{"id":668026,"date":"2026-09-02T03:26:23","date_gmt":"2026-09-02T03:26:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/668026\/"},"modified":"2026-09-02T03:26:23","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T03:26:23","slug":"poco-f9-ultra-review-final-words-our-verdict-pros-and-cons-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/668026\/","title":{"rendered":"Poco F9 Ultra review: Final words, our verdict, pros and cons"},"content":{"rendered":"

The competition<\/p>\n

Poco is unfortunately not immune to the ongoing memory chip shortage and the resulting price hikes. Granted, the increase isn’t the most extreme we’ve seen, but it is definitely there. For reference, pricing for the F8 Ultra last year started at \u00a3749\/$729\/\u20ac830 for the 12GB\/256GB trim, with an early-bird price of \u20ac649\/$679\/\u00a3549. It is pretty hard to find trustworthy listings for it nowadays, but we still managed to find a few around the \u20ac650 mark, though we doubt stock will last much longer.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the F9 Ultra has an official MSRP of $799\/\u20ac1,099 for the base 12GB\/256GB version, with an early-bird price of $729\/\u20ac829.90. The 16GB\/512GB version will run you $949\/\u20ac1,199.90 ($799\/\u20ac899.90 early-bird), while the new 16GB\/1TB version commands $1,199\/\u20ac1,399.90 ($1,059\/\u20ac1,199.90 early-bird).<\/p>\n

\"Poco<\/p>\n

If we assume the usual price fluctuation logic still applies to the market in these strange times we are living in, it’s likely that the official MSRP will only stick for a couple of months before prices settle back down to around early-bird levels. At least we can hope so. So, let’s be optimistic here and set our threshold for competitors at around \u20ac850.<\/p>\n

By the way, one quick clarification – the Xiaomi Redmi K100 Pro Max<\/a> seems to be almost identical to the Poco F9 Ultra, just with an even bigger battery. It’s not really sold globally, so we won’t pay any attention to it.<\/p>\n

The Poco X8 Pro Max is probably the most obvious place to look if you like what the F9 Ultra has to offer but don’t necessarily need the premium features like the telephoto camera, the ultrasonic fingerprint reader or the BOSE subwoofer. The overall experience is otherwise very similar, while the X8 Pro Max comes in at a sub-\u20ac500 price point. That is a substantial saving, and it makes the X8 Pro Max particularly difficult to ignore.<\/p>\n


\n\"Xiaomi<\/a>
\n\"Xiaomi<\/a>
\n\"Motorola<\/a>
\n\"OnePlus<\/a>
\n
Xiaomi Poco X8 Pro Max \u2022 Xiaomi 17T Pro \u2022 Motorola Edge 70 Max \u2022 OnePlus 15<\/strong><\/p>\n

Then there is the Xiaomi 17T Pro, which arguably makes an even stronger case against the F9 Ultra. You do get a proper telephoto camera here, while the battery is only slightly smaller at 7,000 mAh. More importantly, for roughly \u20ac50 less than the F9 Ultra, the 17T Pro can be had with 512GB of storage. The rest of the experience is broadly comparable, so the combination of lower price and twice the storage makes the Xiaomi an especially compelling alternative.<\/p>\n

The Motorola Edge 70 Max is comparable to the F9 Ultra in many respects, though it once again misses out on a dedicated telephoto camera. The Edge 70 Max remains an interesting proposition thanks to its gorgeous LTPO display, large battery and the clean, lightweight software experience Motorola is known for. Those things alone could be enough to sway some buyers its way.<\/p>\n

\"Poco<\/p>\n

Finally, there is the OnePlus 15. It is slightly older than the Poco, but it remains OnePlus’ last flagship and is surprisingly competitive compared to the F9 Ultra. The display comparison is particularly interesting – the OnePlus panel is arguably inferior in a few respects, but it is LTPO. OnePlus has also scaled back its operations recently, which introduces a degree of uncertainty regarding long-term updates, servicing and repairs. Still, while stock remains available, the OnePlus 15 is well worth considering if you can find it at a bargain price.<\/p>\n

Samsung doesn’t seem to target this particular price bracket in any obvious way. Still, if you really want One UI and Samsung’s extended software support promise, then the Galaxy S26+<\/a> is probably your best bet at this price. Unless you are willing to shop for new old stock, for instance and get great deals that way, like the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but that’s a whole other bag of worms we won’t get into.<\/p>\n

Our verdict<\/p>\n

The Poco F9 Ultra is a very easy phone to like and a surprisingly difficult one to recommend without reservations. Those two things are not contradictory. Taken entirely on its own, this is an excellent flagship with very few meaningful weaknesses. The problem is that Poco already got so much right with the previous generation that the F9 Ultra feels more like a careful refinement than a transformative upgrade.<\/p>\n

There is certainly plenty here to be impressed by. The 6.9-inch AMOLED is one of the brightest displays we have measured and is an excellent panel in practically every other respect too. It is sharp, fast, HDR-capable and backed by Poco’s dedicated display processing hardware for gaming. The 185Hz headline figure relates to a rather niche use, but the actual high-refresh-rate handling is still excellent.<\/p>\n

\"Poco<\/p>\n

Battery life is arguably even more impressive. The huge 8,050mAh battery translates into superb endurance, and managing to fit that much capacity into a body that is still recognizably a normal flagship smartphone is an achievement in itself. <\/p>\n

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 remains immensely powerful, even if it is exactly the same chipset found in the F8 Ultra. Performance is certainly not something the F9 Ultra lacks, but thermal behavior is less convincing. The phone gets quite hot under sustained heavy loads and throttles noticeably. Real-world gaming should still be perfectly fine, but this is clearly not the best implementation of Qualcomm’s flagship silicon.<\/p>\n

The audio experience remains one of the F9 Ultra’s more unusual strengths. The symmetrical stereo speakers and dedicated rear subwoofer produce genuinely excellent sound with unusually convincing low-end response for a phone. The whole 2.1 setup may no longer be new to the series, having debuted on the F8 Ultra, but it remains distinctive in the wider smartphone market.<\/p>\n

\"Poco<\/p>\n

The camera system is similarly capable without being exceptional in any way. The new 200MP main camera is the standout, producing excellent photos at both 1x and 2x, with very good low-light results and some genuine extra resolving potential if you are willing to work with the huge 200MP files. The 5x telephoto is reliable and useful, while selfies are very good too. The ultrawide remains the weak link, particularly because it still lacks autofocus and falls apart somewhat in low light. Video recording is strong overall, especially from the main and telephoto cameras, and the Pro video features are unusually extensive.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere, the F9 Ultra checks almost every flagship box. Build quality is excellent, IP68 protection is present, the ultrasonic fingerprint reader works very well, connectivity is extensive, HyperOS 3 is smooth and feature-rich. We would have liked 6 GHz band Wi-Fi support and video output over USB, but neither omission is likely to be a deal-breaker for most buyers.<\/p>\n

And this brings us back to the awkward part: price. The F9 Ultra does improve on its predecessor, most notably with its enormous battery, brighter display and new 200MP main camera. The trouble is that none of those upgrades fundamentally changes the experience. The chipset is the same, the audio setup is essentially the same, the camera system is evolutionary rather than revolutionary, and the overall formula remains very familiar.<\/p>\n

\"Poco<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the asking price has gone up dramatically. We understand that Poco is operating in the same difficult component and memory market as everyone else, and this may simply be what smartphone pricing looks like going forward. We are just having a hard time adjusting to it. It is particularly difficult to ignore while some F8 Ultra stock is still floating around at old-world prices.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, there is very little wrong with the Poco F9 Ultra itself. It is fast, beautifully built and has an exceptionally long-lasting battery, superb display, excellent speakers and a capable camera system. It is one of the better all-round flagship packages currently available. But at \u20ac1,099 MSRP, it also asks you to pay considerably more for an experience that, in broad strokes, Poco was already offering last year.<\/p>\n

At the early-bird price, and especially once inevitable discounts start appearing, the equation becomes much easier. Until then, the Poco F9 Ultra is best described as an excellent iterative upgrade caught at an unfortunate moment in the market. We like the phone a lot. We just don’t like paying extra for things that feel so familiar.<\/p>\n

Pros<\/p>\n