Poco F3 vs. Poco F4: very familiar aggression [Video]

The Poco F3 was easily one of the best Android phones of 2021, but now Xiaomi has followed up with the Poco F4. What’s new, and is it worth upgrading over one of the best budget flagships in recent years?

Although not available in every global market, Xiaomi devices like Poco F3 and Poco F4 offer the perfect combination of hardware and internal specifications for most people. When wallets are squeezed around the world, high-quality Android phones without the high-end price tag are welcome. If you are wondering if the latest entrant in the Pocophone series is better than the previous model, here is everything you need to know.

Video – Poco F3 vs Poco F4: What’s new?

Subscribe to 9to5Google on YouTube for more videos

hardware

The Poco F4 certainly doesn’t look like a Pocophone in the traditional sense. It’s boxy, lightweight and, dare I say it, feels “cheap” compared to the Poco F3. As expected before the release, the Poco F4 abandons the comfortable look and feel of the Poco F3 which is a carbon copy of the previously released Xiaomi Redmi K40S. In the hand, the F4 certainly looks marginally hollow compared to the thick, gently curved F3.

Aside from looks and aesthetics, the two devices are practically identical across the board. The screen is effectively the same, as are the processor and battery capacity. Xiaomi has opted for a tried and tested approach rather than offering the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor here. This is probably the biggest disappointment for fans who are hoping to see a return to the flagship Pocophone. For the latest and greatest chip, you might want to take a look at the Poco F4 GT.

	Poco F3	Poco F4
size	6.67 inches	6.67 inches
Show	FHD+ / AMOLED / 120Hz / 410ppi / 20:9 aspect ratio	FHD+ / AMOLED / 120Hz / 410ppi / 20:9 aspect ratio
Slices	Qualcomm Snapdragon 870	Qualcomm Snapdragon 870
RAM	6/8/12 GB LPDDR5 RAM	8/12 GB LPDDR5 RAM
storage	128/256 GB / UFS 3.1.2	128/256 GB / UFS 3.1.2
battery	4500 mAh	4500 mAh
Biometrics	Power button fingerprint scanner	Power button fingerprint scanner
Colors	Polar White / Night Black / Deep Ocean Blue / Moonlight Silver	Gray Shade / Jade Mist

The FHD+ AMOLED panel has a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, 900 nits max brightness, and 1,300 nits peak on both phones. It’s identical and impressive as it was thanks to a pin-sized hole positioned centrally along the upper borders of the Poco F3 and F4. Elsewhere, color options have been reduced from four to just two. If you appreciate aesthetics, the Poco F3 is arguably the most visually appealing device here.

Programming

One of the problem areas for any Xiaomi phone in recent years has been the speed of software update. An example is the Poco F3, which just received the Android 12 update. However, due to Xiaomi’s strange build numbering system, Android 12 is known as MIUI 13. That’s a confusing naming convention, but you have the latest widely available version of Android ready for download.

Poco F4 launches with MIUI 13 on top of Android 12, and this includes all new privacy controls and improvements added with the stable release. Day in and day out, it is difficult to differentiate the two devices in terms of performance and the fact that you can run MIUI 13 across both phones.

Xiaomi has packed its outer shell packed with functionality and features including a neat sidebar for quick app access, but adding virtual RAM expansion may help with its long-term performance levels across the board.

Since both devices use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 chipset, there’s not much that you can’t do on an Android smartphone. Gaming performance is great, as is software fluidity since MIUI is a fundamental overhaul of AOSP.

	Poco F3	Poco F4
Programming	Ships with Android 11 and MIUI 12.5	Ships with Android 12 and MIUI 13
Features	Sidebar Control Center Enhanced multitasking Expand virtual RAM Optimum Storage	Sidebar Control Center Enhanced multitasking Expand virtual RAM Optimum Storage

You’ll get a maximum of two full Android updates on any of the phones and three years of security patches, but Xiaomi’s Angus Ng said the company is “trying very hard to get a three-plus-four update schedule”. It should be noted that this is not a direct external confirmation, but we hope that the updates are part of a broader agenda at Xiaomi moving forward.

The fact that one device is still running Android 11 immediately puts the Poco F3 at a disadvantage, but that gulf could increase if Xiaomi continues to push updates at a slow pace now that the Poco F4 has arrived. It is difficult to say how long Xiaomi will push updates for the duo, but the Poco F4 is the latest model, it would be difficult to say that it will be updated for much longer.

battery

Looking at the bar tale in battery stakes, the Poco F3 only edges out the Poco F4. In fact, the 20mAh difference is negligible in terms of battery life. You can achieve a full day of life easily, but when it comes time to charge, there is a distinct advantage in favor of a newer phone.

	Poco F3	Poco F4
Battery size	4520 mAh	4500 mAh
Charging speed	33 watts wired	67 watts wired

While you get a charger in the box for both devices, the Poco F4 has stepped up with 67W fast charging for the first time. This means from 0 to 100% in less than 40 minutes, which is about 30% faster than charging the Poco F3 at 33W. Unfortunately, there are no wireless or reverse wireless charging options on either model.

cameras

While the Pocophone series has never been particularly focused on the camera, the Poco F4 does offer some significant improvements in both the optics and the options available. The bump into the 64MP main sensor is noticeable, but the addition of optical image stabilization (OIS) means photos and video should be better than before.

The ultra-wide and camera cameras remain identical, but the selfie camera sensor has also been switched from a Samsung ISOCELL to a Sony IMX596 sensor. It’s hard to tell if there were major improvements, but both selfie cameras delivered identical 20MP photos.

	Poco F3	Poco F4
main sensor	Sony IMX582 48 MP f1.79 aperture	Sony IMX686 64 MP f1.79 aperture
secondary sensor	8 MP Ultra Wide Angle f2.2 aperture 119˚ field of view	8 MP Ultra Wide Angle f2.2 aperture 119˚ field of view
Triple sensor	2 megapixel macro f2.4 aperture	2 megapixel macro f2.4 aperture
front sensor	Samsung S5K3T2 ISOCELL 20 megapixels f2.2 aperture	Sony IMX596 20 megapixels f2.2 aperture
Camera hardware features	EIS PDAF	OIS EIS PDAF
Camera software features	double video VLOG mode cloning movie effects Short video night mode	double video VLOG mode cloning movie effects Short video night mode

Since MIUI 13 is available on both devices, the camera feature set is identical here as well. You can use dual video modes, add filters using VLOG mode, and even use the TikTok-inspired “short video” mode that limits clips to 15 seconds. This is the perfect way to quickly capture videos and share them directly on social media platforms.

Poco F3 vs Poco F4: Should you upgrade?

About the upgrade: 9to5Google It often makes specific recommendations about the product. Sometimes, we may suggest not to Upgrade, for various reasons including, but not limited to: increased device cost, negligible performance gain, or environmental impact. Whether an upgrade is always your call, but our goal is to help you make as informed a decision as possible.

The differences are so minimal between the Poco F3 and Poco F4 that they are in many ways the same phone. You’ll need to determine if faster charging and a marginally better camera setup are enough for you to consider upgrading here.

Although the changes are minor, they do not significantly reduce the Poco F4. It’s still a great device for those shopping on a budget. It lacks some of the features that the Poco F3 had when it was released last year and shows just how crowded the Android smartphone space is at this point in 2022.

---

Check out 9to5Google on YouTube for more news: