Poco F5 and Poco F5 Pro: Heating up the mid-range segment

It’s almost been a year since Xiaomi launched the Poco F4 line-up, which means it’s time we meet its successors- the Poco F5 and F5 Pro. The POCO F5 is based on the new Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 SoC, whereas the Poco F5 Pro comes equipped with last year’s flagship processor- the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor. Both phones use LPDDR5 RAM with UFS3.1 storage to get that extra kick in performance.

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Both use a Poco F5, and the Poco F5 Pro sport a 6.67-inch AMOLED display that supports a 120Hz refresh rate. However, the peak brightness of the Poco F5 is 1,000 nits, whereas the peak brightness of the F5 Pro is 1,400 nits.

The similarities don’t end there, with both phones featuring the same camera hardware on the back; however, due to the Snapdragon 8+ processor, the Poco F5 Pro is capable of 8K video recording.

There’s also some difference in the battery life where the Poco F5 packs a 5,000mAh battery, and the Poco F5 Pro has a 5160 mAh battery. Both phones have a 67W charger in the box, and the Pro can charge wirelessly.

Poco F5 and Poco F5 Pro UAE Pricing and Availability

In the UAE, Xiaomi is only releasing one configuration of the Poco F5 and the Poco F5 Pro, which has 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The MSRP for the Poco F5 is AED 1,599, while the Poco F5 Pro is priced at AED 2,199. Both these phones are already available in the UAE.

There are more options in India, with the Poco F5 coming in a lower variant as well, which is with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Xiaomi isn’t launching the F5 Pro in India until later in the year, and it will be available in three variants: 8GB RAM with 256GB storage, 12GB RAM with 256GB storage, and 12GB RAM with 512GB storage option.

Poco F5, Poco F5 Pro Specifications

	Poco F5	Poco F5 Pro
Size:	Size: 161.1 x 75 x 7.9 mm	162.8 x 75.4 x 8.6 mm
Weight:	181 g	204 g
IP Rating:	IP53 dust and splash resistant	IP53 dust and splash resistant
Colours:	Black, Blue	Black, White
Screen Size:	6.67-inch AMOLED display	6.67-inch AMOLED display
Resolution:	1080 x 2400 pixels	1440 x 3200 pixels
Refresh Rate:	120 Hz	120 Hz
Peek Brightness:	1000 nits	1400 nits
Processor:	Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 (4 nm)	Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4 nm)
RAM / Storage:	12GB/256GB	12GB/256GB
Cellular:	5G, Dual SIM	5G, Dual SIM
Primary Camera:	64 MP f/1.8	64 MP f/1.8
Ultrawide:	8 MP f/2.2	8 MP f/2.2
Macro:	2 MP f/2.4	2 MP f/2.4
Selfie:	16 MP f/2.5	16 MP f/2.5
Video:	1080P @ 30fps	8K @ 24fps
Battery:	Li-Po 5000 mAh	Li-Po 5160 mAh
Wired Charging:	67W	67W
Wireless Charging:	–	30W

Design and Display

The Poco F5’s back and frame are made of plastic, whereas the Poco F5 Pro’s frame is plastic, but the back is made of glass for a more premium look. Both phones are IP53 dust and splash resistant. The Poco F5 is available in Black and Blue, while the F5 Pro comes in Black and White.

Both the Poco F5 and F5 Pro have a 6.67-inch display. However, the Poco F5 Pro uses a higher res WQHD+ Flow AMOLED DotDisplay, whereas the regular F5 uses an FHD+ Flow AMOLED DotDisplay. You get a 120Hz refresh rate on both phones for smooth scrolling and navigation.

Both phones also use a 12-bit panel that can produce a colour depth of 68.7 billion. Since they have a contrast ratio of 5,000,000:1 and support HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, the movie-watching experience should be great on either of these.

The peak brightness of the Poco F5 is 1000 nits, while the peak brightness of the Poco F5 Pro is 1400 nits. Xiaomi has protected the display of both these phones with Corning Gorilla Glass 5.

The Poco F5 supports a 3.5mm headphone jack, whereas the F5 Pro doesn’t. However, the F5 Pro offers an in-display fingerprint sensor, while the regular F5 offers the fingerprint scanner on the phone’s side button.

Features and performance

The Poco F5 is based on the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 SoC, which has the same architecture as the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, which the POCO F5 Pro uses. The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 will be the faster processor and support features like 8K recording.

The phones come with Android 13 out of the box and an MIUI 14 skin.

The Poco F5 Pro uses FEAS 2.2 technology to intelligently detect if you’re playing a game and then optimize the power consumption for stable gameplay. The regular F5 uses LiquidCool Technology 2.0, which dissipates heat by 35%.

Cameras

The Poco F5 and the Poco F5 Pro host a quad camera setup on the back: a 64MP primary camera, a 2MP macro camera, and an 8MP ultrawide camera. For smooth video recordings, OIS and EIS are supported on both phones.

Thanks to the P3 colour gamut that it supports, the Poco F5 Pro can produce vivid and lifelike colours. Both phones offer seven classic film filters, such as Retro Color Film, Golden Film, Sunlight Film, and more.

Also, the F5 Pro can record videos up to 8K at 24FPS, while the F5 can only record videos at 4K at 30FPS.

On the front, both phones pack a 16MP camera capable of video recording up to 1080p at both 30FPS and 60FPS.

Battery & Charging

The Poco F5 Pro has a 5160mAh battery, while the Poco F5 has a slightly smaller battery, which is 5,000mAh. Both phones support and come with a 67W charger. The Pro also supports wireless charging at 30W.

The Poco F5 can charge from 0% to 100% in 46 minutes, while the POCO F5 will charge from 0% to 50% in 15 minutes.

Alternatives to Poco F5 and Poco F5 Pro – How does it stack up against competitors?

The Samsung Galaxy A54 5G is a good alternative to the Poco F5. It has a sleek design and a three-camera setup while being cheaper. The Poco F5 has a newer processor, which should make it faster.

Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 12 Pro is priced similarly to the Poco F5 and is also made by Xiaomi that makes Poco. It has faster charging than the Poco F5 but a slower processor. You also don’t get wireless charging or an official IP rating for protection against dust and water.

Poco F5 and Poco F5 Pro Reviews

TechOdyssey is of the opinion that the Poco F5 has impressive features and aesthetics, but lacks some important features like water resistance and wireless charging.

Beebom says that the Poco F5 is a high-performing phone with a powerful Snapdragon 7+ Gen. 2 processor and vapour chamber cooling, making it an excellent option for those looking for a phone with no heating issues and an unbeatable price.

According to Lim Reviews, the Poco F5 is an impressive gaming phone with a Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 2 processor, 64MP primary sensor, and an affordable price tag, making it an excellent option for 2023.

Poco F5 and Poco F5 Pro FAQs