Poco F3 review, a real top for less than 300 euros?

Poco F3 review

The return of the flagship killers, so we could define the current period in which we are living with regard to the mobile tech scene. After having tested the excellent realme GT, today is the turn of Poco F3.

The protagonist of this complete review after more than a month of use, will Poco F3 be able to convince users who love top performance but are careful about their wallet?

Premium design with some compromises

Net of the very important overall dimensions (the panel is 6.7 "in fact), holding this Poco F3 in the hand gives back certainly premium sensations, as well of much more expensive devices. The reference to Xiaomi Mi 11 regarding the camera block contributes to this top-of-the-range sensation, with the only discordant note (if we can define it that way) linked to the frame and the edges which are made of plastic material.

The black color we tested keeps fingerprints very much (I had the opportunity to see and try the white variant for a short time and I must say that I definitely recommend it if you are obsessed with cleaning your smartphone), due to an oleophobic treatment not top of the class.

Fortunately, the branding on this Poco F3 is minimal, with the company logo which is not at all intrusive. Finally, the reduced thickness of the product is very interesting, another element that contributes to the premium sensations released by this device.

Display with top specifications and an annoying defect

The category of flagship killer aims to bring many more hardware components than high-end products at more favorable price conditions for the 'user, trying to find a way to submit to the inevitable compromises that this entails.

As for the display, on board this Poco F3 we find a nice panel with OLED technology, with a refresh rate that can be set at 60Hz or 120Hz and a sampling frequency of the touch of even 360Hz. What do all these words translated into everyday use mean? A user experience comparable even to smartphones with a much higher cost, with speed and smooth scrolling that will accompany you throughout your days of use, all while maintaining vivid and well-contrasted images, as per OLED tradition.

An element that unfortunately we must point out concerns the tendency of the panel to turn towards the green color, a defect and problem that seems to afflict all brands and many smartphone models across the board. For those who do not know what we are talking about, this is the tendency of some OLED screens, in certain light conditions and reproducing certain contents, to show green-red "spots", with a consequent lack of homogeneity in the reproduction of various colors. color on the panel.



Like other web users, I also encountered this trend during my test. This is not a serious or disabling defect for daily use, but it is correct to report it as experienced firsthand as a decidedly unpleasant phenomenon for those with a trained eye.

All the speed you need

The pleasantness and speed of the display, we find it as a distinctive element also as regards the technical specifications of this Poco F3.

Thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 processor (an update of last year's top-of-the-range SoC, the Snapdragon 865) and to the 6GB of RAM (which becomes 8GB in the version with 256GB of internal storage), this smartphone it does not present any obstacles in daily use, whether it is playing games or surfing the social networks and the most popular apps.

Very variable autonomy

In the first two days of using this Poco F3 I was afraid, I must admit. During my first few days of using the smartphone, the device drained and drained the 4520mAh battery very quickly. Over the days, however, the situation has improved with usage data that can be summarized in about 5 hours of screen-on time on average if used only under the mobile data network.

The overheating element is present and should not be underestimated, with the tendency of the back of the phone to reach medium-high temperatures in stressful situations. However, we must not be so shocked by this. In fact, forgetting the price that puts it in the middle of the middle range, it is right to remember that the hardware on board is the same that only a few months ago we found in all the leading products of the companies, with autonomy and temperature results in my opinion not then so different.

Fortunately there is fast charging up to a maximum of 33W (power supply included in the package) and able to restore the battery status from 0% to 100% in just 52 minutes.

MIUI is excellent, but how much patience!

Santa MIUI 12.5, I could thus summarize the chapter concerning the software of this Poco F3. The latest and most recent version of MIUI has allowed the device, in fact, to greatly improve the user experience, with many bugs and graphical glitches that are finally just bad memories of the past.

It is not yet a defect-free customization (for that I highly recommend a transition to the world of modding with the installation of the EU rom which has always represented a better solution than the official Global), but the graphic rendering and the animations are on par with a top-of-the-range product.

Pleasant to use and to see therefore, with the bugs of the brightness and proximity sensor that you read on the net that were not found by me neither in the black test sample used for over a month, nor in the white device tested for a few days.

Mediocre photographic sector

The real Achilles heel of almost all the so-called flagship killers concerns the photographic sector. Even in the case of this Poco F3, in fact, the general photographic yield is in line with the price of the device, or on a par with any current mid-range product.

The 48MP main camera is able to return shots that to be honest are also pleasant but really too influenced by the lights and external lighting, with the evening / night scenario that undermines the final results .

Triple setup which then consists of a wide-angle camera and a macro lens, as per tradition a sensor placed there more in terms of number than for real usefulness.

20MP front camera along the lines of the main rear one, with shots on average with expectations. Too bad for the videos, aspect put too much in the background in my opinion, with maximum resolution data and general quality lower than competitors in the same price range.

Conclusions: is it a top or a flop?

At 299 euros, a price at which it was possible to find him in promotion only a few days ago, in the 8GB / 256GB variant he is undoubtedly one smartphone to buy closed today. But be careful not to consider it a real top of the range, with the path of this review that I hope has helped you to understand how many impressive technical features alone are not enough to make a product "top".



More than a real flagship, in fact, I like to consider this Poco F3 as a super mid-range smartphone, with ideas from a more expensive smartphone but with a general judgment that is so capable in this 'optics to highlight less its critical issues including camera, battery and greenish display.

Waiting for MIUI 13, the advice is to get busy with modding to squeeze the best out of this smartphone, which will still remain for many months a perfect purchase for all those of you attentive to the wallet, with the desire, however, to have a performing product that is pleasant to the eye and to the touch in your hands.