Xiaomi Xiaomi Poco F8 Ultra
Phones

Xiaomi

Poco F8 Ultra Reddit Verdict: Worth the Hype?

Mar 2026

Last Analyzed

8/10

Overall Rating

26

Positive Reviews

16

Negative Reviews

Summary

The Poco F8 Ultra has generated strong enthusiasm across Reddit, with most owners describing it as an exceptional value flagship that genuinely delivers on its hardware promises. The Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, massive 6500mAh battery with 100W charging, and unique Bose-tuned 2.1 speaker system are consistently praised as standout features that set it apart from anything else at the price. Sentiment is overwhelmingly positive among actual owners, though debate persists around the FHD+ display's color accuracy and the limitations of HyperOS. It appeals most to heavy users who prioritize performance, audio, battery endurance, and gaming over perfect display calibration or pure software experience. The EU/Global EEA version is widely recommended over other regional variants due to the absence of ads and better software polish.

Pros

  • Snapdragon 8 Elite delivers top-tier performance — users report 3.79M+ Antutu scores and smooth sustained gaming including Genshin Impact, Switch emulation, and PC game emulation at max settings with minimal throttling
  • Battery life surprises even skeptics: moderate users consistently report 2-3 days per charge with SOT figures ranging from 10 to 15+ hours, backed by a 6500mAh cell and efficient 100W fast charging that tops up the phone rapidly
  • Bose-tuned 2.1 speaker system with a physical subwoofer is genuinely unlike any other phone on the market — owners coming from ROG phones, Samsung flagships, and OnePlus devices call it a game-changer for media consumption and gaming immersion
  • Camera system earns consistent praise from real-world users, with many preferring its output over older Xiaomi Ultra flagships and finding the 5x periscope telephoto impressive; low-light and food/landscape shots draw frequent compliments
  • IP68 water resistance, eSIM support, IR blaster, and 512GB max storage make this feel complete for a sub-flagship price, with launch sale prices in the EU reaching as low as £447-£550
  • Runs the latest SD8 Elite SoC — same chip as phones costing 50-100% more — giving it genuine multi-year performance longevity for demanding tasks like console emulation and AI workloads

Cons

  • FHD+ display lacks advanced color calibration options out of the box — the hidden sRGB/saturation settings are not user-accessible without ADB commands, leaving users who want Samsung-level vibrancy frustrated until a software update arrives
  • HyperOS carries the usual Xiaomi baggage: bloatware, occasional bugs, gesture navigation locked to the stock launcher, and Google Assistant mic input broken in some builds — users recommend debloating via Shizuku/Canta or ADB
  • No LTPO panel means the display stays at fixed 60-120Hz rather than dynamically dropping to 1Hz during static content, which costs some battery efficiency compared to competing flagships like the OnePlus 15
  • No 6GHz Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 6 only) and no SD card slot are notable omissions at this price tier, especially with the F6 Pro having offered 1TB storage options
  • Battery drain under heavy gaming or sustained speaker use at high volume is noticeably faster than idle/moderate use — some users report the Bose subwoofer is a meaningful battery draw at max volume
  • Face unlock is 2D only with no infrared — works poorly in low light compared to 3D solutions on Apple or Samsung flagships, and the phone's large 6.9" footprint makes one-handed use difficult for average-sized hands

Owners Who Switched from Samsung Say They're Not Going Back

Multiple Reddit users who upgraded from Galaxy S22 Ultra, S23 Ultra, and S25 models describe the F8 Ultra as a clear daily driver upgrade — better battery, comparable or better cameras in real-world use, and a speaker system that makes the Samsung hardware feel unambitious. The main trade-off they cite is display vibrancy, not overall quality.

Is the F8 Ultra Actually a Flagship Killer or Just a Clever Budget Phone?

The Reddit debate centers on whether 'affordable flagship' means anything when MSRP can hit £750-€900. The real answer from buyers: launch sale pricing at £447-€550 makes it a genuine flagship killer, while paying full MSRP narrows the value gap considerably. The specs are unambiguously flagship — the question is purely when and where you buy.

The Hidden Display Settings Are the Phone's Biggest Unfinished Story

Community members have discovered that the F8 Ultra contains a hidden saturation and sRGB toggle buried in developer menus that Xiaomi has not exposed in the UI. Many believe this will ship in a future HyperOS update, and those who've accessed it report the display transforms significantly. Until that update arrives, users reliant on visual punch are stuck with workarounds.

User Reviews (42 of 459 analyzed)

147
0
Webchuzzr/Android17d agonegative

Am I going mad? Since when is £750/$1000 considered affordable?

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57
0
eidolonsr/Android17d agonegative

When many 'flagships' are £1500/$2000, they are speaking relatively. No, it does not change it for most people.

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38
0
Professional-Salt633r/PocoPhones17d agopositive

I disagree with the display — this display is the best for me since I love Accurate Colours. This device has the best accurate colors on the planet that I've ever used. Having saturated colors and advanced color tuning is good and it should be added on the settings, since display colors are subjective and personal preference.

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36
0
nb8c_fdr/PocoPhones17d agopositive

There's no catch. Xiaomi phones are cheaper because they contain ads, but it doesn't matter because you can disable them all easily. People nitpicking about the resolution are convincing themselves they can see pixels, which is just ridiculous on a 400+ PPI display. You can't even get close enough to the screen to see any pixels without your eyes losing focus.

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30
0
TheSkyline35r/Android17d agonegative

Impressive phone for a flagship killer! *Look at the price* 900€?? Wow ok, erg, I would prefer a last year flagship.

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22
0
martinhsar/PocoPhones17d agopositive

Three weeks of daily use and I am very happy with this phone. Battery life is the biggest surprise — with moderate use I am consistently getting up to 3 days on a single charge. The speakers deserve special mention; the Bose subwoofer setup is honestly unique. I do not think there is another phone on the market that sounds like this.

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21
0
Antonis_32r/Android17d agopositive

Pros: fast SoC, good camera setup, IP68-certified, excellent 2.1 audio system tuned by Bose, large battery with fast charging. Cons: no 6 GHz Wi-Fi, significant heat development under sustained load, no LTPO panel.

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17
0
map_paintingr/Android17d agopositive

IP68 with not entirely gimmicky subwoofer and 600 eur release price? Really cool.

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16
0
GhostwolfCYPr/PocoPhones17d agonegative

If you search reddit a bit, you can find the hidden sRGB mode that they apparently 'forgot' to put in the options. It gives the phone a more vibrant appearance and we are all waiting for them to put the option in an update.

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11
0
nppatil31589r/PocoPhones17d agopositive

Get Poco F8 Ultra blindly. They are best value for money right now if you get EU version.

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11
0
noobqnsr/Android17d agonegative

Almost no one buys Chinese phone on MSRP. They give it some ridiculous amount so when the sale comes, you go 'Wow, that's awesome savings.' It was £499 on sale.

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11
0
Ryujinniier/PocoPhones17d agopositive

Just wanting to point out the spec of the display is the same with the flagship Xiaomi 17 series that uses a new sub pixel arrangement so in theory it is similar sharpness with a 2K display but saves more battery.

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10
0
8barpressr/PocoPhones17d agopositive

I did not even notice muted colors until somebody mentioned and now I can say colors are not muted, just natural like on my wife's iPhone. I think we have just the opposite action to selling this phone — this is the smearing because this Poco model can seriously hit the popularity of such 'beasts' like OnePlus 15 giving that Poco F8U has better camera, same chipset, better speaker, still very big battery for much less money.

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9
0
illbleedForcer/PocoPhones17d agopositive

I've had the Poco F8 Ultra for a week now, and I haven't received any ads for anything. The camera works perfectly; I don't know what the Samsung Galaxy S25's camera is like, but I'm coming from a ROG Phone 9 Pro, and the Poco F8 Ultra's camera blows it out of the water. The battery lasts me more than a day without needing to recharge.

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8
0
KaMingyr/PocoPhones17d agonegative

I own it, and IMO, the only real catch is that the screen lacks advanced color settings that can be used to tune the display to one's liking. If you are not a fan of natural colors and greatly prefer vibrant colored screens like Samsung screens, then you will not like the 'washed' out look of the F8 Ultra that you will basically have no way of changing.

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8
0
MallIll102r/PocoPhones17d agonegative

0 screen customisation options, It's dull and not as vibrant as my S23 Ultra and it's not as sharp neither hence the FHD+ screen. It's annoying because everything else is great imo and I know some say the camera isn't flagship level and here I have to disagree, I am very fussy with my mobile phones and in my experience so far the camera is really good.

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8
0
sidneylopsidesr/PocoPhones17d agopositive

I have the F8 Ultra and the screen looks great, colours don't appear washed out, they do seem accurate. Do you have one and find it different?

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7
0
ginny_mer/PocoPhones17d agonegative

I barely manage a full day with moderate use. I guess it's a new phone, and a lot of background processes might be running.

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7
0
Beneficial-Truth1509r/PocoPhones17d agonegative

Software is the only thing that holds me from buying a poco phone.

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5
0
Viper51989r/PocoPhones17d agopositive

If you use your phone for music or just like good sound in general, there's really no comparison. I have probably 15 'flagship' phones and if I had to keep only one, it would be the one for that reason — and it has no real shortcomings minus some people not loving HyperOS and not as good software support as the big dawgs.

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4
0
y_tu_quiquer/PocoPhones17d agopositive

Maybe there is something wrong with my eyes but the screen looks beautiful. I come from an iphone 14 pro max and the poco f8 ultra screen looks better.

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3
0
dreforallr/PocoPhones17d agopositive

I've had it for a week now coming from a samsung s25 edge, and its very very good. the speakers are my highlight. battery life is much better than the samsung but maybe not as great as you could think. Third party launchers are restricted so one functionality i used to love (circle to search) only works on the default Poco Launcher. Performance is great obviously, I got 3.79million on antutu.

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3
0
ImYourWildNeighbourr/PocoPhones17d agopositive

My friend got a s25 ultra, i switched from s22 ultra to poco f8 ultra and this is by way the best phone ive ever seen. Its so ultra fast, 6500mah battery, 100w charges, extremely fast for applications and many other things.

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3
0
pokerapar99r/PocoPhones17d agopositive

Real-world battery life is outstanding — about 14-16 hours of SOT. I saw about 7-8hs of SOT for about half the battery.

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3
0
Worm_Nimdar/PocoPhones17d agopositive

It's about 10-12h of SOT in two days. I use it for Reddit, YT, audiobooks, navigation, Spotify, no gaming. Normally I recharge it everyday 30-80%.

View Original Comment
3
0
Salty_Ambition9185r/PocoPhones17d agonegative

The battery is a 6500mAh and not a 6000mAh... a personal consideration after almost two months of use I am a little disappointed by the battery even though I did debloat... I fear that the Bose speaker consumes a lot of battery.

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3
0
cliffr39r/PocoPhones17d agonegative

The OS is it. I really like the device itself.

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3
0
Snorli12r/PocoPhones17d agopositive

Photos and videos are actually very good for the price. In good lighting, photos are sharp with natural colors and solid dynamic range. Video quality is stable and detailed. Night shots are surprisingly usable with good exposure and controlled noise. It's not iPhone or Galaxy S25 Ultra level, but for the price point the camera setup is more than good and definitely not a weak spot.

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3
0
st-christianr/PocoPhones17d agonegative

I disagree with the battery. It heats up when using camera and watching YouTube videos and the phone dies in less than 10 hours and I don't even play games.

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3
0
Osmondor/PocoPhones17d agopositive

Phones been solid so far, few random bugs but rare honestly. Debloated and have it customised in a way I like and no ads. Battery is strong, I don't game but I use Reddit/WhatsApp heavily and I can get to the next day around mid day at 20%. I've also had days where I've had to hotspot for hours and the battery holds up well. Came from a Pixel, and it took me about a week to get used to HyperOS.

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2
0
stonkxr/PocoPhones17d agopositive

AccuBattery tells me I'm getting 15h 38m of SOT.

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2
0
Flossy420r/PocoPhones17d agopositive

I've had my Poco F2 Pro for 5.5 years because I never felt there was a phone that was as good in terms of value to me but once I saw the F8 ultra, I knew this is the correct successor. One of the features that really caught my attention is the speaker on the back, it really makes a difference and I was tired of how crappy phone speakers are, especially when it comes to bass, this phone is uncontested when it comes to that.

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2
0
Large-Ad6125r/PocoPhones17d agopositive

You can go, it's an excellent smartphone. The sound is amazing for a speaker, the battery you can make 48h easy and 15h of screen on. The only flaw is that the screen is bland, you can add a module for saturation.

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2
0
takeoutthebinr/PocoPhones17d agonegative

I hate the fact that it's only 512GB of storage when the F6 Pro was a TB of storage. Poco seems to give with one hand and take away with the other. Faster chipset equals less storage yay!

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2
0
Lopsided_Cabinet_856r/PocoPhones17d agopositive

The heat is minimal, honestly, compared to my previous F6P; you don't even notice it while gaming. I didn't really notice the color difference; often, bright colors like red bother me. It was a slight drop in quality but it was expected for the price.

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1
0
Zestyclose_Fix_5395r/PocoPhones17d agopositive

I have it for almost 3 months and the biggest problems are that it gets back scratches even with a case on and its OS is pretty bad, that's all. I compared its camera with iPhone 16 pro and poco wins, also poco has the best chipset.

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1
0
SoapHero117r/PocoPhones17d agopositive

Apart from the wide angle lens being not that wide, everything is good so far. No problems and way better battery life.

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1
0
stonkxr/PocoPhones17d agonegative

Issues I found: Can't use gesture navigation with 3rd party launchers. Device assistant functionality (Google Assistant/Perplexity Assistant) is broken because assistant can't use mic input 99% of the time even when permissions are fine. Clunky OS coming from One UI and bloatware. Size — the phone is ginormous and one-handed use is possible only for larger hands. Minor niggles overall though.

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1
0
Something2FunkTwor/PocoPhones17d agopositive

I just bought the poco f8 ultra (512gb with 16gb ram) with a 90w charger including from the uk mii store for £447, so at that price it's an absolute no brainer.

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1
0
IndependentJust1887r/Android17d agopositive

I just received it today and I'm very impressed — coming from a Z Fold6. This poco f8 ultra is next level, really liking it and missed a bigger phablet screen to type on. The battery literally lasts me all day and the 100w charging is crazy. The Bose speaker is outstanding.

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1
0
kaelthuzadr/PocoPhones17d agonegative

Most important issue: the battery. On idle it's fine and overnight on airplane mode loses just 1 to 2%. But once you start using the phone battery drops rather quickly. And god forbid if you put a game on you see the percentage drop noticeably fast.

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1
0
lirae_r/PocoPhones17d agonegative

My phone jumped to 40% more battery with custom rom and 10-15% more from stock HyperOS to Debloated HyperOS. Also your phone is brand new, so it makes sense to last a lot now. Check back in 6 months of usage. It's gonna go down.

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