Xiaomi's latest affordable flagship smartphone - Poco F1 - is set to go on sale in India today. The handset will be available via Flipkart and Mi.com starting at 12pm. The Chinese manufacturer had launched the smartphone in the country earlier in August under its new sub-brand Poco. Led by Xiaomi's Lead Product Manager Jai Mani, the first smartphone under the Poco brand is set to take on handsets in the mid-range segment such as the OnePlus 6 and Asus ZenFone 5Z. The price of the smartphone in India starts at Rs. 20,999 and goes up to Rs. 29,999. The manufacturer had unveiled four variants of the handset in the market and they come with up to 8GB of RAM, Snapdragon 845 SoC, a 6.1-inch display, and more. Meanwhile, details of the Poco F1, including its price in India, launch offers, and more were already revealed by Xiaomi.
The price in India of Xiaomi Poco F1 is set at Rs. 20,999 for the 6GB RAM/ 64GB inbuilt storage variant, Rs. 23,999 for the 6GB RAM/ 128GB inbuilt storage model, and Rs. 28,999 for the 8GB RAM/ 256GB inbuilt storage variant. The smartphone comes in Rosso Red, Steel Blue and Graphite Black colour models. Also, the Poco F1 will arrive in an Armoured Edition with 'real Kevlar'. The price of this variant is Rs. 29,999. The Poco F1 variants will be available via Flipkart and Mi.com starting from 12pm IST today.
In terms of launch offers in the first sale today, buyers of the Xiaomi Poco F1 can avail a Rs. 1,000 instant discount by using HDFC Bank credit and debit cards. Additionally, Reliance Jio subscribers can avail up to 6TB of 4G data, alongside additional benefits of up to Rs. 8,000. Notably, the company will provide a soft-case bundled in the box, while an ultra-slim hard case priced at Rs. 399, and a Kevlar finished Armoured Case at Rs. 799 will be available separately. You can also purchase 'official skins' worth Rs. 299.
The Xiaomi Poco F1 is a dual-SIM smartphone that runs MIUI 9.6 out-of-the-box based on Android 8.1 Oreo. However, an MIUI 10 update is said to be coming soon. Xiaomi has also promised an Android P update. The Poco F1 uses MIUI for Poco, a customised version of MIUI that is said to be optimised for speed. The Poco launcher is said to appear closer to stock Android's UI and it also includes features like third-party app icon support. Xiaomi will also provide support for custom ROMs and will release the kernel in the next few weeks.
The Poco F1 is equipped with a 6.18-inch display alongside 2.D curved Gorilla Glass 3 glass protection. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor that comes with LiquidCool Technology. As mentioned, the smartphone comes in 6GB and 8GB RAM variants and bears a dual camera setup with a 12-megapixel Sony IMX363 primary sensor with 1.4-micron pixel, dual-pixel autofocus, and a 5-megapixel secondary depth sensor from Samsung. At the front, there is a 20-megapixel selfie camera that comes with HDR and AI Beautify features, with an IR light that powers the Face Unlock feature. The company claims that the AI camera is tuned especially for India, and has scene recognition features. The phone also comes with Dirac HD Sound support, with a Dual Smart PA.
The Poco F1 comes with 64GB/ 128GB/ 256GB inbuilt storage options, all of which are expandable via microSD card (up to 256GB) in a hybrid SIM slot configuration. Connectivity options in the smartphone include 4G+, VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth v5.0, USB Type-C, 3.5mm headphone jack. It includes sensors such as an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, digital compass, gyroscope, and proximity sensor. The handset packs a 4,000mAh battery with 18W charging support and Quick Charge 3.
Xiaomi Poco F1 looks great value for the price, but is there a catch? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.
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