Poco F9 Ultra: More power, more expensive, but not necessarily better in every way

With its 8,050-mAh battery, the Xiaomi Poco F9 Ultra is one of the longest-lasting smartphones. While its efficiency could be better, its battery life is still outstanding. The sound system is also impressive: two speakers, along with a subwoofer, deliver loud, powerful, and surprisingly rich sound for a smartphone.

The OLED display impresses with excellent color reproduction and a refresh rate of up to 185 Hz. However, the advertised 10,000 cd/m² is mainly impressive on paper; it’s only available for brief HDR peaks. In our more real-world APL18 measurement, the F9 Ultra actually lags behind the F8 Ultra (buy it here on Amazon). It also still lacks an LTPO panel. There’s no generational leap with the SoC either; Poco carries over the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 from its predecessor. Thanks to significantly improved cooling, the F9 Ultra maintains its high performance better, though it does get very hot under sustained load.

Ironically, the camera represents another step backward. While the new main camera offers 200 MPix, it has a smaller sensor and lacks the glass lens found in its predecessor. As a result, the F8 Ultra can deliver better photos, especially in low-light conditions. Even with four Android version updates, 1,000 guaranteed battery cycles, and a reparability rating of C, the device seems unambitious given a MSRP starting at around 1,100 euros. UWB, a barometer, and 6-GHz Wi-Fi are also missing.

The Poco F9 Ultra is nonetheless a powerful smartphone with outstanding battery life and unusually good sound quality. However, the hefty price premium makes the numerous small compromises compared to its predecessor all the more noticeable.