Xiaomi’s sub-brand Poco has traditionally focused on budget-friendly devices, yet its F-series pushes closer to the flagship category. The Snapdragon chip is complemented with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, ensuring impressive performance. Currently, only the Redmagic 10 Pro offers the 8 Elite chipset at a lower price, but its gaming-centric design might not appeal to everyone. Comparatively, Xiaomi provides a smoother software experience and promises four Android updates, a significant upgrade over Redmagic’s single-update commitment.

The F7 Ultra’s rear camera ensemble includes a 50-megapixel main camera with a fast f/1.6 aperture, a 50MP 2.5x telephoto lens, and a 32MP ultrawide lens, along with a 32MP front-facing camera for selfies. Although I haven’t extensively tested the camera, the initial photos I’ve taken are impressive. There is some noise, particularly when zooming beyond the telephoto’s optical limits, but the images offer good detail, dynamic range, and realistic colors.

The 6.67-inch OLED display has a 1440p resolution and max refresh rate of 120Hz, and the sizable 5,300mAh battery is supported by both 120W wired charging and 50W wireless charging. An IP68 rating means it should be durable too, though the panel is protected by Poco’s own Shield Glass, rather than the better known Corning Gorilla Glass.

True to form for Poco, the handset comes in a rather eye-catching yellow finish, though there is a black model if you’d prefer something subtler. Both versions feature glossy detailing around the camera, which I’m unexpectedly fond of. The end result is a phone that looks and feels slick for a Poco, especially since it’s slim at 8.39mm, though you can tell it isn’t one of the (admittedly more expensive) flagships it’s emulating.

The F7 Ultra is joined by a £499 (around $645) F7 Pro. This looks pretty similar, but uses the older Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. One upside is a bigger 6,000mAh battery, but it has slower 90W charging, and no wireless option at all. It also gets a serious camera downgrade: the main shooter is the same, but it’s only accompanied by an 8MP ultrawide and a 20MP selfie camera, with no telephoto at all. Both models are available now in the UK and Europe.