▷Pocophone F1 review: a smartphone of substance 🥇

The first impact with Pocophone F1 it wasn't the best, yet, after trying it for a couple of weeks, I can't help but recommend this device “by Xiaomi“. I'll explain why in this review.

Pocophone F1: technical characteristics

Dimensions: 155,5 x 75,3 x 8,8 mm
Weight: 180 g
Display: 6,2″ IPS LCD – 1080 x 2246 pixel
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
GPU: Adreno 630
RAM: 6 GB
Memory: 64 / 128 GB
Network: 4G LTE – Dual SIM
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, USB Type-C, GPS
Battery: 4000 mAh
Rear camera: 12 MP + 5 MP
Front Camera: 20 MP
Videos: 4k @30fps
Operating system: Android 8.1 Oreo con MIUI 9.6

Polycarbonate and simplicity

It will take you a few seconds to understand that Pocophone F1 it is not a top of the range. To confirm this immediately are the materials: no metal and no glass, the backcover of this smartphone is in polycarbonate. Absolutely solid, but certainly not able to distinguish this device from other mid-range devices. To testify this vocation then the design takes care of it: this Pocophone F1 is ssimple, unpretentious and,in some ways, a little anonymous.

Obviously there is no lack of absolutely appreciable details: the absolutely successful oleophobic treatment, the presence - now less and less obvious - of the 3,5 mm jack for headphones and the double rear camera, arranged vertically and characterized by a pleasant red profile.

Absolutely promoted the 6,2-inch IPS LCD display. The screen in fact surprises with all in all deep blacks, a good color range and an excellent automatic brightness adjustment. Instead, the notch was rejected since it follows the path traced by Xiaomi: no notifications on the side and the need therefore to periodically scroll down the curtain to check messages, calls, emails and the like.

Many surprises under the hood

Out Pocophone F1 looks like a traditional mid-range smartphone, but hides under the body a respectable hardware.

The processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, flanked by 6 GB of RAM and the Adreno 630 GPU, it guarantees speed and fluidity in all circumstances, allowing you to work and play without limits. The memory, from 64 or 128 GB, is expandable, which allows you to save everything you need. But be careful: in order to take advantage of a microSD you will have to give up the second SIM.

Good both the reception and the connectivity options, even if we did not miss a small lack: the device does not integrate NFC, a now serious lack considering the arrival of Google Pay and, more generally, the spread of digital payments.

Autonomy, on the other hand, is absolutely satisfactory. Battery from 4.000 mAh brings you without major problems at the end of the day even with intense use. An example? Pocophone F1 accompanied me to Milan Games Week and, with active tethering and all possible notifications, it managed to hold up without major difficulties. For those who use the device a little less, the statistics are even more rosy: two days of autonomy and a quick recharge that gets it back on track in a few minutes.

Finally, we come to the software, that is Android 8.1 Oreo with EMUI 9.6 of Xiaomi which, by now you will know, does not excite me particularly. The Poco launcher but it's not bad at all, it brings with it my beloved drawer and all in all it brings you closer to a more stock experience than the other products of the Chinese giant.

Everything changes in the dark

The photographic sector somewhat betrays the Asian origin of the smartphone. We are thus faced with a 20 megapixel front camera which behaves very well with selfies, which is always very appreciated by Chinese users, while the double rear sensor has fewer megapixels but on the other hand earns artificial intelligence. IThe result is absolutely satisfactory during the day, with vivid and bright colors.

As often happens with smartphones of this range, everything changes in the dark. Land traditional images become in fact less detailed and the blur becomes much more inaccurate.

Pocophone F1: buy it or not?

Pocophone F1 is a smartphone of substance, a device clearly created to meet the needs of users in terms of speed, range and price. Ideal for those who do not want to spend too much (starting from 329 € for the 64 GB version), but without giving up (almost) nothing. Of course, it undoubtedly has flaws and it is certainly not a camera phone, but we can consider it a very successful first experiment.