Hands-on: Poco F6 Pro and Poco F6 are why affordable photography doesn't have to look cheap

Note: This feature was first published on 23 May 2024.

Poco launches 2024 flagship series smartphones

In case you missed it, Poco just announced its 2024 flagship smartphones, the Poco F6 Pro and Poco F6. In short, these are the Xiaomi sub-brands' flagship devices with flagship-lite components.

If you haven't checked out what they offer, you can get the details from our launch coverage since we're here to see if these S$599 to S$869 phones handle nicely and shoots well.

Poco F6 Pro

The Poco F6 Pro (starts at S$709 for 256GB) slightly exceeds our usual expectations for phones priced at this tier. It should've been clear from our TikTok clip, but we certainly weren't expecting Poco to give its appearance this much attention to detail.

While the phone's rear is made of plastic to help keep its costs down, Poco has done a cool job of giving it a granite/marble-like finish to help the F6 Pro stand out without being gaudy or overbearing. Best of all is how this finish can be found on both colourways, so you get the same treatment regardless of your preference.

We're also taken in by its camera housing and choice of lens rims. The clear glass island holding the camera circles is delightfully thin, while the metal camera rims themselves are colour-matched to its dark lenses to give the phone a sleek, thoughtful vibe. If you're getting the Black version, the camera rims have a hint of gold to help complete its granite-like appearance. Merging it all together are the phone's straight metal sides and flat display, giving us an unexpectedly pleasant-looking, refined device that costs half the price of a Xiaomi 14 Ultra.

It makes our complaints about the phone's design weaknesses sound like the whining of spoilt children, but we'd still put it out there. The Poco F6 Pro could've been amazing if it felt just slightly lighter and slimmer to the touch. It could also try to not let its rear colours bleed out to the bezels to give the phone's AMOLED panel and even more immersive illusion during use. But again, that's just us nitpicking.

Poco F6 Pro's 50MP main camera (out of its triple rear camera system) does most of the heavy lifting of the phone's phototaking, since it handles 1x, 2x, and even its digital 10x zoom shots. In our trials, we found the device quite capable of taking true-to-life photos and including nuance where it matters, even if it's not the most colour-accurate shooter we've come across. Below are some samples to show you what we mean.

The above is a very low-light exhibition showcasing the history and journey of the Burj Khalifa skyscraper in Dubai, which visitors would come across at ground level before heading up to the observation deck on the 124th floor. Poco F6 Pro was able to capture the dramatised ambience of Dubai's monument of pride (literal) as the phone shows how the exhibit was strategically lit up.

Head outdoors, and you'll also find the the Poco F6 Pro had no issues in replicating the arid climes of a historic-looking restaurant, or acknowledging the majesty of Dubai's futuristic and torus-shaped museum during midday sun.

Of course, the phone does have some imaging quirks which we believe are Poco's preferred colour science and algorithm tuning. The F6 Pro has an odd bias towards orange hues, doing its best to exaggerate it at every chance. Even grilled chicken was not spared. It could also use a bit more of its AI fusion smarts to help bring out shadows and highlights in high-contrast situations, like this evening photo of tourists of every race and nationality enjoying the short, splashy show by the Dubai Fountain.

Poco F6 

The Poco F6 is largely similar to the Pro version in build quality and size, with a few exceptions.

To accommodate its dual rear camera system, Poco F6 does away with the clear camera island in favour of two oversized rings for its cameras. It's not that much nicer or uglier than the Poco F6 Pro but it does have thicker camera rims, which can be quite tricky to carry around with a higher possibility of scuffing or damaging other items in the pocket (we'd know, since we were lugging around multiple phones across the financial capital of UAE).

It also lacks the marble-like finish seen on the Pro variant, although Poco compensates by offering more colourways on the F6 (Black, Green, Silver).

Finally, it's also noticeably slimmer and lighter than the Poco F6 Pro, but the Poco F6 itself doesn't feel any thinner in hand, likely because of the hard, straight edges on the phone's sides.

With fewer rear cameras than its Pro sibling, the Poco F6 (starts at S$559 for 256GB) clearly relies on its 50MP Sony IMX882 sensor Main Camera to do nearly all its heavy lifting. We've included some samples below to help you see that it, too, can measure up to its Pro sibling despite being S$150 cheaper.

Impressive, right? Poco F6 comes across as slightly less colour-accurate than its Pro variant, but you know that only because there are sample photos to compare. Without the F6 Pro providing context, you'd struggle to see how this is a "non-Pro" variant that costs S$150 less. Also, the pixel-binning on its Sony sensor helps brighten up images where more detail is needed. We did wish it was as consistent as the Poco F6 Pro at shooting, though.

Poco F6 Pro and Poco F6 pricing in Singapore

In Singapore, the Poco F6 Pro will be available in two colours (Black, and White) and three variants (12GB RAM + 256GB storage, 12+512GB, and 16+1TB). It’s priced at S$709, S$769, and S$869, respectively.

The Poco F6 is available in three colours (Black, Green, and Titanium) and two variants (8+256GB and 12+512GB). Official retail pricing sits at S$559 and S$599, respectively.

Both are available on Poco's official e-commerce platforms, Lazada and Shopee. For specific information about pre-orders and launch promotions, don't forget to check out our pricing coverage here.

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