Xiami Poco was launched in 2018 as a sub-brand specializing in mid-range smartphones. Today, Poco unveiled its first series of premium flagship phones, the F8 Ultra and F8 Pro, at an event in Bali. Both devices will use Sound by Bose technology and run Xiaomi HyperOS 3 thanks to a partnership with the brand. Kang Lou, senior director of product marketing and spokesperson for Poco Global, said the F8 Ultra “sets a new benchmark for true flagships.” Meanwhile, the F8 Pro will “bring immersive flagship experiences to more users.”
The 6.9-inch Poco F8 Ultra features a dual-chipset architecture consisting of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, Qualcomm’s latest flagship mobile platform, and the VisionBoost D8 chipset that powers “AI super resolution for sharper, more detailed images.” It uses Poco’s new HyperRGB display, which the company says uses a full RGB subpixel structure, making the most of the red, green and blue subpixels. Another notable feature is the 6,500mAh battery, the largest ever in a Poco F-series phone. The Ultra version comes in a “Denim” version, which isn’t really denim: the back is simply designed to look like it’s covered in fabric, but in reality a special Xiaomi Nanotech material is used.
The 6.59-inch Poco F8 Pro, on the other hand, has a subtle micro-curved design with edges that flow towards the back. It is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite mobile platform and has a 6,210 mAh battery that lasts for 16 hours of continuous use. Both models are now available in the UK. The Poco F8 Ultra will cost you at least £749, while the F8 Pro will cost you at least £549. In the US, the F8 Ultra with 12GB of memory and 256GB of storage costs $729, while the model with 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage costs $799. The lower spec F8 Pro will cost $579 and the higher spec will cost $629. Poco is offering discounts to early buyers that will drop the price by at least $50, but has yet to announce a US release date.