.jpg)
With the launch of the Poco F5 and Poco F5 Pro tonight I continue to challenge myself to keep testing mid-range devices. Therefore I personally asked to test the Poco F5 and gave the Poco F5 to the head of content.
The main reason I want to test this device is that it uses the first Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 chip in Malaysia. I have never tested a chip in this series and after hearing that this mid-range chip has similarities to the flagship class I didn't want to miss the chance.
Poco F5 is a device that looks basic, but gives a satisfying user experience. I, who am used to Mercu devices, was surprised by the capabilities of this device. Just is this Poco F5 for you? Which variant is worth 8GB RAM or 12GB RAM? In this article I share my experience and opinion about this device.
INFO Read – Poco F5 Pro Review – Good Combination of Affordable Price and Landmark Performance
SPECIFICATIONS
Poco F5
6.67″ Flow AMOLED DotDisplay FHD+ screen,
1080 x 2400 , 120Hz, Dolby vision
Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 processor (4nm)
1x 2.91 GHz Cortex-A710 chip
3x 2.49 GHz Cortex-A710
4x 1.8 GHz Cortex-A510
Adreno 725 Graphics Chip
RAM 8/12 GB LPDDR5
7GB Virtual Memory
Internal Storage 256 GB UFS 3.1
Main Camera 64MP f/1.79 Wide Angle
8MP f/2.2 Ultra-Wide Angle
2MP f/2.4 Macro
16MP f/2.45 Selfie Camera
5000 mAh battery
67W wired charging
SIM/Telephony Dual SIM nano / 5G
NFC Yes
Audio Jack Yes
Waterproof IP53
Scan System Side finger scanner
Sale Price RM 1699 (8/256 GB)
RM 1799 (12/256 GB)
SCREEN
Poco F5's screen size is 6.67″ from an AMOLED panel with FHD+ resolution and supports a 120Hz refresh rate. The device's screen can also display Dolby Vision colors for more beautiful, sharp and eye-pleasing colors. The screen bezel also appears thin and almost even giving an almost bezel-less user experience.
The screen is also of good enough quality with no problem viewing it under bright sunlight. Every scroll is smooth and fast even if it's not an LTPO panel. As far as two weeks of use I have not found any problems on the screen of this Poco device. I enjoy using this device to watch Netflix because it supports Dolby Vision content.
Unlike previous Poco devices, the F5 seems to be using a flagship device screen. It's hard for me to see the difference with the Xiaomi 13. The screen is also a completely flat type that makes the device easy to handle and doesn't disturb the view when watching something or playing games.
DESIGN
Since last year I have noticed that device manufacturers try their best to avoid changing their respective device designs and often use the same designs over and over again. In the case of the Poco F5, I can actually forgive because they changed the Redmi logo to Poco a long time ago. The device is based on the Redmi Note 12 Turbo without "turbo" charging support. So the design of the device will look similar to most other Redmi Note 12 devices.
The rear panel is slightly curved and has a black carbon fiber-like pattern. But the finish is smooth and it easily catches fingerprints which makes the device look dirty all the time. The camera bump is the one we usually see which is two cameras up and down and an additional camera on the side.
I don't like to use any kind of protective case because the device feels good in the hand and is very easy to handle. On top of the device there is only a speaker grille, a 3.5mm audio jack port, an infrared sensor and a microphone hole. Underneath there is another speaker grill, a USB-C port, another microphone hole and a SIM card slot.
There is nothing on the left side of the device but on the left there is a power button with a fingerprint scanner which is quite fast and a volume button which is nice to press but is often confused with the power button. Although the design of this device looks familiar, using it produces a sense of loyalty. Even more amazingly, even though it's a mid-range device, it still comes with IP53 splash-proof capabilities.
USAGE AND SOFTWARE – MIUI 14 for Poco
Poco devices used to use the same MIUI as Xiaomi devices. Then they changed to MIUI for Poco and now back to MIUI but only for name. Inside, everything is still the same as the Poco device that we all know.
Full of ads and fat useless apps. Although ads can be turned off, it's a pain for me to find the settings and turn them off. Then there are some fat applications that cannot be removed and also turned off. This forced me to limit Internet usage and keep turning off notifications for the app.
Putting the two issues aside, MIUI 14 on the Poco F5 provides a very satisfying user experience. I almost forgot that this is a mid-range device because using it feels like a flagship device. The Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 chip with a 4nm build paired with 12GB LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB UFS 3.1 internal storage is excellent.
I haven't had any problems with time lags, the usual notification problems or so far no system crashes at all. But I noticed some features and functions have been removed to differentiate between Poco and Xiaomi.
Most of the features and functions in MIUI 14 of the Poco F5 device are the same as the MIUI on Xiaomi and Redmi devices. So using this device will not feel strange. It's just that the version I'm using is still using the security patch from two months ago and there's a possibility that the version that's ready for sale will be slightly different.
Only two features that I noticed are missing on other MIUI devices which are;
The timer in the clock app now has background music of nature sounds.
The Album application now has a special category "High Definition"
BENCH MARK
Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 paired with 12GB RAM memory with 7GB virtual RAM activated and 256GB internal storage will provide satisfactory performance. In leaked benchmarks this chip can reach up to one million marks in AnTuTu 3D. So I want to check if it is true.
But I have to take into account testing the most likely leaked device in a lab. While my device uses the stable version, used as a daily device, the Internet is active, incoming notifications and many applications are already installed.
Here are the test scores;
Geekbench 6
Poco F5 – 1371/4160
Vivo V27 – n/a
iQOO Z7 – 1125/3001
AnTuTu 3D
Poco F5 – 892358
Vivo V27 – n/a
iQOO Z7 – 588,831
3DMark
Poco F5 – n/a
Vivo V27 – n/a
iQOO Z7 – 808
In terms of gaming performance, usually on a mid-range device, I only tested Asphalt 9 and recently I ran Marvel Snap until the battery died. Based on my experience with many devices in the same class playing these two first Poco F5 is the best so far. No problem of heating up after playing for up to 3 hours, no problem of time delay and can be defaulted because it is too fast and smooth.
TELEPHONY AND GPS
The device already supports 5G but I'm using a Maxis SIM card so I didn't test its capabilities. Even so VoWiFi and VoLTE support has no problem providing quality phone calls. Mobile data is also stable and fast. For GPS in the first few days of use it was a bit problematic with slow location locking. After that, it's like a flagship device.
CAMERA
After I was happy and excited about the great performance of this device I continued to have high hopes for the camera capabilities of this device. But alas I was wrong. The camera of this device in my eyes is very disappointing. The camera configuration of 64MP with OIS + 8MP ultra wide angle + 2MP macro is great.
The camera of this device does not preserve details well. Maybe it's because my eyes have been trained to find flaws in an image so I continue to feel dissatisfied. After a week of use I realized that the Poco F5 has the same MIUI problem as the Xiaomi device, which is that the AI on the camera is inconsistent and not smart enough to determine the best settings.
The 64MP camera of this device looks beautiful and clear. Just inconsistent colors and unclear details due to noise. Then even though there is OIS, this device is not very stable when using the camera and taking pictures while moving, causing the focus to run away. The ultra-wide-angle sensor is a bonus as many mid-range devices I've tested lack this sensor. The macro sensor is a "bonus" which for me is not even useful.
Teraair this time offers a picture frame to give the effect of a movie camera. There are even some new filters on offer if that's your taste.
BATTERY
I think with any device with a 4nm chip the battery can last a long time. Because on this Poco F5, the 5000mAh battery can last up to 8 hours SOT for light use. Heavy use can give SOT around 5-6 hours. Don't forget that this device supports 67W fast charging which can charge from 0% to 100% in less than an hour without any heating problems due to the cooling system and control on the software used.
AUDIO
Dolby Atmos audio through Poco F5's stereo speakers is indeed a bonus. Not all device manufacturers can offer devices priced below RM2000 with Dolby technology. The audio of the device is quite balanced, loud and has a bit too much bass. This causes the vocals to sink in a bit.
The device also has a 3.5mm audio jack port and MIUI on this device already supports LHDC which means that if you connect TWS such as OnePlus Buds Pro 2 or Nothing Ear (2) it will provide a good and high quality audio experience without the need for additional audio accessories.
IN THE BOX
Here is what is received in the box with purchase.
1x Poco F5.
1x Silicone frame.
1x 67W Charger.
1x USB-A to USB-C charging cable.
1x Manual.
1x SIM Pin.
CONCLUSION
If I try to forget the issue of ads, fat apps and the not so great camera I can say this is an almost perfect Poco device. Beautiful and great screen, amazing performance, latest software and a basic but still trying to be premium design. Not forgetting the flagship device features such as Dolby Vision included on this device and it still has an audio jack port in 2023.
Poco F5 is a premium mid-range device that tries to provide a good flagship device experience. With the sale price starting at RM1699 for the 8/256 GB model and the model I reviewed is RM1799 with 12/256 memory it is the best price match. If you buy early after launch you can get this 12GB model at a price of RM1499. If you ask me which device is good to buy I will say Good buy Poco!
Pro
Common design but trying to look premium.
Terrible performance like a flagship device.
The battery is long-lasting and supports 67W fast charging.
Smooth, fast and beautiful display.
There is a 3.5mm audio jack and LHDC support.
Cons
The 64MP camera is a bit disappointing in my eyes.
Stereo speakers produce drowned out vocals.
A useless macro camera.
The software still has ads and annoying fat apps.