POCO F4 5G Review – Kills the Competition Under 30000

- Updated: 7th Aug 2022, 23:08 IST
  • 1
    Review Summary
  • 2
    POCO F4 5G Review
  • 3
    POCO F4 5G Price in India and Variants
  • 4
    POCO F4 5G Box Contents
  • 5
    POCO F4 5G Specs at a glance
  • 6
    POCO F4 5G Design and Build
  • 7
    POCO F4 5G Camera
  • 8
    POCO F4 5G Battery and Charging
  • 9
    POCO F4 5G Display
  • 10
    POCO F4 5G Performance
  • 11
    POCO F4 5G Software and UI
  • 12
    POCO F4 5G Audio, Connectivity, Biometrics
  • 13
    Verdict
Review Summary

These days, offering specifications that entice a sizable portion of users is the primary focus of mid-range smartphone manufacturers. And to cater for those needs, Poco has now launched its new Poco F4 5G.

The Poco F4 5G is a capable mid-range smartphone thanks to its reliable processor, above-average camera, and good battery life. A 120Hz screen refresh rate AMOLED display and 1300 nits of peak brightness are nice bonuses.

However, does the actual experience live up to the hype? I have been using the phone for a couple of days and here is my POCO F4 5G review.

PROS

  • 120Hz AMOLED display
  • Great performance 
  • 67W fast charging
  • Nice stereo speakers

CONS

  • No 3.5mm audio jack
  • Only 4500 mAh battery
  • Slightly bulky
Key Specs
Battery Capacity4500 mAh
Operating SystemAndroid v12
Screen Size6.67 inches
Highlights:
  • 4500 mAh

  • Android v12

  • 6.67 inches

POCO F4 5G Review

The Poco F1 was the first smartphone in the Poco line, and it is still praised by many as an excellent device. And now, the company has launched the Poco F4 5G, with cutting-edge specs at a very aggressive price.

The F4 5G is primarily a gaming and binge-watching device, thanks to its speedy chipset and stunning display. But, will that be enough to stand tall in the mid-range market of 2022? Let’s find out in this POCO F4 5G review.

Checkout: Recycle Your Old Phone Now! Get Rewarded

POCO F4 5G Price in India and Variants

The POCO F4 5G starts at Rs. 27,999 in India for the base variant with 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. The phone is available in two other variants as well. The 6GB RAM and 128GB storage option cost Rs. 29,999 while the top variant with 12GB RAM and 256GB internal storage will set you back at Rs. 33,999.

The phone is launched in two colour options: Nebula Green and Night Black. You can buy the phone online from Flipkart.

Planning to upgrade? Sell Your Old Phone in 60 Seconds From Home

POCO F4 5G Box Contents

The POCO F4 5G packs a lot inside the box and doesn’t miss on anything like other brands:

  • Handset
  • 67W fast charger
  • Type-C to 3.5mm converter
  • USB Type-C cable
  • Transparent Case
  • Sim Ejector Tool
  • Pre-Applied Screen Protector
  • User Guide and Warranty Card

POCO F4 5G Box Contents

POCO F4 5G Specs at a glance

Before we talk in detail about the POCO F4 5G, let’s see what the on-paper specs look like:

  • Display: 6.67 inches AMOLED
  • Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 870
  • RAM & ROM: 6GB RAM 128GB Storage, 8GB RAM 128GB Storage, 12GB RAM 256GB Storage
  • Software: Android v12
  • Rear camera: 64MP + 8MP + 2MP
  • Selfie camera: 20MP
  • Battery: 4500 mAh
  • Weight: 195 grams
  • Dimensions: 163.2 x 75.9 x 7.7 mm

POCO F4 5G Specs at a glance

POCO F4 5G Design and Build

The POCO F4 5G is the latest smartphone to join the growing number of green colour smartphones that have been launched in 2022. We received the Nebula Green variant for the review, which has a beautiful frosted matte finish on the back glass. As a matter of fact, I find it pretty neat. It is also available in black colour option.

POCO F4 5G Design

The Poco F4 uses glass for both the back panel and the front panel, the latter of which is protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The smartphone feels premium to hold in hand. You can use it with just one hand thanks to its light 195g weight and slim 7.7mm profile. I have to say that the weight distribution is done very well.

It has a nice grip but can be slightly slippery if you aren’t careful. The rectangular camera bump and the squared-off sides contribute to the boxy looks of the smartphone.

POCO F4 Build

Check Out: Samsung Galaxy A33 5G Review – All Rounder Mid-Range Phone but there’s a Catch

The right side of the device houses the fingerprint scanner and volume controls. I liked the placement and feel of both the volume rockers and the power button.

POCO F4 5G right side

The primary speaker and microphone are located on the bottom, along with the SIM card slot and a Type-C port. The top of the phone houses the IR blaster, secondary speaker, and secondary microphone.

POCO F4 bottom side

In addition to that, it has an IP53 rating for dust and splash resistance, which is a great safety net. In general, the Poco F4 doesn’t have anything particularly noteworthy to offer in terms of its design. However, it is a very practically crafted phone that is suitable for use by the vast majority of people.

POCO F4 5G Camera

The Poco F4 5G features a triple camera setup that includes a 64MP primary camera with OIS, an 8MP ultra-wide lens and a 2MP macro lens. The front has a 20MP camera for taking selfies.

If you’re only considering the specs, then there’s nothing about this that particularly stands out. There are a number of phones that feature the same specs. However, when it comes to Poco F4 5G, the camera performance is rather good.

POCO F4 5G Camera

Daytime images captured by the main camera were crisp and detailed. The primary camera did a great job capturing indoor scenes despite the fact that there was not much light inside the room. Sometimes the shots were a little bit saturated, which was especially noticeable when taking pictures of the grass and trees.

In low-light situations, when a longer exposure is required, the OIS technology allows for more steady shots to be taken.

Check Out: What is Gcam? How to install Gcam on any Android smartphone?

The 8MP ultra-wide lens’s 119-degree FoV is impressive, but the resulting images are grainy and noisy. Some of these photos taken in bright daylight were good. The wide-angle camera captures usable images with accurate colours but lacks finer details.

POCO F4 macro mode

Meanwhile, the 2MP macro lens is best left unsaid. It’s not good at all.

Images taken with the selfie camera were quite good and sharp. It does an excellent job of preserving the skin tone and texture. The background blur is not as impressive as it could be when using the portrait mode.

The front-facing camera can only record at 1080p at 30fps, while the rear-facing cameras can record at 1080p at 30/60fps and 4k at 30/60fps. All things considered, the videos were fairly steady and clear. Overall, we were happy with the camera package, and it stands up to the competition.

POCO F4 video recording

POCO F4 5G Battery and Charging

The POCO F4 5G packs a decent 4500mAh battery which might be a little less compared to the competition. However, you can expect the phone to easily last more than a day on a single charge with light use. Now if you are buying this phone for gaming purpose, for what POCO is known for, you would need to plug it in by the evening.

POCO F4 5G Battery

I managed to get about 6-7 hours of screen on time with some social media scrolling, web browsing, texting and of course some gaming. A 5000mAh battery would have been better but it’s okay.

Read More: Top 10 Tips To Keep Your Smartphone Battery Healthy

POCO F4 Charging

Now coming to charging, POCO has made up here for giving us less battery capacity. POCO F4 5G supports 67W fast charging which can fully charge the device in about 45 minutes. A quick charge of about 20 minutes will juice up the battery to 50 per cent. I really appreciate that Xioami bundles the charger in the box, unlike recent Samsung phones.

POCO F4 5G Display

The POCO F4 5G boasts an E4 AMOLED display measuring 6.67 inches with a 120Hz refresh rate. The Poco F4 has a fairly modern-looking display, despite a minimal bezel at the bottom. With the 120Hz refresh rate, the Poco F4 5G provides a silky-smooth experience for web browsing and apps that take advantage of it.

The colours on the screen are vivid and clear, making for a visually satisfying experience. With a maximum brightness of 1300 nits, the display is so bright that it maintains its brilliant colours even when viewed in direct sunlight.

POCO F4 5G Display

Reading your feed, playing games, sending texts, and juggling multiple windows at once is all smooth and lag-free. It doesn’t just feel snappy; it actually is snappy, and it gives a good impression of performance.

Read More: Best Mobile Phones Under 30,000

In addition to this, the smartphone comes with WideVine L1 certification, which implies that you will be able to watch high-quality content on OTT platforms such as Netflix, Prime and more. The display on the Poco F4 is completely flat with a circular cutout in the middle of the top panel to accommodate the 20-megapixel front-facing camera.

POCO F4 Display quality

Display quality is great for the price, and the inclusion of Dolby Vision and stereo speakers make for an unparalleled multimedia experience.

POCO F4 5G Performance

The performance of the Poco F4 5G goes hand in hand with its display. It runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 870, arguably the company’s most dependable high-end chipset. The chipset is paired with up to 12GB LPDDR5 RAM and up to 256GB of UFS 3.1 internal storage.

POCO F4 5G Performance

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 is a fast processor, making it a top choice for smartphones in this price bracket. What really blows my mind about the smartphone is how well it handles multiple apps at once without any trouble.

Whether you’re stressing it out with resource-intensive games or just using it to browse your favourite social media platforms, you won’t notice a single hiccup in the experience. You also get to see the RAM expansion feature which can further expand the RAM by 3GBs.

POCO F4 RAM expansion

We did some heavy gaming on the side of our regular use to push the limits of the phone. It’s not surprising that the Poco F4 5G can breeze through demanding games like BGMI, Apex Legends Mobile, Genshin Impact or Call of Duty: Mobile, thanks to its powerful processor.

Check Out: Samsung Galaxy A73 5G Review – Priced High But Quite Capable

I played Apex Legends and it ran at high graphical settings without any performance issues. I noticed some frame rate drop, but I think it’s because the game is new in the market and not optimised properly. Better performance was seen in games like BGMI and Call of Duty: Mobile. BGMI could run in high graphics settings and 60fps, with minor shutters as expected in this price segment.

POCO F4 5G BGMI gameplay

POCO F4 BGMI settings

What really took us by surprise, though, was that even after 45-minute sessions of heavy gaming, the device did not significantly overheat or lose performance. POCO is utilising the second gen of its LiquidCool technology in order to keep the temperatures in control.

POCO F4 5G Software and UI

The POCO F4 5G runs on MIUI 13 skin which is based on Android 12. The default skin is POCO Launcher 3, which is one of our favourites. The company has also announced the launcher’s fourth generation, which will include some new features but is still in development.

POCO F4 5G Software

MIUI 13 is, without a doubt, one of the most customisable Android skins available. The launcher stands out from its competitors thanks to its extensive customization options and well-organized app drawer.

POCO F4 5G App Drawer

Check Out: iQOO Neo 6 Review – It is not iQOO 7

Xiaomi and Poco phones still have the problem of bloatware apps that do nothing but send out annoying notifications. Thankfully, the majority of the applications that come pre-installed on the smartphone can be removed.

Poco has announced that the POCO F4 5G will receive two major software updates which means it will get Android 13 and Android 14 updates in the future.

POCO F4 Android version

POCO F4 5G Audio, Connectivity, Biometrics

The smartphone comes equipped with a stereo speaker setup that can get pretty loud. Similarly to other mid-range smartphones, the audio is punchy and clear. Moreover, the audio quality does not deteriorate at high volumes either.

While it does not feature a 3.5mm headphone jack, you will find a USB-C to 3.5mm converter in the box to use with your existing earphones.

As far as connectivity goes, POCO F4 5G has 5G support (as the name suggests) with support for 10 5G bands. These include N1, N3, N5, N8, N28, N38, N40, N41, N77, and N78. Other connectivity options include Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi and NFC. However, you do not get to see Wi-Fi 6 which was a tad disappointing.

POCO F4 5G NFC support

Read More: Best Mobile Phones Under Rs 10000

Now coming to biometrics, you get to see a side-mounted fingerprint scanner which works well and quickly unlocks the phone. Likewise, the face unlock feature also did a good job of unlocking the phone swiftly.

POCO F4 fingerprint scanner

Some people would be expecting an in-display fingerprint scanner since POCO has used an AMOLED display here, but for some reason, the company decided to go with a physical scanner instead. And being honest, I have no complaints about this decision.

Verdict

The POCO F4 5G has a starting price of Rs 27,999, and it has all the features you’d want for that price and more. As far as budget smartphones go, it’s blazing fast. Its performance and efficiency are second to none, and its internals is nothing short of impressive. There is also a 67W charger included, so you never have to worry about running out of juice.

The main camera is the only positive aspect of the triple setup, and it makes up for the mediocre wide-angle lens and awful macro lens.

All in all, the phone has a fantastic screen, a lightning-fast processor, and a respectable primary camera. The Poco F4 5G is an excellent option for those who do not wish to spend a great deal but still want a high-quality smartphone.



Tips & Tricks

Best English To Hindi Converter: Type Hindi Easily
12th Dec 2024
How To Apply For PAN Card Correction? Step By Step Process!
9th Dec 2024
How To Delete My Activity History In Google From Mobile And PC
3rd Dec 2024
How To Delete My Activity In Facebook? Step-By-Step Guide Explained!
2nd Dec 2024
How To Order PVC Aadhaar card: Step By Step Guide
2nd Dec 2024