I spent six months with the Poco F8 Ultra, and it delivers a mobile streaming experience ‘that simply can’t be matched by any phone of a similar price’

Poco F8 Ultra: Two-minute review The Poco F8 Ultra demonstrates what’s possible when performance doesn’t come at a premium.

Packing a top-end Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, a huge 6,500mAh battery, and a bright 120Hz AMOLED display, it's among the very best phones on paper — but it's Poco's photography chops and unique Bose partnership that set the F8 Ultra apart from other ‘flagship killers’.

A trio of rear cameras steals the show.

Poco phones (as well as those made by its parent company, Xiaomi) often sneak under the radar for photographic performance, but having shone in both day and nighttime environments during my testing, there’s rarely been any situation where the F8 Ultra’s cameras haven’t exceeded expectations.

What’s more, Xiaomi’s HyperOS 3 seems to finally be fulfilling its AI-centric potential, with genuinely useful photo features that allow beginners to fine-tune their shots to perfection.

The brand's Bose partnership sets an equally high standard.

While for many, the addition of a dedicated 1620 subwoofer in the phone's rear panel may seem like a token gesture, partnering it with symmetrical, dual 115F speakers quickly highlights how ‘flat’ other phones sound without external audio devices.

Bass is noticeable, and the overall soundscape is more than pleasant enough to enable most to ditch the headphones entirely, so long as the situation suits! While the F8 Ultra's design may bear a striking resemblance to that of Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro , that’s hardly a bad thing.

The phone feels superb to hold and rivals its most premium opposition for style, despite its huge 6.9-inch display.

The rounded corners, flat aluminum edges, and impressive thinness (7.9 or 8.3mm, depending on variant) help its size feel manageable, and it’ll quickly feel much like its more premium counterparts in everyday use.

The denim-like variant is certainly an acquired taste, but I grew accustomed to it quickly and, frankly, it feels superb to use.

Under the hood, the combination of a huge 6,500mAh battery and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset is stellar.

The F8 Ultra achieves all-day battery life with ease, all while retaining superb performance under strain from gaming or multitasking.

The only drawback: it does suffer from the chipset’s trademark overheating problems.