POCO F5 Pro

The POCO F5 Pro is a capable phone with flagship performance, the best screen available, and a triple 64MP camera system. What's unique about it? The F5 Pro won't cost you a fortune. But whether we recommend it? Lets find out here.

Best chip, best screen

POCO has built quite a bit of hype around the F5 Pro. Indeed, it is doing what OnePlus did before making phones that make other flagships disappear. It can't do that without using the best chipset. Inside the F5 Pro lies Qualcomm's latest and fastest Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. And with 8GB or 12GB of RAM (RAM), it will run its legs for you. For this, you get 256GB of built-in storage each time. The screen also offers the best of the best. 6.67 inches tall, WQHD+ sharp, 120Hz smooth, and 1400 nits bright. All top-notch.

Good but not spectacular cameras

On the camera front, the F5 Pro fails to match other flagships. The 64MP primary camera is fine, with an f/1.79 bright lens and optical and electronic image stabilization. The 8MP ultra-wide angle is still helpful with its 120° wide viewing angle. But the 2MP macro camera really can't; it simply adds too little because of its low resolution. Video can be shot in up to 8K but up to 24 fps. 4K does the F5 Pro with a higher 30 or even 60 fps. The selfie camera has a 16MP large sensor and otherwise not very exciting f/2.45 lens. It's neat but not spectacular.

Main POCO F5 Pro specifications

• 6,67-inch large DotDisplay with sharp WQHD+ resolution and 120Hz display
• 64+8+2MP camera system with 120° ultra-wide angle and macro camera
• 16MP selfie camera with FHD video
• Royal 5160 mAh battery with 67W wired and 30W wireless fast charging
• 5G and Dual SIM support (Dual Standby)
• Two speakers for stereo and Dolby Atmos sound
• Powerful Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor with 8 or 12GB of RAM
• 256GB of non-expandable storage memory
• Splashproof IP53 case

Software is Achilles' heel

POCO equips the F5 Pro with an above-average 5160 mAh battery—more than enough for a busy work day. Otherwise, there's 67W of fast charging. For this, though, you have to use the included charger. If you prefer to go through life wirelessly, charge it up to 30W. That's still faster than average. The POCO F5 Pro came out with MIUI 14 for POCO. A modified version of Xiaomi's MIUI software that runs on Android 13. All good intentions, but it looks cluttered due to the many features and apps. Another big drawback is that the P5 Pro falls in the same price category as 1-year-old flagships like the Samsung Galaxy S22 or the slightly newer Google Pixel 7, phones that do significantly better on the software front and offer more extended support.