Xiaomi’s sub-brand Poco made a name for itself with the Poco F1 and its unbelievable price-to-performance ratio. Since then, the company has expanded its product portfolio to include more budget devices to reach a wider audience. Amidst all this, it felt like Poco’s flagship products were focusing more on gamers with their funky design. With the Poco F5 Pro, the company is returning to its roots and has launched a phone with flagship-like specs at an affordable price point.

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Using a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip, the Poco F5 Pro packs an impressive specs sheet and includes all the features you could ask for: a high refresh rate OLED panel, wired fast charging, wireless charging, and premium build quality. And if you can live with MIUI 14 and Poco’s slow software updates, the F5 Pro might be the right choice.

POCO F5 Pro - 3

Source: Poco

Poco F5 Pro

The Poco F5 Pro packs almost all the features you’d want from your smartphone, including premium build quality, superfast wired and wireless charging, and a great display. The phone also delivers great performance thanks to the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip. It only falls short in the imaging department, with the cameras struggling in low-light scenarios. Poco’s software support could have also been better.

SoC
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
Display
6.67″ 120Hz QHD+ (3200 x 1440) AMOLED
RAM
8/12GB
Storage
256/512GB
Battery
5160mAh
Ports
USB-C
Operating System
Android 13, MIUI 14
Front camera
16MP (f/2.45)
Rear cameras
64MP (f/1.79, OIS), 8MP ultra-wide (f/2.2), 2MP macro (f/2.4)
Connectivity
Dual-SIM 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, IR blaster
Dimensions
162.78 x 75.44 x 8.59mm
Colors
Black, White
Weight
204g
Charging
67W wired, 30W wireless charging
IP Rating
IP53

Pros

  • Well-rounded package
  • Great performance
  • All-day battery life
  • Fast wired charging
Cons

  • MIUI still has issues
  • Bloatware and spam notifications
  • Sub-par camera performance
  • Software support is inferior to the competition

Availability and network

Like other Poco and Xiaomi phones, the F5 Pro (and its non-Pro sibling) will not launch in the US. Instead, the phone is available in Europe and parts of Asia. It is Poco’s flagship phone for the international market, offering a perfect mix of performance and value. The international version of the Poco F5 Pro costs €579 ($630) in Europe, with the 12GB RAM + 256GB storage variant priced at €629 ($685).

While you can always import the Poco F5 Pro to the US from third-party retailers, you are bound to face network connectivity issues. It does not support all the 5G bands US carriers use, so network coverage will be spotty.

Design and display

poco-f5-pro-display-table

The Poco F5 Pro looks and feels premium thanks to the combination of an aluminum chassis and glass front and back panels. Its in-hand feel reminds me of the Xiaomi Mi 5 from the past, and despite a 6.67-inch display, the F5 Pro feels very compact.

The phone has flat edges, while the rear glass curves to blend into the chassis. This transition is not as seamless as other premium phones like the Samsung Galaxy S23, but this is a minor quibble; otherwise, there’s little to complain about the Poco F5 Pro’s build quality. The phone is IP54 certified and has limited dust and water ingress protection. So, while the Poco can’t be immersed in water, it should easily survive a splash or two in the rain.

Poco has housed the triple rear camera inside a rectangular island with a thick chamfered aluminum railing running across the two sides. This gives the camera bump a premium look and helps it to stand out. The power and volume keys are located on the right side of the display and have chamfered edges. Poco has nailed their placement, as they are perfectly reachable from your thumb.

Poco F5 Pro power button

Poco sent me the white version of the F5 Pro for review. Due to the glossy finish, fingerprints are not easily visible. But under the right light, the scratches and scuffs the glass eventually picks up stands out.

Along the top, the Poco F5 Pro houses an IR blaster, something once common among most flagship Android phones a decade ago. Coupled with the bundled Mi Remote app, it allowed me to use the phone to control my non-smart TV, AC, and other smart home devices easily. In addition to being a throwback, it’s genuinely a handy tool, turning the Poco F5 Pro into my own universal remote.

A 6.67-inch 120Hz WQHD+ OLED panel dominates the F5 Pro’s front. Poco is using a WQHD+ screen on its flagship phone for the first time. By default, the phone runs its display at FHD+ resolution. I switched to WQHD+ mode after the initial setup, though honestly, I could not tell any difference between them.

Poco F5 Pro

I was impressed with the phone’s OLED panel in all key aspects: brightness, viewing angles, colors, and contrast. Thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate, scrolling through lists and jumping between apps is super smooth. Video playback is also a treat to the eyes, with punchy colors and great viewing angles. The panel supports HDR content playback and can get sufficiently bright in harsh sunlight. Not as bright as the Galaxy S23 series, but you can still see the display’s content easily.

Other hardware and what’s in the box

poco-f5-pro-rear-floor

The Poco F5 Pro impressed me with its build quality. It won’t beat the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra or the iPhone 14 Pro in this department, but given its price, there’s no reason to complain. The front and rear glass, coupled with the polished aluminum chassis, provides a premium in-hand feel, much better than what the Samsung Galaxy A54 and mid-range Moto phones offer.