: Pocketnow
Poco F1 to Poco F4
Poco F1Poco F2 ProPoco F3Poco F4Conclusion
CONTENTS
CLOSE
In 2018, when manufacturers like OnePlus started drifting into making dearer and mainstream flagships, a niche was once more opening up in the funds smartphone market, creating area for a brand new set of gadgets to supply that enthusiast-grade expertise to clients. And Xiaomi, a Chinese language OEM identified for its value-for-money {hardware}, determined to try to fill this hole with a sub-brand, a technique beforehand executed by Huawei.
Thus happened Poco, who rattled the world of smartphones with the Pocophone 1 — a tool that provided a mixture of specs with the only real focus of delivering on the motto, ‘Every thing you want and nothing you do not.’
4 years on, Poco has moved out of its sub-brand positioning, calling itself an unbiased entity, and nonetheless producing gadgets providing among the finest worth for cash. For 2022, its lineup has seen the addition of the Poco C40 and, extra not too long ago, the X4 GT and F4.
On this article, we are going to concentrate on the Poco F4, the newest in the OEM’s flagship lineup, and take a look at how the F Collection has advanced over time and whether or not it stays true to the ideology behind the unique.
Poco F1
In 2018, the Poco F1 discovered itself in a market the place flagship gadgets from OnePlus touched costs across the $600 vary; this meant the funds flagship market, which fans ran round, was once more open for a brand new competitor. The Poco F1 match proper into this slot with its attention-grabbing inclusion of Snapdragon 845 and $300 price ticket.
Subsequent, the raging design selection round this time was to have a notch in your smartphone, and the Poco F1 did simply that. The primary smartphone from the model featured a 6.18-inch FHD+ show with an iPhone X-like notch and thick bezels. Encasing this show was a steel chassis with a polycarbonate again panel.
For many who have been able to spend extra, the model did provide a Kevlar-bound choice, however when pit in opposition to the smartphones it was making an attempt to compete with, the Poco F1 did not look nearly as good. Nonetheless, for its worth, the machine did a whole lot of issues proper.
The show was greater than shiny sufficient and had respectable sharpness. Plus, the Snapdragon 845 was so good that it confirmed why customers did not must spend high greenback to get a well-performing smartphone. Plus, the 4000 mAh battery held its personal.
Additionally, whereas not stellar, the cameras on this smartphone have been adequate — Poco F1 featured a dual-camera setup, with a 12MP Broad and 5MP Depth Sensor, with a 20MP shooter on the entrance.
The smartphone made a case for itself as a stronger performer, with its price ticket doing many of the heavy lifting. This meant that when its successor would come about, the machine would want to verify the entire bins the Poco F1 did and extra.
Poco F2 Professional
Then a bit of underneath two years later got here in regards to the Poco F2 Professional. There was no commonplace F2 mannequin alongside this, which means the F Collection now featured a dearer machine than earlier than and was fairly completely different. At €499, the F2 Professional confirmed a steep enhance from its predecessor’s €330 head-turning worth, but it surely additionally did a whole lot of issues in a different way. Particularly its design, as gone was a budget polycarbonate and thick bezel aesthetic.
The F2 Professional featured a considerably better-looking show than the one on POCO F1. It featured a 6.68-inch FHD+ show with no notch and no gap punch. The entrance camera right here was of the pop-up type. A Tremendous AMOLED unit additionally changed the IPS LCD. So, the colours and viewing expertise confirmed a big improve.
× 〈 〉 × 〈 〉
Dealing with the efficiency on this machine was the Snapdragon 865. With RAM choices together with 6GB and 8GB SKUs, which got here in tow have been both 128GB or 256GB of storage. Like on the F1, the processor offered an expertise that is exhausting to argue in opposition to, because the chipset was a flagship product. And to make sure your classes have been by no means minimize brief, the F2 Professional got here with a 4700 mAh battery that supported 30W charging.
The cameras additionally noticed an improved strategy, with three of the 4 rear sensors able to capturing respectable photos — the rear system included a 64MP Broad, 13MP Ultrawide, and 5MP macro sensor. And in entrance was a 20MP shooter, which was okay at finest however did add pizzaz with its pop-up mechanism.
So, though the POCO F2 Professional introduced a steep worth enhance, in a market the place OnePlus had crossed into the premium territory, the €499 POCO F2 Professional was an choice that made its mark.
Poco F3
Whereas there was an extended than typical hole between the launch of Poco F1 and Poco F2 Professional, Poco F3 made its technique to the market inside a 12 months of its predecessor and introduced with it a extra toned-down strategy and cleaner design. However right here, the headline-raising worth facet had come again.
The €499 made its method again to €349, with a number of cuts right here and there, although these have been modifications that one could not argue in opposition to, because the core expertise remained the identical.
× 〈 〉 × 〈 〉
The selections that resulted in the worth minimize are greater than doubtless as a result of return to a show with a gap punch cutout, the transformation of the chassis to plastic (although the glass again has caught round), and probably the smaller battery — 4700 mAh coming right down to 4520 mAh.
However talking of the upgrades, the Poco F3 shipped with the extra trendy 870, that includes higher clock speeds and effectivity. The show, which took a step again in design, made a soar in different facets. Its 6.67-inch FHD+ OLED Show that refreshed at 120Hz introduced it in line with flagships. A excessive refresh fee show was lacking in the F2 Professional, and the addition was a welcome one.
Poco F4
: Poco
Now, almost 4 years after the launch of the Poco F1 arrives, the Poco F4. The machine comes with a brand new price ticket however shares specs with its predecessor, most notably the Snapdragon 870 SoC that is packaged inside. So, whereas some modifications with this era make it price contemplating during the last, it is most likely essentially the most iterative improve the F Collection has ever seen.
Poco F4 begins at €399, a €50 increment over its predecessor
Essentially the most important distinction right here is the design, which has gone from one which flaunted curves to a boxier one. Whether or not it is a optimistic change is as much as the subjectivity of a purchaser. Personally, the choice is one thing I welcome. There’s simply one thing extra enticing about such a glance.
The body on the F4 additionally stays to be of polycarbonate, a change made with the F3 final 12 months, however this time round, Poco does deem IP ranking a necessity because it provides IP53 safety for the smartphone.
The camera exhibits enchancment with the inclusion of OIS on the first 64MP sensor, however the remainder of the {hardware} stays par for the course. Poco F4 bundles an 8MP Ultrawide and 2MP Macro together with the first. And rounding off the setup is a 20MP shooter discovered on the F3.
The battery sees a haircut coming right down to 4500 mAh from 4520 mAh, however Poco did up the ante on charging speeds. The F4 — which nonetheless comes with a charging brick in the field — now helps 67W quick charging, which may enhance the cellphone from zero to 100 in lower than 40 minutes.
However in the event you ask me to sum up the modifications, there are only some, the design, the charging velocity, a minor change in the cameras, and the assist for Dolby Imaginative and prescient on show. Whereas these modifications are doubtless to enhance the person expertise, I might outline them as iterative at finest.
For brand new consumers, the Poco F4 continues to remain true to the model’s ideology, however in the event you’re trying to improve, it is not a necessity.
Is it a narrative of iterations for Poco from right here on?
The Poco F1 was a cellphone with a whole lot of optimistic press surrounding it, and a significant motive behind this was the value-for-money proposition on provide. With the F4, the model’s motto, ‘Every thing you want and nothing you do not,’ stays true.
So, as a cellphone, the Poco F4 impresses me. I do not thoughts the reused Snapdragon 870, as utilizing the confirmed {hardware} is best than together with parts that may change the precept behind a tool. Sure, there’s a worth enhance this time, however the additions like assist for Dolby Imaginative and prescient, an IP Score, and sooner charging appear definitely worth the increment.
However the larger query is whether or not the F Collection will change into a narrative of iterations from right here on? The modifications between Poco F3 and Poco F4 are so marginal that whereas they’re for the higher, I’m wondering what the F5 will convey to the desk.
In case you ask me, I do not thoughts the iterative modifications, as I might relatively see Poco change their focus in the direction of enhancing the expertise their software program offers and making higher use of the independence they declare to have from Xiaomi.
What are your ideas on Poco’s evolution? Tell us with a remark beneath.
