Poco is making waves today with the launch of its first-ever “Ultra” smartphone, a move that aligns with its decision to pack the latest flagship hardware into the Poco F7 Ultra. Unlike its predecessors, which often featured last year’s top-tier chipset, this model steps up with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite.
Performance at the Forefront
The F7 Ultra is two generations ahead of the Poco F6 Pro, which housed the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. While the expected follow-up would have been the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Poco opted to leapfrog straight to the Elite variant. This offers a 45% CPU boost and a 40% GPU increase over Gen 3! Along with even greater performance gains compared to the Gen 2.
During the launch event, Poco introduced its first dedicated graphics chip for the device, the VisionBoost D7. Built on a 12nm process, this chip enhances resolution, generates extra frames, and improves HDR for games and streaming platforms like YouTube and Netflix. When combined with Snapdragon’s prowess, the F7 Ultra effortlessly runs Genshin Impact at 2K Super Resolution and 120fps without performance dips, even after an hour of gameplay. Thanks to LiquidCool Technology 4.0, which features a dual-channel system and a massive 5,400mm² heat pipe, the phone maintains optimal temperatures, reducing chipset heat by 3°C. For comparison, the F7 Pro caps out at 90fps on the same game.
Battery and Charging
Poco’s in-house Surge chips manage the F7 Ultra’s 5,300mAh battery. The Surge G1 optimizes battery longevity, ensuring at least 80% capacity retention after 1,600 charge cycles, while the Surge P3 oversees charging efficiency. Wired charging is blazing fast, with 120W HyperCharge reaching 100% in just 34 minutes. Prefer wireless? The 50W HyperCharge option keeps things cable-free while still delivering rapid top-ups.
A Camera Setup That Stands Out
The main camera is a 50MP Light Fusion 800 sensor, which, if you’re into the techy details, means it’s pretty decent in size and pixel size. And it’s got an f/1.6 aperture, so it should handle low light situations without too much fuss. Plus, they’ve thrown in optical image stabilization (OIS), which is always a good thing. What’s kinda cool is that you can switch between 35mm and 48mm focal lengths right in the camera app. It’s a nice touch for those who like a bit more creative control.
Now, the telephoto lens… this is where things get interesting. It’s also a 50MP sensor, but it’s a “floating lens module.” I know, sounds fancy, right? Basically, it’s got a native 2.5x zoom, which is pretty standard, but then it can also do a 5x zoom using some in-sensor magic. And, again, it’s got OIS. Oh, and you can even use it for tele-macro shots, getting as close as 10cm. That’s pretty neat.
Rounding things out, they’ve got a 32MP ultra-wide lens, which is your standard wide-angle shot, and a 32MP selfie camera up front.
Display and Build Quality
The Poco F7 Ultra sports a 6.67-inch OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 1440 x 3200px resolution. The display reaches 1,800 nits in normal usage but can peak at a stunning 3,200 nits. It supports 12-bit color depth, 3,840Hz high-frequency PWM dimming, and an adaptive touch sampling rate that jumps from 480Hz to 2,560Hz for ultra-responsive input tracking. Protecting this display is Poco’s own Shield Glass.
For the first time in the series, Poco has secured full flagship-level durability with an IP68 rating, a step up from the F6 Pro’s IP54 protection. The device is 8.4mm thick and weighs 212g.
Additional Features and Pricing
Poco rounds out the F7 Ultra’s premium package with an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor. This is an upgrade from the optical sensor on the F6 Pro, along with NFC, an IR blaster, dual-frequency GPS, and stereo speakers.
The phone is available in two colors—Black and Poco’s signature Yellow—and comes in two configurations: 12GB RAM + 256GB storage for $649 and 16GB RAM + 512GB storage for $699. An early-bird discount of $50 is available for those who order today.
