Xiaomi Poco F3 review: Power smartphone for little money
The Poco F3 is the successor to the Poco F2 Pro and is based on the Redmi K40 this year, although the latter remains exclusive to the Chinese market. Therefore, the Pro model is no longer the reference, which is, however, also noticeably reflected in terms of pricing.
The Poco F3 still looks like a real bargain at a starting price of 350 Euros (~$426) for the lower storage configuration with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage and 400 Euros (~$487) for the model with 8/256 GB of storage. Mid-range smartphones are usually found in this price range, and even 5G support isn't always a given.
The Xiaomi smartphone also has a lot to offer when it comes to the remaining specifications and features a 120 Hz AMOLED display that promises up to 1300 cd/m² and an accurate color reproduction. In addition, there are dual speakers, a triple-camera setup, Wi-Fi 6, 5G, and much more.
Possible contenders in comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Drive | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
86 % | 05/2021 | Xiaomi Poco F3 SD 870, Adreno 650 | 196 g | 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.67" | 2400x1080 | |
88.6 % | 04/2021 | Oppo Find X3 Neo SD 865, Adreno 650 | 184 g | 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.55" | 2400x1080 | |
86.6 % | 07/2020 | Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro SD 865, Adreno 650 | 219 g | 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.67" | 2400x1080 | |
83 % | 04/2021 | Samsung Galaxy A52 5G SD 750G 5G, Adreno 619 | 189 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.50" | 2400x1080 | |
85.4 % | 05/2021 | Motorola Moto G100 SD 870, Adreno 650 | 207 g | 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.70" | 2520x1080 |
Case - With Gorilla Glass 5 on both sides
Despite its size, the Xiaomi Poco F3 is not too heavy, and it fits well in the hand thanks to the rounded back. We measure a height of 8.2 millimeters, which is slightly more than the manufacturer's specified 7.8 millimeters. This is increased by another 1.75 millimeters if the camera module is included, which is why the smartphone wobbles a lot on flat surfaces without a case on.
We like the build quality and are impressed by the even and tight gap dimensions. Twisting attempts produce a clearly audible creaking noise. Although the Poco F3 doesn't have an IP certification, Xiaomi has equipped the SIM tray with a rubber seal.
Xiaomi uses Corning Gorilla Glass 5 for both the front and the back. Unfortunately, the metal frame doesn't connect directly with the display glass, but the latter is surrounded by an additional plastic frame instead. Similarly, the physical buttons and the card slot's cover are made of plastic.
The smartphone's battery is firmly built into the device, and it can't be replaced by the user. The F3 is available in Deep Ocean Blue, Arctic White, and Night Black.
Connectivity - Poco F3 without an audio jack or microSD slot
Xiaomi's Poco F3 doesn't offer the option to expand storage via a microSD card, which should be taken into account when deciding on the storage configuration. There is no audio jack either, but at least a corresponding adapter for the USB-C port is included in the box. This operates according to the 2.0 standard and supports OTG.
Otherwise, the Poco phone is pretty comprehensive with Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, and an IR blaster. A notification LED is not available either but an always-on display is.
Software - Poco phone with Android 11 and MIUI 12.0
The Poco F3 ships with Android 11 and MIUI 12.0 for Poco smartphones. However, we can't identify any special modifications to the interface compared with the one for Xiaomi smartphones.
Besides Google services, the manufacturer also preinstalls numerous third-party apps like Facebook, Amazon, Tik Tok, and some games. Nevertheless, these can all be uninstalled. The display of advertisements after the installation process of an app or within the utility apps, such as when cleaning the system, is a bit more annoying.
The system's rigorous energy management, which sometimes kills background apps or prevents push notifications, is more likely to cause occasional frustration. You have to go into the settings and optimize this behavior manually in those cases.
Xiaomi doesn't provide specific information on its update intervals. However, an update to the upcoming Android 12 seems to be certain. The security patches are from April 1, 2021, and consequently up to date at the time of our review.
Communication and GNSS - Poco F3 with good positioning, Wi-Fi 6, and 5G
The Poco F3 supports all current mobile standards including 5G for mobile Internet access. The available frequencies are sufficient in Germany, and there are even a few more bands than necessary, but the Xiaomi phone is still far from being a globetrotter. The F3's connection stability didn't show any issues in the test.
The Wi-Fi module supports Wi-Fi 6 with MIMO antenna technology. This should enable high data rates, but the F3 falls short of expectations when receiving data from our reference Netgear Nighthawk AX 12 router. However, since Wi-Fi stability is excellent, this is hardly ever noticed in everyday use.
Networking | |
iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
Xiaomi Poco F3 | |
Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro | |
Oppo Find X3 Neo | |
Motorola Moto G100 | |
Samsung Galaxy A52 5G | |
iperf3 receive AX12 | |
Motorola Moto G100 | |
Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro | |
Oppo Find X3 Neo | |
Xiaomi Poco F3 | |
Average of class Smartphone (last 2 years) | |
Samsung Galaxy A52 5G |
Xiaomi is significantly superior in terms of positioning features, and it supports the major satellite navigation systems at least with dual-band connectivity. Outdoor positioning is very fast and accurate, and the smartphone can also determine its location well indoors.
The Poco F3 has to face a comparison with the Garmin Edge 500 on a short bike ride. Although a few deviations are still noticeable here and there on the smartphone, it's much more accurate than the bike computer.
Telephone and call quality
The Poco F3's phone app hardly differs from that of other Android smartphones, and it has a well-arranged design. The integration of SIP accounts is available, and it worked flawlessly in the test.
The call quality is characterized by a very natural voice transmission when held to the ear. Over the speaker, the user's voice sounds a bit more muffled and reverberates slightly, but the F3 also shows a satisfactory performance in this regard. Even when the speaker is about two meters away from the smartphone, they can still be understood quite well. Noise suppression works very well for minor sources of interference, but if it's a really loud environment, the noises come through every now and then, or the voice of the F3 user will even only be reproduced with small interruptions.
The Poco smartphone supports dual SIM (2x nano), VoLTE, and Wi-Fi calling, but eSIMs are not supported.
Cameras - Decent triple-camera setup
The 20 MP front-facing camera is now integrated into the display, but it's comparatively small with a diameter of 2.65 millimeters. The lens uses the full resolution and doesn't support pixel-binning. In daylight, the selfies are good, but lens flare can be seen when there is background light. The pictures become noisy quite quickly once light decreases, and the portrait effect also shows significant transitions in this case. Videos are recorded in Full HD at 60 fps at best.
The centerpiece of the main camera is a 48 MP sensor, which is likely the slightly older Sony IMX582. Good-looking pictures can be taken in daylight, but they are heavily sharpened and could use a bit more dynamism despite pixel-binning. In addition, Xiaomi provides an ultra wide-angle lens with 8 MP that captures details well in the center of the image, but it shows some fuzziness towards the edges and is prone to chromatic aberrations. A so-called tele-macro lens is also available on the spec sheet, which also takes up a lot of space on the back. However, we can't find an actual use for it, because both the macro functionality as well as zooming are managed by the main sensor; at least no difference can be noticed when the tele-macro lens is covered. A digital zoom of up to 10x is possible.
Videos are recorded in Ultra HD (30 fps) at best and don't have access to optical image stabilization. The electronic one is present and also makes itself noticed, but it also provides for more image noise. The autofocus works quite reliably, but audio is accompanied by a slight noise.
Image Comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
Wide angleWide angleZoom (5x)Ultra wide-angleLow lightThe main camera of the Poco F3 shows good color reproduction without too many deviations under controlled lighting conditions. Our test chart is captured rather mediocrely using the 48 MP mode, and it already shows minor blurring in the picture's center.
Accessories and warranty - Only a one-year warranty
The Poco F3 comes with a modular power adapter (max. 33 watts), a USB cable (Type-A to Type-C), a USB-C to audio jack adapter, a SIM tool, and a transparent silicone protective case.
Xiaomi only provides a 12-month warranty for its smartphone, which doesn't affect the retailer's warranty.
Input devices and handling - Fingerprint sensor in the frame of the Poco F3
The capacitive touchscreen is covered with a protective film out of the box, and it has good gliding properties. However, we like the Gorilla Glass 5 surface even more. Inputs are generally implemented very quickly and precisely.
Google's GBoard is preinstalled as the standard keyboard, but it can also be replaced with any other layout from the Play Store. A one-hand mode that reduces the display to between 3.5 and 4.5 inches is also implemented. In addition, various gesture shortcuts are supported, but double-tap to wake isn't available for the display. In return, the fingerprint scanner can be assigned actions that are triggered by a double tap, such as controlling the flashlight, taking a screenshot, or opening the notification panel. This also works pretty well in most cases.
The fingerprint sensor works reliably and with a pleasing speed in the test. Additionally, 2D facial recognition is possible via the front-facing camera, and although it's faster and more convenient, it's also less secure.
Display - Poco F3 with super bright AMOLED display and 120 Hz
The Poco F3 has a 6.67-inch (16.94 cm) AMOLED display that has a resolution of 2400x1080 pixels and alternatively supports a fixed refresh rate of 60 or 120 Hz, with the former being the default. However, this isn't quite as fixed, because the panel automatically switches back to 60 Hz after a few seconds of showing a static image in 120 Hz mode.
The Xiaomi smartphone doesn't disappoint in terms of brightness, and it achieves an average of 902 cd/m² with a fully white background and the ambient light sensor enabled. In the APL50 measurement with evenly distributed bright and dark areas, it even reaches 1,175 cd/m² in the center of the screen. This makes the panel ideally suited for playing HDR content, and it also supports HLG, HDR10, and HDR10+. Those who prefer to adjust the display brightness manually can use a maximum of 497 cd/m².
Due to its OLED technology, the F3 isn't immune to screen flickering. The amplitude curve is very irregular below a display brightness of 27%, and the frequency fluctuates between 163.2 and 490.2 Hz, which can be quite problematic for sensitive users, especially since there's no optional DC-dimming mode. If brightness is further increased, the amplitude curve is more even (454.2-520.8 Hz), and above 64%, the panel switches to a constant 120 Hz mode.
|
Brightness Distribution: 95 %
Center on Battery: 889 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 0.9 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 1.3 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
99.8% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.26
Xiaomi Poco F3 AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.67 | Oppo Find X3 Neo AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.55 | Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro Super AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.67 | Samsung Galaxy A52 5G Super AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.50 | Motorola Moto G100 IPS/LTPS, 2520x1080, 6.70 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Screen | -57% | -41% | -84% | -207% | |
Brightness middle | 889 | 758 -15% | 799 -10% | 744 -16% | 562 -37% |
Brightness | 902 | 753 -17% | 801 -11% | 749 -17% | 535 -41% |
Brightness Distribution | 95 | 98 3% | 97 2% | 98 3% | 90 -5% |
Black Level * | 0.57 | ||||
Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 0.9 | 1.7 -89% | 1.46 -62% | 2.2 -144% | 3.99 -343% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 1.9 | 5 -163% | 2.92 -54% | 7 -268% | 9.74 -413% |
Greyscale dE 2000 * | 1.3 | 2.1 -62% | 2.7 -108% | 2.1 -62% | 6.5 -400% |
Gamma | 2.26 97% | 2.27 97% | 2.237 98% | 2.06 107% | 2.174 101% |
CCT | 6614 98% | 6370 102% | 6003 108% | 6516 100% | 6882 94% |
Contrast | 986 |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
Screen flickering / PWM detected | 490.2 Hz | ≤ 26 % brightness setting | |
The display backlight flickers at 490.2 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 26 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting. The frequency of 490.2 Hz is relatively high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering. However, there are reports that some users are still sensitive to PWM at 500 Hz and above, so be aware. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. |
The black level of the AMOLED display is absolute, so that there is a perfect contrast ratio.
We examine the color calibration with the CalMAN analysis software. In the factory settings, reproduction is a bit too cool, and the rather large DCI-P3 color space is targeted. If you go through the trouble of adjusting it again (see screenshot), you get a more natural reproduction with very good Delta E values.
The Original mode uses the smaller sRGB color space, and it's often the better choice for Xiaomi smartphones when you want a natural color reproduction. However, this is not the case with the Poco F3, because the white balance has too much green, so the content looks sickly.
Display Response Times
↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
---|---|---|
2.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 1.2 ms rise | |
↘ 1.2 ms fall | ||
The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 7 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms). | ||
↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
3.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 2 ms rise | |
↘ 1.6 ms fall | ||
The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 9 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms). |
The Poco F3 can convince outdoors, and it benefits from its immense brightness reserves in particular. The reflections on the display are also kept within limits, so that legibility should also be assured on bright summer days.
The viewing-angle stability of the Xiaomi smartphone is very good. Although brightness decreases a bit at flat viewing angles, this isn't a problem in everyday use. The typical greenish shimmer of the OLED panel is also only discreetly visible.
A lot of performance with the Snapdragon 870
Our test device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 with 6 GB of LPDDR5 RAM, but the Poco F3 is also available in a variant with 8 GB of RAM. The 7 nm chipset is a refresh of the Snapdragon 865/865+. The Prime Core's peak clock speed has only been increased by 100 MHz to 3.2 GHz, and the Adreno 650 now also reaches clock rates of up to 670 MHz (SD865/+: 587/646 MHz).
This only results in a minimal increase in CPU performance, but GPU performance can certainly achieve a gain of 9%. The latter doesn't apply to the Poco F3, though, since the increase is lower, but the Moto G100 with the same SoC manages to squeeze a bit more out from it.
Either way, the Poco smartphone demonstrates a strong system speed and has enough performance reserves for all tasks.
PCMark for Android | |
Work 3.0 (sort by value) | |
Xiaomi Poco F3 | |
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G (9827 - 16054, n=15) | |
Average of class Smartphone (4761 - 21385, n=206, last 2 years) | |
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value) | |
Xiaomi Poco F3 | |
Oppo Find X3 Neo | |
Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro | |
Samsung Galaxy A52 5G | |
Motorola Moto G100 | |
Asus ROG Phone 3 Strix Edition | |
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G (10060 - 14315, n=5) | |
Average of class Smartphone (9101 - 12871, n=4, last 2 years) |
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 | |
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value) | |
Xiaomi Poco F3 | |
Oppo Find X3 Neo | |
Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro | |
Samsung Galaxy A52 5G | |
Motorola Moto G100 | |
Asus ROG Phone 3 Strix Edition | |
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G (60 - 142, n=14) | |
Average of class Smartphone (22 - 165, n=177, last 2 years) | |
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value) | |
Xiaomi Poco F3 | |
Oppo Find X3 Neo | |
Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro | |
Samsung Galaxy A52 5G | |
Motorola Moto G100 | |
Asus ROG Phone 3 Strix Edition | |
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G (171 - 233, n=14) | |
Average of class Smartphone (19 - 791, n=177, last 2 years) |
GFXBench 3.0 | |
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value) | |
Xiaomi Poco F3 | |
Oppo Find X3 Neo | |
Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro | |
Samsung Galaxy A52 5G | |
Motorola Moto G100 | |
Asus ROG Phone 3 Strix Edition | |
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G (59 - 116, n=14) | |
Average of class Smartphone (6.8 - 165, n=178, last 2 years) | |
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value) | |
Xiaomi Poco F3 | |
Oppo Find X3 Neo | |
Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro | |
Samsung Galaxy A52 5G | |
Motorola Moto G100 | |
Asus ROG Phone 3 Strix Edition | |
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G (96 - 142, n=14) | |
Average of class Smartphone (9.2 - 363, n=178, last 2 years) |
GFXBench 3.1 | |
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value) | |
Xiaomi Poco F3 | |
Oppo Find X3 Neo | |
Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro | |
Samsung Galaxy A52 5G | |
Motorola Moto G100 | |
Asus ROG Phone 3 Strix Edition | |
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G (33 - 95, n=14) | |
Average of class Smartphone (3.7 - 158, n=178, last 2 years) | |
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value) | |
Xiaomi Poco F3 | |
Oppo Find X3 Neo | |
Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro | |
Samsung Galaxy A52 5G | |
Motorola Moto G100 | |
Asus ROG Phone 3 Strix Edition | |
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G (72 - 99, n=14) | |
Average of class Smartphone (6.2 - 279, n=178, last 2 years) |
Antutu v9 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
Xiaomi Poco F3 | |
Oppo Find X3 Neo | |
Samsung Galaxy A52 5G | |
Motorola Moto G100 | |
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G (581322 - 716502, n=13) | |
Average of class Smartphone (102602 - 1650926, n=148, last 2 years) |
AnTuTu v8 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
Xiaomi Poco F3 | |
Oppo Find X3 Neo | |
Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro | |
Samsung Galaxy A52 5G | |
Motorola Moto G100 | |
Asus ROG Phone 3 Strix Edition | |
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G (573296 - 595585, n=3) | |
Average of class Smartphone (last 2 years) |
VRMark - Amber Room (sort by value) | |
Xiaomi Poco F3 | |
Motorola Moto G100 | |
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G (5042 - 8398, n=3) | |
Average of class Smartphone (1010 - 10071, n=14, last 2 years) |
UL Procyon AI Inference for Android - Overall Score NNAPI (sort by value) | |
Xiaomi Poco F3 | |
Motorola Moto G100 | |
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G (12855 - 18000, n=8) | |
Average of class Smartphone (207 - 84787, n=143, last 2 years) |
AImark - Score v2.x (sort by value) | |
Xiaomi Poco F3 | |
Samsung Galaxy A52 5G | |
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G (111838 - 123847, n=9) | |
Average of class Smartphone (1043 - 139804, n=54, last 2 years) |
Basemark GPU 1.2 | |
1920x1080 OpenGL Medium Offscreen (sort by value) | |
Xiaomi Poco F3 | |
Motorola Moto G100 | |
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G (79.4 - 83, n=3) | |
Average of class Smartphone (7.65 - 13860, n=54, last 2 years) | |
OpenGL Medium Native (sort by value) | |
Xiaomi Poco F3 | |
Motorola Moto G100 | |
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G (68.5 - 74.1, n=3) | |
Average of class Smartphone (9.3 - 9309, n=53, last 2 years) | |
1920x1080 Vulkan Medium Offscreen (sort by value) | |
Xiaomi Poco F3 | |
Motorola Moto G100 | |
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G (74.2 - 78.6, n=3) | |
Average of class Smartphone (7.51 - 15712, n=54, last 2 years) | |
Vulkan Medium Native (sort by value) | |
Xiaomi Poco F3 | |
Motorola Moto G100 | |
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G (63.8 - 69.2, n=3) | |
Average of class Smartphone (10 - 14706, n=53, last 2 years) |
Web browsing feels fast, but the Poco F3 is much slower compared to the Moto G100. Especially in Java environments, this translates into a performance drop of up to 35%.
Jetstream 2 - Total Score | |
Average of class Smartphone (13.8 - 351, n=167, last 2 years) | |
Motorola Moto G100 (Chrome 90) | |
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G (60.7 - 108.3, n=12) | |
Xiaomi Poco F3 (Chrome 90) | |
Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro (Chrome84) | |
Samsung Galaxy A52 5G (Chrome 89) |
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score | |
Motorola Moto G100 (Chrome 90) | |
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G (105.1 - 184.5, n=9) | |
Oppo Find X3 Neo (Chrome 90) | |
Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro (Chrome84) | |
Xiaomi Poco F3 (Chrome 90) | |
Samsung Galaxy A52 5G (Chrome 89) | |
Average of class Smartphone (66.1 - 104.3, n=2, last 2 years) |
Speedometer 2.0 - Result | |
Average of class Smartphone (14.9 - 445, n=151, last 2 years) | |
Xiaomi Poco F3 (Chrome 90) | |
Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro (Chrome84) | |
Motorola Moto G100 (Chome 90) | |
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G (51.4 - 77, n=12) | |
Samsung Galaxy A52 5G (Chrome 89) |
WebXPRT 3 - Overall | |
Motorola Moto G100 (Chrome 90) | |
Average of class Smartphone (37 - 304, n=118, last 2 years) | |
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G (94 - 155, n=13) | |
Xiaomi Poco F3 (Chrome 90) | |
Oppo Find X3 Neo (Chrome 90) | |
Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro (Chrome84) | |
Samsung Galaxy A52 5G (Chrome 89) |
Octane V2 - Total Score | |
Motorola Moto G100 (Chrome 90) | |
Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 89112, n=202, last 2 years) | |
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G (20543 - 41256, n=13) | |
Oppo Find X3 Neo (Chrome 90) | |
Xiaomi Poco F3 (Chrome 90) | |
Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro (Chrome84) | |
Samsung Galaxy A52 5G (Chrome 89) |
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
Samsung Galaxy A52 5G (Chrome 89) | |
Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro (Chrome84) | |
Xiaomi Poco F3 (Chrome 90) | |
Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=165, last 2 years) | |
Oppo Find X3 Neo (Chrome 90) | |
Motorola Moto G100 (Chrome 90) | |
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G (1055 - 1792, n=13) |
* ... smaller is better
The fast UFS 3.1 storage delivers a fast performance in the test, but it falls a bit short of expectations.
Xiaomi Poco F3 | Oppo Find X3 Neo | Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro | Samsung Galaxy A52 5G | Motorola Moto G100 | Average 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AndroBench 3-5 | 28% | 17% | -18% | 25% | 23% | 34% | |
Sequential Read 256KB | 1378 | 1738 26% | 1634 19% | 927 -33% | 1730 26% | 1602 ? 16% | 1468 ? 7% |
Sequential Write 256KB | 684 | 769 12% | 722 6% | 484.6 -29% | 717 5% | 778 ? 14% | 1078 ? 58% |
Random Read 4KB | 208 | 260.9 25% | 229.7 10% | 176.1 -15% | 253.6 22% | 244 ? 17% | 242 ? 16% |
Random Write 4KB | 170.6 | 251 47% | 226.4 33% | 179.2 5% | 252.9 48% | 245 ? 44% | 266 ? 56% |
Games - Strong hardware with software brake
We put the gaming capabilities of the Poco F3 to the test with GameBench. The Adreno 650 in the smartphone promises unrestricted gaming fun just like the 120 Hz display and the dual speakers.
In fact, the F3 also includes a small promo kit for PUBG Mobile, but it had already expired before the market launch, and it can no longer be claimed. However, the game runs very smoothly on the smartphone and even at 60 fps in the HD setting. Those who want to enjoy the game in its full glory will have to settle for 40 fps.
We're a bit disappointed with Armajet, because the F3 only achieves 30 fps here, although more should be possible both technically and in terms of the app. This is due to poor optimization and communication with the publishers, and experience shows that it will also affect other titles that support high frame rates.
Although the demanding Genshin Impact also runs smoothly at the highest details, it sometimes exhibits minor frame drops and other times greater ones.
Emissions - Good dual speakers
Temperature
The Poco F3 only barely exceeds the 30 °C (~86 °F) mark in idle usage. Under sustained load, temperatures increase over the entire surface, and the smartphone gets lukewarm, which is absolutely harmless.
The stress test immediately reveals the reason for the somewhat weaker performance in some benchmarks, since the SoC's performance can't be maintained consistently in either 3DMark stress test. Only minimal losses are visible in GFXBench. In everyday use, however, the performance losses shouldn't be noticeable, since there are more than enough performance reserves.
3DMark | |
Wild Life Stress Test Stability | |
Samsung Galaxy A52 5G | |
Motorola Moto G100 | |
Oppo Find X3 Neo | |
Xiaomi Poco F3 | |
Wild Life Extreme Stress Test | |
Xiaomi Poco F3 |
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 36 °C / 97 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 35.9 °C / 97 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.5 °C / 85 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
Speakers
The two speakers have a comparatively pleasing sound as long as they aren't turned up too loud. The higher mids and lower trebles in particular are reproduced appealingly, but distortion sets in quite quickly with higher frequencies. The support for Dolby Atmos should be added via an update.
There's no audio jack, but the adapter enables a low-noise output with a very good sound quality (SNR: 93.39 dBFS) via the USB-C port. All common audio codecs (SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX TWS+, LDAC, and LHDC) are available for Bluetooth.
Xiaomi Poco F3 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (89.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 28.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.7% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.9% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (17% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 6% of all tested devices in this class were better, 5% similar, 89% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 25% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 67% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Motorola Moto G100 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (85.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 72.9% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(-) | nearly no mids - on average 72.9% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(-) | nearly no highs - on average 72.9% lower than median
(+) | highs are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (121.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 89% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 2% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 97% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 1% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Battery life - Strong but not excellent
Energy consumption
Power consumption can be described as good for the most part. Only the activated communication modules draw a bit too much power from the battery.
The 4,520 mAh battery can be quickly recharged with the included power adapter. A full charge only takes 53 minutes, the 50% mark is already reached after 19 minutes, and the 80% mark after 33 minutes.
Unfortunately, wireless charging is not supported.
Off / Standby | 0.01 / 0.15 Watt |
Idle | 0.76 / 1.29 / 1.45 Watt |
Load |
4.6 / 8.87 Watt |
Xiaomi Poco F3 4520 mAh | Oppo Find X3 Neo 4500 mAh | Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro 4700 mAh | Samsung Galaxy A52 5G 4500 mAh | Motorola Moto G100 5000 mAh | Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G | Average of class Smartphone | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Power Consumption | -30% | -110% | -7% | -24% | -51% | -12% | |
Idle Minimum * | 0.76 | 0.92 -21% | 2 -163% | 0.92 -21% | 0.9 -18% | 1.23 ? -62% | 0.894 ? -18% |
Idle Average * | 1.29 | 2.38 -84% | 3.1 -140% | 1.78 -38% | 1.5 -16% | 2.17 ? -68% | 1.452 ? -13% |
Idle Maximum * | 1.45 | 2.41 -66% | 4 -176% | 1.81 -25% | 2.1 -45% | 2.49 ? -72% | 1.632 ? -13% |
Load Average * | 4.6 | 3.91 15% | 6.4 -39% | 3.86 16% | 6.7 -46% | 6.39 ? -39% | 5.55 ? -21% |
Load Maximum * | 8.87 | 8.13 8% | 11.6 -31% | 6.14 31% | 8.5 4% | 9.94 ? -12% | 8.23 ? 7% |
* ... smaller is better
Battery life
The Poco F3's battery runtimes are really good. However, the Xiaomi smartphone scores surprisingly poorly in the Reader's test, although it's still a good result.
In our real-world Wi-Fi test, Oppo demonstrates in an impressive way how more endurance can be squeezed out from a similarly large battery; the Poco can only outperform the Galaxy A52 5G in the comparison field.
Xiaomi Poco F3 4520 mAh | Oppo Find X3 Neo 4500 mAh | Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro 4700 mAh | Samsung Galaxy A52 5G 4500 mAh | Motorola Moto G100 5000 mAh | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Battery Runtime | 40% | 22% | 6% | 36% | |
Reader / Idle | 1562 | 1954 25% | 1917 23% | 2846 82% | |
H.264 | 918 | 1466 60% | 1052 15% | 1285 40% | |
WiFi v1.3 | 805 | 1127 40% | 923 15% | 710 -12% | 1049 30% |
Load | 329 | 286 -13% | 324 -2% | 302 -8% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict - Strong overall package with minor shortcomings
With the Poco F3, Xiaomi has once again put together a really strong price-performance package that mainly scores points with its very good display and high performance. However, the phone aspect hasn't been neglected either. The positioning capabilities are second to none, and even several flagship models aren't as precise.
The Xiaomi Poco F3 features a great display and a lot of computing power.
Battery life is also really good, but it lags behind last year's F2 Pro model. Performance isn't much faster either, but in return, the display is now capable of 120 Hz and 5G is on board. In contrast, compromises have to be made in terms of the camera setup. The main sensor isn't as modern as it used to be, and the exact function of the tele-macro lens will probably remain Xiaomi's secret.
Therefore, users who want a better camera and don't necessarily need 120 Hz or 5G might be better off with the F2 Pro, especially since it's just as cheap now.
Price and availability
At the time of writing, you can find both the 128 GB/6 GB version and the 256 GB/8 GB version on newegg for $384 and $419, respectively.
Xiaomi Poco F3
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08/31/2022 v7
Daniel Schmidt