It came out a few months ago, but lately, it has gained a lot of fame thanks to its value for money. If you want to know more about this Poco F3, I advise you to keep reading the review to know its pros and cons.
we have gotten this Poco F3 from Spain at a spectacular price (€ 243 in this case). In this case, it is close to the minimum price and is postulated as the best terminal with the best value for money.
The case is very striking in black and yellow, with the model’s name on the top. On one of the sides are the characteristics of the CE (European Conformity) logo that indicates that it meets the legal and technical minimums in terms of security to market it in Europe.
As we open it, we see a small box that includes an instruction guide, the key to open the SIM card slot, a flexible transparent TPU case and a micro-USB to 3.5mm jack adapter.
Below is the terminal wrapped in plastic wrap. Below is the power cord and the Spanish version power adapter from 20V to 1.35A / 12V to 2.35A / 11V to 3A output and 33W of power.
software
This Poco F3 comes with Android 11 Red Velvet Cake but with the MIUI 12.0.2 customization layer upgradeable to MIUI 12.5.1.0. Mention that this layer of customization is not exactly like the traditional one from Xiaomi, but it has Poco’s Launcher in version 2.0. It is a small adaptation that includes an application drawer differentiated by the types or themes of the apps. It is a simple and functional operating system.
This ROM is globally upgradeable via OTA (Automatic Updates by Notification), including Spanish or English. It also brings Catalan, Galician and Basque.
This operating system comes with many pre-installed applications, but they can be uninstalled without any problems. It also includes Google services to be able to use the Google Play application store. It includes Google Play, YouTube, Chrome, Drive, Photos, Maps, Gmail and some native Android applications such as the file manager, calculator and calendar.
The main settings menu includes many options that we can find on other Xiaomi devices. For example, applications can be cloned to use the same application with two different accounts, and the phone can be programmed on and off, the screen colours can be calibrated …
On the other hand, it should be mentioned that it also includes a small “game turbo” application to optimize games. This application is very simple and is not comparable with mobiles designed for gaming.
The security and screen lock section brings the option to add the fingerprint to the fingerprint reader of the power button. It works well, and in which you can add up to 5 fingerprints. It is instantaneous.
It also has facial recognition that works well and quickly (even in low light). Multiple faces can be added. With sunglasses, it also unlocks us. The ultrasonic proximity sensor has worked correctly; it seems that with Miui 12.5, Xiaomi has managed to solve the problem partially, and I say in part, because at least in our terminal we have not had problems, but there are still users who complain that it does not turn off the screen at all times.
In the screen settings section, we also find the option to configure the refresh rate. This can be set up to 120Hz for a greater sense of fluidity. This will consume a bit more battery, but screen transitions are faster.
Widevine security level is L1, so Netflix, HBO, or Amazon Prime Video videos will be played at the maximum amount allowed by the screen.
As always, after having passed the Malwarebytes antivirus, no malicious applications were detected.
Design and Materials
This terminal maintains an aesthetic that we have seen since last year.
It measures 76.4mm wide, 163.7mm high, and is 7.8mm thick. It is a very thin terminal that makes its weight of 196 g without a cover. It is made of glass and aluminum, which makes it very elegant.
This front part has a small hole in the screen (notch). It is a small selfie camera that is located in the central part. The bezels are quite thin, and the usable screen area is 85%.
The screen quality is good. It mounts a 6.67-inch AMOLED panel with a Full HD + resolution of 1080×2400 pixels, and the density of pixels per inch is 386. It is a screen rounded at the corners with an aspect ratio that remains at 20: 9.
It is certified Corning Gorilla Glass 5 to avoid scratches. It is advisable to put tempered glass on this screen and even on the camera lenses. This panel is HDR10 + certified for higher image quality.
The refresh rate is 120Hz for greater fluidity, and the tactile response is 360Hz.
The screen quality is good. The colours are vivid (DCI-P3), and the contrast ratio is 5000000: 1. The brightness in full mode is 900nits reaching maximum peaks of 1300nits. Although the data on the table is very good, for my taste, it may be a little scarce, and you have to strain your eyes in full sunlight.
Mention that the light sensor for the automatic brightness mode is a bit slow.
The rear is very elegant. The upper left area has a module with three cameras positioned vertically, and a double LED flash just to their right. The lenses protrude a couple of millimetres from the phone’s body, although with the case, it fits perfectly. Also, mention that 2 of these lenses are larger than usual, giving it a premium feel.
Right on the same line and below, the model name appears with the 5G logo in bright letters. The CE logo also appears on this same back.
And like most terminals, the edges of the back have a slight curvature to make it more comfortable to grip.
The sides are no longer surprising. On the left side, it is empty, and on the right side, the volume up and down buttons and the on and off buttons are concentrated. This “power” button works as a fingerprint reader.
At the bottom left, you have the input tray for the nano-SIM cards, followed by the USB type C (reversible), the stereo speaker, and the microphone. The top part is only the speaker, and infrared led to use it as a remote control.
Power and Hardware
Since this terminal came out, it has caused sensations thanks to its balance between hardware and price.
Therefore, to verify its power, we have subjected it to the AnTuTu Benchmark version 9 performance test, achieving a score of 682,234. We have passed this test with the phone practically charged with battery and pre-installed applications.
Currently, this phone carries the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 8-core processor with a maximum speed of 3.2GHz. It is a chip with a 64-bit architecture, manufactured in 7nm, and that is accompanied by a Qualcomm Adreno 650 GPU graphics card for great graphics performance.
It is not the most powerful processor of xiaomi since it is an intermediate version between the Snapdragon 888 and the Snapdragon 865, both with 5G. Even so, the performance is very good, and there is no difference in usability.
