A week with the Poco F5: What I like and dislike about the new device

New and efficient chip

The Poco F5 is the world’s first Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 SoC-powered phone with up to 12 GB of RAM and up to 256 GB of internal storage. Thanks to the new chip, the performance of the Poco F5 is as good as more expensive phones with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC and scores almost 1 million points on AnTuTu. This makes the Poco F5 a great gaming device under the Rs 30,000 price range, capable of handling titles like COD: Mobile, PUBG: New State, and even Genshin Impact, one of the most demanding mobile games.

Poco F5 has an almost bezel-less display. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/Indian Express)

Almost bezel-less display

The Poco F5 has a 6.67-inch FHD+ 120Hz 12-bit AMOLED display with the thinnest bezels in this price range. The display has a peak brightness of 1000 nits, and it even has Dolby Atmos support. This is a flat-panel type screen and comes with a pre-installed screen protector. From gaming to content consumption, the Poco F5 offers an elevated user experience, and you can even use the device under direct sunlight.

Above-average camera

In my limited testing, the Poco F5 has a great primary camera. The 64 MP sensor with OIS takes great pictures in daylight situations. Not just that, it also has the quickest shutter speed on a mid-range phone, priced at around Rs 30,000. However, the 8 MP ultra-wide-angle lens lacks details, and the 2MP macro lens is also of no use.

The Poco F5 has a plastic back panel and a plastic frame. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/Indian Express)

Subpar build quality

Poco has cut some corners when it comes to build quality. The smartphone has a plastic frame and a plastic back panel that attracts smudges and fingerprints. While the phone feels light despite having a 5,000 mAh battery, it also feels cheap to hold in hand. The device also has a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, while it is quick, I feel a phone of this calibre should have come with an in-display fingerprint sensor.

Overall, the Poco F5 seems to be focused mainly on gaming and content consumption. We will soon put out the full review of the Poco F5, which includes a detailed analysis regarding performance, camera, battery life, and more.