The two phones were announced alongside a pair of sub-$400 tablets, the Pad X1 and Pad M1, both of which lean on high-resolution displays and Dolby Atmos speakers to serve as good-value entertainment options. (Image: Poco)Xiaomi’s Poco has announced two new devices, F8 Pro and Ultra, and to stand out from their competition, the Chinese phone maker has teamed up with Bose Corporation. Both smartphones feature stereo speakers that were created and tuned in partnership with the audio equipment firm, and the Ultra goes one step further by adding a subwoofer.
The new F8 smartphones come with identical dual stereo speakers calibrated by Bose, but to enjoy the advantages of the subwoofer, you’ll need to purchase the Ultra, which Poco claims provides “deeper, more impactful bass”. Moreover, there are two sound profiles crafted by Bose engineers: a dynamic mode that provides enhanced bass, and a balanced option that highlights vocals and offers a more uniform soundstage.
“By combining Bose’s expertise in acoustic engineering with Poco’s innovation in design and technology, Poco F8 Series achieves a level of clarity and depth that redefines what’s possible in mobile sound,” said Nick Smith, president of audio technology and chief strategy officer at Bose.
The F8 Ultra boasts a larger 6.9-inch OLED screen, a triple 50-megapixel rear camera, wireless charging, and is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. The F8 Pro uses last year’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, a smaller 6.59-inch screen, and downgrades to each of the three rear lenses. Both devices have IP68 ratings and are backed by batteries bigger than 6,000 mAh.
Other than that, the two phones are reasonably priced flagships. The F8 Pro starts from $579(approximately Rs 52,000), while the Ultra is available from $729(approximately Rs 65,000), though a $50(approximately Rs 4,461) early-bird discount is available at launch. The two phones were announced alongside a pair of sub-$400 tablets, the Pad X1 and Pad M1, both of which lean on high-resolution displays and Dolby Atmos speakers to serve as good-value entertainment options.