Tech Blog #185 | Poco F6 & F6 Pro - Still 8MP Ultrawides ??

Last year's Poco F5 was a hit but it wasn't that a hit than Poco F3, which was released in 2022. But can we forget the ultimate Pocophone F1 which I had the privilege to use. Anyway, it is time for yet another Poco smartphone duo. And as earlier, they are rebranded Xiaomi smartphones.

The Poco F6 and F6 Pro sport sleek designs with practical features for durability. The Poco F6 is built with a glass front protected by Gorilla Glass Victus, a plastic frame, and a plastic back, weighing 179g with a thickness of 8 mm. The F6 Pro, on the other hand, has a glass front and back protected by Gorilla Glass 5, and an aluminum frame, making it slightly heavier at 209g with a thickness of 8.2 mm. Both models include under-display optical fingerprint sensors for secure and convenient unlocking. The F6 boasts an IP64 dust and water resistance rating, while the F6 Pro is rated IP54 for dust and splash resistance.

Both the Poco F6 and F6 Pro feature a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, ensuring smooth visuals. The F6 has a resolution of 2K and supports HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, with a peak brightness of 2400 nits. The F6 Pro steps up with a QHD+ resolution, providing an even sharper display and a peak brightness of 4000 nits. Both displays offer vibrant colors and excellent viewing angles, making them ideal for media consumption and gaming.

The Poco F6 is powered by the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset, which includes an octa-core CPU and Adreno 735 GPU, ensuring robust performance. It comes in two configurations: 256GB of storage with 8GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage with 12GB of RAM, utilizing UFS 4.0 technology for faster data access. The F6 Pro uses the more powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, paired with either 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM, 512GB of storage and 12GB of RAM, or 1TB of storage with 16GB of RAM, also leveraging UFS 4.0. Some could say Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 is more powerful than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. But benchmarks says no.

The Poco F6 features a dual-camera setup with a 50 MP main sensor with PDAF, and OIS, alongside an 8 MP ultrawide sensor. It supports 4K video recording at 30/60fps. The front camera is a 20 MP sensor with an f/2.2 aperture. The F6 Pro has a triple-camera system, including a 50 MP main sensor with a larger 1/1.55" sensor size, an 8 MP ultrawide, and a 2 MP macro camera. It supports video recording up to 8K at 24fps. The front camera on the F6 Pro is a 16 MP sensor. Selfie video recording of both smartphones are capped at 1080p.

Both models house a 5000 mAh battery, but their charging capabilities differ. The Poco F6 supports 90W wired charging, capable of charging from 2-100% in just 35 minutes. The F6 Pro supports 120W wired charging, advertised to reach 100% in 19 minutes, although it lacks wireless charging, which was present in its predecessor, the F5 Pro. That's a downgrade.

The Poco F6 and F6 Pro run on Android 14 with Xiaomi's HyperOS, offering a smooth and customizable user experience. HyperOS includes various AI features to enhance performance and user interaction, such as AI-driven battery optimization and intelligent camera functionalities. Regular updates ensure that users receive the latest features and security patches.

The Poco F6 and F6 Pro provide significant upgrades over their predecessors, offering powerful chipsets, high-resolution displays, and fast charging capabilities. The only downgrade is removing wireless charging from Pro version. The Poco F6 starts at an attractive price, making it a competitive option in the mid-range market, while the F6 Pro, with its premium features, justifies its higher price point. Overall, both models are poised to maintain Poco's reputation for delivering high-quality, affordable smartphones.