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. But the POCO F sequence continues to be its most necessary vary, and the brand new POCO F5 is the most recent entry. I’ve been utilizing the POCO F5 for a number of weeks now, and I’ve been placing it by way of its paces. I’ve been utilizing it for every thing from looking the net to enjoying video games to taking pictures with a view to learn the way 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 assessment.POCO F5: Price and availability(Image credit score: Jay Bonggolto / Android Central)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. This is the one configuration accessible formally by way of the Mi retailer. The cellphone ships in black, white, and blue colour schemes.If you seize a POCO F5 by way of Xiaomi UK’s on-line storefront proper now, you’ll snag it up for £429 due to an ongoing promo. Similarly, you will get two months’ value of YouTube Premium membership as a part of the corporate’s providing that lasts till July 31, 2024.Today’s greatest Xiaomi Poco F5 dealsPOCO F5: What I like(Image credit score: Jay Bonggolto / Android Central)Power-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 worth vary. It’s an illustration of POCO’s dedication to efficiency, significantly with its F sequence, and it is reassuring to see the model persist with its custom with each the common F5 and the POCO F5 Pro.Thanks to its trendy chipset, the POCO F5’s efficiency is past reproach, and I’m able to play PUBG Mobile on maxed-out settings with no annoying stutter. Titles like Genshin Impact and Call of Duty Mobile additionally ship a fluid expertise, with the body charge set to 60 fps. Stutters are inevitable on events, although.The day-to-day efficiency of the cellphone reveals 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. This implies that normal scrolling, internet looking, and multitasking work nice, though I do discover occasional lag when returning to the house display screen. That mentioned, this doesn’t happen usually sufficient to be a significant difficulty.If you are on the lookout for a cellphone that may deal with even essentially the most demanding video games, the POCO F5 is a good possibility.The 67W charging velocity on the F4 shouldn’t be a brand new characteristic, however 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 operating out of battery when I’m out and about. I’m in a position to 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. That means you’ll be able to lastly cease worrying about your cellphone dying in the course of a Netflix binge. I handle to squeeze out a decent 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.Unlike the POCO F4, the most recent mannequin has a lovely design that may 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, not like the Pro mannequin.Image 1 of 3(Image credit score: Jay Bonggolto / Android Central)(Image credit score: Jay Bonggolto / Android Central)(Image credit score: Jay Bonggolto / Android Central)The POCO F5 has the identical 6.67-inch FHD+ OLED panel as its predecessor, and it isn’t a foul 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 charge, which appears to be POCO’s favourite system for its mid-range fashions.The predominant digicam can also be the identical as earlier than, although it would not disappoint as properly. It captures gorgeous photographs with respectable element and good dynamic vary, however provided that there’s sufficient mild coming into the sensor. Most of the time, I discover the colours to be on the colourful facet throughout the daytime with out being obtrusively lurid.If you are keen on mid-range telephones, you might have observed the proliferation of macro sensors paired with ultra-wide shooters because the default system today. This continues to be the case with the F5, and as I’ve usually mentioned in my evaluations, the macro sensor shouldn’t be as helpful as you’d prefer it to be (we’ll speak about it intimately later).Swipe to scroll horizontallyCategoryPOCO F5OSMIUI 14 primarily based on Android 13Display6.67 inches, AMOLED, 1080 x 2400, 120Hz, HDR10+, Dolby Imaginative and prescientProcessorQualcomm Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 (4 nm)RAM12GBStorage256GBRear Camera 164MP, f/1.8 (extensive), PDAF, OISRear Camera 28MP, f/2.2, 120˚ (ultrawide)Rear Camera 32MP, f/2.4 (macro)Front digicam16MP, f/2.5 (extensive)ConnectivityWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3AudioStereo speakersSecurityFingerprint sensor (side-mounted)Battery & charging5000mAh, 67W wired chargingDimensions161.1 x 75 x 7.9mmWeight181gColorsBlack, Blue, WhitePOCO F5: What I do not like(Image credit score: Jay Bonggolto / Android Central)While the POCO F5 is not any slouch by way of efficiency, it is a totally different story on the software program facet of issues. The largest 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. But that is to be anticipated of Xiaomi’s Android pores and skin, except the corporate decides to take a brand new route. That’s to not say that is the worst UI within the trade. That mentioned, you’ll be able to cover these apps from the house display screen, though uninstalling a few of them is unimaginable.Thankfully, it has tamed the earlier model’s intrusive system advertisements, which might in any other case damage my total expertise. After all, the shortage of advertisements is considered one of POCO’s strengths to start with, versus its sister model, Redmi.(Image credit score: Jay Bonggolto / Android Central)Xiaomi can also be preserving issues the identical with the digicam on the POCO F5, which is identical setup because the POCO F4. It’s additionally the identical set of shooters for the F5 Pro, and whereas that is not fully a foul factor, the auxiliary cameras usually are not fairly the very best in the marketplace.It would 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 once you’re zooming in on a scene. This is usually nice on a vivid sunny day, with a decent degree of element, respectable publicity, and good dynamic vary. However, photographs are likely to develop into tender when the sky is overcast.The predominant digicam is respectable, however the auxiliary cameras usually are not the very best.Shots from the principle sensor additionally are typically slightly too saturated, and the noise ranges have a tendency to extend in darker areas, with photographs changing into over-sharpened on this case. This is solved once you change to Night mode, which does a strong job of lifting the brightness and lowering noise, doubtless owing to OIS that permits for slower shutter speeds. On the opposite hand, the default Photo mode would not produce vivid photographs at night time.Like most POCO smartphones I got here throughout up to now, the F5’s ultrawide shooter nonetheless has bother taming noise in darkish areas of the scene. Moreover, its colours usually are not per these of the principle digicam. And as I preserve saying, there isn’t any sensible use for the 2MP macro sensor.Image 1 of 15(Image credit score: Jay Bonggolto / Android Central)(Image credit score: Jay Bonggolto / Android Central)(Image credit score: Jay Bonggolto / Android Central)(Image credit score: Jay Bonggolto / Android Central)(Image credit score: Jay Bonggolto / Android Central)(Image credit score: Jay Bonggolto / Android Central)(Image credit score: Jay Bonggolto / Android Central)(Image credit score: Jay Bonggolto / Android Central)(Image credit score: Jay Bonggolto / Android Central)(Image credit score: Jay Bonggolto / Android Central)(Image credit score: Jay Bonggolto / Android Central)(Image credit score: Jay Bonggolto / Android Central)(Image credit score: Jay Bonggolto / Android Central)(Image credit score: Jay Bonggolto / Android Central)(Image credit score: Jay Bonggolto / Android Central)The selfie snapper is equally sub-par as properly. While it captures photographs with ample element, my selfies have been a bit too blown out within the background. In some circumstances, photographs are typically overexposed. The portrait mode does an honest 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 develop into tender relying on the quantity of sunshine accessible.POCO F5: The competitors(Image credit score: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)The POCO F5 is a good cellphone for the worth, however it’s not the very best worth possibility on the market at £449. This is an £80 worth bump over the POCO F4. At this worth, chances are you’ll be higher off buying a Google Pixel 7a, which provides 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.Meanwhile, should you’re on the lookout for 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 full of options and customization choices. Plus, Samsung guarantees to help the Galaxy A54 with software program updates for at the least 4 years, which is longer than most different Android telephones. Notwithstanding, you will miss out on excellent gaming efficiency and battery life with the Galaxy A54.POCO F5: Should you purchase it?(Image credit score: Jay Bonggolto / Android Central)You should purchase it if…You want a cellphone that is quick and can nonetheless be good in a number of years.You need a cellphone that may be absolutely juiced up in lower than an hour.Superior battery life is considered one of your main concerns.You shouldn’t purchase it if…Photography is considered one of your priorities.You’re on the lookout for 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 likely one of the strongest processors in the marketplace, so you’ll be able to ensure that the POCO F5 will have the ability to deal with something you throw at it. The 67W charging is extremely quick, so you’ll be able to 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 looking the net.The POCO F5 is a step up from its predecessor in some methods, however it additionally has some flaws. Sure, the principle sensor will get the job achieved, however the auxiliary sensors are an afterthought. The software program is healthier out of the field than the earlier POCO cellphone. It is extra user-friendly and has fewer bugs. However, there are nonetheless a great deal of undesirable apps that may be annoying.Overall, the POCO F5 is a blended bag. It has some nice options, however it additionally has some flaws. If you’re on the lookout for a cellphone with quick charging and dependable efficiency, then the POCO F5 is an effective possibility. However, in case you are on the lookout for a cellphone with nice sensors and a extra refined UI, then you definitely may need to look elsewhere.
The Poco F5 is an honest mid-range smartphone for the worth. It has two vital enhancements over its predecessor: a quicker processor and a bigger battery capability. Otherwise, the remainder of the specs are almost an identical.
Xiaomi Poco F5: Price Comparison