Where the reviewers agree
- Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 delivers top-tier, very fast performance. — TechRadar, Tech Advisor, Android Central, SmartWorld, PC-Welt, Trusted Reviews
- Bose-tuned speakers sound excellent, full and loud. — TechRadar, Tech Advisor, Android Police, SmartWorld, Phonandroid, PC-Welt, Trusted Reviews
- Battery life is long, lasting well over a day for most users. — TechRadar, Tech Advisor, Android Police, Android Central, Phonandroid, PC-Welt
- Low-light camera performance is weak or inconsistent, with over-processing or night mode issues. — Tech Advisor, Android Police, PC-Welt, Phonandroid
Where they disagree
- Cameras are praised by some and criticised by others: TechRadar and PC-Welt call the rear or daytime cameras strong, while Trusted Reviews calls the ultrawide and telephoto underwhelming. — TechRadar, PC-Welt, Trusted Reviews
- Android Central says the cameras are much better than before, while Tech Advisor and PC-Welt find low-light results weak. — Android Central, Tech Advisor, PC-Welt
- Denim-style finish is praised as striking by some and divisive by others. — Android Police, Android Central, TechRadar, Trusted Reviews
Bottom line: Suits buyers wanting flagship-class performance, strong audio and long battery life at a lower price, especially with a discount. Trade-offs are weaker low-light photos, heat under load, bloatware and ads, and limited software updates.
Summarised with AI from the 8 reviews below — each one is linked in full.
What the reviewers said
TechRadar UK
4.5/5Aug 21, 2026A strong flagship killer with top-tier performance, excellent battery life, capable cameras and a standout Bose audio setup, though its denim finish is polarizing.
- Stellar battery life lasting well over a day
- Immense performance from Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
- Great rear camera system
- Bose-tuned speakers with subwoofer sound well
- Comfortable to hold despite large display
- Denim Blue finish is an acquired taste
- Front camera is not the best
- Chipset overheats during long gaming sessions
- Limited availability in US and Australia
Phonandroid FR
No scoreApr 18, 2026A strong performance phone with a unique three-speaker setup, bright screen, long battery life and good photos, with some drawbacks like heat and no autofocus on some sensors.
- Very loud, well-balanced three-speaker stereo audio
- Bright 6.9-inch screen with high peak brightness
- Strong performance for the price
- Very good battery life
- Fast wired charging
- Phone can heat up significantly, affecting performance stability
- No autofocus on some camera sensors
- LTPS-only display panel
- Ultra-wide camera weak at night
- Bass from rear speaker is limited
PC-Welt DE
4/5Dec 19, 2025A strong flagship-level phone at a bargain price, worth buying only if discounted below about 700 euros. Weak low-light cameras and software bloat hold it back at full price.
- Flagship-level Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 performance
- Excellent battery life for a two-day charge
- Very loud, full Bose-tuned stereo speakers
- Bright display with good optical fingerprint sensor
- Strong daytime main camera and telephoto results
- Weak low-light camera performance and night mode delay
- Heavy and thick at 220 grams and 8.3 mm
- Intrusive bloatware and wallpaper carousel ads
- Only four major Android updates offered
- Display lacks LTPO, minimum refresh rate 60 Hz
Tech Advisor UK
4/5Dec 10, 2025A flagship-class Poco with outstanding performance, speakers and battery life, marred by bloatware and weak low-light photos. Worth buying mainly when discounted.
- Stunning, unique denim-style design
- Excellent battery life
- Top-tier performance from Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
- Very strong speakers tuned by Bose
- Good daytime camera results
- Disappointing low-light camera performance
- Heavy, chunky 8.3mm body
- Intrusive bloatware and ads in HyperOS 3
- Only four major Android updates
- Slow 100W charging needs separate charger
Trusted Reviews UK
4/5Nov 26, 2025An ideal pick for media and gaming, with strong performance, a great display and immersive triple speakers. Battery life and cameras are weak points, but the value is strong.
- Speaker system with rear Bose-tuned driver sounds excellent
- Bright, vibrant large 6.9-inch display
- Fast performance, including when gaming
- Fast charging speeds
- Denim-look silicone finish will divide opinion
- Cameras, especially ultrawide and telephoto, underwhelm
- Battery life could be better for its size
- Software still needs some taming
Android Police US
6.5/10Nov 26, 2025Poco's most mature phone yet, with strong audio, screen and telephoto zoom, held back by software annoyances and camera inconsistency.
- Denim Blue finish looks gorgeous
- Bose audio with full, clean soundstage
- Big, bright 120Hz screen
- Versatile periscope telephoto zoom
- Long battery life for everyday use
- Intrusive notifications and lockscreen headlines
- Main camera over-processed; 5x focus issues
- Overheats during intensive benchmark stress tests
- Fast charging needs proprietary HyperCharge hardware
SmartWorld IT
8.5/10Nov 26, 2025The top premium POCO phone offers strong hardware, Bose audio, and excellent value during launch promos, despite a modest ultrawide and light software changes.
- Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 with strong performance
- Bose-tuned 2.1 audio with a third speaker
- Solid build with IP68 rating
- Fast 100W wired and 50W wireless charging
- Bright AMOLED display peaking at 3,500 nits
- Ultrawide lens has a limited field of view
- Speaker volume is not very loud
- Few new software features over HyperOS 2
- Some advertising inside apps
Android Central US
4.5/5Nov 26, 2025A strong flagship-tier all-rounder with much better cameras, a distinctive denim back and long battery life, offering excellent value near $700.
- Very fast Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 performance
- Denim-textured back feels great in hand
- Bright AMOLED panel with low minimum brightness
- Dedicated 5x telephoto improves camera versatility
- Long battery life with fast 100W charging
- Overheating issues under load
- No bundled charger in the box
- Software less customizable
- Lower-resolution display than predecessor
Verdicts, pros and cons are short summaries in our words of each publisher's review; scores are as the publisher gave them. Specs are taken from the reviews' spec boxes — where they differ, we show the value most of them give; price is the US launch price of the base model. Read the originals for the full picture.
