I tested the POCO F6, the mid-range mobile that seems designed for Europe

A few days ago, Xiaomi presented its new mid and mid-range models of the family in Europe. POCO, the F6 and F6 Pro. We have already been able to analyze the latter in EL ESPAÑOL – El Androide Libre, and the sensations have been more than positive. These are models that are above the mid-range or entry-level presented at the start of the year with the Poco X6 Pro.

They are designed to fight in a price range that is currently the most appreciated in Europe because it coincides with the average price of cell phones in our country, which is around 500 dollars. This is why this model This is very important for the Chinese company in our market.

The POCO F6 starts from a price of 449.99 dollars in its version with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal memory, and reaches 499.99 dollars in the version with 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage. These capacities are typical of much more expensive models, especially due to the type of memory used.

Pretty despite the plastic

One of the main differences of this model from its older brother is that has a plastic back, instead of glass. This makes it feel different, because the Pro model also has a metal frame with flat edges, instead of a plastic frame like this. The fact is that the back of this model looks nicer and cleaner than the Pro model.

It only has two cameras, which are complemented by the ring-shaped flash on the side. This gives it its own identity and moves away from the company’s design line in the latest models. It is much appreciated that neither space nor money was wasted by installing an unnecessary third camera.

The weight is another of the advantages of this model which, with 179 grams, in fact one of the lightest of those presented this year. This is the advantage of not using glass on the back. The construction is very solid and if you use a cover the feeling starts to resemble that of a high-end model. There is nothing that squeaks or shakes even when shaken. When reviewing it, one person told me that it felt very comfortable in their hand, due to its size and weight, despite their small hands.

At the bottom is the main speaker, among the two it has, the charging port and the dual SIM slot. Of course, in this case eSIM or memory card slot is not supported. There is also no headphone jack, although it has an infrared emitter at the top, next to the second speaker. The sound is very powerful, even if it seems somewhat metallic. One point to appreciate is the presence of IP64 water and dust resistance.

Snapdragon Power

This is the first mobile phone we’ve analyzed that uses one of Qualcomm’s latest processors, the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, a chipset designed to bring AI to mid-range or mid-range models. It is similar in power to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which the X6 Pro uses, and offers more than decent performance for the price of the mobile. POCO has always been somewhat above other competing brands in the same category.

The amount of memory in this model is not small. It starts with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage and reaches 12 + 512 GB. In addition, the processor allows these memories to use LPDDR5X and UFS 4.0 technologies, typical of the highest range.

Performance is very good, even in demanding games, and the system does not cause heat problems partly because of the cooling system used. And the processor is very powerful, exceeding one and a half million points in an Antutu test.

The Poco F6 arrives with a 5,000 mAh battery, which means that you can even go two days without recharging it provided you use it in moderation. In our case, we played, made the most of it and, in general, it happened to us in the end.

Furthermore, the 90W fast charging lets you recharge in just over 30 minutes, which is striking given that many more expensive models take longer. It doesn’t have wireless charging, which is one of the few things we miss that might make us opt for the Nothing Phone (2) or Pixel 7a or Pixel 8a. Additionally, the charger is included in the box.

Cameras

It’s one of the few phones in this price range that is honest with its camera system. He has a 20 Mpx front camera and two rear sensors, 50 Mpx the main and 8 Mpx the wide angle. It is appreciated that there are no additional sensors of 2 or 5 Mpx that serve to boast of having more cameras than other models.

We could have wanted an optical zoom, but the reality, as several managers of different brands have already told us, is that the user profile who buys this type of terminal does not use the zoom, even if only the wide angle. This mobile seems designed to mainly use, by far, the main camera.

This main camera, equipped with an IMX882 sensor, is equipped with a optical stabilization system, which helps keep photos from shaking. Of course, at night, videos still give that flickering sensation typical of cell phones and that only some high-end models have managed to avoid.

The wide angle has a lower resolution and, above all, HDR processing that does not reach the height of the main camera. Quality at night also dropsand the noise is easily appreciated.

The front camera offers quite acceptable quality, although In portraits he usually uses digital makeup and it is not capable of recording 4K videos. It seems that Xiaomi has left this feature to the more expensive models. In addition, as with wide angle, the dynamic range can be greatly improved and noise appears not only in night shots, but also when taking a photo or recording with indoor lighting.

An incredible screen

One of the new features of this mobile phone is its 6.67 inch screen. What is curious is not the diagonal, but the resolution, which is 1.5KSpecifically 1220 x 2712 pixels, making it sharper than normal FHD panels. Additionally, it is an OLED panel with up to Maximum brightness of 2,400 nitsalthough the normal maximum brightness is 1,200 nits.

It is compatible with Dolby Vision and HDR10+ technology, in addition to being protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. The refresh rate can reach 120 Hz, although it does not allow switching from 1 to 120, as the panels of the more expensive models do. Below the screen is the fingerprint sensor, which is quite fast, although you can also use face unlock.

The experience of using the screen was very satisfying. Even in Seville, in full sun and with a lot of heat, the cell phone had no problem displaying anything on the screen, increasing the brightness. It is a terminal that does not falter in this section, as models in this category did not do many years ago.

Use HyperOS

HyperOS has become the key part of Xiaomi’s ecosystem, the software that runs most of its new products, and the POCO X6 is no exception. The fluidity is noticeable, even if It doesn’t give the same feeling as in the Pixelfor example, even though these models have less powerful processors.

One of the problems with POCO is the number of pre-installed applications, as well as games. This continues to be part of Xiaomi’s strategy, to be able to make the models cheaper. This is something that little by little ceases to be seen in the highest range, but in models like this, for around 500 dollars, they should not appear either.

One of the most striking functions is the AON front camera system. Thanks to it, it is possible to use gestures in certain applications, as well as activate face detection so that the interface does not rotate if you use the mobile in bed. However, it is possible to pause playback without touching the screen. Currently andsta The feature is only supported by apps like TikTok, TikTok Lite, Snack Video, Netflix, Kindle, Wattpad, WPS Office, Microsoft Office Word, Microsoft Office PowerPoint, and Music, although it may be supported by more applications in the future.

They also highlight the AI features that POCO has integrated, like being able to enlarge an image to have a more distant frame. This is similar to what Samsung is doing with Galaxy AI. However, we couldn’t test it because it wasn’t active yet, and it will arrive later in an OTA update.

I buy it?

Xiaomi knows what’s inside POCO a brand with a certain recognition among the youngest, which focus on a striking design but above all on very good multimedia functionalities. The screen, power and autonomy are the strong points of this model which does not weaken significantly in any way.

One of the few things that could be improved is its wide-angle camera, which isn’t bad, but which languishes next to the main one, where the brand has put more resources, and it shows. The photographic section of this mobile does not fail only for this reason. There are models in the same price range with a better camera, but they have other weak points that this one lacks. The Pixel 8a or the Nothing Phone 2 are two terminals to consider.

It is possible that with the expected increase in competition, POCO will lower prices slightly, especially because the Redmi range offers sufficient functionality for the buyer for whom this mobile is aimed. Even like this, The POCO X6 retains the essence of the brand, prioritizing power and multimedia experience above design or photography.