Poco F7 Pro Mid Range Gaming Powerhouse

Finding the perfect balance between performance and affordability can be a daunting task. Enter the Poco F7 Pro, a device that's making waves in the mid range market with its impressive gaming capabilities and media credentials. Priced at a competitive £500, this phone is positioning itself as a serious contender against more expensive options. But is it worth your hard earned cash? Let's make a comprehensive review of the Poco F7 Pro and see if it lives up to the hype.

Design Familiar Yet Refined

At first glance, the Poco F7 Pro bears a striking resemblance to its pricier sibling, the Poco F7 Ultra. However, upon closer inspection, subtle differences emerge. The F7 Pro forgoes the Ultra's gold trim around the camera bump and opts for a completely flat back, as opposed to the Ultra's slightly curved edges. While this might impact comfort slightly, it's a minor trade off for the price difference.

The phone features slim bezels surrounding its nearly 6.7 inch display, giving it a modern and sleek appearance. Poco has wisely retained the metal frame, lending the device a premium feel that belies its mid range price point. The back of the phone sports a two toned glass finish, which, while divisive, offers a unique aesthetic.

Available in black, silver, and blue, the F7 Pro caters to different tastes. The matte finish on the lower portion of the back is particularly praiseworthy, effectively repelling fingerprints and smudges.

Durability and Security

Poco hasn't skimped on protection, equipping the F7 Pro with Gorilla Glass 7i on the front, complemented by a pre applied screen protector. The phone also boasts an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, providing peace of mind for everyday use.

One standout feature is the inclusion of an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, a rarity in this price range. This technology offers superior performance compared to optical sensors, maintaining accuracy even when your hands are dry, moist, or slightly dirty.

HyperOS with a Side of Bloatware

The Poco F7 Pro runs on Xiaomi's HyperOS version 2, built on top of Android 15. Poco promises four Android OS updates and six years of security patches, demonstrating a commitment to long term support.

Software experience isn't without its quirks. HyperOS, while an improvement over the older MIUI, still comes with a significant amount of pre installed apps. Users will need to dedicate some time to uninstalling unwanted applications. Additionally, some users may find the system's aggressive background app management frustrating, requiring manual adjustments to ensure proper notification delivery.

Gaming Glory and Performance

At the heart of the Poco F7 Pro lies the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, paired with 12GB of RAM in the UK model. This combination delivers flagship level performance, especially in gaming scenarios. The phone handles demanding titles with ease, maintaining smooth frame rates even at high graphics settings.

The inclusion of Poco's Wild Boost mode and a liquid cooling system ensures sustained performance during extended gaming sessions without excessive heat buildup.

A Feast for the Senses  from Display and Audio

The F7 Pro boasts a 6.67 inch AMOLED display with a crisp 3200x1440 pixel resolution. Supporting HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, the screen offers vibrant colors and deep blacks. With a peak brightness of 1,800 nits, outdoor visibility is excellent, even in direct sunlight.

The display's 120Hz refresh rate ensures smooth scrolling and responsive touch input. Poco also provides various color calibration options to suit individual preferences.

Audio performance is equally impressive, with stereo speakers delivering loud, clear sound with respectable bass. Bluetooth connectivity for wireless audio has been reliable in testing.

Battery Life Endurance Champ

One of the Poco F7 Pro's standout features is its exceptional battery life. Equipped with a massive 6,000mAh battery, the phone easily lasts through a day of heavy use, with many users reporting 40% or more charge remaining at bedtime.

Even with intensive gaming sessions, the F7 Pro holds its own, typically losing around 25% charge per hour of high performance gaming. For those rare occasions when you do run low, the 80W fast charging support can replenish the battery from empty to full in approximately 40 minutes.

Camera System Capable, but with Limitations

The Poco F7 Pro features a 50 megapixel main camera using the Light Fusion 800 sensor, delivering good results in various lighting conditions. The camera handles HDR scenes well and produces images with accurate colors and sufficient detail.

The phone's camera system falls short in versatility compared to some competitors. The secondary camera is a basic 8 megapixel ultra wide shooter, and there's no dedicated telephoto lens. This limitation means that zoom capabilities rely on digital cropping, which can result in a loss of quality at higher zoom levels.

Video capabilities are solid, with support for up to 8K recording at 24fps, or 4K at 60fps. The inclusion of a  Director Mode  offers manual controls for more advanced users, including the ability to record in LOG format for post processing.

A Mid Range Marvel with Minor Compromises

The Poco F7 Pro emerges as a compelling option in the mid range smartphone market. It excels in key areas such as performance, battery life, and display quality, offering features typically found in more expensive devices. The phone's gaming capabilities are particularly impressive, making it an excellent choice for mobile gaming enthusiasts.

Potential buyers should consider the limitations of the camera system, the absence of wireless charging, and the quirks of HyperOS. For those who can overlook these minor drawbacks, the Poco F7 Pro represents excellent value for money, delivering a near flagship experience at a mid range price point.

If you're in the market for a powerful, long lasting smartphone that won't break the bank, the Poco F7 Pro deserves a spot on your shortlist. It successfully bridges the gap between mid range affordability and high end performance, making it a standout option in an increasingly crowded market.