The Poco F8 Extremely is a media powerhouse wearing denim

Poco telephones have all the time been a combined bag. Good {hardware} matched with common software program, however with varied compromises that made them fairly arduous to suggest.

The Poco F8 Extremely is probably the primary to keep away from lots of the pitfalls that made its predecessors a troublesome promote. I’ve been utilizing it, and there are some actual excessive factors.

6.5/10

SoC

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5

RAM

12GB / 16GB

Storage

256GB / 512GB

Battery

6,500mAh

Working System

Android 16 / HyperOS 3

Entrance digital camera

32MP

The Poco F8 Extremely’s flagship spec is enhanced with a periscope telephoto digital camera and Bose audio, plus a fascinating design. It is shaping as much as be Poco’s most interesting telephone but.

Professionals & Cons

• Denim Blue model is beautiful
• Bose audio sounds incredible
• Massive, lovely display
• Versatile periscope zoom digital camera
• Lengthy battery life

• Software program can frustrate
• Digicam wants refining
• Processor can overheat in some circumstances

Specs, value, and availability

The Poco F8 Extremely is very unlikely to get an official launch within the U.S., but it surely ought to be bought within the U.Okay., Europe, and different areas world wide.

The F8 Extremely is available in two variations. The 12GB/256GB mannequin prices $729, and the 16GB/512GB mannequin is barely dearer at $799. This makes it a bit of cheaper than the OnePlus 15, Samsung Galaxy S25, and the Google Pixel 10, that are its main competitors.

Finest trying Poco telephone

Get the denim one

The Poco F8 Extremely is available in two colours, an everyday black and a incredible Denim Blue end. That is the one to decide on. It appears to be like and feels good, with a light-weight texture and a enjoyable steel Poco nametag. I really like the best way it isn’t only a panel, and as a substitute blends into the steel body and digital camera module.

On paper it does make the telephone fairly thick at 8.3mm, and it’s pretty heavy at 218 grams, however in actuality it simply feels substantial and well-made. Poco has engineered the F8 Extremely to have an IP68 mud and water resistance ranking.

Poco has all the time experimented with totally different colours, typically going with eye-catching and fairly garish designs to match. The F8 Extremely is extra smart, however nonetheless suitably totally different and strange. It pays off, as a result of I by no means felt a bit foolish with the F8 Extremely, not like a number of the model’s brilliant yellow and inexperienced telephones from the previous.

The telephone’s design made an awesome first impression, however what would the remainder of the telephone be like? Poco’s hit-or-miss strategy to telephones made me a bit of involved about whether or not I’d rapidly fall out of affection with it. Nonetheless, I used to be about to be very pleasantly shocked.

Wonderful sound

Bose partnership will win followers

Via a partnership with Bose, the Poco F8 Extremely delivers in all probability the very best audio expertise I’ve had on a smartphone in a while. The Asus ROG Cellphone sequence all the time held the crown, however its reign could also be over.

The telephone has a 2.1 association, with twin stereo audio system and a subwoofer, which may be very clearly set subsequent to the cameras on the again of the telephone. Within the Settings menu, you may swap between a Dynamic and a Balanced mode, which dramatically impacts the sound.

What makes it particular is the openness of the sound. There’s a full soundstage, and the audio expertise modifications between panorama and portrait orientation, with robust bass in each. There’s little tinniness, and not one of the brightness all of us affiliate with telephone audio system. Together with the display and efficiency, the sound makes the Poco F8 Extremely a incredible media telephone, and an actual deal with.

Lastly, a good digital camera

Periscope zoom included

One of many essential compromises you’ve all the time needed to make with a Poco telephone was with the digital camera, however not a lot with the F8 Extremely. It has a 50-megapixel essential digital camera, a 50MP wide-angle digital camera, and a 50MP telephoto digital camera for a 5x optical zoom.

Poco, a Xiaomi model, has used the customized Mild Fusion 950 essential digital camera, and it takes vibrant, thrilling pictures in most environments, and can go well with those that like fairly a processed look to their pictures. I used to be shocked to see a lot processing when trying carefully at its pictures, with apparent enhancement all through.

I don’t hate it as a result of, at a look, it’s not all that noticeable, and solely will get picked up while you crop the picture down. Poco’s telephones have by no means been for critical photographers, and the social-media-friendly essential digital camera within the F8 Extremely reveals issues haven’t modified.

The rationale I price it extra extremely than earlier Poco cameras is the 5x optical zoom and the 10x zoom. Each add versatility, and the standard of every zoom degree is nice. I’ve been assured in utilizing them, however have observed the 5x zoom can undergo from focus points typically, an issue I’d count on to be addressed in a software program replace.

All of the efficiency you want

However does it overheat?

It is a true flagship telephone. It has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, with the selection of a 12GB/256GB or 16GB/512GB configuration. We’ve already used Qualcomm’s newest chip in a number of telephones, such because the OnePlus 15 and the Realme GT 8 Professional, and in each instances it has overheated when pushed arduous.

What occurs with the Poco F8 Extremely? Beneath regular use, it by no means will get sizzling, identical to the opposite telephones, however present it a number of hardcore stress checks within the 3DMark benchmarking app, and it’ll get too toasty to make use of.

It’s similar to the opposite telephones I’ve tried with the chip, however with a notable discount in warmth via the denim rear panel and chassis. Many of the warmth concentrates across the digital camera module, which makes the telephone simpler to carry ought to it get sizzling throughout intensive video games.

This isn’t one thing I’ve observed or felt involved about when utilizing the telephone for normal apps and video games, and I’d be shocked if the telephone overheated outdoors of benchmarking checks. Nonetheless, the very fact it does isn’t nice, however not less than Poco appears to have directed a number of the warmth away from the place the telephone is held.

Nonetheless some software program compromises

However higher than earlier than

Android 16 is put in, and it’s a barely Poco-tuned model of Xiaomi’s HyperOS 3 excessive. Fortunately, the times of overly stylized icons and hideous colours in Poco’s software program are over, and the software program appears to be like mature and capabilities properly.

The telephone’s efficiency means normal app use, the digital camera, and gaming are all fuss-free. There are a number of conditions the place animations appear to differ in pace, which is jarring at first, however you do get used to it.

Sadly, the countless notifications from apps you don’t care about proceed, a problem which has plagued Poco and Xiaomi telephones for years, and reveals no indicators of ending. Anticipate to be advised to do this theme, replace that app, and never overlook about this foolish function.

Google Uncover, or one thing related, has been built-in into the lockscreen, the place silly headlines sit underneath the time. It is obnoxious, and I have not labored out the way to eliminate it but.

The display is a magnificence although. The 6.9-inch dimension shrinks in your hand, permitting you to actually benefit from the 120Hz easy scrolling, sharp textual content, vibrant colours, and excessive brightness. I’ve seen it in most climate situations (thanks, UK climate), and had no downside in any respect.

I’ve had my essential SIM card within the F8 Extremely, and located calls sound wonderful, notifications and messages arrived with out subject, and its antennas pull in a sign even when reception is low. When you’ve set the software program up, removed the annoying notifications, and lived with it a number of days, the F8 Extremely is a superb on a regular basis gadget.

Battery and charging

You might want particular {hardware}

Whereas not fairly up there with the OnePlus 15, the Poco F8 Extremely’s 6,500mAh battery continues to be long-lasting. I’ve seen between 5 and 6 hours display time on a single cost, with combined use and a bit of mild gaming.

There’s no compromise with the charging both. You may select between 100W wired charging or 50W wi-fi charging, however chances are you’ll have to buy Xiaomi’s HyperCharge chargers to get the quickest speeds.

I used an Anker Prime wall charger and it took round an hour to completely cost, with 50% developing in about 25 minutes. That is good efficiency, however not as quick as Poco claims is feasible utilizing the proprietary charging {hardware}, which is not included within the field.

Not as distinctive as Poco desires you to assume

Check out the Redmi variations

The Poco F8 Extremely is similar to the Redmi K90 Professional Max. Each manufacturers are a part of the Xiaomi household, bought in numerous areas, and in addition marketed in numerous methods. You may’t get a denim K90 Professional Max, for instance.

Poco has additionally introduced the Poco F8 Professional, which is similar to the Redmi K90. It’s value looking on the small {hardware} variations between them, simply in case one fits you higher than the opposite, as headline options – comparable to Bose audio and the 50MP periscope zoom – can be found on the Poco and Redmi fashions.

Do you have to purchase the Poco F8 Extremely?

Sure, the Poco F8 Extremely is a strong buy. It’s Poco’s most mature telephone but, and its easy-to-live-with nature and dependable efficiency means it’ll go well with individuals searching for one thing totally different.

Don’t count on the slickness of a Samsung telephone or the ever-more-mainstream enchantment of the OnePlus 15 although. That is nonetheless a left-field selection, and irritations within the software program and inconsistency within the digital camera betray it.

Nonetheless, the Bose audio, versatile telephoto digital camera, long-lasting battery, and a largely tamed Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 imply the compromises are far much less of an issue than on earlier Poco telephones, and if media is what you employ your telephone for many, it will actually impress.

6.5/10

SoC

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5

Show dimensions

6.9-inch

Battery

6,500mAh

Rear digital camera

50MP essential / 50MP extensive / 50MP periscope telephoto

The Poco F8 Extremely is Poco’s greatest telephone but, and whereas points stay, the upsides outweigh them right here. Particularly, the mix of processor, display and Bose audio makes it an awesome choice for gaming and video.