POCO F8 Pro Review: A Practical Flagship That Focuses on Real Value

The POCO F series has always been known for strong performance at a price that does not scare people away. With the new POCO F8 Pro, the brand pushes that idea further by offering flagship-level hardware with a clean and straightforward execution. I spent some time going through the device and its capabilities and here is a breakdown of how it performs in real life, where it excels, and where it still falls short.

Design

At a glance, the POCO F8 Pro looks clean and modern. The flat sides and matte finish give it a simple look without trying too hard. The phone is 8.0 mm thick and weighs 199 g. For a device with a 6210 mAh battery, this weight is actually quite balanced. It feels solid but not heavy in the hand. The IP68 rating is a major upgrade for this lineup and gives users real peace of mind. You can use it under light rain or around a pool without worry.

The rear camera module does stick out and the large square design might feel a bit bold for some people. With that said, the finish is consistent and the colors, especially Titanium Silver, look premium. A case will still be needed because the edges can feel slightly sharp during longer use.

Display

The 6.59 inch AMOLED display is a highlight on its own. The 120 Hz refresh rate gives a smooth feel in daily scrolling and gaming. The peak brightness hits 3500 nits which is important for Malaysia’s sunny outdoor conditions. You can read messages or navigate on Google Maps without squinting at the screen. HBM brightness at 2000 nits also helps when standing under direct noon sunlight.

Color reproduction is strong with DCI P3 wide color support and HDR10 Plus. Watching videos on Netflix or YouTube feels enjoyable with good contrast and proper sharpness. Wet Touch Display 2.0 actually works well. Even with some sweat on your fingers, the screen still responds accurately.

One point to take note of is the slightly thicker bezels compared to premium flagships. It is not distracting, but you will notice it when placed side by side with higher priced competitors.

Performance

The Snapdragon 8 Elite chip is the main selling point of the POCO F8 Pro. It is built on a 3 nm process and paired with LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.1 storage. In real life, the phone feels fast with no hesitation when switching between apps or handling multiple tasks. It's still the powerhouse of last year top flagship phones after all

Gaming performance is stable in titles like Honor of Kings and Genshin Impact. The device maintains good frame rates at high settings. The phone does get warm, but not to a point where it becomes uncomfortable. It manages heat better than expected for this class.

HyperOS 3 runs smoothly and simple users will appreciate the straightforward interface. Power users will also like that heavy apps load fast and file transfers move quickly thanks to the fast storage. Users are also promised 4 major OS upgrades and 6 years of security patches so that gives additional peace of mind.

Camera Performance

The POCO F8 Pro comes with a 50 MP main camera, a 50 MP 60 telephoto lens and an 8 MP ultra wide.

The main camera takes sharp photos with natural colors in daytime situations. The Light Fusion 800 sensor handles highlights well and the OIS helps maintain stability when shooting while walking.

Low light performance is decent. The phone brightens scenes but tends to soften textures at times. Users who love night photography may find the results good enough but not outstanding.

For the first time POCO has given the Pro variant a telephoto lens, and it performs quite well, albeit not extraordinary. The zoom length gives natural depth and more accurate framing for shots of buildings or products. This is one area where the F8 Pro beats many phones in this price range.

Audio Quality

POCO worked with Bose to tune the speakers and the result is better than average performance. Stereo separation is clear and vocals sound clean. This makes a difference when watching videos without earphones. The volume can get loud enough for small group viewing.

Still, keep your expectations realistic. These are phone speakers. Bass is limited and the audio lacks depth compared to high tier flagships.

Battery Life and Charging

The 6210 mAh battery is one of the strongest reasons to consider the POCO F8 Pro. The battery easily lasts more than a day with mixed usage. Light users can stretch it into two days. Streaming, maps navigation and gaming do not drain the battery too quickly thanks to the power efficiency of the 3 nm chip.

The 100 W HyperCharge speed is fast. You can get from low battery to full within around 40 minutes. This is helpful for people who rush between work and activities. Reverse charging at 22.5 W is also useful for powering accessories and smaller devices. Some regions does come with an adapter in the box so charging speed may varied if you're using a third party adapter.

Verdict

The POCO F8 Pro delivers strong performance, long battery life, a bright and smooth display and a surprisingly capable telephoto camera. It also provides IP68 durability and good audio for its category. For people looking for a powerful daily driver that handles gaming, photography and media consumption well, this phone gives excellent value.

It does have some limitations, like the ultra wide camera is basic, the bezels are not the thinnest, but if these drawbacks are not major concerns, the POCO F8 Pro stands out as one of the most practical and well balanced options in its class. It does not try to be flashy. It simply focuses on giving users strong hardware, reliable performance and features that matter in real world use.