Poco F7 Pro review: The new mid-range phone to beat?

Best Prices Today: Xiaomi Poco F7 Pro

The Poco F7 Pro brings true flagship power to the mid-range smartphone space with a slick design, 2K display, and one of the most efficient chipsets in recent memory.

If you want flagship-tier power, excellent battery life, and a brilliant display without blowing your budget, the Poco F7 Pro delivers on all fronts.

It’s not perfect, though. For example, the ultrawide camera is average, the display doesn’t quite get bright enough, and there’s no wireless charging. But these compromises are easy to forgive given what you get for the price.

Design & Build

• Sleek, symmetrical glass and metal construction
• IP68 water and dust resistance
• Ultrasonic fingerprint scanner built into the display

The Poco F7 Pro embraces a more refined aesthetic this year, blending high-end craftsmanship with practicality. Where older Poco devices tended to lean a little on the gamer side of industrial design, the F7 Pro goes in a more grown-up direction. This mid-ranger offers symmetrical curves, a matt-gloss contrast on the back glass, and a clean aluminium mid-frame.

It’s an understated look, especially in the silver finish I got, and leagues more premium than last year’s F6 Pro. My one critique of this particular colour is that it is absolutely a fingerprint and dust magnet. You’ll have a hard time keeping your device looking new unless you slap a case on it, which defeats the point of such an interesting design.

The circular camera module gives off a flagship vibe, and the phone feels incredibly solid in the hand. This module is in the top corner of the device rather than the middle, giving slight iPhone vibes. With this particular camera module, it was a collection point for a lot of dust and pocket lint – just like when Google’s Pixel devices first introduced the camera bar.

There’s a rather large Poco logo on the rear, with all of the regulatory markings underneath it. This isn’t a huge complaint, but it is something to note. The bottom third of this phone is getting close to looking like a large advertisement.

At 206g and 8.12mm thick, it’s dense but well balanced – and crucially, IP68-rated. Finally, we get proper water and dust resistance on a Poco phone! It’s something I’ve been wanting for a while, as more and more mid-rangers are starting to offer the durability feature. That alone is a major upgrade for this segment and puts the F7 Pro in direct competition with far more expensive mid-range smartphones, including the F7 Ultra.

The Poco F7 Pro embraces a more refined aesthetic this year…leagues more premium than last year’s F6 series

On the front, Gorilla Glass 7i protects the 6.67-inch panel, while Poco has tucked in an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor beneath it. It’s a genuine upgrade over the optical readers found in many rivals. It’s quick, accurate, and still works with wet or greasy fingers. Around the body, you’ll also find stereo speakers, an IR blaster, dual-SIM support, and, surprisingly, haptics that feel precise and premium – not something you usually say about phones in this price range.

Screen & Speakers

• Stunning 2K Flow AMOLED panel with 1440p resolution
• 120Hz refresh rate with Dolby Vision and HDR10+
• Brightness is disappointing in bright environments

The screen on the Poco F7 Pro is exceptional for its class. You’re getting a 6.67-inch AMOLED panel with a sharp 3200×1440 resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and support for both Dolby Vision and HDR10+. Colours are accurate, while images look vibrant and sharp most of the time, especially when you’re watching HDR content.

However, this display is nowhere near as bright as I’d expect. Just look at the image above – you can see how dim the display is when being used outdoors in the bright sunlight.

Mid-range smartphones are never as bright as flagships, but it seems especially noticeable on the Poco F7 Pro. It’s particularly disappointing given the fact that Poco’s latest includes circular polarisation tech, which mimics natural light for better viewing comfort.

There’s also 3840Hz PWM dimming and TÜV certifications for low blue light and flicker-free use. If you spend long hours on your phone, this screen is easier on the eyes than most.

The screen on the Poco F7 Pro is exceptional for its class

Sound is just what you’d expect from a mid-range smartphone. The stereo speakers are passable if you need to play content out loud, but I’d recommend using a pair of headphones when you’re watching or listening to anything.

However, one aspect I’ll compliment Poco on is that the speakers on the F7 Pro seem less tinny than other mid-rangers I’ve tested. There’s no headphone jack for wired audio, but you probably weren’t expecting one.

Specs & Performance

• Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 still flies in 2025
• Multitasking runs very smoothly
• The device has some decent gaming chops as well

Poco’s decision to use last year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 rather than the newer 8 Elite is smart. It allows the brand to keep this device under £500, which is a real achievement.

But don’t be concerned – this chipset is still an absolute powerhouse and more efficient than many new mid-range chipsets.

In Geekbench 6, the F7 Pro scores an impressive 5605 in multi-core – on par with the Galaxy S23 Ultra. That shows you just how much performance you can squeeze out of Poco’s latest mid-ranger. For a more recent comparison, that figure is much higher than all of the Tensor G4-powered Pixel 9 series.

Using this phone day-to-day, you don’t particularly notice any lag or slowdowns, something I’ve come to expect from mid-range devices from smaller brands. The Poco manages to deliver, letting you quickly switch between apps with ease or carry out resource-heavy tasks like video recording.

One thing to note is that the phone can heat up when you start to max out its performance. In benchmark tests, I witnessed the device get very warm to the touch. This wouldn’t happen in day-to-day usage, and you’re unlikely to max the Poco F7 Pro out frequently, but it is something to note.

Poco’s decision to use last year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 rather than the newer Elite model is smart…this chipset is still an absolute powerhouse

Gaming performance is also pretty decent. Poco says Genshin Impact runs at 90fps with sustained smoothness thanks to ‘WildBoost Optimization 4.0’ and the ‘IceLoop’ liquid cooling system.

While I’m not a big gamer, I was only able to reproduce these results when dialling down the quality. At higher resolutions, things start to lag a bit, as I’d expect. Lighter games that you might play run with ease, although the phone does warm up after a while. Touch latency is impressively low, and the new ‘Smart Frame Rate’ keeps things responsive even in heavier titles.

Storage is UFS 4.1 – the fastest standard available – and the F7 Pro’s random access speeds actually beat some more expensive models like last year’s Galaxy S24. RAM management is also great with 12GB LPDDR5X, and there’s while there’s no support for Micro-SD expansion, the option for 256- or 512GB internally means few people would need one.

Poco also continues to support its excellent IR blaster, stereo speakers, NFC, Wi-Fi 7, and even dual-frequency GPS.

Poco F7 Pro benchmarks

Cameras

• 50Mp main sensor with OIS
• Delivers solid HDR and low-light performance
• 8Mp ultrawide camera feels secondary

The F7 Pro’s camera setup is simple but effective: a 50Mp main camera with OIS, using the same Light Fusion 800 sensor we’ve seen in some Xiaomi flagships, paired with an 8Mp ultrawide and a 20Mp selfie camera.

Photos from the main camera are sharp, vibrant, and well-exposed, especially in daylight. The dynamic range is excellent, with good highlight control and deep shadows, and the colour science is nicely tuned with natural-looking tones. I was actually surprised by how sharp the images were, and they maintain a lot of detail when you start to zoom in.

If you take photos using the 2x zoom option, they begin to look a little less sharp, and this is particularly noticeable when you try to zoom in. That’s because this is all digital zoom – there is no telephoto lens on the F7 Pro. While I wouldn’t necessarily expect one at this mid-range price, it would be a welcome addition – and perhaps more useful than the ultrawide sensor that’s here instead.

Night shots are surprisingly solid too, thanks to AI-enhanced HDR and computational photography. Images remain pretty sharp and detailed, despite the low light conditions.

Colour accuracy is also pretty decent – the image processing doesn’t over-compensate. One feature that I liked is that the phone would automatically turn on its Night Mode if you’re taking pictures in the dark. While this sounds obvious, most mid-range phones I’ve tested don’t do this, leaving it to the flagships.

You also get some clever photography features like ‘UltraSnap’, which captures up to 150 frames in rapid succession, and ‘AI Creativity Assistant’ for editing and retouching. Video quality caps out at 4K 60fps with decent stabilisation, though low-light footage can get noisy.

The ultrawide, however, feels like an afterthought. It’s decent in daylight but soft and noisy in lower light, making the gap in quality between the main and secondary lenses noticeable. Given it’s typically the camera option people use less frequently, I understand why Poco chose to do this from a manufacturer’s point of view, but offering a higher quality sensor or even a telephoto lens would be a much better inclusion.

As for the selfie camera, it performs well, though portrait edge detection can still be hit or miss. Any selfie shots you take for social media will be more than good enough, and this extends to videos you take. ‘Portrait Mode’ works better when using the rear camera, though edge detection still isn’t always perfect – I suspect this is down to Poco’s image processing.

Photos from the main camera are sharp, vibrant, and well-exposed – especially in daylight

Overall, the F7 Pro’s camera doesn’t break new ground, but it nails the fundamentals and leverages software smarts to do more with its hardware. You don’t always get this on a mid-range smartphone, so credit to Poco for this. It’s not a Pixel 9a competitor for pure image quality, but it’s still more than enough for social media and day-to-day shooting.

Battery Life & Charging

• 6000mAh battery easily lasts a full day
• 90W HyperCharge fills it from 0 to 100% in 37 minutes
• Intelligent AI battery management extends longevity

Battery life is another big win for the Poco F7 Pro.

With a 6000mAh cell, this mid-ranger regularly lasts more than a day, even under heavy use. I used this phone during a day of travel – content watching, music playing, directions, and the rest – and it still wasn’t completely flat by the end of the day.

In Airplane Mode, the phone managed to survive over a week with minimal use. That’s partly down to the efficiency of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, but also thanks to HyperOS’ AI-powered power management.

On a typical day of mixed use – listening to music, 5G, video calls, and background sync left on – I ended with just over 35% battery remaining. That’s impressive, especially considering the high-res 2K panel.

Charging is just as good. Poco says the included 90W HyperCharge adapter can fully juice the phone in around 37 minutes, with a 50% top-up taking just 15.

In my testing, the phone managed to achieve results almost identical to this, taking just a couple of minutes longer. If you switch out for a regular 50W charging adapter you might have at home, the charge takes a little closer to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Thermal management is strong too, so charging doesn’t cook the phone – or your hands.

Battery life is another big win for the Poco F7 Pro

This is the sort of battery and charging combo you’d expect from much more expensive flagships. It’s another area where Poco is giving users flagship features without the price tag.

Software & Features

• Runs Xiaomi HyperOS 2 (based on Android 15)
• Includes Gemini AI and HyperAI integrations
• A little bloatware out of the box, but most of it is removable

The Poco F7 Pro ships with HyperOS 2, Xiaomi’s latest skin that’s based on Android 15.

HyperOS brings a more refined UI with better animation speeds, cleaner typography, and a little less clutter, though it still feels distinctly Xiaomi. I like this UI skin, although you can certainly notice where the brand has taken inspiration from Apple’s iOS.

You’ll find a handful of pre-installed apps, including a couple of games and Xiaomi’s own app suite, but most of them can be uninstalled. You expect this from mid-range smartphones, and the F7 Pro has less than other devices I’ve tested. Still, it’s a massive bug-bear for me, so it is worth mentioning.

Poco is clearly leaning into AI this year. Both Google Gemini and HyperAI are integrated across system apps such as Notes, Calendar, and the camera. AI summaries, transcription, and image enhancement tools all come baked in. You’ll get this from most phones running Android 15, but it’s nice to see the deeper HyperAI integration.

HyperOS brings a more refined UI with better animation speeds, cleaner typography, and a little less clutter

The only real question mark is software support. Xiaomi has committed to three Android OS updates and four years of security patches. It’s decent, though not quite up there with Samsung or Google, which offer six and seven years, respectively, at this price point. Still, it’s an improvement over previous years.

Price & Availability

The Poco F7 Pro is available to buy now. The phone was priced as follows in the UK at launch, but there are often discounts available:

• 12GB RAM + 256GB storage: £499
• 12GB RAM + 512GB storage: £549

Colour options include Black, Silver, and Blue. It’s not necessarily the most exciting range, but there’s still some flexibility to find an option you like.

The device is available to purchase outright from the Xiaomi store, and will likely head to Amazon shortly. Note that there’s no availability direct from networks outside of Asia, and no availability at all in the US.

At this £499 price, the Poco F7 Pro is going head-to-head with Google’s Pixel 9a and the Samsung Galaxy A56 (both also £499). But there are plenty of other mid-range alternatives, including the Nothing Phone (3a), which has a much more affordable £329 starting price.

Should you buy the Poco F7 Pro?

The Poco F7 Pro is, once again, a flagship killer in the truest sense. It doesn’t try to do everything – but what it does, it nails… mostly.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 offers ridiculous performance for the price, the 2K AMOLED screen is simply gorgeous, and battery life is top-tier. Add in 90W charging, IP68 water and dust resistance, and some smart AI features, and you’ve got one of the most well-rounded phones at this end of the market.

Sure, the ultrawide camera is basic, there’s some bloatware to remove, and I would love to see a brighter display that you can actually use outdoors – but these are nitpicks in the face of what you’re getting overall. With such an aggressive price, I think that the F7 Pro is one of the best value buys of 2025.

If you care more about everyday speed, battery, and visuals than bleeding-edge camera features, the Poco F7 Pro is the phone to beat. Just be sure that the more expensive Poco F7 Ultra wouldn’t suit you better.

Specs

• HyperOS 2, based on Android 15
• 6.67-inch, 1440 x 3200, OLED, 120Hz display
• In-display ultrasonic fingerprint reader
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
• 12GB RAM
• 256GB/512GB storage
• Cameras:
  • 50Mp main sensor
  • 8Mp ultrawide
  • 20Mp selfie camera
• Stereo speakers
• Dual-SIM
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7
• Bluetooth 5.4
• 6000mAh battery
• 90W wired charging
• 160.3 x 75 x 8.1 mm
• IP68 certified
• 206g
• Colours: Black, Silver, Blue

Best Prices Today: Xiaomi Poco F7 Pro