Xiaomi stunned the market back in 2018 when it launched the Poco F1 (also known as the Pocophone F1). The ultra-cheap, high-specification device redefined what an affordable flagship could be. It is proof of the device’s effectiveness that enthusiasts and critics still speak of it being one of the great “flagship killers”.
After completely skipping 2019, Xiaomi’s sub-brand Poco finally delivered a new flagship in the Poco F2 Pro. Unfortunately for Xiaomi and consumers, as good as this phone was, it wasn’t quite a Poco F1 successor.
It appears that Poco has recognized this too, and one executive recently confirmed that a “true successor” to the Poco F1 is in the pipeline. Then what could this fabled Poco F1 follow-up look like?
Here are some of our hopes for a Poco F2. Or should that be Poco F3?
Flagship power
It wouldn’t be an affordable flagship without the use of flagship silicon, would it? It seems like a no-brainer that a Poco F1 successor would offer the latest and greatest Qualcomm silicon in it.
Unfortunately, it has been widely reported that the Snapdragon 865 saw a huge jump in price over last year’s Snapdragon 855 series. This contributed at least in part to the increased price of the Poco F2 Pro and the lack of cheaper flagships. We have reason to believe the Snapdragon 875 processor won’t see a similarly big jump, but even the same price tag as the Snapdragon 865 means SoC cost is around ~ 60 to ~ compared to 2019’s flagship SoCs $ 70 rise.
The right price
The Poco F2 Pro was very competitively priced at $ 500 when it was launched earlier this year. This was significantly cheaper than the Xiaomi Mi 10, OnePlus 8, and even the Realme X50 Pro when it was released. However, the Poco F1 still saw a significant increase in price.
Connected: Why Affordable Flagships May Not Kill Much In 2020
Xiaomi’s first Poco device was launched in India for just 20,999 rupees (~ $ 286) and in Europe for EUR 329 (~ $ 386). A lot has changed since then, and in India, for example, tariffs have increased. Those expecting a similar price of ~ $ 300 might be disappointed. Even so, it’s safe to say that fans expect every new Poco device to be priced below $ 400.
An original design
One of the biggest problems with Poco’s current portfolio is that they are essentially renamed Redmi devices. Sure, we get small tech specs changes here and there, but they’re basically the same phone with a new name and the Poco launcher. This was also the case with the Poco F2 Pro.
A proper Poco F1 successor would definitely need an original design to stand out from the crowd. But does it have to be a great design? Judging by the purposeful design of the Poco F1 (with the exception of the Kevlar edition) we would say no.
Just the essential cameras
Big smartphone brands have all jumped on the triple or even four-camera bandwagon in recent years, but the truth is that most of these cameras are playful or completely useless. We saw low quality 2MP macro cameras, depth sensors, low resolution monochrome shooters, and even a color filter camera to fill in the numbers.
Also read: The best budget camera phones you can buy
All of these additional cameras add money to the final BOM, resulting in a phone that is more expensive than it needs to be. This would be unacceptable for a phone that needs to be priced as low as possible while still making a profit. It goes without saying that a Poco F1 successor would ditch most of those extra cameras in favor of a solid main camera and selfie shooter. We wouldn’t mind seeing an ultra-wide secondary camera joining the main shooter.
What about the screen?
Xiaomi’s first Poco phone was launched with an FHD + LCD screen, which wasn’t bad for the asking price. But what can we expect from a successor to the Poco F1?
It’s hard to say as LCD panels are still considered cheaper than OLED screens. So we could definitely see the company embarking on this path when it really needs to cut costs. We’ve also seen a trend towards high refresh rates on both OLED and LCD panels for smoother performance.
However, the Poco F2 Pro points to a possible solution as it features an OLED screen that faces up at 60Hz instead of going higher. Judging by the results of our recent survey of users choosing between 60Hz OLED or a high refresh rate LCD screen, the former seems like the right approach. Hopefully we’ll still see an OLED panel with a high refresh rate.
What else should a Poco F1 successor have?
There are a number of other features that we’d like to see on a Poco F1 follow-up such as: B. an IR blaster, a large battery, a relatively fast charge and a sophisticated camera software. But the old phone also provided IR face unlock, and I can safely say that Poco could save pennies if he did without that feature.
We also expect a Poco F1 follow-up to forego mmWave 5G for several reasons. For one, that 5G flavor is only common in the US at the moment, and Poco phones have never officially launched in the country.
The standard also requires more expensive RF components. According to Counterpoint Research, the mmWave Galaxy Note 20 Ultra costs ~ 10% more than the only variant below 6 GHz, based on the total cost of the components. We also saw that the OnePlus 8 retails for $ 100 more at Verizon because of the added mmWave support.
We also wouldn’t expect wireless charging and a significant IP rating as it would make the final product even more expensive.
What would you like to see from a Poco F1 successor? Let us know by voting in the poll above and dropping your thoughts in the comments below!