Poco F7 review: A near-perfect smartphone that is stylish and bold

I’ve been utilizing the cellphone for a few weeks now, and whereas it does have all of the issues which may make it the very best mid-range system of 2025, there are a few nags right here and there that pull it again. Right here’s my expertise with what might change into the very best mid-range cellphone of 2025.

The rear high half of the Poco F7 makes it really feel like a gaming cellphone. (Picture Credit score: Anurag Chawake/Indian Categorical)

Design and show

One of many greatest gripes with Poco’s F collection was that it had plastic again panels that made it feel and appear like a funds system. However that’s now not the case with the Poco F7. I acquired the Cyber Silver Version of the cellphone, which stands out with its unique-looking again panel and Snapdragon branding.

In a world stuffed with telephones sporting fake leather-based and plastic backs, the Poco F7 stands out with its unique-looking glass again panel. It has a stable boxy really feel, and the dual-tone design on the again offers it a really futuristic and cyberpunk sort look.

The underside half of the cellphone has a reflective silver colored glass again with Poco branding on the underside, which jogs my memory of the T2 robotic from the film Terminator. The highest half of the cellphone has so much occurring. From triangle to rhombus, you see all types of shapes which give the cellphone a really cyberpunk-ish look. It’s also residence to the large elliptical digicam island, which is sort of separated within the center by inexperienced accent traces.

Personally, I felt just like the Poco F7 is the best-looking mid-range cellphone of 2025, however since appears are subjective, it would come off as too flashy for some. If you need a minimalistic look, I counsel you go along with the opposite color variants as they don’t have the futuristic-looking grills and shenanigans of the restricted version.

One other space the place the Poco F7 stands out with its design is the body. Not like earlier fashions within the collection, which had plastic frames, the most recent comes with an aluminium body with a brushed matte end that makes you are feeling like you’re holding a premium flagship.

The Poco F7 comes with a fantastic glassy dual-tone end that’s inclined to fingerprints. (Picture Credit score: Anurag Chawake/Indian Categorical)

The cellphone’s design is undoubtedly spectacular, however I famous that this was the smudgiest cellphone I’ve ever used. Lay one finger on the again, and you’ll instantly see fingerprints. Maintain the cellphone with 4 fingers, and it appears like you’re gripping it with greasy, oily fingers. The field comes with a black silicone case, which is sweet, however I want the corporate gave a clear cowl in order that I might at the very least flaunt the flashy design.

It additionally occurs to be the primary F collection cellphone to get each IP68 and IP69 safety, which suggests you gained’t have to fret about water or mud getting in, even if you happen to dip it in water or maintain it straight below the faucet. Weighing 215 grams with out the quilt, it is a fairly chunky system, and with the quilt, it solely will get heavier. In case you are not used to heavy telephones just like the Galaxy S25 Extremely or the iPhone 16 Professional Max, it’s possible you’ll expertise hand fatigue after utilizing it for an hour or extra.

Coming to the show, you get an enormous 6.83-inch 120Hz AMOLED display screen, which has a 1.5K decision. In case you are somebody who watches numerous net collection or motion pictures in your smartphone, that is a simple advice as the colors are fairly correct and vibrant. Speaking of brightness, the corporate claims that the Poco F7 can go as much as 1,700 nits in excessive brightness mode (HBM), and whereas I couldn’t confirm the declare, the display screen was very a lot readable even below direct daylight in Delhi’s sizzling and humid afternoon.

The Poco F7 comes with HyperOS 2 based mostly on Android 15 and can get 4 years of OS updates. (Picture Credit score: Anurag Chawake/Indian Categorical)

Efficiency and software program

Poco’s F collection telephones are all the time full of the quickest chipsets within the section, and the Poco F7 is not any exception. Powered by the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4, it has the identical efficiency because the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which may be discovered on telephones just like the Galaxy S24 Extremely.

For a cellphone that prices lower than half the value of the OnePlus 12 and the Galaxy S24 Extremely, this would possibly sound spectacular, however the chipset typically throttles below heavy workloads. I performed video games like Wuthering Waves, Genshin Affect, Wreckfest, GRID Legends and others for hours on finish, and whereas the efficiency was good, the cellphone did cut back body charges to stop overheating. Additionally, it does get heat with out the quilt, so that you would possibly wish to placed on a case.

In day-to-day utilization, the Poco F7 performs properly. Not as soon as did I discover any lag or stutters, and in the previous couple of years, I really feel like Xiaomi’s HyperOS has matured to the purpose that the UI fluidity is on par with the likes of UI 8 and OxygenOS 15. A few of this may be attributed to the 16GB RAM variant I had with me, however I felt Poco has optimised the system very well.

The Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 has throttling points. (Picture Credit score: Anurag Chawake/Indian Categorical)

In case you are not a heavy gamer who performs the most recent titles on the utmost settings potential continuous for a few hours, it is a actually good system, but it surely falls in need of being the very best gaming cellphone in its section.

Poco F7 comes with HyperOS 2 based mostly on Android 15, and can get 4 years of OS updates and 6 years of safety patches, which is for much longer than what different smartphone producers are providing.

The cellphone additionally comes with quite a few AI options, which may be discovered within the Settings app below Xiaomi HyperAI. A few of these options embrace AI writing, AI Gallery Editor, AI Speech Recognition, and AI Interpreter, to call just a few. Throughout my use, I wasn’t capable of strive all of those options, however these I used labored properly more often than not. However as is the case with most AI options, I discovered a few of them to be gimmicky.

Xiaomi’s HyperOS 2 could be intuitive for some, however I didn’t just like the UI and located myself resorting again to my ColorOS cellphone and One UI pill. Possibly it’s simply me, however I really feel like HyperOS just isn’t as user-friendly as different Android skins.

The cameras are bodily separated by a divider with inexperienced accents round it. (Picture Credit score: Anurag Chawake/Indian Categorical)

Digital camera

The Poco F7 has a twin rear digicam setup, which consists of a 50MP major lens along with a 12MP ultrawide shooter. This isn’t a digicam cellphone by any means, however pictures captured from the principle digicam do come out sharp and crisp, given you might have sufficient mild. At evening time, the cellphone manages to click on respectable pictures, however as is the case with any performance-centric system, it typically misses out on element.

The 12MP ultrawide shooter is, as soon as once more, common at finest. Throughout the day, you may click on good photographs given there’s sufficient ambient lighting, however in low mild, pictures are solely good if you wish to share them on social media. As for the selfie shooter, Poco has managed to pack in a 20MP sensor, which performs properly in good lighting circumstances however struggles in darkish environments.

Digital camera pattern 1. (Picture Credit score: Anurag Chawake/Indian Categorical)
Digital camera pattern 2. (Picture Credit score: Anurag Chawake/Indian Categorical)
Digital camera pattern 3. (Picture Credit score: Anurag Chawake/Indian Categorical)
Digital camera pattern 4. (Picture Credit score: Anurag Chawake/Indian Categorical)
Digital camera pattern 5. (Picture Credit score: Anurag Chawake/Indian Categorical)
Digital camera pattern 6. (Picture Credit score: Anurag Chawake/Indian Categorical)
Digital camera pattern 7. (Picture Credit score: Anurag Chawake/Indian Categorical)
Digital camera pattern 8. (Picture Credit score: Anurag Chawake/Indian Categorical)

All in all, the Poco F7’s digicam capabilities are on par with different telephones within the below Rs 30,000 worth bracket, however I like to recommend you look elsewhere in case you are somebody who takes photographs and movies once in a while.

Battery

The Poco F7 could be one of many bulkiest telephones of all time, however I really feel it’s for good. It has an enormous 7,550mAh Silicon Carbon battery, which might simply final you greater than a day even if you happen to continuously use the cellphone.

My typical utilization includes searching the online, listening to music nearly all day and taking part in video games for an hour or so. I additionally typically use navigation and social media apps like Instagram. I’m a reasonable consumer, so in case you are like those that use the cellphone for this stuff and depend on cell knowledge, you’ll simply get greater than 24 hours of utilization on a single cost.

Nonetheless, these on Wi-Fi can anticipate an extended battery life since cell knowledge is what drains many of the battery. However I famous that the battery life is a bit hit or miss. The cellphone typically lasted greater than a day, whereas throughout my weekend gaming classes, I seen that it might lose greater than half its juice in simply three or 4 hours. I’m not certain, but it surely does really feel like a software program difficulty Poco would possibly have the ability to repair with future updates.

The Poco F7 is likely one of the finest mid-range telephones of 2025. (Picture Credit score: Anurag Chawake/Indian Categorical)

Poco F7: Who can purchase this?

With a beginning worth of Rs 31,999, the most recent Poco F collection system as soon as once more emerges as top-of-the-line worth for cash smartphones you should buy this 12 months. The stable and power-efficient Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset, mixed with the fluidity of HyperOS 2, makes this a simple advice for each informal avid gamers and regular customers who simply need a large battery cellphone. Nonetheless, hardcore avid gamers can look in the direction of alternate options just like the Infinix GT 30 Professional (assessment), which is less expensive and provides haptic triggers, or the iQOO Neo 10R (assessment), which has the identical chipset sans the throttling points.

In case you are somebody who’s in search of a premium feeling mid-range system that stands out with its design and construct, provides an excellent price-to-performance ratio, has an honest digicam setup with a giant battery and tremendous quick wired charging, the Poco F7 is a extremely good cellphone. Whereas it isn’t the very best digicam or battery cellphone, the Poco F7 is likely one of the finest telephones cash can purchase, and if the corporate addresses the battery drain difficulty, it could be the very best mid-range cellphone of 2025.