Xiaomi Pocophone F1: smartphone review

Publication date: 09/27/2018

Content:

Getting to know your smartphone
Technical specifications Pocophone F1
Pocophone F1 photo review
conclusions

The launch of a new brand is a bright and interesting business, especially when it is represented by such a well-respected company as Xiaomi. We have repeatedly said that in recent years it has become one of the main newsmakers of the mobile market.

Learn the price of the Pocophone F1 Pocophone by Xiaomi is a new sub-brand created specifically to, on the one hand, divert attention from Xiaomi and its flagships, and, on the other, to create some perfect smartphone literally from scratch. Can you distinguish a frame on a smartphone from a frame on a camera? Then, by the end of March 2020, participate in the exciting game BATTLE Smartphone vs Camera and get access to the Xiaomi closed portal with discounts. The first instance was called the Pocophone F1. And this model has its own slogan - Master Of Speed ??(Lord of Speed). Calls with royal races in the title are not accidental either.

The Poco team, or Pocophone, which works entirely in Xiaomi, has set itself the task of creating the perfect flagship smartphone. To do this, it was necessary to hear all the requests of the audience and to launch a really cool device on the market that could satisfy the most sophisticated audience. Looking ahead, we say that we almost succeeded in fulfilling our plan. Pocophone F1 has become the most affordable smartphone based on the eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, in addition to receiving also liquid cooling LiquidCool Technology. Inside - 6 GB of RAM, a 128 GB drive, a 4000 mAh battery. But you can find out more about the filling of the device below, now we will focus on the camera.

There is a dual camera unit installed, the same as in Xiaomi Mi A2. This means a combination of a 12-megapixel main camera with a fast F1.9 lens and a 1 / 2.55 ”physical size with Dual Pixel AF technology and a 5-megapixel sensor, which is responsible for determining the depth of the scene. The camera does not have optical image stabilization and a laser rangefinder; everything else, including a two-color flash, is in place. With the front camera, it’s a little more interesting: the “bang” has completely moved from Xiaomi Mi8, with the front camera and all the sensors to unlock it in the face. The resolution of the front camera is 20 megapixels, and the lens aperture is F2.0.

Specifications Pocophone F1:
Screen	6.18 inches, IPS, 18.7: 9 aspect ratio, 2246x1080 pixels, 403 ppi
CPU	eight-core, Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, 2.8 GHz with liquid cooling system
RAM	6 GB
Built-in memory	128 GB
Memory card	up to 256 GB supported (combo slot)
SIM	dual SIM support
Main camera	12 MP (F1.9, 1 / 2.55 ”, Dual Pixel AF, two-color flash) + 5 MP, F2.0
Front-camera	20 MP, F2.0
The fingerprint scanner	there is, behind
Headphone Jack:	yes, 3.5 mm
Communications	LTE Cat.16 (up to 1 Gb / s), Wi-Fi 802.11ac (dual band), Bluetooth 5.0, USB Type-C
Geolocation	A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS
Battery	4000 mAh non-removable

Pocophone F1 photo review

We were lucky: we received the device for the test immediately after the announcement and were able to take some bright shots in Paris. In good daylight conditions, the smartphone showed itself very well: the right colors, high detail. Unfortunately, it was not without a resharp here, but it is noticeable only at one hundred percent scale.

POCOPHONE F1 Settings: ISO 100, F1.9, 1/1638 s, 20.0 mm equiv.

POCOPHONE F1 Settings: ISO 100, F1.9, 1/1372 s, 20.0 mm equiv.

POCOPHONE F1 Settings: ISO 100, F1.9, 1/3430 s, 20.0 mm equiv.

POCOPHONE F1 Settings: ISO 100, F1.9, 1/488 s, 20.0 mm equiv.

POCOPHONE F1 Settings: ISO 100, F1.9, 1/4952 s, 20.0 mm equiv.

POCOPHONE F1 Settings: ISO 100, F1.9, 1/427 s, 20.0 mm equiv.

POCOPHONE F1 Settings: ISO 100, F1.9, 1/116 s, 20.0 mm equiv.

POCOPHONE F1 Settings: ISO 100, F1.9, 1/695 s, 20.0 mm equiv.

POCOPHONE F1 Settings: ISO 314, F1.9, 1/100 s, 20.0 mm equiv.

One of the features of the Pocophone F1, which makes it similar to Xiaomi's flagships, is the presence of artificial intelligence, which selects settings for the story scene. If the smartphone “sees” the sky, then its color in the image becomes more saturated.

Snapshot without AI (and watermarked)

POCOPHONE F1 Settings: ISO 100, F1.9, 1/1817 s, 20.0 mm equiv.

AI shot (Sky scene defined)

POCOPHONE F1 Settings: ISO 100, F1.9, 1/1713 s, 20.0 mm equiv.

There is also the usual HDR mode, which works well. However, there are still drawbacks: dark places are aligned according to exposure, but light areas can remain overexposed. Thanks to the use of a dual camera, the Pocophone F1 can shoot in portrait mode. At the same time, he defines not only living models, but also all kinds of objects. This time we set a rather difficult task for the device - the object was an inscription made by moss. But the smartphone did it very confidently.

POCOPHONE F1 Settings: ISO 191, F1.9, 1/100 s, 20.0 mm equiv.

In the room, the smartphone also feels good: the exact selection of white balance, the correct focus. Claims only to re-sharpen. At times, contrast may be lacking, but it is easy to fix in any editor.

POCOPHONE F1 Settings: ISO 100, F1.9, 1/636 s, 20.0 mm equiv.

POCOPHONE F1 Settings: ISO 497, F1.9, 1/100 s, 20.0 mm equiv.

POCOPHONE F1 Settings: ISO 376, F1.9, 1/100 s, 20.0 mm equiv.

POCOPHONE F1 Settings: ISO 162, F1.9, 1/100 s, 20.0 mm equiv.

The most difficult scenario for a smartphone is shooting in low light conditions, at night or in a dark room. And in Pocophone F1 there is no optical image stabilization, only the electronic stabilizer saves. We will be honest, high-quality images are not always obtained. With one hundred percent approximation, you can notice dips in sharpness and, of course, blur. But at the same time there is an exact work of focus and the correct color rendition. Detailing is falling, but overall it turns out qualitatively.

POCOPHONE F1 Settings: ISO 153, F1.9, 1/25 s, 20.0 mm equiv.

POCOPHONE F1 Settings: ISO 228, F1.9, 1/25 s, 20.0 mm equiv.

POCOPHONE F1 Settings: ISO 256, F1.9, 1/100 s, 20.0 mm equiv.

POCOPHONE F1 Settings: ISO 156, F1.9, 1/33 s, 20.0 mm equiv.

POCOPHONE F1 Settings: ISO 406, F1.9, 1/25 s, 20.0 mm equiv.

POCOPHONE F1 Settings: ISO 501, F1.9, 1/100 s, 20.0 mm equiv.

Finally, the front camera. It was not without beauty, but you can make a decent selfie. I remind you that the Pocophone F1 is the same front-end as in the Mi8, and this is really good. There are gaps in detailing, as well as a rather strange background blur, but overall the quality of the selfie camera is at a very good level.

POCOPHONE F1 Settings: ISO 100, F2, 1/1312 s, 18.0 mm equiv.

conclusions

Pocophone F1 is a unique smartphone whose developers really wanted everyone to like it. Therefore, the smartphone is very powerful and has an excellent battery. However, another goal is to make the device more affordable, so there is no OLED display, but there is a very well-configured IPS. I had to abandon NFC: in Asian countries, Google Pay is not very popular; in fact, this is the main minus of the smartphone. Donated by developers and wireless charging. What to do: it was necessary to create a powerful, but at the same time affordable flagship, I had to compromise.

The Pocophone F1 is a really nice smartphone. The design is distinguished by the absence of a rear window, which, frankly, has already become annoying. At the same time, it looks pretty good. The display is tuned very precisely, and if you remove the fringe, the upper band practically disappears, despite the IPS-matrix. The large battery and stable operation of the system also speak precisely for F1. Someone will be pleased with the 3.5 mm headphone jack and ultra-fast unlocking on the face. We regret to note that strange chrome marks appeared on the front panel over several weeks of use, although there were no damages or scuffs of paint.

The camera in the smartphone is universal, it can be safely called one of the best in Xiaomi devices: the front camera from the flagship Mi8, the main camera from the very interesting Mi A2. Of course, there is not enough optical image stabilization and conventionally the second scenario (zoom or super wide angle), and the absence of the RAW format is noticeable. But, although you do not expect much from the new smartphone, it nevertheless pleasantly surprises, offering good photo capabilities for its price. Pocophone F1 is a device for those who do not want to overpay for a smartphone, but at the same time want to get it with maximum capabilities and characteristics. Yes, there are some drawbacks, but you can close your eyes to them, because in general the smartphone turned out to be really very worthy.

Pros: