The gaming phones that always challenges boundaries! (With bootloops? Who knows)
Today, the POCO F5 series will mark its debut in the Philippines. Yes, just right after Lazada started removing their listings for many grey unit smartphones or official phones released in the Philippines but shipped from another country. We’re still hoping that the POCO F5 series make it to Lazada partly because Xiaomi and POCO have stores that are stationed here.
These two phones, the POCO F5 and F5 Pro all exhibit top-notch specs that can’t be beat. It’s aggressive price range easily makes these two attractive recommendations. We’ll be on the lookout for any critical issues such as the infamous bootloops which will be sourced from fellow POCO users and feedback from the Xiaomi community. The phones first debuted in the UAE.
POCO F5 Pro
As you may have guessed already, the POCO F5 Pro is the global variant of the Redmi K60 which is a China-only device. It uses the same design and is a direct upgrade of the POCO F4 Pro starting with the display which is now at a 4K (3200x1440px) resolution. This is a resolution only found on very expensive flagships. Even the Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus carry only FullHD+.
Another highlighted feature are the cameras. The first thing you’ll notice here is that the main 64MP Omnivision OV64B sensor has both OIS and EIS. Omnivision is pretty competitive in the camera sensor scene and used to be Apple’s contract for their sensors before they eventually switched to Sony. The company is a pretty big deal. By the way, for something that’s at sub-30K price, you get access to 8K video. It’s like holding a value-pack flagship phone indeed.
Of course, you don’t really expect much from the other two cameras which are just the usual 8MP ultrawide and 2MP macro. While the F5 Pro is now designed to be an all-rounder device, it’s still aimed more towards gamers, especially with the chipset inside…
…That chipset is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. A chipset made using a 4nm TSMC process and is paired with 8 or 12GB RAM and a choice between 256GB or 512GB storage? SD Card slot? Absent! 3.5mm jack? Also absent. Virtual RAM? Definitely present.
To really make those satisfying mechanical keyboard-like clicks, there is an X-Axis linear motor that makes haptics more interactive. Also, the phone has a dual speaker system with Dolby Atmos so you’re in for an immersive gaming experience. Can it handle Genshin Impact or even the new Honkai Star Rail game? Absolutely. Can it handle Tower of Fantasy? (Just kidding, who plays that anymore?)
It has the largest battery out of any F-series phone to date. Or at least that’s what the press release says. Inside is a 5160mAh battery charged via a 67W USB-C port or you can also go wireless and use its 30W coil. Again, the price is at sub-30K and you’re getting fast wireless charging to boot.
It has an in-display fingerprint scanner, NFC, 5G, Wi-Fi 7, and a dual nano-SIM slot. Price starts at PHP 26,999 for the 8/256 trim and all the way to PHP 30,999 for the 12/512 trim. Bonus! As the phone just came out, there’s the early bird promo. The highest trim is only available temporarily for PHP 27,999 and the lowest-end at PHP 23,999. If this isn’t your valuable flagship, we don’t know what is.
SPECS:
- 6.67″ WQHD+ (3200x1440px) Samsung E6 AMOLED, 120Hz refresh rate, Dolby Vision, HDR10+
- Corning Gorilla Glass 5
- IP53 dust/splash protection
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4nm)
- LiquidCool 2.0
- CAMERAS:
- 64MP (Main), f/1.75, OIS, EIS, Omnivision OV64B
- 8MP (Ultrawide), f/2.2
- 2MP (Macro), f/2.4
- FRONT: 16MP, f/2.45
- MIUI 14 for POCO based on Android 13
- 5160mAh, 67W fast charging
- 30W fast wireless charging
- USB-C, Stereo Speakers, Shoulder Triggers, X-Axis Linear Motor, In-display fingerprint scanner, IR Blaster
- 5G services, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 7, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, Dual Nano-SIM Slot
- Black, White
- PRICE:
- 8/256:
PHP 26,999PHP 23,999 Early Bird - 12/256:
PHP 28,999PHP 25,999 Early Bird - 12/512:
PHP 30,999PHP 27,999 Early Bird
- 8/256:
It is available via Shopee because Lazada still has some logistics issues.
POCO F5
The POCO F5, the vanilla variant, is also available in the Philippines. Lest we not forget that this one is just as capable as many other smartphones within its class but what stood it apart is the brand new Qualcomm Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 chipset inside which is basically just a slightly downgraded Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 and with decent pricing too!
Technically, the slogan is a bit of a misnomer. “Speed” originated from vehicles not phones. By “vehicles” we also mean the legs and not just automobiles or motorcycles.
Some of you may be familiar already with the phone as it is essentially the popular Redmi Note 12 Turbo launched at home. Unlike the Pro, this has a headphone jack located at the top.
As it is the Redmi Note 12 Turbo, it comes with the same characteristics such as a 6.67″ FullHD+ Flow AMOLED screen with a variable 120Hz refresh rate. Like the F5 Pro, the screen here is also protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and supports 68 billion colours for the right amount of colour accuracy. The name “Flow AMOLED” is a POCO branding for their AMOLED screnes similar to how OnePlus calls theirs “Fluid AMOLED”.
As mentioned, it uses the all-new Qualcomm Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 chipset which one would think looks outclassed by the 8 series. Beyond the name, this chipset is packing with serious specs that could put even the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 a run for its money. This chipset is clocked at 2.91GHz and uses an octa-core CPU. Qualcomm is yet to decipher the name of its brand new Adreno GPU inside. The phone comes with 8 or 12GB RAM and 256GB storage.
The cameras are less impressive. It uses a 64MP camera sure but it’s not the same as with the Pro. For instance, the camera sensor name is still unknown. OIS and EIS remains however so we’re speculating it’s a Sony sensor. The other two include the 8MP ultrawide and 2MP macro. Nothing to see here folks.
It uses a 5000mAh battery as well also charged via a 67W USB-C port. It lacks any sort of wireless charging this time around mostly to keep prices docked. It runs MIUI 14 based on Android 13.
It has 5G services, Wi-Fi 6/6e, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, and a dual nano-SIM slot. In ports, you have a USB-C port, a 3.5mm jack, stereo speakers, and an IR Blaster.
Colours include White, Black, and Blue (official names pending) and its price starts at PHP 20,999 and the phone is also given the Early Bird treatment.
SPECS:
- 6.67″ FullHD+ (2400x1080px) AMOLED, 120Hz refresh rate, Dolby Vision
- Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection
- IP54 dust/splash resistance
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 (4nm, TSMC)
- LiquidCool 2.0 cooling system
- CAMERAS:
- 64MP (Primary), f/1.79, EIS, OIS
- 8MP (Ultrawide), f/2.2
- 2MP (Macro), f/2.4
- FRONT: 16MP, f/2.45
- MIUI 14 based on Android 13
- 5000mAh, 67W fast charging
- USB-C, 3.5mm jack, IR Blaster, In-display fingerprint sensor, MicroSD Card Slot, Stereo Speakers, Dolby Atmos
- 5G services, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 6/6e, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC
- White, Blue, Black
- PRICE:
- 8/256:
PHP 20,999PHP 18,299 Early Bird - 12/256:
PHP 22,999PHP 20,999 Early Bird
- 8/256:
The POCO F5 is available for purchase on Shopee as well.
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