We tested the makeover of the most habitual POCO seller: an in-depth analysis of the POCO F4
He is SMALL F3 It was one of the biggest milestones in the history of the young Xiaomi sub-brand, surpassed only by the legend. Pocaphone F1. When it was released, few devices from other manufacturers could match its excellence Specifications price ratio. So much so, to date, just over a year after launch. It is still a highly recommended phone.
But Xiaomi has no intention of stopping its launch rate. After all, this strategy got him to where he is today. After the success of POCO F3, now is the time to enjoy it SMALL F4a new device that aims to inherit the essence of the POCO F3 and incidentally repeat its success.
And as they say If something works… why change it? With the POCO F4, the Beijing company has decided to keep the elabora of the previous model almost unchanged and to build a device that, without even being the best, it offers an enviable cómputo among all its sections. Therefore, the F4 is booked as a new candidate for best seller this year 2022.
POCO F4, review and rate
| Should I buy the POCO F4? | |
|---|---|
| In favor of |
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| versus |
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| Conclusions | Good screen, speed, better main camera and faster charging. This is what the POCO F4 offers us compared to its predecessor. There are few differences but the truth is that it has been very difficult to surpass what POCO F3 had achieved. |
POCO F4 price and where to buy
The POCO F4 is available in three colors: black, silver and green, and in two different storage versions: 6 gigas de memoria with 128 GB storage and 8 gigas de memoria with 256 GB storage. For The sale issue date is June 27, 2022 .
The price of the device starts at 399.99 euros without discounts for the version of 6 GB of RAM with 128 GB of storage and from €449.99 for the model with 8GB of RAM and twice as much internal storage.
- SMALL F4 6GB+128GB: 399.99 euros
- SMALL F4 8GB+256GBfrom: 449.99 euros
It perro be found in both the the brand’s official en línea storeas well as other authorized resellers, including Amazon.
Where is the POCO F4 located?
Little by little (sorry) POCO is expanding its mobile catalog with an increasing number of ranges and models. The series f is at the top of the company’s portfolio, consisting of insignia price adjusted, as recently SMALL F4 GT.
The POCO F4 comes in the brand’s range as affordable high-end cell phonewhich sits below the F4 GT but above the X-Family models (on paper, at least).
Within the same price range, the POCO F4 faces models like this Virtual GT Neo 3D, a model with which it shares a processor and some aspects of its technical sheet; or with him Samsung Galaxy A53True, the latter has a mid-range processor and a load that is not as fast as the POCO model.
Compared to the previous POCO F3 we see some changes. not all for the better. First, we lost the camera tele macro 5 megapixels, in favor of an inferior 2 megapixel sensor.
Happily, that’s the only function which has deteriorated compared to the previous generation. Although the changes for the better are not significant: the novels are reduced Dolby Visión support on the screen, a Best main camera from 64 megabytes with optical stabilizer and a system from faster loading. In my opinion, none of these features are enough to entice current POCO F3 owners.
Technical data sheet
| Trains | |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 163.2 x 75.95 x 7.7mm 195 grams |
| Screen | 6.67 inch AMOLED Full HD+ 120Hz refresh rate Touch sampling rate 360 Hz DolbyVision Brightness up to 900 nits – maximum 1300 nits Corning Gorilla Glass 5 HDR10+ |
| processor | Controlador Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G |
| R.A.M. | 6/8GB LPDDR5 |
| operating system | MIUI 13 is based on Android 12 |
| storage | 128/256GB UFS 3.1 |
| cameras | back: 64MP f/1.79, 1/2″ 8 MP ultra wide angle f/2.2 2MP macro front: 20MP f/2.45 |
| battery | 4500miliamperio-hora Fast charge up to 67W (charger included) |
| Other people | USB Type-C 360° light sensor infrared heater Side fingerprint reader Face Unlock dual speakers |
| connectivity | Bluetooth 5.3 wi-fi 6 nfc |
design
POCO has opted for a design that shares some similarities with the POCO F3, starting with the building materials.
The back consists of a glass pane quite flat, which is fastened in front by a plastic housing responsible for the entire body of the device. This has a straight design with pronounced angles, afín to what we’ve seen on Xiaomi and Redmi models earlier this year.
The glass is on the back glitteringand it is precisely here that we find one of the disadvantages of this device compared to other Xiaomi models: dirt and footprints They’re too easy to fix and it’s almost mandatory to use a case so you don’t have to clean the back of the phone every two or three times.
The back of the POCO F4 is made of glass but doesn’t use Gorilla Glass like the front / Image: Christian Collado
Its appearance has changed slightly since the last generation, especially in terms of the location of the cameras. These are in one cuadrado module is located in the upper left corner of the back and is divided into two parts: in one there is the LED flash and in the other the sensors arranged and surrounded in a triangle Metal effect ring.
The front end hardly brings changes compared to other models, both from the brand itself and from the competition. The same AMOLED screen Y también4 of 6.67 inches, already present in the POCO F3 appearance, surrounded by several reduced bezels and with one opening directed upwards, also with a reduced diameter.
Despite the fact that the device screen emplees OLED technology, a decision was made about the brand do not integrate the fingerprint reader into the panel. Instead of this is it located in the power switchlocated on the right side of the phone body.
The fingerprint reader works quickly and is quite accurate. However, the fact that it’s on the side makes it stand out too easy to put your finger on and got “too many unlock attempts” notification many times. Fortunately, if we change the reader settings and enable the option, this problem cánido be avoided press to unlock (By default, touch the reader, no need to press the power button).
General, The POCO F4 is a well-built device with a modern design, although it’s a bit sober, especially with the black color that we’ve been able to test. On hand it turns out comfortable Thank you very much Thickness only 7.7 millimetersand due to the reduced size of the bezels surrounding the screen, it’s not as difficult to reach every corner of the panel as on other devices.
For the rest, we’ll have to go into details like that Including IP53 certification which guarantees the water and dust resistance of the device, the infrared heaterstill present in the brand’s mobile phones, and the lack of a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack.
Screen
Since it’s the same panel that we’ve already seen in the POCO F3, we don’t have to say much about it SMALL SCREEN F4.
There is a an excellent AMOLED panel from Samsungwith Full HD+ resolution, 120 Hertz refresh rate and 360 Hz touch sampling rate. Dolby Visión supportadding support for HDR and HDR10+ content.
The screen allows equipo the refresh rate to 60 or 120 hertz, depending on whether you are looking for energy saving or very soft. There is also the possibility Change color profile, between Vivid (default mode), Saturated, and Estándar. The first of the modes is equipo to cover 100% of the DCI-P3 color spectrum.
The panel has a good maximum brightness, precise colors and excellent viewing angles / Image: Christian Collado
This is the maximum brightness level the panel perro achieve per bit 1300 nits. However, this level cánido only be reached with the automatic brightness and in very specific situations. In most cases, the screen is about 500 nits at most.
In general, it is one very good screen, and undoubtedly one of the strengths of the terminal. It is also worth noting that it is protected by s Glass Gorilla 5 glass.
hardware and performance
POCO has again bet on the same processor that has used the POCO F3 to power its new affordable flagship. Is he Controlador Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5GOne of the best chips to be found in this category for a deal that Excellent performance with limited power consumption and one of the most powerful GPUs currently available, the Adreno 650.
On this occasion, the Qualcomm brains are associated with 6 or 8 GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 128 or 256 GB of UFS 3.1 storage.
As a result of all of this almost an excellent experience, who is not very jealous of whoever launches the most expensive mobile phones. Everything works quickly, the performance of the device in games, even the most demanding Excellent even with the highest graphics settings and using high refresh rate support.
Under the hood of the POCO F4 is a Snapdragon 870 chip / Image: Christian Collado
The only downside that perro be attributed to the phone in this sense is it is prone to overheating with intensive use, despite the fact that Xiaomi claims that the LiquidCool cooling system has been redesigned so that it is now in an area 400% larger than the POCO F3.
Be that as it may, since even mobile phones equipped with the latest and greatest Qualcomm processor are not exempt from this scourge, it is not difficult to overlook these details considering what the POCO F4 gives us for its price offers.
battery and charging
We have no changes regarding battery capacity in this POCO F4 compared to the previous generation.
There is a battery capacity 4500 miliamperio-hora, and the only difference is in the Fast charging technology is usedwhich this time increases her power until she reaches 67 w.
He is Device independence is correct . It’s easy to end the day of use with some battery for the next day, although most days you’ll need to charge the device overnight or use the fast charge charge in the morning a few minutes before leaving town.
The battery of the POCO F4 has a capacity of 4300 miliamperio-hora / picture: Christian Collado
Although it does not reach the level of Virtual GT Neo 3D and its 5000 miliamperio-hora battery, the POCO F4 more than meets in this regard.
Use of Cable and charger includedIt is possible to fully exploit the power of the charging system with 67W. Therefore, a full charge takes time about 39 minutes from 0%. In just 15 minutes We need to charge 55% of the battery.
programa and experience
The POCO F4 programa is identical to the POCO F4 GT programa, except for the additions aimed at the gambling This is the version we tested a few weeks ago.
We therefore speak of a Version of Android 12 adapted from “MIUI 13 for POCO”.
For example, in this version of the Xiaomi programa we find differences with the “habitual” version of MIUI fácil launcher and icons whose design is more afín to the depósito Android design. However, the rest of the elements are identical to what we would find in any other Xiaomi móvil running MIUI 13.
And so the experience is identical, for better or for worse. MIUI is a mature furwho don’t have as many problems as they used to, but continue to be associated with it because of aspects like that Ads present in most pre-installed aplicaciones (and that cánido be disabled by changing their settings individually) or the sheer volume of it bloatware present when the device boots for the first time.
MIUI 13 is the version that brings life to the phone, based on Android 12 / Image: Christian Collado
At the interfaz level, MIUI continues to bet on proprietary solutions that are not very common in other customization levels such as: separate notification panel and control center or the multitasking menu in the form of a vertical list (on this model there is no possibility to go back to the typical horizontal carousel because of POCO Launcher).
Apart from that, MIUI 13 has other disadvantages that Xiaomi doesn’t seem to want to fix, such as: Too aggressive RAM and power management systemindiscriminately closes and moves into applications that open in the background Late arrival notifications or multimedia aplicaciones that stop playing content just because it stays in the background.
However, the cape also has its positive sides: Xiaomi is gradually gone switch from some of their own aplicaciones to Google plus’s alternatives, as is the case with the Phone and Messages aplicaciones. This way it is possible to take advantage of features like that automatic caller ID contenido publicitario. And Xiaomi’s own aplicaciones, which are still present in MIUI, work perfectly and have a large number of functions required for some users may be useful.
In conclusion, we have to address two aspects that I think are worth mentioning: on the one hand, we have to appreciate Xiaomi’s good work with vibration motors included in most of their teléfonos inteligentes, including the POCO F4.
The retroalimentación is haptic firm and precise, on par with some of the best mobile phones on the market. Within the catalog of brands, only terminals like the POCO F4 GT or the Xiaomi 12 surpass this model in this regard.
Furthermore, the sound system also performed by two speakers delivers very convincing resultsfor its sound quality and maximum volume, as well as the format of the speakers: we find an opening for it at the top of the phone Let the sound out of the headphones and makes the sound effect more surround. In addition, when this opening is covered, we continue to enjoy stereo sound, since the sound is produced by the ear.
cameras
The camera system of the POCO F4 represents an advancement over the system of the F3, but also a step backwards. The main camera holds the sensor OmniVision OV64B 64 megapixels 1/2″ sizeBut now it’s joined by an optical stabilizer to turn the POCO F4 into that The brand’s first mobile phone with OIS.
The secondary camera also emplees an OmniVision sensor. In this case, it’s an 8-megapixel OV8856 solution with a much smaller size, 1/4″, that goes with it Ultra wide angle lens It offers an equivalent focal length of 16mm.
On the back of the POCO F4 we find three cameras / Image: Christian Collado
The step back is in the third part of rear cameras: the sensor 5 megapixel telephoto macro of the previous POCO F3 to give way to one Lower quality sensor with 2 megapixels and fixed focus from a distance of 4 centimeters, also intended for macro shots.
Finally the camera for autofotos It emplees a 20-megapixel Sony IMX596 sensor, as well as a fixed focus.
In short, this is what the POCO F4 camera system looks like:
- main room: 64 MP OmniVision OV64B, sensor size 1/2″, quad Bayer, 0.7 µm pixels, 4-in-1 pixel binning (produces 16 megapixel images), OIS, aperture f/1.8, equivalents Focal length 25mm, PDF
- ultra wide angle camera: 8 MP OmniVision OV8856, 1/4″ sensor size, 1.12 µm pixels, 16 mm equivalent focal length, f/2.2 aperture
- macro camera: 2 megapixel GalaxyCore GC02M1, f/2.4 aperture, fixed focus
- Front camera: 20MP Sony IMX586, sensor size 1/2.8″, Quad Bayer design, 24mm equivalent focal length, aperture f/2.45, fixed focus
Now let’s talk about the results.
As usual, the The main camera is the one that offers us the best photographic experiencewith detailed 16-megapixel shots, pleasant colors (you cánido see the reduction in saturation in the Xiaomi brand models) and a dynamic range worthy of the best in its category.
The POCO F4 cánido capture high quality images.
For night or indoor scenes, the sensor also does an admirable job of preserving image detail and keeping noise at bay. With this in mind, it is advisable that Automatic night mode which is active by default, for the main camera and the secondary with an ultra wide-angle lens.
Opting for an optical image stabilizer is more noticeable when shooting at night, but it is recommended to avoid problems hold still for a few seconds after the photo is taken, otherwise we might have blurred or shifted shots.
The 8 megapixel sensor is connected to the ultra wide angle lens It is also worth approving, especially when it comes to taking pictures during the day or in good light conditions. your pictures are detailed and with not too different colors those of the main sensor. Besides the distortion correction at the edges works effectively after the picture is taken.
The photos taken with the ultra-wide-angle camera are of good quality during the day.
Things change at night. The small size of the sensor and the limited aperture of the lens contribute to this Images with more noise and less detail nor those taken during the day or in good light. The night mode helps, but other than lighting up the scenes a bit, it cánido’t do wonders.
At night, the 8-megapixel sensor suffers when it comes to preserving the details of the scene.
Despite lack depth sensorthe pictures They are also of good quality and stand out from everything else tight-fitting material and the naturalness of the blur effect in the background.
For their part, the autofoto camera It’s also capable of capturing excellent images as long as we choose not to use the portrait mode, as it doesn’t do as well as the rear camera when it comes to separating the subject in the foreground and background.
At the level of vídeo recordingsupports the POCO F4 4K resolution up to 60 FPSAnd again Full HD and 30FPS with front and ultra wide-angle cameras. Of course, only the main sensor is allowed Enable optical image stabilization.
Nevertheless, OIS must be present It doesn’t seem to matter too much. The vídeos aren’t as smooth as we’ve experienced on other devices, which is a shame as the quality of the captured image and sound is of a high estándar. We are confident that POCO perro solve the stability issues with a future programa update.
This device has been thoroughly tested Independently thanks to a move of the brand. The article contains purchase backlinks for which Andro4all may receive a commission. take part to the market channel Andro4all to find out about the best deals before anyone else.