Xiaomi Poco F1 vs OnePlus 6: Battle of affordable premium smartphones

Xiaomi’s Poco F1 offers Qualcomm’s top-end processor Snapdragon 845 with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB storage. OnePlus 6 also offers similar specifications. So, let’s compare the two performance-focused phones.

Xiaomi Poco F1 goes on sale in India on August 29. (Xiaomi)

OnePlus has long enjoyed the title of flagship killer, courtesy back-to-back phones featuring best chipsets of their time, maximum RAM capacity and all of that packaged at affordable prices. OnePlus now faces competition from none other than Xiaomi, which on Wednesday introduced a sub-brand Poco and its first phone Poco F1.

Poco F1 is currently the most affordable phone in the Indian market to come with Qualcomm's top-end processor Snapdragon 845. The smartphone is available in multiple variants -- 6GB RAM and 64GB, 6GB RAM and 128GB, and 8GB RAM and 256GB - priced at ₹20,999, ₹23,999 and ₹28,999 respectively. So how does the OnePlus 6 fare against Poco F1 in terms of design, specifications and price? Let's find out.

Poco F1vs OnePlus 6: Price
Poco F1 breaks the price barrier for Qualcomm Snapdragon 845-powered phones by offering variants for less than ₹25,000. OnePlus 6, however, now seems pricier at ₹34,999 for the base model that has 6GB of RAM and 64GB of built-in storage. The top-end model with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage is available for ₹39,999.

Poco F1 vs OnePlus 6: Design
While Poco F1 has the price advantage, it cuts the corners with its design with plastic back panels. The top-end model comes with sturdier Kevlar, but overall looks is a bit underwhelming. The notch on the Poco F1 is wider than usual. OnePlus 6, on the other hand, aims to mimic the flagship phones with glass back panel. On the front, Poco F1 offers a 6.18-inch full HD display with a wide notch whereas OnePlus 6 a 6.28-inch full Optic AMOLED display with aspect ratio of 19:9 and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection.

Poco F1 vs OnePlus 6: Software
Poco F1 brings a refreshed UI with Poco launcher and runs on MIUI 9 out-of the-box. The phone will also receive Android Pie update in the future. OnePlus 6 also comes with custom ROM 'OxygenOS'. Both the UIs are lightweight, pretty fluid and easy to get started. The recent OxygenOS 5.1.9 software update brought major camera improvements to OnePlus 6. It also included Google Lens support. Poco F1 is also expected to get all these features in the future.

Here's the Kevlar edition of Poco F1 (HT Photo)

Here's the Kevlar edition of Poco F1 (HT Photo)

Poco F1 vs OnePlus 6: Performance
This is where the two phones come very close. Both OnePlus 6 and Poco F1 offer the best Qualcomm chipset and cranked up RAM capacity. The two brands also have a lot of under-the-hood optimisations for enhanced performance. For instance, Poco F1 has Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor clocked at up to 2.8GHz , Adreno 630 GPU, up to 710MHz for graphics, and LiquidCool technology for managing heat dissipation. OnePlus 6 has same chipset clocked at the same speed and graphics. That said, Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 is a known performer and works fine with 6GB and 8GB RAMs.

Poco F1 vs OnePlus 6: Camera
While we are yet to test out Poco F1 camera, but the company has made tall claims about its capability. Xiaomi Poco F1 comes with AI smart detection along with 12-megapixel plus 5-megapixel dual rear cameras. OnePlus 6 camera is said to be among the best in the ₹30,000 price category. The phone features 16-megapixel plus 20-megapixel cameras with advanced Sony sensors. Poco F1 can shoot 4K videos at 30fps whereas OnePlus 6 lets you shoot 4K videos at both 30fps and 60fps.

Summing up,
Poco F1 brings OnePlus 6-like capabilities at much affordable price but you will have to compromise on the superior design that OnePlus phone offers. Performance wise, both the devices are equally matched. For more insights on Poco F1, stay tuned for our detailed review.