Poco F1 vs Poco X2: How Poco’s first and second phone match up or don’t

Poco launched its first device, the Poco F1 in August 2018. The smartphone made quite a mark for itself with most critics and users giving it rave reviews. The Poco F1 was a smartphone that was quite different from what the parent brand Xiaomi was launching under its Mi label and also its Redmi label and that is what worked for it.

Most fans were expecting to hear about a second Poco phone soon, after all, Xiaomi is known to launch multiple phones throughout the year. But that was not to be. Fans would have to wait for a year and a half for a second Poco phone - Poco X2.

Also Read: Poco X2 launched in India: Check price, full specifications, and features

A lot can change over a year and a half. Poco went from being a Xiaomi sub-brand to an independent one and the smartphone they launched as the successor to the much-loved Poco F1 was more similar to its siblings from the Mi/Redmi family than one predicted. In fact, the design language on the Poco X2 is identical to that of the Redmi K30 Pro that recently launched in China.

And the design is perhaps what we should start with when we compare the Poco F1 and the Poco X2.

Design

The Poco F1 came with a very basic design of one selfie camera on the front and two cameras on the back. What really made it stand out was the host of rugged textures Xiaomi put on the polycarbonate back of the phone. The Poco F1 was launched in three colours - Graphite Black, Steel Blue, Rosso Red.

It was no-nonsense and sturdy. The Poco F1 felt like a device that you would pick if you wanted heavy-duty work done without hassles.

On the other hand, the Poco X2 comes with a shiny glass back that houses four cameras in a circular module that has been inspired by vintage coin slots. There are dual punch-hole cameras on the front. The Poco X2 has been launched in three colours too, like the Poco F1 - but that's where the similarity ends. The Phoenix Red, Matrix Purple and Atlantis Blue shades on the X2 are shiny, metallic shades and this makes the phone a fingerprint magnet.

Admittedly, the Poco X2 catches your eye more than the Poco F1. But one of Poco's USP's was the rugged simplicity. Poco has chosen to leave that behind for now. The 6.67-inch screen on the X2 is also bigger than the 6.18-inch screen on the F1.

Performance

Under the hood, the Poco F1 came with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Processor. At the time of launch, the 845 was a flagship-level processor that Xiaomi had brought to a budget phone priced under ₹21,000. For comparison, the Oppo Find X launched in 2018 also came with the same 845 processor and was priced at ₹59,990. Rightly, at that point in time, the Xiaomi had called the Poco F1 the flagship killer.

To understand how well the Poco F1 worked you just need to look at the fact that this one-and-a-half-year old smartphone is still selling (₹14,999 for the 6GB/128GB and ₹16,999 for the 8GB/256GB) on Amazon right now. How many other smartphones can you think of that have been selling well despite being more than a year old? (Don't think of the iPhones here, it's not fair comparison).

Also Read: Poco X2 India launch highlights: Price starts at ₹15,999, first sale on Feb 11

The Poco X2 comes with the Snapdragon 730G. This is not Qualcomm's latest chipset and neither is it a chipset that's been seen on flagship devices in 2019. The 730G is almost a year-old chip. Poco, with the X2, has moved away from the gameplan of offering the top processor in an affordable smartphone.

The Poco X2 comes in three memory variants - 6GB/64GB, 6GB/128GB and 8GB/256GB. The Poco F1 was launched in two variants - 6GB/128GB and 8GB/256GB.

The Poco F1 came with a 4,000mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0. The Poco X2 has a 4,500mAh battery that supports 27W Fast Charge. But, a bigger battery and faster charging is something that was obviously expected after a gap of a year and a half.

The Poco F1 came with a fingerprint scanner on the back. The Poco X2 has a fingerprint scanner that is side-mounted. Cooler? Sure.

Camera

Now, the cameras. The Poco F1 had two cameras on the back - a 12MP main shooter and a 5MP secondary camera. On the front, it has a 20 MP high-res front camera with IR Face unlock support.

The Poco X2, on the other hand, has gone in all guns blazing. There are four cameras on the back - a 64MP primary shooter, an 8MP ultra-wide lens, a 2MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth sensor. On the front, there are two - a 20MP main camera and a 2MP secondary shooter.

Price

The Poco F1 was launched at prices starting at ₹20,999. Here is another place Poco has taken a step back. The Poco X2 prices start at ₹15,999 for the base variant.

Takeaway,

You can read our first impressions of the Poco F1 here and of the Poco X2 here. Admittedly, the Poco X2 is a solid budget device but it has nothing going for itself to live up to the flagship killer moniker Poco claimed for itself in 2018. Just a 120Hz display is no game clincher.

While that is not a problem per say, Poco fans had a lot of hopes pinned on the new device, they will feel let down.

We'll be doing out in-depth review soon and we'll let you know how the new kid on the block holds up against the other devices in the market right now.