Before talking about the all-new Poco F7, let’s roll back a little and remember the first F-series phone from Poco. It was a hit and the world still remembers it by many names – flagship killer, PUBG phone and so on. But, all of that came from one major factor – the power-packed nature of the phone. And, everything happened almost 7 years ago. But the phone offered the Snapdragon 845 – the flagship chip – of the year.
Fast forward to 2025 – the Poco F7 is here – and Poco says it has stuck to the core philosophy of the OG F-series phone— offering the best cost-to-performance ratio. It certainly feels that way as the phone is powered by the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip – the second flagship Qualcomm has to offer.
But, then there’s some more to the story – the all-new dual-tone design language – that speaks for itself.
I have been using the Poco F7 for almost a month now and after several BGMI matches and CoD Mobile marathons, here is how it performed:
Bold yet subtle design is something that I like
Being a gamer head, the Poco F7 became an instant favourite to me. It’s new dual-tone design language with gamer-like things going on the top diagonal half of the phone and the rest is subtle and smooth like a premium device. But, it may not appeal to everyone. People who feel – less is more – can sway away from it. However, adding a simple case will solve this design worries.
Talking about hand-feel, it is a 222 gram phone – not too light, not too heavy. But, you’ll feel it in your pocket and in your hand – it has got that substantial feel to it.
Next up is the protection – the front and back both have Corning Gorilla Glass 7i and it is a good thing considering the price tag of the phone and is also first in the segment. There’s more – it also comes with IP66, IP68, and IP69 ratings that ensure resistance against dust and water, making it a rare breed in mid-range Android phones.
So, buttons, speakers, and everything else are where they should be and their placements are done right – speakers don’t get covered when holding the F7 in landscape, the buttons are well within reach – in both the orientations.
Moving on to the display, the 6.83-inch AMOLED display is big and has good overall viewing angles, colours and contrast levels. However, it is not an LTPO, which means you won’t get variable refresh rates down to 1Hz, but the 120Hz panel is fluid enough for most scenarios. Watching Dolby Vision content on OTT platforms is a treat, and the stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos complete the experience. I found myself using the phone more for content consumption than usual.
But, Poco F7 is also aimed at gamers and this is where the 120Hz panel shines. It is smooth, bright enough to make everything clearly visible on the screen. Overall, gaming experience is on point here.
Poco F7 is a powerhouse – Just like the OG Poco F1
Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 – the name should be enough for most people to understand the level of performance the F7 packs. It has 12GB of LPDDR5X which is low power consuming and also fast enough. The storage is also UFS 4.1 – one of the fastest you can get. Both combined, delivers an overall smooth performance. Apps load up in a blink, animations feel smooth and even jumping from one app to another is a smooth operation.
I put it to the test with several games that include Genshin Impact, CoD Mobile, BGMI, Free Fire Max, Asphalt Legends and some lightweight titles.
Titles like Genshin Impact and Call of Duty: Mobile ran at high settings without any noticeable frame drops. POCO’s Wild Boost 4.0 gaming optimisation and vapour chamber cooling do their job well. There’s also bypass charging, which allows you to power the phone without heating it up during gaming sessions — something I found useful when playing for longer durations. Lightweight titles – well, don’t worry about them at all.
What’s really refreshing is POCO’s promise of longevity. The F7 ships with HyperOS based on Android 14 and will receive four years of OS updates and six years of security patches. For a phone priced under Rs 30,000, that’s a strong commitment. However, I still feel that Poco should have launched the F7 with Android 15.
But, it is HyperOS after all and the biggest issue is the preloaded apps and services – more than 60. That’s a lot of apps. But, the good part is most of them can be removed, the bad thing is you’ll have to do it on your own.
A camera that gets the job done
If there’s one department where the POCO F7 leaves something to be desired, it’s the camera. On paper, the 64MP rear sensor with OIS sounds promising. In practice, daylight photos are decent but lack the sharpness and dynamic range seen in some competitors. Portrait mode struggles with edge detection, especially when dealing with complex backgrounds. Low-light performance is acceptable, but nothing stands out.
The 13MP front camera gets the job done for selfies and video calls, though skin tones sometimes come out inconsistent. The camera app is feature-rich, but the overall image processing could use more polish. This phone isn’t for photography enthusiasts, but it’ll suffice for casual shots.
Update brings camera improvements
The latest OS2.0.102.0 update significantly enhances the Poco F7’s camera performance. Photos now show more natural skin tones, improved facial sharpness, and realistic greens in outdoor scenes. Detail retention has improved across lighting conditions, with portraits offering better facial contrast. HDR has also been fine-tuned, resulting in better highlight control and reduced overexposure. These refinements make everyday photography more consistent and visually appealing. While low-light shots remain decent, the real gain is in how balanced and true-to-life the images now appear. Overall, the update brings meaningful improvements to the Poco F7’s already capable camera system.
Battery that can go to lengths
The POCO F7’s biggest strength, quite literally, is its 7,550mAh battery. I didn’t think much of it at first until I realised how long I could go without reaching for the charger. With moderate to heavy use, the phone comfortably lasted over a day and a half. For someone like me who often juggles work apps, YouTube, Bluetooth music, and a bit of gaming, that endurance was impressive.
Charging is handled via a 90W adapter included in the box. It takes about 50 minutes to fully charge the battery, which is reasonable considering the size. Reverse wired charging is supported at 22.5W, so I even used the phone to top up my earbuds a couple of times.
Verdict
The POCO F7 may not be the best all-rounder, but it is one of the most focused phones in its segment. It is carrying the torch of what the OG Poco F1 started and building upon it by offering the value for money proposition for people who are more focused towards performance, battery life, and long-term support.
If you want a phone that can handle gaming, last long, and remain usable for the next four years without slowing down, this is it. For Rs 29,999, the POCO F7 gives you more than just flagship specs — it gives you longevity and confidence. And sometimes, that matters more.
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