Poco F2 Pro vs Poco F1 - Worth the upgrade - Android

In October 2018, Xiaomi launched the Poco brand. The subsidiary was meant to focus on delivering the maximum smartphone for the minimum money. The debut device — the Poco F1 (or Pocophone F1 in Western markets) — arrived to rave reviews thanks in no small part to the $299 price tag and flagship Snapdragon 845 processor.

Fast forward to April 2020, the revived sub-brand released the Poco F2 Pro. This new device takes a slightly different approach. No longer are the specs the true focus. Instead, Poco brought in quality metal and glass parts, a couple more cameras, and a pop-up module to create a more well-rounded phone.

But at $499, is it worth upgrading from the F1 to the F2? Find out in Android Authority’s Poco F2 Pro vs Poco F1 comparison!

Poco F2 Pro vs Poco F1 hardware: Apples and oranges

The biggest and most important upgrade that Poco gave us with the F2 Pro is the hardware. Instead of a basic polycarbonate build, we’re treated to Gorilla Glass 5 and aluminum with more funky color options. There’s now a red power button, a pop-up selfie camera, and an in-display fingerprint scanner. These replace the big ‘ole notch and rear capacitive fingerprint scanner of the F1.

No longer does the Poco feel like a compromise when holding it in the hand. Instead, it feels as well made as any flagship smartphone, which is a huge jump over its predecessor.

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The switch to metal and glass isn’t perfect, however. Polycarbonate is far more immune to cracks and structural damage than glass. It means that one doesn’t feel the need to cover the phone in a case, allowing you to appreciate the design. With the glass and metal build of the F2 Pro, I’ve had the included case on it since day one because I’m worried about scratching and cracking it.

Most of the creature comforts that we liked about the F1 remain, such as the headphone port, IR blaster, and dual SIM tray. However, Poco cut the microSD card slot, which could be a deal breaker for some people. Neither device has any official water or dust resistance.

Continue reading: Bring back plastic phones.

Display: More big changes

The new display is another significant jump in quality. Gone is the shadowy, uninspired IPS of the F1. It has been replaced by a shiny new AMOLED panel on the F2 Pro. The fresh, uninterrupted screen is brighter, has much better color accuracy, and delivers more contrast.

Because of the larger size and the lack of a notch, the F2 Pro’s screen allows you to feel more immersed in a game, video, or movie, which I noticed after just a few minutes of playing Fortnite. If you’re a gamer, this is going to be a noticeable upgrade.

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The IPS display on the F1 makes its panel look outdated in 2020. The F2 Pro screen’s inky blacks and consistent lighting makes the phone feel more current and of higher quality.

Continue reading: 90Hz smartphone display test: Can users really feel the difference?

Performance: Now with 5G!

The Poco F1’s performance was never an issue. It’s still a great performing phone, able to run a plethora of games with very few hiccups. Yet, two generations later, the now top-of-the-line chip in the F2 Pro is quite a lot more capable.

RAM and storage configurations are almost identical. The only real change is that the 64GB option has been dropped with the F2 Pro to make 128GB the base model. Nice. This makes sense given the omission of a memory card slot on the newer model.

Thanks to the introduction of the Snapdragon 865 on the Poco F2 Pro, we now have 5G! While this might not be all that useful thanks to uneven 5G coverage, it should keep you up to date down the line. The Poco F1 does