It seems with each passing year, phones are reaching a point of diminishing returns in terms of hardware upgrades, slight software changes, etc. Some companies even go as far as removing features with new generations. However, one company that consistently excites me with each new generation is POCO, particularly their F series line. They continue to push the boundaries of what an affordable flagship killer phone can do. After my impressive experience with the F5 Pro last year, I was eager to test this year’s POCO F6 to see how it could improve or further amaze me.
Similar to last year, the unboxing experience is something I wish more major companies would adopt. POCO not only includes a case with their phones, including their flagships, but also packages both the charging cable and power brick, so users don’t have to spend extra to get the full experience of their phone after purchasing it. This year’s charger is a blazing-fast 90W, but I was unable to use it due to it being an EU-style plug.
Looking at the phone itself, I was pleased to see that POCO once again provided a review unit that is not the typical bland black. The POCO F6 we received was a shade of green, which I like to call Sage Green, although POCO simply calls it green. Buyers can also opt for black or a premium-looking gold colour that POCO calls Titanium.
“The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 in the POCO F6 makes even high-end phones feel like budget devices.”
While I have mixed feelings about the phone being primarily made of plastic, I appreciate not having to worry about the back glass shattering unexpectedly. The matte finish also means fingerprints on both the front and back of my phone are a thing of the past. However, I would have preferred aluminum sides over plastic, especially for a model aimed at competing with flagships. That said, I am generally gentle with my phones, so I don’t see durability as a significant concern.
One design aspect others have commented on is the large camera lenses on the back. While they remind me a bit of the Asus Zenfone 10 and don’t bother me much, I have heard some complaints that they make the phone look unattractive. Your opinion may vary.
This year’s cameras on the POCO F6 include a 50MP main shooter with OIS and f/1.59 aperture and an 8MP ultra-wide lens. The 2MP macro camera found on previous POCO models has been dropped. I wasn’t upset to see it go, as I rarely used it. A zoom lens would have been nicer to compete with other flagship phones.
The photo quality, while not quite on par with the Pixels, iPhones and high-end Galaxy phones, is still incredible, and I often found myself taking some remarkable photos packed with detail. In bright lighting, I could regularly zoom in on photos and still see more detail than I’ve ever seen on a phone. From individual blades of grass to strands of fur on my cats, I was often blown away by how much the main shooter could do.
In low-light situations like night shots, while I often had mixed results with the built-in night mode, using the dedicated long exposure mode could produce photos I wouldn’t be afraid to frame on my wall. However, long exposure shots require either a very steady hand or a tripod to produce the best possible images, so it may take some practice to master these modes properly.
As someone who often relies on my phone as a mobile computer when I don’t have room for a laptop or even a tablet, I need my devices to deliver the performance and specs to get me through my needs. Once again, POCO has not only delivered on that front with the POCO F6 but has knocked it out of the park, even compared to last year’s F5 Pro.
This year’s POCO F6 has two versions: an 8GB RAM with 256GB storage model and a 12GB RAM with 512GB storage model, mine being the latter. The huge amount of storage allows me to not only take all my files with me on the go but also essentially back up my entire laptop to my phone and still have room to spare.
Powering this year’s POCO F6 is the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, a welcome upgrade from last year’s POCO F5 and even the F5 Pro. This chip was beyond fast and made my Google Pixel 8 feel like a budget phone. Every task I threw at the POCO F6 it chewed up and spit out like it wasn’t even a challenge.
Running Antutu 3D, I achieved an astonishing score of 1,433,193—a massive increase over last year’s F5 Pro score of 1,053,586—placing it in the realm of the Samsung Galaxy S23. While it may not outshine the S24 line, it’s certainly more than capable of handling almost any task you might need. I was absolutely speechless and had to pick my jaw up off the floor at such an outstanding result.
Similarly, in Geekbench 6, the POCO F6 produced an equally impressive set of numbers: 1,850 in single-core and 4,664 in multi-core. Compared to last year’s POCO F5 and POCO F5 Pro, which were well below these figures, I was blown away by how much of an improvement the POCO F6 has made.
In gaming sessions, the POCO F6 continued to blaze through everything I threw at it, even some of the most intense games. Playing Fortnite, even on max settings with the high-quality texture pack, the POCO F6 made it feel like a game of solitaire and played at a consistent 60fps. Genshin Impact and Call of Duty Warzone ran at full speed and made my experience much more exciting, often leading to longer games that I would not have normally played on cheaper, less powerful phones.
At no time, even during extended gaming sessions, did I ever feel that the phone was getting too warm to hold or use. POCO’s new LiquidCool Technology 4.0 played a big part in this, keeping temperatures to a minimum.
But what’s the point of playing games or consuming media if the screen you’re playing on is absolute garbage and doesn’t look good? Of course, the POCO has users well covered in this regard, with its 6.67″ screen featuring an absolutely gorgeous 1.5K AMOLED display that has a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. Media always came out brilliantly sharp with rich 100% DCI-P3 colour coverage, making everything feel like it came to life.
“Despite its powerful features, the POCO F6’s 5000mAh battery ensures it lasts through even the longest of days.”
Under most circumstances, the screen gets up to 500 nits, but in the brightest conditions, the screen can reach an astounding 2400 peak nits, making your phone viewable even on the sunniest days outside. To put the icing on the cake, the panel also features Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, which provides solid durability to stand up to some of the harshest conditions.
Now, normally, you would think that all these features must come at a cost, possibly in terms of battery life. But no, the POCO has a large 5000mAh battery that will see you through even the longest of days. On days where I found myself away from the charger for extended periods of time, with heavier use, I could still get through a long 17-hour day while still getting 10 hours of screen time playing games, using the GPS, camera, and lots of messaging and social media. On lighter days, I could go to bed with more than half a charge and get close to 2 days of battery life.
While I could go on and on listing each and every feature POCO has packed into the F6, there are some things you just can’t truly appreciate until you try it firsthand. This year’s POCO F6 is an absolutely incredible phone that makes me wonder why anyone would ever want to buy anything more expensive when there are such great value phones out there.
Although my time with the POCO F6 has been quite short, I can’t wait to take it on the adventures I’m about to embark on, and I know for a fact that it won’t disappoint or let me down. POCO, you have raised the bar once again, and I can’t wait to see how much more you will impress me next year!
