This new Ultra phone has a rear speaker, a take on HiLight, and that iPhone 18 color

The POCO F8 Ultra might be the most underrated flagship Android phone in the last 12 months. The Xiaomi sub-brand delivered a ton of performance, well-rounded cameras, a huge battery, and a standout design. Now, POCO is back with the POCO F9 Ultra and POCO F9 Pro.

The two phones have several key features in common. Perhaps the most notable shared feature is a 6.9-inch 185Hz OLED screen (10,000 nits peak brightness and 2,200 nits in high-brightness mode). This refresh rate is rare on smartphones, although POCO says only ~20 games support it. Furthermore, the system UI itself doesn’t support this option. Other shared features include 100W wired charging via PPS, 50W wireless charging, a 200MP main camera, a 32MP selfie shooter, an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor, an IP68 rating, and Gorilla Glass 7i on the front.

Both phones have a premium design, featuring an aluminum frame. The Pro device has a glass back while the Ultra model packs a “glass fiber” rear cover.

POCO’s Ultra phone is the more premium offering when we take a close look at the spec sheet. For starters, the phone is equipped with a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, much like the F8 Ultra. Another key selling point is the 8,050mAh battery. POCO claims this is the biggest battery it’s ever put in a POCO phone, while also promising two days of battery life. The phone also has a 6.9-inch screen versus the Pro’s 6.59-inch panel.

The previous Ultra phone packed a Bose-branded subwoofer on the back, and POCO continues this trend on the F9 Ultra. However, the company is also bringing a Game Audio mode that apparently delivers louder footsteps and clearer voices. Another interesting trend is the decision to place a small notification light around this rear speaker (see image below). This comes after the Pixel 11 Pro phones debuted the HiLight LED light on the back, too. POCO says this white light flashes for calls, music, notifications, and supported games.

Switching to the cameras, you’ve got some versatile hardware here. Expect the aforementioned 200MP 1/1.56-inch main camera, a 50MP ultrawide camera, and a 50MP 5x periscope lens. The phone also offers 8K/30fps capture and 20x AI-assisted zoom.

Otherwise, the POCO F9 Ultra is available in both Black and Dark Cherry. The latter color comes months after we first heard rumors that Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro line could offer a similar color.

The POCO F9 Ultra has a recommended price of £899 (~$1,217) for the 12GB/256GB variant, which is cheaper than the Galaxy S26 Plus in the UK. However, POCO is offering an early bird price of £709 (~$959).

Don’t want to spend that much money but still want a well-rounded smartphone? The POCO F9 Pro might be for you, although there are several notable changes to meet the lower price.

For starters, this is one of the first phones with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 V chipset. This chipset is literally just a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 with a downgraded GPU. So you’re still getting an extremely powerful processor on paper. The POCO F9 Pro also ships with a 6,330mAh battery instead of the Ultra’s 8,050mAh battery. POCO’s handset also lacks the Ultra phone’s rear subwoofer, but maintains the Bose audio tuning.

The Pro variant still retains a 200MP main camera, but we see two very different secondary cameras. Expect a 50MP 2.5x telephoto camera and an 8MP ultrawide lens. On the upside, the telephoto camera supports a 10cm minimum focusing distance, allowing you to take macro snaps.

Keen on the POCO F9 Pro? It has a recommended price of £799 (~$1,081) for the 12GB/256GB model, but an early bird price of £639 (~$865). The recommended price is a little lower than the base Galaxy S26’s RRP and slightly higher than the Galaxy S26 FE launch price. POCO is also offering the phone in Black, White, and Aurora Green. The latter color glows in the dark after exposure to the sun or indoor lighting.