Reviews

POCO F4 5G review

POCO is all about giving you the best possible performance at the most affordable price. The same can be said of its latest device, the POCO F4 5G.

With a starting price of P20,990, you’re getting just that and more with a 120Hz AMOLED display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 870, and 67W fast charging. Its all good on paper, but how is it in real life? Let’s find out.

Inside the Box

The POCO F4 5G comes in a black box with yellow fonts and styling. The retail package comes with the usual set of accessories.

  • POCO F4 5G unit
  • Phone case
  • Screen protector (Self install)
  • 67W charger
  • USB-C Cable
  • SIM Eject Tool
  • Documentation

Take note that the screen protector is not pre-installed, which means you have to do it yourself. On one hand, you at least have the option to not have it on. But on the other, its going to be a hassle for those who wants a screen protector.

POCO F4 5G Review

Design and Display

The POCO F4 has a clean and modern design with flat sides and a flat screen. Its a big phone, measuring 163.2 x 75.95 mm with a thickness of 7.7mm. But its light for the size, weighing only 195g.

The build quality is good with a solid construction and a premium feel. There are no sharp edges and the corners are rounded, giving it more ergonomics in the hand.

POCO F4 5G Review

The POCO F4 has triple camera setup on a square island. The cameras are laid in a triangle pattern. Personally, I’m not a fan of how it looks, but its not bad, just a personal preference.

The display measures 6.67 inches. Its an OLED panel with a 2460 x 1080 resolution, a small punch hole for the selfie camera, and a list of display technologies that includes a 120Hz refresh rate, a 360Hz touch sampling rate, DCI-P3 color gamut, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision, protected by Gorilla Glass 5.

POCO F4 5G Review

The refresh rate is set to Default. On this mode, the display automatically matches the refresh rate to whatever it is on the screen, cycling through three refresh rates — 60Hz, 90Hz, and 120Hz.

One of the phone’s best features is really its display. It looks good with punchy colors and its expansive and flat. Moreover, its supports multiple screen technologies, which means it great for watching videos on YouTube, Netflix, Prime Video, and HBO GO.

The POCO F4 has the volume rocker and power button / fingerprint scanner on the right side, which is what I personally prefer. At the top, you have the IR port, a dedicated speaker grill, and a microphone. While at the bottom is the SIM tray slot, the main microphone, a USB port, and the main speaker.

Performance and Battery

The POCO F4 has a Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC with eight cores and a clock speed of up to 3.2GHz. It is paired with an Adreno 650 GPU and an X55 5G modem. Our review unit is the 6GB+128GB model.

On the software side, the POCO F4 runs on MIUI 13 on top of Android. It has Widevine L1 support, which means you can stream Netflix in full HD with access to HDR10 and Dolby Vision content.

POCO F4 5G Review

One thing that I didn’t appreciate was the number of third party apps that came pre-installed with the phone. To my understanding, it helps keep the cost of the phone to where it is, so it balances out. Just uninstall what you don’t plan to use, as per usual.

Here are its benchmark scores:

  • AnTuTu: 638,050
    CPU: 165,543
    GPU: 239,037
    MEM: 99,292
    UX: 134,168
  • Geekbench: 952 (Single-core) / 3,004 (Multi-core)
  • 3DMark: 4,270 (Wild Life) / 1,219 (Wild Life Extreme)

As a daily driver, the POCO F4 breezes through most things. Basic navigation is smooth without any issue. As mentioned, its great for watching content, thanks to its excellent display and loud stereo speakers. The speakers have good sound quality, having slightly more lows and higher volume than the average mid-ranger.

Also Read: narzo 50 Pro 5G review: narzo’s first phone as a standalone brand is a winner

Gaming is another strong point, as the Snapdragon 870 is powerful enough to play graphics heavy games. It is also equipped with POCO’s LiquidCool Technology 2.0 for temperature control. The handset didn’t have any issues running Asphalt 9 and Call of Duty Mobile. While Genshin Impact is playable on high graphics.

As for the battery life, the POCO F4 is equipped with a 4500mAh capacity, which can last for more than a day with casual use. The included 67W charger took just 15 minutes to reach 50%. While a full charge took slightly more than 30 minutes.

Cameras

The POCO F4 has a triple rear camera setup with a 64MP main, alongside an 8MP ultra-wide and a 2MP macro. Meanwhile, selfies are handled by a 20MP front camera under a small punch hole.

POCO F4 5G Review

Camera quality is decent with good details and dynamic range. Colors look good as well, with a stronger contrast that brings more details out. Regardless, it will look great on the usual social media posting of Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Final Thoughts

For P20,999, the POCO F4 offer great value if you’re looking for a powerful smartphone for gaming and everyday use. Its great for watching content, thanks to the large spacious display and loud stereo speakers. What’s more, the phone can handle most games, even at high graphics without much issue.

The camera quality is good in most cases, and more than enough for social media. The battery life is decent as well with impressive charging speeds.

Price and Availability

The POCO F4 is now available in the Philippines, and comes in Night Black, Moonlight Silver, and Nebula Silver. The 6GB+128GB model is priced at P20,990, while the top-end 8GB+256GB model is priced at P22,990.

POCO F4 5G Review

POCO F4 5G specs

  • Display: 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED Display, 2460 x 1080, 120Hz Refresh Rate, 360Hz Touch Sampling Rate, DCI-P3, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, Gorilla Glass 5
  • Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 870, 7nm
  • RAM/Storage: 6GB+128GB / 8GB+256GB; LPDDR5, UFS 3.1
  • Rear Cameras: 64MP Main + 8MP Ultra-wide +2MP Macro
  • Front Camera: 20MP Selfie Camera
  • Network: 5G, 4G LTE
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS, NFC, IR Blaster
  • Others: Side Fingerprint Scanner, Stereo Speakers, Dolby Atmos, USB-C, X-axis Linear Motor, LiquidCool Technology 2.0
  • OS: MIUI 13
  • Battery: 4500mAh Battery, 67W Wired Turbo Charging

Bryan is a geek at heart and a tech enthusiast by choice. He has a strong background in corporate communications, marketing services, and customer relations having worked in the telecommunications and banking sectors for over two decades. In his spare time, he enjoys watching clips on YouTube and binge watching shows on Netflix.

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