We just finished watching the global livestream launch of the POCO F7, and we’re really excited about the capabilities of this new phone after knowing its full potential.
It positioned itself as “Super Speed Unleashed,” and the POCO F7 truly lives up to that name. It delivers strong performance that’s close to what you’d expect from a flagship phone. With its beautiful display, powerful chipset, and longer battery life all packed in a sleek, durable and stylish design. it’s a phone that really stands out given its price range.
Now, after a few weeks testing the phone, here’s our hands-on review and experience with the POCO F7.
Price and Availability
The all-new POCO F7 will be available exclusively on Shopee and get it at special launch prices from June 24 to 30 with the 12GB+256GB variant is priced at just PHP 17,499, while the 12GB+512GB model goes for PHP 19,499. Don’t forget to claim vouchers worth up to PHP 2,000 to enjoy the full discount.
You can also take advantage of SPayLater or Cash on Delivery options through POCO’s official Shopee store.
Design and Build Quality
The POCO F7 measures 163.1 x 77.9 x 8.2mm and weighs 215.7 grams which is a bit bulky and noticeably hefty. But I don’t mind the weight, for me it gives a feel for a solid and well-built device.
You can choose from three available colorways: classic Black, Cyber Silver, and our unit in a pristine White color.
Looking at the aesthetics of the POCO F7, it also breaks away from the design of the F7 Pro and F7 Ultra, giving it a unique look and its own identity.
The rear panel uses a glass material and features the Golden Angle layout design, which divides it diagonally into two parts. When you tilt the phone sideways and light hits it, you’ll notice the top part turns into a matte white finish while the bottom shows a semi-glossy white and vice versa. It’s a subtle but eye-catching detail I really liked.
Although it showcases a clean and minimalist design, POCO added a subtle flair to it, perfect for users who wants something simple but with a touch of uniqueness just to set it apart.
It has large-radius curves on the corners of its aluminum alloy frame in a metallic finish, making the overall grip comfortable and practical for gamers. You can even spot antenna lines on each sides of the frame for better signal reception.
Looking closer at the ports and buttons, the right edge houses the usual power/sleep button and volume rockers.
The left side goes for a clean look, we can simply admire the slim profile and thickness of the phone.
At the bottom, you’ll find the SIM card tray, speaker grille, USB-C port, and microphone.
The top edge is kept minimal, with only a secondary microphone placed there for noise cancellation or stereo recording.
The camera module design also draws attention, with POCO calling it their Neon Flare Camera Deco. Located at the top-left corner, it is slightly raised in a pill-shaped housing. The two lenses are separated by an angled aluminum ring that nicely follows the back panel’s Golden Angle design. There’s a glowing, reflective neon green halo effect in the lens area near the angled bar, which becomes visible when it catches light at different angles.
The design was well thought out, but they seemed to have overlooked connecting all their design ideas with the protective case. It’s nice and does help protect the phone, it’s too plain and ends up hiding the design of the back panel. I wish they had incorporated the Golden Angle design into the case as well or somehow.
Aside from its stylish appearance and durable frame, it has been certified with an IP68 rating and has passed the rigorous TÜV SÜD 5-star Smartphone Quality certification. The phone has better structural integrity rated for up to 70kg of bending resistance.
This means that users of POCO F7 has an extra peace of mind, knowing it can withstand the wear and tear of real-world conditions.
The front display is fitted with a Corning Gorilla Glass 7i to prevent scratches and handle accidental drops. It features ultra-thin bezels all around and the front facing camera uses a punch-hole design. Need to access your phone but have greasy, wet, or soapy hands? No problem as the POCO F7’s upgraded Wet Touch Display 2.0 the screen stays responsive.
Display
What makes the POCO F7 stand out among its siblings is its big display. It sports a 6.83-inch 1.5K AMOLED screen with a resolution of 2772 x 1280 pixels and pixel density of 447 PPI.
The phone has a 94.23% screen-to-body ratio, it gives you plenty of screen space to enjoy.
With all these specs, the POCO F7 has been a treat, especially when watching videos or playing games. The colors are vibrant, details are sharp, and a good amount of deep blacks make everything pop. That extra-wide display adds to the viewing experience more immersive and enjoyable.
The POCO F7’s wide DCI-P3 color support makes everything look more vivid and true to life which is best for enjoying any HDR content.
The 120Hz refresh rate and 480Hz touch sampling make the screen feel smooth and super responsive an edge for gaming or scrolling any of our social media apps.
It even offers an Instant Touch Sampling Rate of up to 2560Hz giving the screen an ultra-responsive feel which is again a definite advantage for gaming.
When it comes to brightness, the screen hits 1700 nits typically which is great for indoor use. But when you’re outdoors or under bright sunlight, it can peak out an impressive 3200 nits for better visibility.
With the POCO F7’s impressive display, users are sure to enjoy even extended hours of use. That’s why the phone includes eye comfort features that are TÜV Rheinland certified for Low Blue Light, Flicker-Free, and Circadian-Friendly performance. The 3840Hz PWM and DC dimming help reduce eye strain during long hours of use.
Performance
Other phones would probably retain the same chipset from their previous model or use an equivalent one from another brand. But not the POCO F7!
Instead, the brand equipped it with a more updated and powerful chipset from Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 octa-core processor. It’s built on an advanced 4nm process, with clock speeds of up to 3.21GHz, and comes with an Adreno 825 GPU.
The POCO F7 packs 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and a big 512GB UFS 4.1 storage for plenty of space for your apps, photos, games, and files.
If you still need more space, the phone doesn’t have an option for expandable storage. What we suggest is using a cloud storage service or an external storage device.
However, it’s good to know that it offers RAM expansion of up to 6GB, giving you a total of 18GB RAM. It automatically sets the extended memory to 6GB, so you can’t choose how much RAM you want to add.
Here are the results of our benchmark tests for the POCO F7.
- AnTuTu Score: 1903711
- GeekBench 6 CPU: 1989 Single Core / 6324 Multi-Core
- GeekBench 6 GPU: 13388
- CPDT: 830.26 MB/s Write, 1.06 GB/s Read
- 3DMark: Maxed Out!
- PCMark: 15918 Work 3.0 Performance Score
Based on the outcome, the POCO F7 delivered notable results across various benchmark tests we did, validating its power in both performance and efficiency. It can handle multitasking and demanding apps with ease, shows excellent GPU performance for gaming, and delivers fast storage speeds for smooth daily use.
I’m really happy with the performance of the POCO F7 during my review. For daily tasks like checking emails, posting on various social media apps, browsing the web, or taking sample photos everything felt smooth and the apps opened quickly. Even when multitasking, it held up well especially when I used it for an event. I had around 5 to 7 apps open like from social media to the browser and camera and the phone handled everything without slowing down.
I think this was all possible thanks to the new Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset, along with the RAM and storage that work really well together.
The device was able to handle games well, particularly graphically intensive titles like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), which we mostly played, as well as PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty Mobile without any frame drops or slowdowns.
Here are the maximum graphics and frame rate settings we were able to set in the mobile games we tested:
- Call of Duty Mobile: Graphics Quality – Max / Frame Rate – Ultra (initially defaults to Medium graphics)
- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang: Graphics – HD / Frame Rate – Super
- PUBG Mobile: Graphics – Ultra HDR / Frame Rate – Extreme
The POCO F7 features WildBoost Optimization 4.0 for smoother gameplay, with support for 1.5K Super Resolution and Smart Frame Rate reaching up to 120FPS in Genshin Impact. Combined with improved touch, haptics, and audio, we felt that the game became more responsive, and smooth for an immersive gaming experience.
When we played games on the POCO F7, we could feel the back panel getting slightly warm, but nothing too uncomfortable. The heat was well-managed, even during hours of gaming sessions or when we have several apps open. Good thing the POCO F7 comes prepared with an advanced vapor cooling system.
It’s equipped with a massive 6,000mm² 3D Dual-Channel IceLoop System, the brand’s largest and most powerful cooling solution to date. This setup uses a cutting-edge Loop Heat Pipe that functions like a premium vapor chamber, only more efficient keeping temperatures in check.
Speaker output on the POCO F7 is pretty decent when it comes to sound. It has dual stereo speakers found at the bottom and top. The dialogues or vocals stands out and sound effects filling the space well. Mid and high tones are easily heard, though the bass could use some improvement.
Watching YouTube or TikTok videos felt okay. I also tried video calls, and voices came through clearly when I was on speakerphone even without using earphones.
The volume levels could use some improvement. While 50% volume is fine in the comfort of your own room, it may not be enough once you move to a noisier space like the living room. In those cases, you’ll likely need to bump it up to around 75%. Hopefully, POCO would consider adding a 200% volume boost feature in the next model.
Camera and Photo Samples
In the imaging front, the POCO F7 brings a capable dual-camera with its main rear camera sporting a 50MP Sony IMX882 sensor with an f/1.5 aperture and optical image stabilization (OIS). With 1.6 micrometers of pixels and thanks to 4-in-1 pixel binning the sensor captures more light for brighter and clearer photos. The second lens includes an 8MP ultrawide camera, perfect for landscapes or group shots.
Meanwhile, on the front facing camera you have a 20MP lens for video calling or snap quick selfies.
The POCO F7 supports 4K video recording at both 30fps and 60fps, along with 1080p recording at the same frame rates but for the 720p resolution it is capped at 30fps only.
The camera system on the new POCO F7 carries over the same setup from its predecessor, but it still strikes a solid balance between versatility and quality for casual users who want decent and reliable photo performance without the premium price.
The camera app on the POCO F7 is user-friendly, with some subtle interface changes that enhance usability. One noticeable update is how shooting modes are now accessed — instead of scrolling to the end, you can simply swipe up from above the shutter button to view other available modes.
A handy feature called Dynamic Shot appears in the top-right corner. It captures both a photo and a short 3-second video clip simultaneously. To view the video, just press and hold the photo in your gallery.
Additionally, under Photo mode, you’ll find a shortcut on the top left that lets you adjust the aperture without switching to Pro mode. It offers minor tweaks to light exposure, giving users a bit more control while still staying in auto mode.
The POCO F7’s main camera does not disappoint when used in daylight. The image detail is very good, the noise is kept to a minimum, color rendition is accurate, and the dynamic range is great.
While the ultrawide camera does fairly well in bright conditions, it does give us that needed wide shot of our subject as what its purpose is. Details are a bit soft, colors look natural, but some images we shot are a little saturated, and the dynamic range is good. You can also use the ultrawide lens for macro photography for close distance shots.
As for low-light photography, the main camera still delivers solid images at night. The sensor, along with the software, works together to reduce noise as much as possible, making it less noticeable. Images has soft detail, colors look okay, shadows appear reasonably bright, and highlights are well-contained. The ultrawide camera, on the other hand, performs fairly well too.
Selfies on the POCO F7 come out well, especially under well-lit or bright ambient conditions. Facial details are sharp with the help of face detection, skin tones appear natural, and portrait mode delivers pleasing bokeh. The front camera also supports a wider 0.8x field of view, making it easier to fit more people in frame.
To give you a better idea of the POCO F7’s camera capabilities, here are some sample shots we captured.
1x Photo mode, Main Camera, Indoor, Ambient Lighting
0.6x Ultrawide mode, Indoor, Ambient Lighting
1x Photo mode, Main Camera, Indoor, Low Lighting
0.6x Ultrawide, Outdoor, Sunny Weather
1x Photo mode, Outdoor, Sunny Weather
2x Photo mode, Outdoor, Sunny Weather
0.6x Ultrawide, Indoor, Ambient Lighting
1x Photo mode, Outdoor, Low Lighting
0.6x Ultrawide, Outdoor, Low Lighting
Selfie, Ambient Lighting (L-R) Photo mode, Portrait mode and 0.8x Wider Shot
Selfie 0.8x, Indoor, Ambient Lighting
Connectivity and Biometrics
With regard to connectivity, the POCO F7 offers solid support for modern networks and wireless standards.
It comes with a dual SIM card tray that can accommodate two nano SIMs, for multiple lines for a full range of mobile networks including 5G, 4G, 3G, and 2G. For wireless connections, it’s equipped with the latest Bluetooth 6.0, NFC for contactless payments, and Wi-Fi 7 for faster speeds, lower latency, and more stable connections during online activities.
The POCO F7 is equipped with a fast in-screen fingerprint sensor and AI face unlock another additional safety feature to unlock the device seamlessly.
Software + AI Features
The POCO F7 gets solid upgrades not just with the latest Snapdragon chipset and improved battery performance, but also on the software side, as it now runs on Xiaomi’s latest HyperOS 2 based on Android 15.
Right after setting up the POCO F7, we were welcomed with quite a number of pre-installed apps. Apps like Agoda, Booking.com, Facebook, Lazada, LinkedIn, Netflix, Shopee, TikTok, and even a lot of fun casual games were already there as well. While it may seem a bit much at first, the good news is you can easily uninstall the ones you don’t need.
On the upside, the essentials are all present. You have the Google apps like Gmail, Meet, Maps, and Drive come preloaded, making it easy to get started right away. You also get WPS Office for productivity and Xiaomi’s native apps, which can be useful for daily tasks and system settings.
The Xiaomi HyperOS 2 has a lot more to offer users, from features that boost productivity to powerful AI tools that make everyday tasks smarter and more efficient.
Let’s start off with the Google Gemini, it is already integrated and available as your AI assistant, just long-press the power button to activate it. Meanwhile, a long press on the home button triggers Google’s Circle to Search which makes it quick and easy to look up anything on your screen and getting the answer right away.
When it comes to transferring files or photos from the POCO F7 to my MacBook Pro or other Apple devices, the Xiaomi Interconnectivity feature has been a incredible game-changer. It saves me the hassle of plugging in a USB-C cable just to grab the photos I need for posting. With this feature, I can control the POCO F7 directly from my laptop to view notifications, reply to messages, and even interact with a pop-up display of the phone right on my screen adding a level of convenience.
Meanwhile, the Link to Windows feature solves the hassle of connecting to a Windows PC. Just like the Xiaomi Interconnectivity, it lets you view notifications, send messages, access mobile apps, and drag-and-drop files between your phone and Window device with ease.
It also brings polished UI animations, a customizable home screen experience for personalization with app drawer options, wallpaper, widget support, and a variety of theme choices.
Xiaomi’s HyperOS 2.0 has an array of AI-powered tools equipped on the POCO F7, enhancing both productivity and creativity. There’s a smart AI assistant capable of text summarization, speech recognition, writing support, subtitle generation, and live translation for users who travel or work on the go.
It’s not new for phones these days to have AI editing tools that enhance or help users be more creative with their photos. The POCO F7 is also joining the bandwagon, as this device, with its AI Gallery Editor, is packed with intuitive and intelligent features that elevate your photos with just a few taps. Let’s break down what you’re getting.
- AI Enhance instantly improves image clarity and detail.
- Intelligently extend the edges of your photo to fill out the frame using the AI Image Expansion.
- The AI Remove Reflection cleans up distracting light glares shot on mirror or glass panels.
- AI Beautify subtly enhances your photos by refining details, improving contrast, and balancing brightness without making them look overly processed.
- AI Erase Pro lets you remove unwanted objects smoothly.
- AI Film allow users to upload photos and videos, automatically generating a cinematic reel.
- The AI Sky feature is especially fun for landscape enthusiasts that transforms skies in your photos with options like clear blue skies, starry nights, sunsets, add rainbows, and more.
POCO also promises long-term support for the POCO F7 with up to 4 years of major Android OS updates and 6 years of security patches. They even added a one time free screen replacement within first 6 months after purchase of the device.
Battery
The POCO F7 steps up in the power segment, it boasts one of the largest batteries in the F7 Series at 6,500mAh.
While in the charging department, the POCO F7 gets the same proprietary charger as last year, included in the box that supports a 90W fast charging through its HyperCharge technology.
It also supports reverse charging at 22.5W, so you can use it to top up other devices when needed.
You can get the phone’s battery to around 64% in just 30 minutes. It took us about 53 minutes to fully charge it from 0 to 100% given with the size of its massive battery.
POCO F7 Charging Time Stamp
- 10:30 – 10:45 15min 38%
- 10:45 – 11:00 15min 64%
- 11:00 – 11:15 15min 90%
- 11:15 – 11:23 08min 0%
- Total Time: 53 minutes
We played MLBB for 1 hour, which had us playing around 3 games, and the battery consumption was approximately 9% only. Watching videos continuously for 1 hour with both brightness and volume set at 75% consumed around 5% of the battery. Based on this, we calculated the POCO F7 can get users around 11 hours of continuous gameplay and 20 hours of video playback.
Under the battery settings, you’ll find additional features like Battery Protection to help extend battery health; Power Saving Modes to help extend battery life; and Charging Options where you can enable the Top Speed charging which is faster than regular charging but requires a Xiaomi charger and may generate more heat.
What We Like
- Unique and Attractive Design
- Durability
- Large AMOLED Display
- 120Hz Refresh Rate
- Eye Comfort Features with Certifications
- Excellent Peak Brightness
- Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 Processor
- 12GB RAM with Memory Extension (6GB)
- 512GB Storage
- Gaming-Ready Performance
- WildBoost Optimization 4.0
- 6500mAh Battery
- Reverse Charging
- AI Features (Productivity and Photo Enhancement)
What We Want
- Expandable Storage
- Improve Bass Quality
- 200% Volume Boost
- 5mm Audio Jack
Conclusion
After spending time with the POCO F7, it’s clear that this smartphone delivers exceptional value in the midrange category. From its premium design with a unique back panel and solid build quality to its vibrant 1.5K AMOLED display with a high refresh rate, POCO didn’t hold back in creating a device that looks and feels like a flagship. Everyday performance on the phone is buttery smooth, powered by the latest Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip and backed by ample RAM and fast storage.
Sure, it has a few shortcomings, but these are minor trade-offs considering everything else you’re getting. The POCO F7 stands out with its reliable camera system, solid AI features in HyperOS 2, and longer battery life with fast charging, which is perfect for users who are always on the go.
We also see that the POCO F7 is a great gaming phone. It can take on popular titles like MLBB, Call of Duty, and PUBG Mobile without any frame drops or lag. The WildBoost Optimization 4.0, up to 120FPS support, 120Hz AMOLED display, latest Snapdragon chipset, and dual stereo speakers all contribute to a smooth, immersive experience. Plus, with its advanced IceLoop cooling system and large 6,500mAh battery, you can game longer without worrying about overheating or running out of power quickly.
With a starting price of PHP23,999, the POCO F7 proves to be a well-rounded performer that punches above its weight in the midrange arena. It’s ideal for content creator, mobile gamer, or just someone who wants a fast and long-lasting phone for daily tasks.
Full Specifications – POCO F7
- PHP23,999 (12GB+256GB), PHP25,999 (12GB+512GB)
- Dimensions: 163.1 x 77.9 x 8.2mm
- Weight: 215.7 grams
- Colors: Black, White, Silver
- Display Size: 6.83-inch 1.5K AMOLED
- Resolution: 2772 x 1280 pixels
- Pixel Density: 447 ppi
- Contrast ratio: 8,000,000:1
- Refresh rate: Up to 120Hz
- Brightness: 1700 nits (HBM), 3200 nits (peak
- brightness covering 25% display area)
- Touch Sampling Rate: Up to 480Hz
- Instant Touch Sampling Rate: Up to 2560Hz?
- Colors: 68 Billion Colors, DCI-P3 Wide Color Gamut
- PWM Dimming: 3840Hz
- Display Material: Corning Gorilla Glass 7i
- Rear Main Camera: 50MP (Sony IMX882, Aperture: f/1.5 – 1.6?m super pixel 4-in-1)
- Rear Ultrawide Camera: 8MP
- Front Camera: 20MP
- Processor: Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 Mobile Platform
- CPU Clock Speeds: 3.21GHz
- Manufacturing Process: 4nm
- GPU: Adreno 825
- RAM: 12GB LPDDR5X
- Storage: 512GB UFS 4.1
- Thermal Management: LiquidCool Technology 4.0 with IceLoop WildBoost Optimization 4.0
- Battery Capacity: 6500mAh
- Fast Charging: 90W HyperCharge
- Reverse Charging: 22.5W Reverse Charging
- SIM Card Tray: Dual SIM (nano SIM + nano SIM)
- Network: 5G/4G/3G/2G
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 6.0, NFC
- Wi-Fi Protocol: Wi-Fi 7
- Biometrics: In-screen fingerprint sensor, AI Face Unlock
- OS: Xiaomi HyperOS 2
- IP Rating: IP68 Dust and Water Resistance
- Sound Quality: Dual Speakers
