Poco F7 review – another impressive Android all-rounder

Months after the launch of the Ultra and Pro models, the Poco F7 is finally here. Why Poco decided to release the base model globally so long after the premium alternatives is a mystery, but it did, and given I was such a fan of the Ultra, I was keen to see how the two compared. Without spoiling the rest of this review too much, this base model equivalent isn’t quite as impressive as the much more expensive Ultra or Pro versions. That’s not the full story, though.

The Poco F7 is over $250 cheaper than the F7 Ultra, putting it firmly in competition with some of the best mid-range phones, rather than flagships such as the iPhone 16 or the Samsung Galaxy S25. At this price point, the expectations are a little different, and you can’t hold out for perfection. Still, as I’m about to get into in more detail, there are a few areas in which the F7 competes with some of its more expensive counterparts, making it quite an attractive proposition for anyone searching for a new phone for under $500.

Price and availability

The Poco F7 is now available to order via the official Xiaomi website. You can opt for either the 12+256GB version for $399 /£389 or the 12+512GB model for $449 / £429, though there are some early bird promotional discounts if you order within the first couple of weeks of launch. In terms of colors, you can pick between Black, White, and the limited edition Silver. For our review, we’ve got the 12+512GB version in silver.

Specs

Here are the Poco F7’s specs:

Performance and gaming

The Poco F7 packs a Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip, which, while still more than capable of running your favorite games, isn’t quite the same beast as the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip in the F7 Ultra. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a decent chip, and the F7 gets the most out of it, but it’s not in the top tier. As ever, I put the device to the test by playing some of my mobile gaming go-tos, namely Honkai Star Rail and PUBG Mobile, and the results were just as I expected.

At medium graphics settings in Honkai Star Rail, performance is pretty fluid, though there is some noticeable stuttering during animations and the transition from the game world into battle. Peculiarly, the game loaded up with high settings on default, but the gameplay wasn’t as smooth as I was hoping for, even after activating the optional Wild Boost performance setting. Still, that’s the sort of thing I’d expect from a flagship. Running on medium settings with consistently high frame rates is pretty impressive for a mid-range device, so I’ve no major complaints.

As with the Poco F7 Ultra and F7 Pro, the base model F7 comes with the Game Space app. I think it’s called Game Space; that’s what it says when it loads, even if it appears on the home screen as Game Turbo. The app serves as both a game launcher and a way to customize your performance settings, offering a pretty decent experience. It’s not quite as handy or intuitive as RedMagic’s Game Space, but it gets the job done, and I’ve taken to using it to check GPU and CPU performance using the handy identifiers at the top of the screen.

While gaming performance is a little middling in places, the F7 has no problem with the day-to-day tasks, including everything from replying to some emails to doomscrolling on social media. It also handles AI tasks pretty well, including Google Gemini, so it’s ideal to use as a daily driver.

If there’s one thing the F7 does have in common with the Ultra model, it’s that it can get a little toasty when you’re downloading and playing games. It’s most noticeable when downloading, and the phone got a little uncomfortable to hold during the mammoth install for Honkai Star Rail. Fortunately, it never got quite as warm while actually playing the game, and there aren’t that many Androids at this price point that aren’t going to get a little hot while running a demanding game like HSR.

Features and software

The Poco F7 comes with Xiaomi HyperOS 2, the latest version of Xiaomi’s Android 15 skin, out of the box. It’s not quite as user-friendly as Apple’s iOS, but it’s not as far off as previous Xiaomi operating systems have been, and it shouldn’t take too long for iPhone or Android users to adjust to the software. Setting the phone up is pretty easy, too, and you’re getting four Android updates and six years of security patches, which is a decent offering for this price range.

As with almost all phones in 2025, the F7 offers some AI features, though they’re not quite as all-encompassing as with other devices. For me, this is a good thing, as I’m happy to just have Google Gemini there, in case I really need it, and, as I’ll get into later, the AI Beautiful feature in the camera app settings is a little more refined, and therefore a little more useful, than equivalent software I’ve tried out on other devices.

My main issue with Poco phones on the software front is the bloatware that greets you on first loading up the phone. This time around, I was hoping it wouldn’t be as much of an issue, as I dismissed a bunch of suggested apps while setting the device up. Unfortunately, once I’d made it to the home screen, there was still too much for my liking, and it kills the excitement a little to have to spend twenty minutes clearing away the apps I won’t be using to make space for some of my favorite picks from our guide to the best Android games. It’s not a deal-breaker, but I’d love to see a little less bloatware in future phones.

Design

In terms of design, the Poco F7 is pretty no-frills for the most part, with elegant rounded corners, a sleek metal frame, and just a power button and volume rocker on the side. Like many phones in 2025, it looks a lot like an iPhone, except for the top half of the back of the display on the Silver edition that I’ve been using. This particular version of the F7 has big ‘gamer phone’ vibes, and I’ll be honest, it’s not really for me, but the black and white versions are a lot more subtle.

A big win on the design front is the Poco F7’s IP68 rating, which makes it as waterproof and dustproof as you can reasonably ask for. That’s the sort of IP rating you should expect from a flagship phone, but it’s a little rarer in the mid-range price bracket, so it’s a bonus as far as I’m concerned, especially as someone who lives in a country where it’s almost always raining.

Display

While I’m a fan of the Poco F7’s display, I can see it being a touch too big for some. Admittedly, there are plenty of phones with screens just as big as the F7’s 6.83-inch display, but these are usually premium models, such as the iPhone 16 Pro Max or Honor Magic 7 Pro. I usually expect a base model to be a little more compact, but that might be the Apple effect, and, like I said, it’s essentially the perfect size for me. Speaking of Apple devices, the Poco F7 has a 120Hz refresh rate display, double that of the iPhone 16, for a much lower price. If you like your gameplay smooth, that’s a pretty decent upgrade.

So, the Poco F7’s display is big, but fortunately, it’s big and beautiful. The AMOLED screen is ideal for gaming, and the Pokémon TCG Pocket cards I’m most proud of from my collection look lovely and vivid when on display. The screen is also dazzling, with a peak brightness of 3,200 nits. We were lucky enough to get a bit of sun in the UK during my testing time, and I had no problem using the phone even under direct sunlight, which is always a win.

Poco F7’s cameras

The Poco F7 comes with two cameras on the back, but the 50MP main camera, with its Sony IMX882 lens complete with optical image stabilization, is all I need. As you can see in the example image below, it’s capable of realistic-looking shots that offer high image quality and lovely details without too much noticeable processing. Like with most main cameras, it’s not quite as fantastic in low-light conditions, but for the most part, I’m very impressed. I’ve tested plenty of more expensive Android devices that I don’t think are quite as capable as the F7. Then there’s the 8MP ultrawide camera, which is fine, but nothing to shout about. It feels a bit tacked on, and nine times out of ten, you’re better off using the main lens.

Much like the main camera, the F7’s selfie camera is relatively impressive, capturing accurate shots that benefit from good lighting. I think it’s also worth saying that the AI Beautify feature is a lot more subtle here than I’ve experienced with similar features on other phones, and while it’s still noticeable, especially if you dial up the settings, it feels more like applying a filter than watching as you transform into someone with a completely different face.

Battery

The Poco F7 has a 6,500mAh battery, which is a pretty big unit for the price point. A sizeable cell doesn’t always mean fantastic battery life, but on this occasion, I’m pretty satisfied. In our testing, the F7 offered at least a day of charge, even with some lengthy gaming and video streaming sessions. While putting the phone through its paces, I managed to get about an hour of gaming out of 10% of the battery life, so unless you’re spending more than six or seven hours a day grinding in games like Genshin Impact or Marvel Snap, you should get by without charging until the end of the day.

Not only does the Poco F7 offer fantastic battery life, but when it comes time to charge, you shouldn’t have to spend too long plugged in. I managed to get from flat back up to 100% in around 45 minutes using the 90W charger included in the box. It’s a little disappointing that it’s not capable of wireless charging, but outside of that, the F7 is just another reminder of how far ahead Poco is of big names such as Apple and Samsung when it comes to battery life and charging.

Should you buy the Poco F7?

The Poco F7 is another in a long line of mid-range marvels from the Xiaomi spin-off brand, offering a stellar display, incredibly fast charging, and reliable performance in all the best mobile games. Admittedly, it doesn’t quite hit the heady heights of the Poco F7 Ultra, but it’s a viable alternative if you haven’t got that sort of money to spend.

However, there are a couple of caveats. While it’s not a problem for me and my Sasquatch hands, the F7 might be a little big for some. It’s also not quite the performance powerhouse that the F7 Ultra is, though I did anticipate that, considering it’s over $200 cheaper. All in all, this isn’t a phone that is really going to blow you away in any department, perhaps outside of charging speed, but it is a great Android all-rounder for the mid-range price bracket.

Alternatives

If our Poco F7 review hasn’t sold you, check out our suggestions for alternatives below.

Samsung Galaxy A56

The Samsung Galaxy A56 and Poco F7 are pretty similar mid-range Android devices, but if you’re used to Samsung, you might find the A56’s One UI operating system a little easier to get to grips with. For me, the F7 slightly beats out the A56 in terms of pure gaming performance, but if you’d rather pick up an all-rounder, this Samsung alternative might be your best bet.

Honor 400

Like the Poco F7, the Honor 400 is a little tricky to get your hands on in the US, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s got the best cameras of the current mid-range Android crop. The caveat here is that, like the A56, the Honor 400 can’t quite compete with the F7 when it comes to performance, primarily due to its slightly older chipset. If you want more details, be sure to check out our Honor 400 review.

That was our Poco F7 review. For more great tech while you’re here, be sure to check out our guides to the best gaming phones and the best gaming tablets. Or, if you prefer playing on a console, see our Nintendo Switch 2 review.