Xiaomi's Poco F1 dethrones OnePlus 6 as India's highest selling phone above Rs 15,000

Before the Poco F1 released in the second half of 2018, OnePlus smartphones reigned undisputed as flagship killers, undercutting big brands like Samsung, Apple and Huawei without compromising on specs. But then came Xiaomi’s Poco F1, a whole new breed of flagship killer.

First launched at Rs 19,999, the Poco F1 undercut the OnePlus 6 by Rs 15,000. While Xiaomi did make a few compromises to the phone, swapping out the OLED panel for an LCD screen and opting for a plastic back rather than a glass back. While these compromises give the Poco F1 a less-premium feel, its what’s under the hood that really matters.

However, every detail about the Poco F1 you find on the spec sheet spells flagship; every detail but the price. And Indian audiences tend to agree; at least according to IDC. A recent tweet published by Poco India noted, “POCO Fans! We are proud to announce that, as per @IDC, POCO F1 is No.1 Smartphone in the online smartphone market of ?15k and above in Q4 2018. Thank you all for your amazing love and support.”

According to the latest report from IDC research, Xiaomi’s Poco F1 dethroned the OnePlus 6 as India’s number one selling smartphone above Rs 15,000 in Q4 2018. Xiaomi India’s Managing Director, Manu Jain took to Twitter after the announcement to taunt OnePlus, “Now it's settled! As per @IDC, #POCOF1 is India's #1 Smartphone in online smartphone market of 15k & above. The Champion of Speed doesn't settle for 2nd place. Nor should you!"

Jain further went on to compare the numbers of the Poco F1 and One Plus 6. In his comparison, the Poco F1 saw a market share of 22.4 per cent while the OnePlus 6 had achieved a total market share of 17.9 per cent.

And, Indian audiences have got it spot-on. The Poco F1 may make a few compromises, but it is the far greater of the two phones in terms of sheer value for money. For a price difference of over Rs 15,000, the OnePlus doesn’t offer nearly enough.

Xiaomi is also bringing a new dedicated game mode to the Poco F1 titled Game Turbo. This dedicated game mode will offer users a unique experience by enabling smart allocation of GPU and CPU resources, resulting in more fluid gameplay.