The smartphone market in India is buzzing with excitement, and Poco has just dropped a bombshell with its latest release—the Poco F7 Ultra. Touted as the brand’s first true flagship phone, the F7 Ultra promises top-tier performance, a stunning display, and a feature-packed experience at a price that undercuts many premium competitors. Priced around ₹50,000 in India, it aims to challenge giants like the OnePlus 13 and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. But does it live up to the hype? Should you buy it? Let’s dive into this detailed review to find out if the Poco F7 Ultra is worth your hard-earned money.
Unboxing Experience: What’s in the Box?
The Poco F7 Ultra sets a great first impression with its unboxing experience. Inside the sleek packaging, you’ll find:
- The Poco F7 Ultra smartphone with a pre-applied screen protector.
- A 120W fast charger for lightning-fast charging.
- A stylish back cover for added protection.
- A USB-C cable and basic documentation.
This is a thoughtful package, especially considering many brands have started skipping chargers. The inclusion of a 120W charger is a big win for users who value speed and convenience. However, the absence of premium accessories like earphones might disappoint some buyers.
Design and Build: Bold Yet Room for Improvement
The Poco F7 Ultra sports a modern design with a vibrant yellow color option that’s sure to appeal to Gen Z users. The matte finish feels premium and resists smudges and fingerprints, making it practical for daily use. With metal frames and an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, the phone feels sturdy and reliable.
However, the design has its shortcomings. The camera module doesn’t exude a premium vibe, which might make the phone feel less luxurious compared to competitors like the Xiaomi 15 series. At 8.5mm thick and moderately weighted, it’s comfortable for extended gaming or media consumption, but the vibration motor lacks the crisp feedback found in higher-end devices. Additionally, Poco has ditched the IR blaster and skipped the 3.5mm headphone jack, which might be a letdown for some fans.
Overall, the build quality is solid for the price, earning an easy “A” for durability and practicality, but the design could have been more refined to compete with true flagships.
Display: A Visual Treat for Gamers and Binge-Watchers
The Poco F7 Ultra boasts a 6.7-inch 2K AMOLED display that’s a standout feature. With a 120Hz refresh rate, 12-bit color depth, and Dolby Vision HDR support, it delivers vibrant colors and deep blacks. Whether you’re streaming on YouTube, Netflix, or other OTT platforms, the display ensures a cinematic experience.
The flat panel design eliminates accidental touches during gaming, which is a thoughtful touch. With a peak brightness of 1,800 nits, the screen remains legible even under direct sunlight. Features like 3840Hz PWM dimming and hardware-based low blue light certification reduce eye strain during long gaming or reading sessions.
However, the display isn’t perfect. Instead of Gorilla Glass Victus 2, Poco uses its in-house “Poco Shield Glass,” which isn’t as scratch-resistant or drop-proof. For a phone in this price range, this feels like a compromise. Still, the display earns an “A” grade for its quality and versatility, making it ideal for gamers, movie buffs, and casual users alike.
Performance: Powerhouse on a Budget
At the heart of the Poco F7 Ultra lies the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, paired with 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.1 storage in the base variant. This combination delivers blazing-fast performance, making it one of the best value-for-money flagships in 2025. Whether you’re multitasking, editing videos, or gaming, the F7 Ultra handles everything with ease.
Poco’s “Vision Boost D7” chipset enhances contrast and sharpness during gaming, resulting in smoother visuals. In gaming tests, popular titles like PUBG and Mobile Legends ran flawlessly at 120 FPS, while GPU-intensive games like Genshin Impact maintained a stable 60 FPS at the highest settings. Thanks to a massive 5400mm² vapor chamber cooling system, the phone stays cool, with temperatures rarely exceeding 40°C—even during intense sessions. Compared to the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, the F7 Ultra runs about 2°C cooler, which is impressive.
For performance per rupee, the Poco F7 Ultra is unmatched in its segment, making it a dream device for gamers and power users.
Camera: Decent but Not Perfect
Flagship killers often compromise on cameras, but the Poco F7 Ultra surprises with a capable setup. The triple-camera system includes:
- 50MP Main Camera (Light Fusion 800 OmniVision sensor): Delivers sharp, detailed photos with vibrant colors. It occasionally produces warmer tones but excels in most lighting conditions.
- 32MP Ultra-Wide Camera: Great for landscapes and group shots, though video recording is limited to 1080p at 60 FPS.
- 2.5x Telephoto Lens: A first for Poco, this lens captures stunning portraits and macro shots with excellent detail and natural skin tones.
The main camera performs admirably for casual photography, producing striking images that rival mid-range flagships like the Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus. Portraits, especially at 2.5x zoom, are eye-catching, with accurate colors and textures. Macro shots from the telephoto lens are crisp and well-focused, adding versatility to the setup.
Selfies from the 32MP front camera are detailed, though background exposure can be inconsistent. On the video front, the rear camera supports 4K at 60 FPS and even 8K recording, with decent stabilization and color accuracy. However, the lack of 4K recording for the ultra-wide and selfie cameras is a missed opportunity.
Overall, the camera system earns a solid “B+” grade. It’s not on par with the Xiaomi 15 or OnePlus 13, but for casual users and social media enthusiasts, it gets the job done.
Battery and Charging: Speed and Endurance
The Poco F7 Ultra houses a 5300mAh battery, which comfortably lasts a full day of moderate to heavy use. From gaming to streaming and browsing, you can expect around 6-7 hours of screen-on time. However, some competitors offer larger 6000mAh or 6500mAh silicon-carbon batteries, which could have given the F7 Ultra an edge.
Charging is where the phone shines. The included 120W charger juices up the device from 0 to 100% in just 35 minutes. It also supports 50W wireless charging—a rare feature in this price segment—and Power Delivery charging with third-party chargers like the UGREEN 65W, which takes about an hour for a full charge. Poco’s in-house chipsets for charging and battery management ensure stable performance and long-term battery health.
Software and Features: A Balanced Experience
The Poco F7 Ultra runs on HyperOS, based on Android 15, offering a smooth and customizable experience. The software is well-optimized, with minimal bloatware and regular updates promised by Poco. Features like dual stereo speakers, NFC, and 5G connectivity add to the phone’s versatility.
However, the absence of an IR blaster and the underwhelming haptic feedback are noticeable drawbacks. Compared to the OnePlus 13, which offers a more polished software experience and better haptics, the F7 Ultra falls slightly short in the finesse department.
Poco F7 Ultra Specifications Table
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.7-inch 2K AMOLED, 120Hz, 1800 nits, Dolby Vision HDR, 3840Hz PWM dimming |
| Processor | Snapdragon 8 Elite |
| RAM | 12GB LPDDR5X |
| Storage | 256GB UFS 4.1 |
| Main Camera | 50MP (Light Fusion 800 OmniVision sensor) |
| Ultra-Wide Camera | 32MP |
| Telephoto Camera | 2.5x zoom |
| Front Camera | 32MP |
| Battery | 5300mAh |
| Charging | 120W wired, 50W wireless, Power Delivery support |
| Operating System | HyperOS (Android 15) |
| Build | Metal frame, IP68, Poco Shield Glass |
| Cooling | 5400mm² vapor chamber |
| Additional Features | Vision Boost D7 chipset, dual stereo speakers, NFC, 5G |
Should You Buy the Poco F7 Ultra?
The Poco F7 Ultra is a compelling option for anyone seeking a high-performance smartphone without breaking the bank. Priced at around ₹50,000, it offers flagship-grade performance, a stunning display, and a versatile camera system at a fraction of the cost of devices like the OnePlus 13 or Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Its gaming prowess, fast charging, and long battery life make it a fantastic choice for students, gamers, and budget-conscious buyers.
However, it’s not without flaws. The design could be more premium, the camera system has room for improvement, and the lack of Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and a top-tier vibration motor might disappoint picky users. If you prioritize software polish or professional-grade cameras, the OnePlus 13 might be worth the extra investment.
Is It Worth It?
For most Indian users, the Poco F7 Ultra is absolutely worth it. It delivers 90% of a flagship experience for two-thirds of the price, making it one of the best value-for-money phones of 2025. Whether you’re a student looking for a powerful device for gaming and studies or a professional needing a reliable daily driver, the F7 Ultra ticks most boxes.
If you’re on a budget but crave flagship performance, the Poco F7 Ultra is the phone to beat. It’s not perfect, but it’s as close to a flagship killer as it gets in 2025.
