Full review: POCO F7 Pro 

When we talk about flagship specs, we often associate them with exorbitant pricing. Rightfully so —someone has to be willing to pay a premium to get the best of the best. But thankfully, you don’t always have to break the bank. Case in point: POCO is set to change the game by making flagship-level specs highly accessible with the POCO F7 Pro.

With its Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, massive 6000mAh battery, and 90W fast-charging capabilities, does it have what it takes to deliver a true flagship experience? Read on to find out.

Design and build

The design elements of the POCO F7 Pro work together to give the device an overall premium and stylish look. At the rear, you’ll find a seamless blend of glossy and matte finishes, executed beautifully. The only downside is that the glossy upper portion isn’t immune to fingerprint marks — but at least it has a smaller surface area to worry about.

There are three available colors: Silver (which is what we’re currently testing), Black, and Blue.

As elegant as it looks, I’m glad the device doesn’t skimp on durability. It features a glass back cover, a metal frame, IP68 dust and water resistance, and Corning Gorilla Glass 7i for the display, making it foolproof and ready to keep up with an active (or clumsy) lifestyle.

It also has a boxy frame with rounded edges, yet it still offers both a comfortable and secure grip. Weighing 206g, it leans on the heavier side, but this is somehow balanced by its relatively slim form factor of 8.12mm. 

Display

On the flip side, you’re greeted by a stunning 6.67-inch AMOLED display with slim bezels, a 120Hz refresh rate, and 3200 nits peak brightness. All three features work in tandem to provide viewers with a visual treat. As a constant series-binger myself, I was impressed by how vivid, true-to-life, and crisp the display was.

Since I’m constantly glued to my phone for work and entertainment reasons, it’s great that the POCO F7 Pro is fully equipped with eye-protective features.

Camera

Returning to the rear, we get a glimpse of one of the POCO F7 Pro’s main strengths: its camera. This is headlined by the 50MP (f/1.6) main camera and paired with an 8MP (f/2.2) ultra-wide camera. And for taking selfies, you have the 20MP front camera.

Aside from attending the global launch of the POCO F7 series, POCO Philippines took us to Gardens by the Bay in Singapore to test the camera prowess of the devices. It was the perfect backdrop, and the results were nothing short of amazing.

The colors in the photos naturally pop while exhibiting incredible amount of detail. They truly did justice to the ‘City in a Garden.’ Taking nice photos was effortless, even in both good and harsh lighting. The post-processing wasn’t overdone as well — just enough to add vibrance. I also tried taking photos at 2x zoom, and the photo quality didn’t take a hit.

Selfie enthusiasts can rely on the 20MP selfie camera day and night without caring too much about the lighting. It’s also great that you have an ultra-wide option to fit a large group in one frame or capture more of the beautiful background without excessive cropping.

You get some nifty AI features like AI Eraser, Reflection Remover, Sky enhancer, among others. These allow you to achieve clean shots even when shooting in a crowded tourist spot.

Performance

Under the hood, you have the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset powering the device, delivering 32% improvement in CPU performance, 34% in GPU, and 98% in AI. How does this translate in real-life scenarios? Personally, I was able to run several tabs and apps all at once without hitches — every multitaskers dream.

Gamers will certainly rave about the POCO F7 Pro. It starts with the immersive visuals that is complemented with fluid and breezy performance. I tried running titles such as Mobile Legends and Asphalt Legend Unite at the highest graphical settings, and not once did I encounter frame drops or lags. Sustained hours of gaming won’t be an issue as well with its efficient cooling system.

The POCO F7 Pro comes with 12GB of RAM, expandable up to 18GB, and 512GB of storage. This makes it an ideal device for creators who love to multitask and need plenty of room for their safety shots. Similarly, gamers can reap the same benefits, ensuring their games run smoothly and providing more space for downloading games and updates.

Battery

You don’t always get a dynamic duo in the battery department. And yet, with the POCO F7 Pro, you’re spoiled with both — a massive 6000mAh battery and a fast 90W HyperCharge adapter.

This translates to a full day of use without needing to juice up your device, and perhaps even longer for light users. My usage typically ranges from moderate to heavy: answering emails, editing photos and videos, streaming Netflix, doom-scrolling on social media, and more. To my surprise, the POCO F7 Pro powered through the entire day without a hitch.

True to the brand’s claim, the device can reach 0 to 100% in just 37%.

Verdict

The POCO F7 Pro excels on all fronts, especially with its superb performance, effortlessly keeping up with heavy users, whether they’re intense gamers or content creators. It’s an overachiever with a reasonable price tag, offering great value for money. 

For everyday reliability, it delivers a durable smartphone that exudes elegance, featuring a beautiful and responsive display, solid camera capabilities, and long-lasting battery life. It doesn’t cut corners, so you’ll notice how it makes no compromises in any area. 

The POCO F7 Pro is available in two storage variants: 12GB + 256GB, priced at PHP 27,999, and our test unit, 12GB + 512GB, priced at PHP 29,999. From March 27 to April 3, an early bird deal exclusively available in Shopee will let you snag the POCO F7 Pro at discounted prices: PHP 24,099 for the 12GB + 256GB model and PHP 25,999 for the 12GB + 512GB model.