Xiaomi’s Poco F1 (Review) offers jaw-dropping value for your hard earned money. After all, Qualcomm’s top-shelf Snapdragon 845 mobile platform will be almost impossible to match at a price point of Rs. 20,000 INR. Having said that, the Poco F1 isn’t a complete phone and we’d certainly not recommend all classes of users to hastily buy it.
If you are thinking what could possibly be wrong with Poco F1, here are a few pointers:
Reasons to not buy Poco F1
For all that’s good about the Poco F1, there are reasons why you might want to skip it.
- The plastic body looks cheap and uninspiring
- The display has an extra-wide notch and quality issues (ghosting, backlight bleeding, etc.)
- Lack of ‘Ok Google’ hot word support (could be added in next update).
- The phone doesn’t support DRM L1 certification and can’t stream HD content on Netflix
- The software has too much bloat pre-installed (more than 50 apps are there from the get-go).
- Users are complaining about heating issues on Poco F1 as well.
So, if any of the reasons mentioned above is a deal-breaker to you, here are a few alternatives you can consider. It must be noted that Poco phone spans a wide price range of 21k to 30K, and alternatives we have mentioned cover the entire price bracket.
1. Vivo V11 Pro and V11
The Vivo V11 Pro (Review) is one of the closest competitors to Poco F1. The Snapdragon 660 octa-core chipset powering the handset can’t match up to the Snapdragon 845 in terms of raw power, but it’s still good enough to handle all our day-to-day needs and even heavy gaming.
The Vivo V11 Pro offers an excellent set of dual rear cameras, has a splendid selfie camera, and looks a lot better than Poco F1 (even when the back is still made of plastic). The waterdrop notch may be considered as a bonus too.
You can also go for Vivo V11 that’s powered by a different yet capable Helio P60 chipset if you are looking for a low-cost option.
Pros
- AMOLED display
- Excellent design
- Excellent cameras
- In-display fingerprint sensor
- Dedicated card slot
Cons
- no USB Type-C port
- no stereo speakers
3. Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018)
To keep up with the competition, Samsung launched its first triple-camera phone, the Galaxy A7 2018 (Review) for a starting price of 23,900 INR (4GB RAM, 64GB storage). The handset looks more premium than Poco F1, and has a comparatively better quality AMOLED display.
Samsung has added a dedicated card slot and allows you to store apps on the secondary storage and app content on secondary storage. A 6GB RAM and 128GB storage option is also available for power users.
Pros
- AMOLED Display
- Ample RAM and Storage
- Dual SIM Dual VoLTE support
- An accessible side-mounted Fingerprint sensor
Cons
- Only mini version of Samsung Pay
- No fast charging
- Case cover not bundled in the box
4. Honor Play
Well, it isn’t only Xiaomi that’s dolling out flagship chipsets at cost. Huawei also passed on its Kirin 970 chip (that also powered phones like Huawei P60 Pro which costs Rs 65K) for less than Rs 20K with Honor Play (Review).
The gaming phone also comes with GPU turbo technology that can
Pros
- Battery backup
- Performance
- Metal build
- Good quality display
Cons
- Camera performance
Also Read: 10 Best Snapdragon 845 Phones To Buy In 2018
5. Nokia 7 Plus
Nokia 7 Plus (Review) is an Android one phone that’s powered by Snapdragon 660 and is the only phone in this list that supports HD streaming on Netflix and Amazon Prime.
The 7 Plus is a solidly built phone offers reasonable camera performance (Can’t match Poco, though) and should also appeal to consumers who are averse to the notch trend. It will also be the first phone in India to get Android 9.0 Pie update. Other highlights include 3800mAh battery, 6-inch display, and Dual VoLTE.
Pros
- Solid build
- Excellent performance
- Rear camera
- Pure Android software
- Can stream HD content
- Long lasting battery
Cons
- Hybrid SIM slot
- Big Bezels
- Selfie camera
6. Asus Zenfone 5Z
Asus Zenfone 5Z (Review) is one option you can consider if you planning to go for the high-end Poco phone variant.
The Zenfone 5Z has a relatively premium glass body design, a more vivid display, a remarkable set of rear cameras, and houses a long-lasting battery. Besides, the new Zen UI is a very affable custom skin. The Zenfone 5Z also offers dual speakers with NXP 9874 Smart AMP that fire Hi-Res Audio.
Also Read: 10 Best Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 Phones You Can Buy
Pros
- Great audio output
- Excellent performance
- Good quality display
- Reasonable cameras
- Good battery backup
Cons
- Hybrid card slot
7. Xiaomi Mi A2
Those considering the low-end Poco F1 variant should also consider the Xiaomi Mi A2 (Review). It doesn’t look half as lucrative on paper, but the practical experience is much better what you’d expect. Unlike Poco F1, it doesn’t feel like any run of the mill affordable Xiaomi phone in hands.
It looks and feels a lot better than Poco F1, has a comparable set of cameras, supports QC 4.0+ fast charging, runs lighter, pure Android software, and is a better contender for version upgrades. On the downside, the battery backup isn’t much to write home about and there is no audio jack.
Xiaomi Mi A2 lowest price and full specs
Pros
- Dependable performance
- Good cameras
- Stock Android software
- Quick Charge 4+ support
Cons
- No 3.5mm audio jack
- lacks a microSD card slot
- Battery backup
8. Realme 2 Pro
The Realme 2 Pro (review) costs significantly lesser than the Poco F1, but it’s still a comparable option. It flaunts a glass finish body with waterdrop notch, has a decent set of cameras, a long-lasting battery, and the 8GB RAM/128GB variant costs less than the base variant of Poco F1.
Sure, the Poco F1 has a better chipset, but the Snapdragon 660 powering Realme 2 Pro is no slouch and is perfectly capable of handling all our needs.
Pros
- Looks great
- Solid performer
- Battery backup
- Sharp display
- Dedicated card slot
Cons
- Uninspiring software
- Can’t stream HD content on Netflix
- No LED notification light
8 Best Poco F1 Alternatives you can buy in India
Poco phone is quite unique in itself and thus it’s hard to call any of these phones true alternatives (except for the Vivo V11 Pro, perhaps). Nevertheless, these are options that you can consider instead and not regret your decision. Depending on what matters more to you, of course.
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