over a day and a half of battery life on a single charge. Even with varied usage, I still managed to clock around 4 to 6 hours hours of screen-on time, which is quite nice for a device in this segment.
When it comes to charging, the 90W charger can fill up the battery in just about 1 hour and 20 minutes. The battery was charged from 11% to a full 100%, allowing me to get back to using the device without much downtime.
Overall, the Poco F6's combination of excellent battery life and fast charging capabilities makes it a reliable companion for users with active lifestyles.
Pros
Slim Premium feel design
Stunning Display
Flagship-Level Performance
Versatile Camera System
AI-Driven Features
Interconnectivity
Fast Charging
Reasonable Price
Cons
Plastic Build
Need more AI features on Camera
No Wireless Charging
Verdict: POCO F6 - Powerhouse on a Budget
After spending a good few weeks with the POCO F6, I can say it's a great option for anyone looking for a high-performance smartphone without a hefty price tag. For its price of ₱21,999 for the 8GB + 256GB variant, it packs a serious punch. The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 processor and robust GPU deliver smooth, efficient performance, making it ideal for everything from intense gaming sessions to running multiple apps simultaneously.
The 6.67-inch AMOLED screen offers vibrant visuals that make watching videos or playing games an immersive experience. Plus, the fast 90W charging means I can go from near dead to ready to go in just minutes, which is a lifesaver on busy days. The camera system takes versatile and reliable photos in different lighting conditions. The AI features are a nice touch, making it easy to capture stunning shots.
While the plastic build might not be for everyone, and it lacks wireless charging, the POCO F6 is a nice mid-range smartphone. It offers features and performance that rival flagships, all at a much more affordable price. Despite its minor drawbacks, the POCO F6's overall package is impressive for the mid-range segment.
The POCO F6 is available in three striking colors: Black, Green, and Titanium. The 8GB + 256GB variant is priced at ₱21,999, and the 12GB + 512GB variant retails for ₱24,999.
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