With the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, a surprising 2K AMOLED show, IP68 water and mud resistance and blazing-fast charging, the Poco F7 Professional packs severe flagship options right into a telephone that prices half the worth of high-end fashions. There are compromises, together with some digicam weaknesses, a dim show and bloatware, but it surely’s laborious to search out something that delivers this a lot uncooked functionality for much less.
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Greatest Pricing In the present day
The Poco F7 Professional brings true flagship energy to the mid-range smartphone house with a slick design, 2K show, and probably the most environment friendly chipsets in latest reminiscence.
If you’d like flagship-tier energy, glorious battery life, and an excellent show with out blowing your price range, the Poco F7 Professional delivers on all fronts.
It’s not good, although. For instance, the ultrawide digicam is common, the show doesn’t fairly get shiny sufficient, and there’s no wi-fi charging. However these compromises are straightforward to forgive given what you get for the worth.
Design & Construct
Glossy, symmetrical glass and metallic development
IP68 water and mud resistance
Ultrasonic fingerprint scanner constructed into the show
The Poco F7 Professional embraces a extra refined aesthetic this yr, mixing high-end craftsmanship with practicality. The place older Poco units tended to lean a bit of on the gamer facet of business design, the F7 Professional goes in a extra grown-up path. This mid-ranger provides symmetrical curves, a matt-gloss distinction on the again glass, and a clear aluminium mid-frame.
Connor Jewiss/Foundry
It’s an understated look, particularly within the silver end I acquired, and leagues extra premium than final yr’s F6 Professional. My one critique of this specific color is that it’s completely a fingerprint and mud magnet. You’ll have a tough time maintaining your gadget wanting new until you slap a case on it, which defeats the purpose of such an fascinating design.
The round digicam module offers off a flagship vibe, and the telephone feels extremely strong within the hand. This module is within the high nook of the gadget somewhat than the center, giving slight iPhone vibes. With this specific digicam module, it was a group level for lots of mud and pocket lint – similar to when Google’s Pixel units first launched the digicam bar.
Connor Jewiss/Foundry
There’s a somewhat massive Poco emblem on the rear, with the entire regulatory markings beneath it. This isn’t an enormous grievance, however it’s one thing to notice. The underside third of this telephone is getting near wanting like a big commercial.
At 206g and eight.12mm thick, it’s dense however properly balanced – and crucially, IP68-rated. Lastly, we get correct water and mud resistance on a Poco telephone! It’s one thing I’ve been wanting for some time, as increasingly more mid-rangers are beginning to supply the sturdiness characteristic. That alone is a significant improve for this section and places the F7 Professional in direct competitors with far costlier mid-range smartphones, together with the F7 Extremely.
The Poco F7 Professional embraces a extra refined aesthetic this yr…leagues extra premium than final yr’s F6 collection
On the entrance, Gorilla Glass 7i protects the 6.67-inch panel, whereas Poco has tucked in an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor beneath it. It’s a real improve over the optical readers discovered in lots of rivals. It’s fast, correct, and nonetheless works with moist or greasy fingers. Across the physique, you’ll additionally discover stereo audio system, an IR blaster, dual-SIM assist, and, surprisingly, haptics that really feel exact and premium – not one thing you often say about telephones on this worth vary.
Display screen & Audio system
Gorgeous 2K Circulate AMOLED panel with 1440p decision
120Hz refresh charge with Dolby Imaginative and prescient and HDR10+
Brightness is disappointing in shiny environments
The display on the Poco F7 Professional is phenomenal for its class. You’re getting a 6.67-inch AMOLED panel with a pointy 3200×1440 decision, 120Hz refresh charge, and assist for each Dolby Imaginative and prescient and HDR10+. Colors are correct, whereas pictures look vibrant and sharp more often than not, particularly while you’re watching HDR content material.
Connor Jewiss/Foundry
Nevertheless, this show is nowhere close to as shiny as I’d anticipate. Simply take a look at the picture above – you possibly can see how dim the show is when getting used outside within the shiny daylight.
Mid-range smartphones are by no means as shiny as flagships, but it surely appears particularly noticeable on the Poco F7 Professional. It’s significantly disappointing given the truth that Poco’s newest contains round polarisation tech, which mimics pure mild for higher viewing consolation.
There’s additionally 3840Hz PWM dimming and TÜV certifications for low blue mild and flicker-free use. For those who spend lengthy hours in your telephone, this display is less complicated on the eyes than most.
The display on the Poco F7 Professional is phenomenal for its class
Sound is simply what you’d anticipate from a mid-range smartphone. The stereo audio system are satisfactory if you must play content material out loud, however I’d suggest utilizing a pair of headphones while you’re watching or listening to something.
Nevertheless, one side I’ll praise Poco on is that the audio system on the F7 Professional appear much less tinny than different mid-rangers I’ve examined. There’s no headphone jack for wired audio, however you in all probability weren’t anticipating one.
Specs & Efficiency
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 nonetheless flies in 2025
Multitasking runs very easily
The gadget has some respectable gaming chops as properly
Poco’s determination to make use of final yr’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 somewhat than the newer 8 Elite is wise. It permits the model to maintain this gadget underneath £500, which is an actual achievement.
However don’t be involved – this chipset remains to be an absolute powerhouse and extra environment friendly than many new mid-range chipsets.
Connor Jewiss/Foundry
In Geekbench 6, the F7 Professional scores a formidable 5605 in multi-core – on par with the Galaxy S23 Extremely. That exhibits you simply how a lot efficiency you possibly can squeeze out of Poco’s newest mid-ranger. For a more moderen comparability, that determine is way greater than the entire Tensor G4-powered Pixel 9 collection.
Utilizing this telephone day-to-day, you don’t significantly discover any lag or slowdowns, one thing I’ve come to anticipate from mid-range units from smaller manufacturers. The Poco manages to ship, letting you rapidly change between apps with ease or perform resource-heavy duties like video recording.
One factor to notice is that the telephone can warmth up while you begin to max out its efficiency. In benchmark exams, I witnessed the gadget get very heat to the contact. This wouldn’t occur in day-to-day utilization, and also you’re unlikely to max the Poco F7 Professional out regularly, however it’s one thing to notice.
Poco’s determination to make use of final yr’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 somewhat than the newer Elite mannequin is wise…this chipset remains to be an absolute powerhouse
Gaming efficiency can also be fairly respectable. Poco says Genshin Influence runs at 90fps with sustained smoothness because of ‘WildBoost Optimization 4.0’ and the ‘IceLoop’ liquid cooling system.
Whereas I’m not an enormous gamer, I used to be solely capable of reproduce these outcomes when dialling down the standard. At greater resolutions, issues begin to lag a bit, as I’d anticipate. Lighter video games that you just would possibly play run with ease, though the telephone does heat up after some time. Contact latency is impressively low, and the brand new ‘Sensible Body Fee’ retains issues responsive even in heavier titles.
Storage is UFS 4.1 – the quickest customary accessible – and the F7 Professional’s random entry speeds really beat some costlier fashions like final yr’s Galaxy S24. RAM administration can also be nice with 12GB LPDDR5X, and there’s whereas there’s no assist for Micro-SD growth, the choice for 256- or 512GB internally means few individuals would wish one.
Poco additionally continues to assist its glorious IR blaster, stereo audio system, NFC, Wi-Fi 7, and even dual-frequency GPS.
Poco F7 Professional benchmarks
Cameras
50Mp fundamental sensor with OIS
Delivers strong HDR and low-light efficiency
8Mp ultrawide digicam feels secondary
The F7 Professional’s digicam setup is easy however efficient: a 50Mp fundamental digicam with OIS, utilizing the identical Gentle Fusion 800 sensor we’ve seen in some Xiaomi flagships, paired with an 8Mp ultrawide and a 20Mp selfie digicam.
Connor Jewiss/Foundry
Pictures from the primary digicam are sharp, vibrant, and well-exposed, particularly in daylight. The dynamic vary is superb, with good spotlight management and deep shadows, and the color science is properly tuned with natural-looking tones. I used to be really stunned by how sharp the pictures have been, and so they preserve a number of element while you begin to zoom in.
For those who take photographs utilizing the 2x zoom possibility, they start to look rather less sharp, and that is significantly noticeable while you attempt to zoom in. That’s as a result of that is all digital zoom – there isn’t a telephoto lens on the F7 Professional. Whereas I wouldn’t essentially anticipate one at this mid-range worth, it might be a welcome addition – and maybe extra helpful than the ultrawide sensor that’s right here as a substitute.
Night time pictures are surprisingly strong too, because of AI-enhanced HDR and computational pictures. Photographs stay fairly sharp and detailed, regardless of the low mild circumstances.
Color accuracy can also be fairly respectable – the picture processing doesn’t over-compensate. One characteristic that I favored is that the telephone would mechanically activate its Night time Mode should you’re taking photos at the hours of darkness. Whereas this sounds apparent, most mid-range telephones I’ve examined don’t do that, leaving it to the flagships.
You additionally get some intelligent pictures options like ‘UltraSnap’, which captures as much as 150 frames in speedy succession, and ‘AI Creativity Assistant’ for enhancing and retouching. Video high quality caps out at 4K 60fps with respectable stabilisation, although low-light footage can get noisy.
Connor Jewiss/Foundry
The ultrawide, nevertheless, looks like an afterthought. It’s respectable in daylight however smooth and noisy in decrease mild, making the hole in high quality between the primary and secondary lenses noticeable. Given it’s sometimes the digicam possibility individuals use much less regularly, I perceive why Poco selected to do that from a producer’s standpoint, however providing the next high quality sensor or perhaps a telephoto lens can be a a lot better inclusion.
As for the selfie digicam, it performs properly, although portrait edge detection can nonetheless be hit and miss. Any selfie pictures you are taking for social media shall be greater than adequate, and this extends to movies you are taking. ‘Portrait Mode’ works higher when utilizing the rear digicam, although edge detection nonetheless isn’t all the time good – I believe that is right down to Poco’s picture processing.
Pictures from the primary digicam are sharp, vibrant, and well-exposed – particularly in daylight
Total, the F7 Professional’s digicam doesn’t break new floor, but it surely nails the basics and leverages software program smarts to do extra with its {hardware}. You don’t all the time get this on a mid-range smartphone, so credit score to Poco for this. It’s not a Pixel 9a competitor for pure picture high quality, but it surely’s nonetheless greater than sufficient for social media and day-to-day capturing.
Battery Life & Charging
6000mAh battery simply lasts a full day
90W HyperCharge fills it from 0 to 100% in 37 minutes
Clever AI battery administration extends longevity
Battery life is one other massive win for the Poco F7 Professional.
With a 6000mAh cell, this mid-ranger repeatedly lasts greater than a day, even underneath heavy use. I used this telephone throughout a day of journey – content material watching, music taking part in, instructions, and the remainder – and it nonetheless wasn’t utterly flat by the tip of the day.
In Airplane Mode, the telephone managed to outlive over every week with minimal use. That’s partly right down to the effectivity of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, but additionally because of HyperOS’ AI-powered energy administration.
Connor Jewiss/Foundry
On a typical day of blended use – listening to music, 5G, video calls, and background sync left on – I ended with simply over 35% battery remaining. That’s spectacular, particularly contemplating the high-res 2K panel.
Charging is simply pretty much as good. Poco says the included 90W HyperCharge adapter can absolutely juice the telephone in round 37 minutes, with a 50% top-up taking simply 15.
In my testing, the telephone managed to realize outcomes virtually similar to this, taking simply a few minutes longer. For those who change out for an everyday 50W charging adapter you might need at dwelling, the cost takes a bit of nearer to 1 hour and quarter-hour. Thermal administration is powerful too, so charging doesn’t cook dinner the telephone – or your fingers.
Battery life is one other massive win for the Poco F7 Professional
That is the kind of battery and charging combo you’d anticipate from rather more costly flagships. It’s one other space the place Poco is giving customers flagship options with out the worth tag.
Software program & Options
Runs Xiaomi HyperOS 2 (based mostly on Android 15)
Contains Gemini AI and HyperAI integrations
Somewhat bloatware out of the field, however most of it’s detachable
The Poco F7 Professional ships with HyperOS 2, Xiaomi’s newest pores and skin that’s based mostly on Android 15.
HyperOS brings a extra refined UI with higher animation speeds, cleaner typography, and rather less litter, although it nonetheless feels distinctly Xiaomi. I like this UI pores and skin, though you possibly can actually discover the place the model has taken inspiration from Apple’s iOS.
Connor Jewiss/Foundry
You’ll discover a handful of pre-installed apps, together with a few video games and Xiaomi’s personal app suite, however most of them could be uninstalled. You anticipate this from mid-range smartphones, and the F7 Professional has lower than different units I’ve examined. Nonetheless, it’s a large bug-bear for me, so it’s value mentioning.
Poco is clearly leaning into AI this yr. Each Google Gemini and HyperAI are built-in throughout system apps similar to Notes, Calendar, and the digicam. AI summaries, transcription, and picture enhancement instruments all come baked in. You’ll get this from most telephones operating Android 15, but it surely’s good to see the deeper HyperAI integration.
HyperOS brings a extra refined UI with higher animation speeds, cleaner typography, and rather less litter
The one actual query mark is software program assist. Xiaomi has dedicated to 3 Android OS updates and 4 years of safety patches. It’s respectable, although not fairly up there with Samsung or Google, which supply six and 7 years, respectively, at this worth level. Nonetheless, it’s an enchancment over earlier years.
Value & Availability
The Poco F7 Professional is available for purchase now. The telephone was priced as follows within the UK at launch, however there are sometimes reductions accessible:
12GB RAM + 256GB storage: £499
12GB RAM + 512GB storage: £549
Color choices embody Black, Silver, and Blue. It’s not essentially essentially the most thrilling vary, however there’s nonetheless some flexibility to search out an possibility you want.
The gadget is offered to buy outright from the Xiaomi retailer, and can seemingly head to Amazon shortly. Word that there’s no availability direct from networks outdoors of Asia, and no availability in any respect within the US.
Connor Jewiss/Foundry
At this £499 worth, the Poco F7 Professional goes head-to-head with Google’s Pixel 9a and the Samsung Galaxy A56 (each additionally £499). However there are many different mid-range alternate options, together with the Nothing Cellphone (3a), which has a way more inexpensive £329 beginning worth.
Do you have to purchase the Poco F7 Professional?
The Poco F7 Professional is, as soon as once more, a flagship killer within the truest sense. It doesn’t attempt to do all the pieces – however what it does, it nails… principally.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 provides ridiculous efficiency for the worth, the 2K AMOLED display is just attractive, and battery life is top-tier. Add in 90W charging, IP68 water and mud resistance, and a few sensible AI options, and also you’ve acquired probably the most well-rounded telephones at this finish of the market.
Positive, the ultrawide digicam is primary, there’s some bloatware to take away, and I might like to see a brighter show that you could really use outside – however these are nitpicks within the face of what you’re getting total. With such an aggressive worth, I believe that the F7 Professional is likely one of the greatest worth buys of 2025.
For those who care extra about on a regular basis velocity, battery, and visuals than bleeding-edge digicam options, the Poco F7 Professional is the telephone to beat. Simply make sure that the costlier Poco F7 Extremely wouldn’t swimsuit you higher.
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