Xiaomi’s POCO model began out with a bang in 2018 with the POCO F1, a gaming cellphone with some killer specs for a fraction of the worth of flagship handsets. Since then, the corporate has expanded its vary to incorporate mid-range and low-end telephones. However the POCO F collection continues to be its most vital vary, and the brand new POCO F5 is the newest entry.
I have been utilizing the POCO F5 for a couple of weeks now, and I have been placing it by its paces. I have been utilizing it for every part from searching the net to enjoying video games to taking photographs as a way to learn how good the cameras are, how lengthy the battery lasts, and extra. So, is the POCO F5 a worthy successor to final yr’s mannequin? We’ll discover out on this evaluate.
POCO F5: Worth and availability
The POCO F5 is obtainable to buy within the UK and the EU for £449 or €429, which will get you 12GB of RAM and 256GB of inside storage. That is the one configuration accessible formally through the Mi retailer. The cellphone ships in black, white, and blue colour schemes.
When you seize a POCO F5 through Xiaomi UK’s on-line storefront proper now, you’ll snag it up for £429 because of an ongoing promo. Equally, you will get two months’ price of YouTube Premium membership as a part of the corporate’s providing that lasts till July 31, 2024.
POCO F5: What I like
Energy-chasers like me will likely be happy that the POCO F5 has been upgraded to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 2 chipset, which is comparatively new to the market and never but accessible on any of our favourite Android telephones in any value vary. It is a demonstration of POCO’s dedication to efficiency, significantly with its F collection, and it is reassuring to see the model follow its custom with each the common F5 and the POCO F5 Professional.
Because of its fashionable chipset, the POCO F5’s efficiency is past reproach, and I’m able to play PUBG Cell on maxed-out settings with no annoying stutter. Titles like Genshin Impression and Name of Responsibility Cell additionally ship a fluid expertise, with the body fee set to 60 fps. Stutters are inevitable on events, although.
The day-to-day efficiency of the cellphone exhibits that it occupies the slot between latest flagship fashions and higher mid-rangers, which is to be anticipated of the Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 2. Which means that common scrolling, internet searching, and multitasking work positive, though I do discover occasional lag when returning to the house display screen. That stated, this doesn’t happen usually sufficient to be a significant subject.
When you’re in search of a cellphone that may deal with even probably the most demanding video games, the POCO F5 is a good possibility.
The 67W charging pace on the F4 will not be a brand new function, nevertheless it’s nonetheless vital for people who find themselves all the time on the go. Personally, it is nice to have the ability to high up my cellphone in a brief period of time, so I haven’t got to fret about working out of battery after I’m out and about. I can cost the cellphone from zero to 100% in 45 minutes.
The POCO F5’s battery life is so good, you’ll use all of it day lengthy and nonetheless have sufficient juice left to look at a film earlier than mattress. Meaning you possibly can lastly cease worrying about your cellphone dying in the midst of a Netflix binge. I handle to squeeze out a good eight hours of screen-on time with some gaming, YouTube viewing, and social media scrolling. Not a record-breaking efficiency, however not a complete snoozefest both.
In contrast to the POCO F4, the newest mannequin has a delightful design that can flip some heads. POCO despatched me the white variant with a pleasant sample of speckled blue colour gradient that offers a three-dimensional texture impact. It has squared-off edges, a punch-hole cutout on the entrance for the selfie snapper, and a shiny again that fortunately repels fingerprint smudges, in contrast to the Professional mannequin.
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The POCO F5 has the identical 6.67-inch FHD+ OLED panel as its predecessor, and it isn’t a nasty factor. The display screen is vivid sufficient underneath direct daylight, and the colours are correct, making media consumption a selected deal with. You additionally get a dynamic 120Hz refresh fee, which appears to be POCO’s favourite formulation for its mid-range fashions.
The principle digicam can also be the identical as earlier than, although it would not disappoint as effectively. It captures gorgeous photographs with respectable element and good dynamic vary, however provided that there’s sufficient mild coming into the sensor. More often than not, I discover the colours to be on the colourful aspect through the daytime with out being obtrusively lurid.
When you’re keen on mid-range telephones, you could have observed the proliferation of macro sensors paired with ultra-wide shooters because the default formulation lately. That is nonetheless the case with the F5, and as I’ve usually stated in my evaluations, the macro sensor will not be as helpful as you’d prefer it to be (we’ll speak about it intimately later).
| Class | POCO F5 |
|---|---|
| OS | MIUI 14 based mostly on Android 13 |
| Show | 6.67 inches, AMOLED, 1080 x 2400, 120Hz, HDR10+, Dolby Imaginative and prescient |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| RAM | 12GB |
| Storage | 256GB |
| Rear Digital camera 1 | 64MP, f/1.8 (huge), PDAF, OIS |
| Rear Digital camera 2 | 8MP, f/2.2, 120˚ (ultrawide) |
| Rear Digital camera 3 | 2MP, f/2.4 (macro) |
| Entrance digicam | 16MP, f/2.5 (huge) |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Audio | Stereo audio system |
| Safety | Fingerprint sensor (side-mounted) |
| Battery & charging | 5000mAh, 67W wired charging |
| Dimensions | 161.1 x 75 x 7.9mm |
| Weight | 181g |
| Colours | Black, Blue, White |
POCO F5: What I do not like
Whereas the POCO F5 isn’t any slouch when it comes to efficiency, it is a totally different story on the software program aspect of issues. The most important potential snag to my expertise of utilizing the cellphone comes from POCO’s tackle MIUI.
The newest model, MIUI 14, nonetheless lacks sleek icons, to not point out its litany of bloatware. However that is to be anticipated of Xiaomi’s Android pores and skin, until the corporate decides to take a brand new route. That is to not say that is the worst UI within the trade. That stated, you possibly can conceal these apps from the house display screen, though uninstalling a few of them is not possible.
Fortunately, it has tamed the earlier model’s intrusive system adverts, which might in any other case smash my general expertise. In any case, the shortage of adverts is certainly one of POCO’s strengths to start with, versus its sister model, Redmi.
Xiaomi can also be retaining issues the identical with the digicam on the POCO F5, which is similar setup because the POCO F4. It is also the identical set of shooters for the F5 Professional, and whereas that is not completely a nasty factor, the auxiliary cameras should not fairly the most effective in the marketplace.
It might have been so much higher to swap out the macro sensor with a telephoto shooter. Since this is not the case, the cellphone crops in on the principle digicam while you’re zooming in on a scene. That is typically positive on a vivid sunny day, with a good degree of element, respectable publicity, and good dynamic vary. Nevertheless, pictures are likely to grow to be mushy when the sky is overcast.
The principle digicam is respectable, however the auxiliary cameras should not the most effective.
Photographs from the principle sensor additionally are usually a bit of too saturated, and the noise ranges have a tendency to extend in darker areas, with pictures changing into over-sharpened on this case. That is solved while you change to Night time mode, which does a stable job of lifting the brightness and lowering noise, possible owing to OIS that permits for slower shutter speeds. Then again, the default Photograph mode would not produce vivid photographs at night time.
Like most POCO smartphones I got here throughout prior to now, the F5’s ultrawide shooter nonetheless has hassle taming noise in darkish areas of the scene. Furthermore, its colours should not per these of the principle digicam. And as I maintain saying, there is no sensible use for the 2MP macro sensor.
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The selfie snapper is equally sub-par as effectively. Whereas it captures pictures with ample element, my selfies had been a bit too blown out within the background. In some circumstances, pictures are usually overexposed. The portrait mode does a good job of isolating the topic from the background, however overexposure stays a giant concern.
Indoor selfies are a bit inconsistent, with some photographs wanting sharp whereas others are likely to grow to be mushy relying on the quantity of sunshine accessible.
POCO F5: The competitors
The POCO F5 is a good cellphone for the worth, nevertheless it’s not the most effective worth possibility on the market at £449. That is an £80 value bump over the POCO F4. At this value, you could be higher off buying a Google Pixel 7a, which gives a clear Android expertise. The cameras are additionally best-in-class, as per our personal Nicholas Sutrich, and the efficiency is as much as par with the competitors.
In the meantime, should you’re in search of equally dependable cameras with 4K recording in addition, the Samsung Galaxy A54 is a greater various. The Galaxy A54 additionally comes with Samsung’s One UI software program, which is filled with options and customization choices. Plus, Samsung guarantees to assist the Galaxy A54 with software program updates for at the very least 4 years, which is longer than most different Android telephones. However, you will miss out on excellent gaming efficiency and battery life with the Galaxy A54.
POCO F5: Do you have to purchase it?
You can purchase it if…
- You want a cellphone that is quick and can nonetheless be good in a couple of years.
- You need a cellphone that may be totally juiced up in lower than an hour.
- Superior battery life is certainly one of your main issues.
You shouldn’t purchase it if…
- Pictures is certainly one of your priorities.
- You are in search of a close to inventory Android expertise.
- You hate a great deal of bloatware in your shiny new smartphone.
The Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 2 chipset is without doubt one of the strongest processors in the marketplace, so you possibly can make certain that the POCO F5 will have the ability to deal with something you throw at it. The 67W charging is extremely quick, so you possibly can go from empty to full in just some minutes. The Full HD+ 120Hz OLED show is extremely easy and responsive, making it a pleasure to make use of for gaming, watching movies, or simply searching the net.
The POCO F5 is a step up from its predecessor in some methods, nevertheless it additionally has some flaws. Certain, the principle sensor will get the job finished, however the auxiliary sensors are an afterthought. The software program is healthier out of the field than the earlier POCO cellphone. It’s extra user-friendly and has fewer bugs. Nevertheless, there are nonetheless a great deal of undesirable apps that may be annoying.
Total, the POCO F5 is a combined bag. It has some nice options, nevertheless it additionally has some flaws. In case you are in search of a cellphone with quick charging and dependable efficiency, then the POCO F5 is an effective possibility. Nevertheless, if you’re in search of a cellphone with nice sensors and a extra refined UI, then you definately may need to look elsewhere.
The Poco F5 is a good mid-range smartphone for the worth. It has two important enhancements over its predecessor: a sooner processor and a bigger battery capability. In any other case, the remainder of the specs are practically an identical.