latest
Poco F5 Pro review: Another superb value proposition, but not for Americans
The Poco F5 Pro offers a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 and WQHD+ 120Hz OLED screen at an attractive price. But marketing availability questions remain
Xiaomi's sub-brand Poco is back with another phone that, if you squint, could almost pass for a flagship phone, but at a price that's less than half of what actual flagships command. The Poco F5 Pro, starting at US$449, packs a WQHD+ 120Hz OLED display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, a solid 64MP main camera, wireless charging, flagship-level haptics, and speakers. There's even an official IP rating, which most Chinese mid-rangers omit.
The POCO F5 will be the first smartphone outside China powered by the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2
It's rumored to be a rebranded Redmi Note 12 Turbo which Xiaomi launched exclusively in China.
POCO, the mobile phone manufacturer that started as a subsidiary of Xiaomi, will be the first company to bring the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 processor to handsets outside of China. As confirmed in a tweet from Snapdragon India, the POCO F5 should have “50% higher overall performance” compared to the previous Snapdragon 7+ generation. It’s not the most powerful chip on a mobile phone, but it represents longevity and robustness in a market where upgrading a handset every year is often impractical.
We've opened forums for the OnePlus Pad, OnePlus 11R, Poco X5 Pro, and Poco M4 5G
Head over by clicking the links in the post
Since we last added new forum pages for the latest smartphones, OnePlus and Poco have announced a couple of new devices. OnePlus unveiled its first tablet, the OnePlus Pad, alongside the affordable OnePlus 11R. Poco, on the other hand, announced the Poco X5 series. We've now opened forum pages for these devices to give buyers and enthusiasts a place for discussions, aftermarket development, third-party mods, and more. In addition, we've added a forum page for the Poco M4 5G and its siblings.
Poco X5 series debuts with an updated design and new SoCs
While the devices resemble Redmi's latest Note lineup, the internal hardware isn't the same.
The Poco X4 Pro was our pick for the best cheap Android phone not sold in the U.S. last year, so we had high hopes for its successor. Poco seems to have delivered on that front with its all-new Poco X5 series. Like last year, the new lineup includes two mid-range devices: the Poco X5 and Poco X5 Pro. Both models feature an updated design that resembles Redmi's latest Note series lineup and pack upgraded SoCs for improved performance.
Spruce up your Poco F1 or Realme GT Neo 2 with a fresh coat of Paranoid Android Topaz
Paranoid Android Topaz beta is now available for more devices
After releasing the first beta of Paranoid Android Topaz for the Google Pixel 7 series, the Paranoid Android team is back again with new beta builds based on Android 13 for a bunch of phones, including the OnePlus 9 and the venerable Poco F1.
LineageOS 20 adds the Poco X3, Xiaomi Mi Mix 2, and more to the roster
The Android 13 custom ROM is now on even more devices
LineageOS is one of the best custom ROMs available, bringing new versions of Android and a lightweight, near-stock experience to a variety of phones and tablets from different OEMs. Since its release in December, the latest iteration of the aftermarket software, LineageOS 20, has steadily expanded its reach. The development team has now added support for four more devices, including the Poco X3, SHIFT SHIFT6mq, Xiaomi Mi 6, and the Mi Mix 2.
XDA forums are now open for the OnePlus 11, Lenovo ThinkPhone, Motorola Edge 30, Redmi Note 12 series, and more
Dig into the world of aftermarket development, participate in discussions, and more!
If you're having a hard time keeping up with all the phone announcements, we don't blame you. In fact, it only gets crazier as we move further into the year. To make it easier for potential buyers and enthusiasts to find all relevant information in one place, we have decided to open up XDA forums for the newly announced OnePlus 11 and Lenovo ThinkPhone. We've also gotten around to opening new forum pages for a couple of older devices, like the Redmi Note 12 series and the Motorola Edge 30.
Fast Charging Explained: The slowest to the fastest Fast Charging technologies
Curious about fast charging? Here's everything you need to know about fast wired charging standards and how to pick the best charger!
Smartphones are getting smarter by the minute, and as a result, our smartphone usage is ballooning. This spike in smartphone usage has inspired companies to devise newer methods to improve battery backup. While making batteries bigger is the most obvious choice, the bulking it causes to a smartphone is also unavoidable. The next best alternative is to slash the torturous waiting periods for charging, allowing users to get several hours of usage from just a few minutes of charging. The demand for fast charging is mushrooming parallel to our smartphone needs. That is why almost all smartphone manufacturers are trying to compete by improvising on the existing charging technologies.
Since we last added new forum pages for the latest smartphones, Xiaomi and Motorola have announced a couple of new phones. Xiaomi unveiled its Galaxy Z Fold 4 competitor, the Mix Fold 2, and Motorola announced the Moto X30 Pro (AKA Motorola Edge 30 Ultra). We've now opened forum pages fo these devices to give buyers and enthusiasts a place for discussions, third-party development, mods, and more. In addition, we've opened a forum page for the mid-range Poco F4.
The new Poco M5 & M5s offer mid-range hardware at an affordable price
Xiaomi's sub-brand Poco has launched two new budget-friendly devices today -- the Poco M5 and Poco M5s. Read on to learn more.
After bringing the Poco X4 GT and Poco F4 to the market this June, Poco has now launched two budget-friendly M series devices. The new Poco M5 packs a MediaTek Helio G99 SoC, a 90Hz display, a 5,000mAh battery, and a triple camera setup, while the Poco M5s features the Helio G95 chip, an AMOLED display, a 5,000mAh battery, and a quad-camera system.
Poco F4 Review: Xiaomi's $400 phone is better than everyone else's $500 phone
The Poco F4 is yet another great value proposition, with a large OLED screen, Snapdragon 870, and solid cameras for around $410.
Xiaomi’s flagship phones are really good, and devices like the Xiaomi 12S Ultra can easily compete with anything made by Apple or Samsung. Xiaomi’s budget phones are also among the most affordable and reliable Android devices around. But it is arguably in the mid-range segment — that sweet $300 to $500 spot — where Xiaomi truly leaps ahead of the pack by offering significantly better value than anyone else.
Poco's latest affordable flagships offer high refresh rate displays, powerful SoCs, and 67W fast charging
Poco today launched two new affordable flagships -- the Poco X4 GT and the Poco F4. Read on to learn more about the latest Poco phones.
Xiaomi's sub-brand Poco launched two new affordable flagships today -- the Poco X4 GT and the Poco F4. As we highlighted recently, both models are rebranded Redmi phones featuring the same hardware, but with some minor changes on the camera front.
POCO X4 GT & POCO F4 specs teased ahead of international launch
POCO has started teasing the upcoming POCO X4 GT and POCO F4 in the days leading up to the official launch, revealing key details.
Xiaomi's sub-brand POCO is gearing up to launch two new devices in international markets. The company recently announced that it would host a launch event on June 23 to unveil the POCO X4 GT and the POCO F4. Now, in a recent string of tweets, the company has revealed some details about the upcoming devices.
LineageOS 19 is now available for the OnePlus 9/9 Pro, POCO X3 Pro, and Xiaomi Mi A1
Official LineageOS 19 support is here for the OnePlus 9, OnePlus 9 Pro, POCO X3 Pro, and the Xiaomi Mi A1. Read on to know more!
The LineageOS team has extended LineageOS 19 support to several devices since debuting the ROM earlier this year in April. Over the last month, devices like the Samsung Galaxy S10, POCO F3, and OnePlus 5/5T received support for the Android 12-based custom ROM. Since our previous coverage, the team has added four new devices to the official build roster.
LineageOS 19 builds are here for the Samsung Galaxy S10, POCO F2 Pro, POCO F3, and more
The first builds of LineageOS 19 are out for the Galaxy S10, Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, POCO F2 Pro, POCO F3, Mi 10T/10T Lite, and Essential Phone.
The LineageOS team has been hard at work extending official LineageOS 19 builds based on Android 12 to as many devices as possible. The developers released the first official builds for nearly 40 devices back in April and added some more smartphones to the roster over the next few weeks. Now, the maintainers have extended support to several more devices, including the POCO F2 Pro, POCO F3, and the global Exynos edition of the Samsung Galaxy S10.
POCO F4 GT Hands-On: Real shoulder buttons, great speaker and thermals make for excellent gaming phone
The POCO F4 GT is a near-flagship phone that excels at being a gaming phone too. Check out our first impressions to learn more!
I used to think gaming phones were gimmicks. I'm not talking about the initial batch of pre-iPhone era devices like the Nokia N-Gage or Gizmondo, nor early 2010s-era devices from Sony and Samsung with slide-out controllers. Those devices actually brought something new and different to the mobile market. I am instead referring to the recent gaming phone resurgence that began four, five years ago led by the likes of Razer, ASUS, Honor, and Nubia, to name a few.
POCO's latest budget phone packs MediaTek Dimensity 700, a 50MP camera and a 5,000mAh battery
The POCO M4 5G is a rebranded version of the Redmi 10 5G. It packs a 6.58-inch display, Dimensity 700 SoC, a 5,000mAh battery and more.
Hot on the heels of the POCO F4 GT announcement, POCO is back again with a new smartphone launch. The company has just unveiled the POCO M4 5G in India. The latest offering is aimed at budget-conscious buyers and offers a solid hardware package at an affordable price.
POCO launches its first smartwatch and the Buds Pro Genshin Impact Edition alongside the POCO F4 GT
POCO has launched its first smartwatch -- the POCO Watch -- and the POCO Buds Pro Genshin Impact Edition alongside the POCO F4 GT.
POCO launched its latest affordable flagship, the POCO F4 GT, today. The device is essentially a rebranded Redmi K50G that was launched in China earlier this year. It features Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, a 6.67-inch FHD+ 120Hz AMOLED display, a 4,700mAh battery with 120W fast charging support, and a bunch of other cool features. Along with the phone, POCO has also launched its first smartwatch -- the POCO Watch -- and the POCO Buds Pro Genshin Impact Edition TWS earbuds.
Redmi K50G makes its way to international markets as the POCO F4 GT
Xiaomi's sub-brand POCO has launched the Redmi K50G as the POCO F4 GT in international markets. Read on to learn more about the new phone.
In February this year, Xiaomi's sub-brand Redmi launched an affordable flagship gaming phone called the Redmi K50G. The device featured Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, a high refresh rate FHD+ AMOLED display, a 4,700mAh battery with 120W wired fast charging support, and a 64MP triple camera setup. Although Redmi only launched the device in China at the time, Xiaomi's other sub-brand POCO has now brought it to international markets as the POCO F4 GT.
The POCO C40 could be a budget MIUI Go device with a non-Qualcomm/MediaTek CPU
The upcoming POCO C40 may not simply be a rebranded Redmi 10C. It will pack a chipset called JR510 and could run a special version of MIUI.
Xiaomi’s spin-off brand POCO is known to offer impressive smartphone hardware at very attractive prices. The company has a wide range of smartphones across different segments and price points. The POCO F and X series cater to the upper mid-range segment, while the POCO M and C lineup focus on the price-sensitive entry-level and budget segments. POCO’s smartphone portfolio largely consists of rebranded Redmi and Xiaomi phones, with the paint job and the slightly different software skin being the only real differentiator. But it appears the company's upcoming smartphone may not be a simple rebranding exercise.