This Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 phone has a denim-like back and a Bose rear speaker

Xiaomi-affiliated POCO has been upping its game in recent years, and the POCO F7 Ultra was the firm’s first Ultra device. Now, POCO is back with the POCO F8 series, which consists of Pro and Ultra handsets.

The POCO F8 Pro and Ultra are effectively rebranded, global versions of the China-only Redmi K90 and Redmi K90 Pro Max. The Pro and Ultra devices only have a few things in common, though. Expect the handsets to offer 100W wired charging speeds, an IP68 rating, an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor, the same display brightness figures, and the Hyper OS 3 skin. Both phones also get four major Android OS upgrades and six years of security patches. However, it’s clear that the Ultra handset is the standout offering here, and not just because of the traditional spec sheet.

The POCO F8 Ultra stands out due to the Bose-branded triple speaker setup, consisting of a speaker at the top and bottom as well as a “tablet-level” subwoofer on the back of the phone. POCO says this enables 2.1-channel audio and “low-frequency loudness without distortion for deeper, more impactful bass.” The phone also gains Dynamic and Balanced audio profiles, with the former focusing on bass while the latter improves vocals.

This Ultra handset also differs from other phones thanks to a Denim Blue variant with a denim-like look. POCO says this is made from Xiaomi’s third-generation nano-tech material rather than actual denim. Xiaomi previously used nano-tech material in some Xiaomi flagships for vegan leather and soft-touch rear covers. Don’t care for this variant? Then there’s also a Black option with a glass fiber back and “matte-gloss” finish.

POCO’s Ultra phone also delivers some impressive core specs, starting with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and VisionBoost D8 chipset. This combo enables features like AI Super Resolution in five games (including Call of Duty Mobile, Genshin Impact, and PUBG) as well as Smart Frame Rate tech that seems like frame interpolation. Otherwise, the POCO F8 Ultra also packs the firm’s LiquidCool tech to keep temperatures low. Hopefully, this is enough to keep the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in check after some concerning initial results with other phones.

You should also expect a 6.9-inch 1.5K OLED screen, featuring POCO Shield Glass protection, one nit of minimum brightness, 2,000 nits in high-brightness mode, and 3,500 nits of peak brightness. A 6,500mAh battery keeps the lights on. This is a drop from the Redmi K90 Pro Max’s 7,560mAh capacity, but it still makes for a big battery today. Once you’ve depleted the battery, you can use 100W wired or 50W wireless charging to get back up to speed. Thankfully, the phone supports 100W wired charging over the PPS standard rather than via a proprietary protocol.

Otherwise, you’re getting a flagship-tier rear camera system. This consists of a 50MP f/1.67 main camera (Light Fusion 950, 1/1.3-inch), a 50MP 5x periscope camera (f/3.0, 10x lossless zoom, 20x AI-assisted zoom, 30cm macro focus), and a 50MP f/2.4 ultrawide lens. Expect a 32MP shooter up front for selfies and video calls. POCO is also offering positive and negative film filters, akin to vivo and OPPO handsets.

Other notable features include Bluetooth 6.0, Wi-Fi 7, and Xiaomi’s offline communications tech. The latter enables Bluetooth communication (e.g., voice calls) over more than a kilometer without cellular or Wi-Fi coverage.

Looking for a powerful smartphone but don’t want to pay for the Ultra? That’s where the POCO F8 Pro comes in. It makes a few trade-offs for a lower price, but still retains some welcome features.

Expect a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset instead of the 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC, for one. This is still an extremely powerful processor, and should have no trouble running the most demanding games and apps. The phone also offers Xiaomi’s LiquidCool tech to keep temperatures down.

Other core features include a 6.59-inch 120Hz OLED screen (2,510 x 1,156, Gorilla Glass 7i, one to 3,500 nits of brightness), a 6,210mAh battery with 100W wired charging, but no wireless charging.

The POCO F8 Pro has a capable triple-rear camera system, though, featuring a 50MP Light Fusion 800 main camera (f/1.88, 1/1.55-inch), a 50MP 2.5x telephoto camera (f/2.2, 5x lossless zoom), and an 8MP ultrawide lens. Much like the Ultra handset, you can also take advantage of newly added negative and positive film filters. A 20MP selfie camera is available in a center-mounted punch-hole cutout.

Like the idea of the POCO F8 Ultra? The new phone starts at $729 for the base 12GB/256GB variant, with early bird pricing of $679. Meanwhile, the POCO F8 Pro starts at $579 for the base 12GB/256GB option, with early bird pricing of $529.

Of course, this pricing isn’t really relevant for markets like Europe. Xiaomi’s Spanish site lists the POCO F8 Ultra at a recommended price of €829.99 (~$961) and a promotional price of €699.99 (~$810). Meanwhile, the F8 Pro is listed at €649.99 (~$752) and a promo price of €519.99 (~$602).

In any event, the POCO F8 Ultra might be the cheapest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 phone in Europe. So those on the hunt for a top-tier flagship Android phone should keep this device in mind.