![\"Editors'](\"https:\/\/www.techadvisor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/ta-ed-choice-22-final-2-1.svg\")
At a glanceExpert’s Rating<\/p>\nAt a glanceExpert’s Rating<\/p>\n
Pros<\/p>\n
Stunning, unique design\u00a0<\/p>\n
Stellar battery life\u00a0<\/p>\n
Incredible performance\u00a0<\/p>\n
The best speakers of any phone<\/p>\n
Cons<\/p>\n
Disappointing\u00a0low-light\u00a0photos\u00a0<\/p>\n
Annoying bloatware\u00a0<\/p>\n
Only 4 major Android updates<\/p>\n
Our Verdict <\/p>\n
The Poco F8 Ultra delivers the no-compromise flagship hardware that\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0been craving from a cheaper device. But small shortcomings mean\u00a0I\u2019d\u00a0still recommend the Pixel 10 and Galaxy S25 over it \u2013 unless you can find a big discount.<\/p>\n
Price When Reviewed<\/p>\n
This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined<\/p>\n
Best Pricing Today<\/p>\n
\t\t\tBest Prices Today: Xiaomi Poco F8 Ultra\t\t<\/p>\n
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Xiaomi-owned Poco has focused on affordable handsets\u00a0for its entire existence, but the company is beginning to change tack.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The launch of its first-ever \u2018Ultra\u2019 phone sees Poco\u00a0just about\u00a0step\u00a0into flagship territory.\u00a0At \u00a3749, it undercuts three key rivals \u2013 the regular Pixel 10<\/a>, Galaxy S25<\/a> and iPhone 17<\/a> \u2013 yet offers a more premium experience\u00a0in several key areas.\u00a0<\/p>\n Is this the cheap flagship breakthrough that\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0been waiting for?\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0been testing the Poco F8 Ultra for over three weeks to find out.\u00a0<\/p>\n Design & Build: Beautiful finish, bulky size<\/p>\n The Poco F8 Ultra is available in either Black or Denim Blue finishes,\u00a0but\u00a0I\u2019d\u00a0only seriously consider the latter.\u00a0<\/p>\n In my hands-on review<\/a>, I described it as \u201cthe coolest design I\u2019ve ever seen\u201d.\u00a0While the novelty has worn off since then, I stand by it. Despite not\u00a0being made of real denim, it closely reproduces the texture and pattern of\u00a0a pair of jeans.\u00a0<\/p>\n I really haven\u2019t been enjoying the bulk of this phone<\/p>\n The grip it adds makes it preferable to go case-free, while my review sample hasn\u2019t collected any significant dirt in the three\u00a0weeks\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0been using it.\u00a0<\/p>\n Anyron Copeman \/ Foundry<\/p>\n It\u2019s\u00a0also well protected against the elements. An IP68 rating verifies its ability to tolerate submersion in up to 1.5m of freshwater for up to 30 minutes\u00a0and means\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0fully dust-proof. As someone who likes visiting the beach and regularly gets caught in the rain, this peace of mind is crucial.<\/p>\n However, I really\u00a0haven\u2019t\u00a0been enjoying the bulk of this phone. The Denim Blue version is a\u00a0rather chunky\u00a08.3mm thick, and it weighs 220g. That\u2019s not unheard of for a 6.9-inch phone, but it can be uncomfortable to hold at times.\u00a0<\/p>\n Further thoughts<\/p>\n The Denim Blue version uses fibre-reinforced plastic on the back, while the Black variant has a silicone polymer\u00a0<\/p>\n Its\u00a0aluminium alloy frame feels tough and durable<\/p>\n Screen & Speakers: World-class sound<\/p>\n It speaks volumes that the Poco F8 Ultra\u2019s impressive display\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0one of its highlights.\u00a0But make no mistake, this expansive 6.9-inch panel\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0disappoint.\u00a0<\/p>\n A 1200 x 2608 resolution gives it pin-sharp clarity, while the 120Hz refresh rate ensures silky-smooth\u00a0visuals.\u00a0<\/p>\n Anyron Copeman \/ Foundry<\/p>\n In general,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0a very good\u00a0AMOLED, offering the\u00a0high contrast\u00a0and deep blacks that we know and love.\u00a0I was\u00a0very happy\u00a0to use it as my only screen for trips away, even while watching\u00a0longer YouTube videos.\u00a0<\/p>\n While slightly muted colours make it a\u00a0small step down from the best phone screens around, the same\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0be said for the speakers. Tuned by Bose, the F8 Ultra has two dedicated speakers (one top, one bottom) and a separate subwoofer on the back.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2026the best audio quality I\u2019ve ever heard from a smartphone<\/p>\n They combine for the best audio quality\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0ever heard from a smartphone. Sound is rich,\u00a0full-bodied\u00a0and dripping in bass, getting impressively close to room-filling. It tolerates high volumes well, avoiding any audible distortion.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s\u00a0so nice to be able to have a premium listening experience without\u00a0connecting to headphones or an external speaker.\u00a0<\/p>\n Anyron Copeman \/ Foundry<\/p>\n Further thoughts<\/p>\n The display lacks LTPO tech, meaning the refresh rate\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0go below 60Hz\u00a0<\/p>\n The optical\u00a0under-display fingerprint sensor\u00a0is one of the best around\u00a0<\/p>\n Peak brightness of 3500 nits ensures excellent outdoor visibility\u00a0<\/p>\n Specs & Performance: Stutter-free without breaking a sweat<\/p>\n The Poco F8 Ultra\u00a0couldn\u2019t\u00a0offer better performance if it tried. With Qualcomm\u2019s latest and greatest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset under the hood and 12- or 16GB of RAM,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0a stellar performer in every conceivable situation.\u00a0<\/p>\n If you want top-class phone performance across the board, look no\u00a0further\u00a0than the Poco F8 Ultra<\/p>\n With my typical usage \u2013 lots of web browsing, messages, email,\u00a0navigation\u00a0and photo-taking \u2013 the F8 Ultra has an almost embarrassing amount of power in reserve.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0also a highly competent multitasker, with the large display making it ideally suited\u00a0for\u00a0productivity\u00a0tasks.\u00a0<\/p>\n Anyron Copeman \/ Foundry<\/p>\n Even\u00a0when\u00a0you push it harder, the phone\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0break a sweat. I\u00a0tested it across\u00a0four of the most demanding titles:\u00a0Call of Duty\u00a0Mobile, Asphalt Legends, PUBG\u00a0Mobile\u00a0and Genshin Impact. Gameplay remained smooth,\u00a0maintaining\u00a0high frame rates throughout, with a slightly warm back the only indicator that the phone was working\u00a0hard.\u00a0<\/p>\n If you want top-class phone performance across the board, look no\u00a0further\u00a0than the Poco F8 Ultra.\u00a0<\/p>\n Xiaomi Poco F8 Ultra benchmarks<\/p>\n Further thoughts<\/p>\n Available in either 12\/256GB or 16\/512GB options\u00a0<\/p>\n Supports dual physical SIM cards and\u00a0eSIM\u00a0<\/p>\n Offers the latest Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 standards\u00a0<\/p>\n Cameras: The first disappointment appears<\/p>\n The cameras on the Poco F8 Ultra are\u00a0a mixed\u00a0bag.\u00a0<\/p>\n On one hand, the phone excels in good lighting conditions, with the 50Mp main lens a real highlight.\u00a0Despite having no real camera\u00a0expertise, I was able to\u00a0consistently\u00a0capture dozens of gorgeous photos during\u00a0my three-week testing period.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n In general, you can expect images that are vibrant, well-exposed and brimming with detail. Dynamic range is excellent, and colours are\u00a0generally true\u00a0to life.\u00a0<\/p>\n Impressive performance continues when you switch to the 50Mp telephoto, which offers a competent 5x optical zoom.\u00a0Even shots at 10x, which rely on digital zoom, are often very usable.\u00a0<\/p>\n I\u2019d\u00a0also recommend using the telephoto lens for portrait mode, which struggles with edge detection at times but\u00a0generally delivers\u00a0a pleasing image with a professional-looking background blur.\u00a0<\/p>\n The cameras on the Poco F8 Ultra are\u00a0a mixed\u00a0bag<\/p>\n The 50Mp ultrawide is a little less impressive, with some noticeable drop-off in colour accuracy and some missing details, but\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0only really\u00a0apparent\u00a0when comparing it directly to the main lens.\u00a0<\/p>\n And the front-facing 32Mp\u00a0camera\u00a0has been a joy to use most of the time.\u00a0The detail\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0been able to capture in some selfies has been astounding,\u00a0while\u00a0the portrait mode here is\u00a0arguably even more\u00a0convincing.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, the cameras are badly let down by their low-light performance.\u00a0The automatically enabled night\u00a0mode overcompensates,\u00a0losing colour accuracy\u00a0and giving faces a weird AI-like appearance.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\tThe more you zoom in, the worse it gets<\/p>\n Anyron Copeman \/ Foundry<\/p>\n Also, the\u00a0long exposure\u00a0required\u00a0to make this happen means\u00a0there\u2019s\u00a0a noticeable delay between hitting the shutter button and the photo being taken. This was a nightmare during a gig I went to, where the headlining duo\u00a0were\u00a0jumping around on stage.\u00a0<\/p>\n I tried turning off night mode, but the photos were\u00a0practically unusable, so\u00a0there\u2019s\u00a0no\u00a0good solution\u00a0here.\u00a0<\/p>\n Further thoughts<\/p>\n The ultrawide lens only has a 102-degree field of view, which\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0as wide as many rivals\u00a0<\/p>\n The F8 Ultra can shoot video at up to\u00a08K\u00a0at 30fps. Both the main and telephoto lenses\u00a0offer\u00a0OIS (optical image stabilisation)\u00a0<\/p>\n Battery Life & Charging: Two days on a single charge<\/p>\n With a 6500mAh capacity, the Poco F8 Ultra has one of the biggest batteries of any phone right now,\u00a0and\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0one of the things the phone excels at.\u00a0<\/p>\n While working from home, I was able to comfortably get two full days on a single charge, despite around six hours of usage in total.\u00a0On one occasion, I headed out for the day with only 30%\u00a0charge, but\u00a0it\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0even drop into single figures eight hours later.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Anyron Copeman \/ Foundry<\/p>\n And even on those more demanding days, I never worried about making it to the end of the day, giving me total peace of mind.\u00a0<\/p>\n Poco claims that the F8 Ultra\u2019s 100W wired charging can get you from 0-100% in just 38 minutes, but you need a compatible charger \u2013 there\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0one in the box.\u00a0<\/p>\n I only had a 67W one available, meaning it took 68 minutes for me. However, 30 minutes was still enough for 64% charge, which was plenty for a full day in all but the most extreme circumstances.\u00a0<\/p>\n Further thoughts<\/p>\n The F8 Ultra has a lithium-ion battery, which takes up more space than equivalent silicon-carbon cells but should hold up better over time\u00a0<\/p>\n 22.5W reverse wireless charging means you can use the phone to top up earbuds and other Qi accessories quickly\u00a0<\/p>\n Software & Apps: Slick but bloated with add-ons<\/p>\n Software is full of useful features\u00a0<\/p>\n Too many ads and\u00a0lots of\u00a0bloatware\u00a0<\/p>\n The F8 Ultra ships running the same\u00a0HyperOS\u00a03 software as Poco\u2019s parent company, Xiaomi.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0based on\u00a0Android\u00a016<\/a> but\u00a0looks and feels quite different \u2013 and not in\u00a0a good way.\u00a0<\/p>\n My main gripe is the bloatware, with lots of\u00a0extra pre-installed apps from Xiaomi and third parties. Some of the bloatware is potentially useful, other apps are a total waste of time, and none of it should be\u00a0on the device\u00a0without your consent.\u00a0<\/p>\n Some of the bloatware is potentially useful, other apps are a total waste of time, and none of it should be\u00a0on the device\u00a0without your consent<\/p>\n Then\u00a0there\u2019s\u00a0the \u2018Wallpaper Carousel\u2019,\u00a0an excuse for Xiaomi to serve\u00a0a different lock screen image and associated article every time.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0very annoying, and\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0yet to see one\u00a0I\u2019d\u00a0click on.\u00a0<\/p>\n Anyron Copeman \/ Foundry<\/p>\n You can remove most of the offending apps and turn off\u00a0most of the ads, but it\u00a0shouldn\u2019t\u00a0have to be that way.\u00a0HyperOS\u00a03 can feel overwhelming, especially if\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0coming from another version of Android or an iPhone.\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s\u00a0a\u00a0shame, because\u00a0the rest of HyperOS\u00a0is slick,\u00a0fast\u00a0and\u00a0generally\u00a0well-organised.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0full of useful\u00a0features and\u00a0offers almost endless customisation opportunities.\u00a0<\/p>\n Anyron Copeman \/ Foundry<\/p>\n Further thoughts<\/p>\n AI tools include the usual suspects, such as writing, transcription and image generation tools, but\u00a0there\u2019s\u00a0nothing revolutionary here\u00a0<\/p>\n Xiaomi offers only four major Android OS updates, but six years of security patches\u00a0<\/p>\n Price & Availability: Competitive at its current price<\/p>\n Officially, the Poco F8 Ultra starts at \u00a3749, putting it in direct competition with the regular Pixel 10<\/a>, Galaxy S25<\/a> and iPhone 17<\/a> (all from \u00a3799).<\/p>\n However, both Xiaomi<\/a> and Amazon<\/a> have regularly been selling the phone for much less following its launch, and you can get it for \u00a3549 from the former at the time of writing.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"xiaomi](\"https:\/\/b2c-contenthub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/xiaomi-poco-f8-ultra-review-2.jpg?quality=50&strip=all&w=1200\")
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