Welcome to our Xiaomi Poco F5 Pro Review, where we dive deep into the features and performance of Xiaomi’s latest offering.. Xiaomi’s Pocophone series initially gained popularity as “Flagship Killers” due to their impressive features at affordable prices. However, with the introduction of the Poco F5 Pro, Xiaomi has ventured into true flagship territory, at least in terms of pricing.
Xiaomi Poco F5 Pro Review: Venturing into True Flagship Territory
With higher expectations accompanying the increased price, the question arises: Can the Poco F5 Pro compete with other high-tier smartphones? In this comprehensive review, we will delve into the details to find out.
Design and Display
Xiaomi has taken a different approach with the Poco F5 Pro. Unlike previous Pocophone models targeted at gamers, this device aims for a flagship-like experience while maintaining a price closer to that of a flagship than a mid-ranger. Although the camera arrangement on the back remains the same as the regular Poco F5, there are some notable upgrades. The Pro version features a glossy glass design with accentuated cameras and stripes running towards the plastic frame. The phone feels comfortable in hand, but it can be a bit slippery. It also offers ingress protection with an IP53 rating, similar to other Xiaomi mid-range phones.
On the front, the Poco F5 Pro boasts a high-resolution display. The 6.67-inch AMOLED screen offers an extra sharp QHD resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate, protected by Gorilla Glass 5. Additionally, it supports 12-bit color, Dolby Vision, and HDR10+ video, providing an immersive visual experience. The color accuracy can be adjusted based on user preferences. With a maximum brightness of 520 nits and the ability to boost to over 1,000 nits in auto mode, the display remains comfortably visible outdoors. The smooth 120Hz refresh rate automatically adjusts to 60Hz when idling or playing specific content or apps.
Performance and Battery
The Poco F5 Pro is powered by a flagship-grade Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 1 chipset, albeit a modified version with lower clock speeds for theoretical energy savings. In benchmark tests, the device performs excellently and is on par with smartphones running on the original version of the chipset. The overall performance of the Poco F5 Pro is undeniably flagship-worthy. However, it’s worth noting that the vanilla Poco F5, equipped with the Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 2, almost matches the Pro version in terms of performance.
To address heat management during extended usage, the F5 Pro features an advanced passive cooling system. However, in prolonged stress tests, the thermal management was only satisfactory. The device maintained stable performance until a certain point, after which it experienced heavy throttling, potentially causing stutters during gaming sessions.
With a battery capacity of 5,160mAh, the F5 Pro offers decent battery life. However, it falls slightly short of the regular Poco F5’s endurance rating of 99 hours. The device supports 67W fast charging, allowing it to charge from 0 to 86 percent in just half an hour. Additionally, it includes support for wireless charging, a feature absent in the vanilla model.
Features and Interface
The Poco F5 Pro runs on Xiaomi’s latest MIUI 14, based on Android 13. While MIUI 14 shares similarities with its predecessors, it introduces a few small differences for the Poco series. Notably, it includes an always-on app drawer, which enhances the user experience. For more detailed information about MIUI 14, refer to our dedicated video.
Cameras
The camera setup on the Poco F5 Pro remains unchanged from the regular F5. It consists of a 64-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide lens, and a 2-megapixel macro camera. During daylight conditions, the photo quality from the main camera is impressive, delivering sharpness, fine detail, good dynamic range, and vibrant colors. Portrait mode shots are particularly sharp, with competent edge detection. In low-light environments, the default output from the main camera appears soft and noisy, with dull colors. However, enabling night mode significantly improves image quality, producing cleaner photos with enhanced detail and more appealing colors. The artificial sharpening effect can be noticeable in night mode.
The main camera supports recording in 4K, delivering impressive videos with excellent sharpness, detail, and dynamic range. Colors are vibrant and lively, with a slightly warmer color temperature. Electronic stabilization is available in 4K, providing effective video stabilization.
The ultra-wide camera on the F5 Pro falls short in terms of quality. Photos captured with this lens exhibit softness, lack fine detail, and have dark shadows and visible noise. The camera’s performance in low-light conditions is also disappointing, despite the availability of night mode.
For video recording, the ultra-wide camera is limited to 1080p resolution. The resulting videos appear soft, lacking detail, and feature limited dynamic range.
The 2-megapixel macro camera captures close-up shots, but the level of detail is typical for its resolution.
Selfies taken with the 16-megapixel front-facing camera are decent but not remarkable. The colors and detail appear good, with minimal noise. However, some artificial sharpening is noticeable.
Also Read: Google Pixel Fold Review: Unleashing the Power of Foldable Innovation
Conclusion
In conclusion, after our in-depth Xiaomi Poco F5 Pro review, it is clear that Xiaomi has made a notable entry into the flagship smartphone market.
The Poco F5 Pro impresses with its high-end specifications, reminiscent of a flagship killer. However, the device’s pricing aligns with actual flagships from the previous year. The camera performance of the F5 Pro remains at a mid-range level. For users who prioritize camera capabilities, other options such as the Samsung Galaxy S22 offer superior performance. Furthermore, many features of the Poco F5 Pro can be found in the more affordable Poco F5.
Nonetheless, the Poco F5 Pro is a well-rounded smartphone without any major drawbacks. If the price of the device decreases, it could become a more recommended option. Thank you for reading, and feel free to share your thoughts.
