POCO F9 Ultra Review: Flagship Technology with Rich Sound

With the POCO F9 Ultra, unveiled in mid-August, the manufacturer is launching its most ambitious smartphone to date: a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, a 185-Hz AMOLED display with a new M11 panel, a 200-megapixel main camera with a 5x periscope telephoto lens, and an 8.050-mAh battery with 100-watt fast charging are designed to finally move the brand beyond its reputation as a pure value-for-money option. We tested the F9 Ultra for several days ahead of its official launch, tried out all its core features, and will tell you how the new POCO flagship performs in everyday use, while gaming, and when taking photos—and whether the significantly higher price compared to the previous generation is worth it.

Technical Specifications of the POCO F9 Ultra

Display	6.9 inches, AMOLED, 2608 x 1200 pixels (19.5:9), M11 panel, 185 Hz
Brightness	Up to 4,500 nits (multi-scenario, 25% APL) / up to 10,000 nits peak (1% APL)
Touch Sampling Rate	480 Hz (10-point) + 4,800 Hz Instant Touch + 200 Hz Gyro (via OTA starting September 2026)
Processor	Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, Qualcomm Oryon CPU, up to 4.6 GHz
Graphics chip	VisionBoost D8 (GEX-AISR module for AI image enhancement)
RAM	LPDDR5X, up to 9,600 Mbps
Internal storage	UFS 4.1, available in 256 GB, 512 GB, or 1 TB variants
Storage/RAM Configurations	12 GB + 256 GB, 16 GB + 512 GB, 16 GB + 1 TB
Operating system	HyperOS 3 based on Android 16
Cooling	POCO 3D IceLoop: 6,300 mm² vapor chamber, 17,820 mm² graphite surface area
Rear camera	200 MP main camera (f/1.7) + 50 MP periscope telephoto lens (f/3.0, 5x optical zoom, OIS, 10x lossless zoom) + 50 MP ultra-wide-angle camera (f/2.4)
Front camera	32 MP (f/2.2)
Video	Up to 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60fps, various slow-motion modes up to 1920fps, 4K@60fps via the telephoto lens
Battery	8,050 mAh (typ.)
Charging	100 W wired HyperCharge, 50 W wireless HyperCharge, 27 W wired and 22.5 W wireless reverse charging
Audio	Sound by Bose, 2.1-channel audio system
Connectivity	5G (SA/NSA), Wi-Fi 7 (dual-band), Bluetooth 6.0 with LHDC 5.0, NFC, infrared, USB-C with OTG
Sensors	In-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, accelerometer, proximity sensor, gyroscope, compass
Water/Dust Resistance	IP68
Dimensions	163.5 x 78 x 8.5 mm
Weight	238 g
Colors	Dark Cherry, Black
Release	September 1, 2026 (global launch)
Price	Starting at 1,099.99 euros (Early Bird prices starting at 829.90 euros)

Design and Build Quality: High-end, with Bose branding

Our review unit came in black, but there’s also a stylish Dark Cherry option: a rich red hue with a hint of burgundy that gives the F9 Ultra significantly more character than the plain gray and black tones that POCO devices usually had to make do with in the past. Those who prefer a more understated look should opt for the black version.

The back is made of glass-fiber-reinforced plastic, the frame is aluminum, and the front is Gorilla Glass 7i. Combined with IP68 certification, this results in a body that felt higher-quality in our testing than the mix of materials on paper would suggest, and which, according to the certification, can withstand brief submersion to a depth of 1.5 meters. The most striking detail when looking at the back is the large, circular camera module with clearly visible “Bose” lettering. This is a nod to the audio tuning developed in collaboration with Bose, which we’ll cover in more detail below.

Weighing 238 grams and measuring 8.5 millimeters in thickness, the F9 Ultra—for a device with an 8,050-mAh battery—falls within the range of what you’d currently expect from large flagship models with even larger batteries. It feels well-balanced in the hand without being top-heavy. The ultrasonic fingerprint sensor is neatly integrated beneath the display and consistently unlocked the device quickly and reliably during our testing period, even with slightly damp fingers.

Display: 185-Hz AMOLED with new M11 panel

The heart of the F9 Ultra is undoubtedly the 6.9-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2608 x 1200 pixels and a refresh rate of up to 185 Hz —POCO itself advertises the panel as having “industry-leading” brightness. This is made possible by a newly developed M11 panel, which, according to the manufacturer, uses an improved green phosphor, thereby increasing luminous efficiency by 20 percent and the display’s lifespan by 5 percent compared to the previous generation. At peak brightness, the panel reaches up to 10,000 nits with just 1 percent of the screen lit, and up to 4,500 nits in the multi-scenario mode—which is relevant for everyday use—with 25 percent of the screen lit. During testing, this was clearly noticeable in bright summer sunlight: even when looking at the display in direct backlight, we barely had to shade it to still be able to read the content comfortably.

The panel is complemented by POCO’s HyperRGB color management as well as support for Dolby Vision, HDR Vivid, and HDR10+, which delivers visibly greater contrast and rich colors when viewing compatible streaming content. Of interest to avid gamers and typists: The touch sampling operates at up to 480 Hz with ten-finger detection and also features an Instant Touch mode of up to 4,800 Hz, which automatically activates in Game Turbo mode. A 200-Hz gyro sampling rate for particularly precise shooter controls is set to follow via an OTA update starting in September 2026, though initially only for select titles such as PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty: Mobile, and Garena Delta Force.

Eye protection isn’t neglected either: With the Xiaomi Vision Care Suite, the F9 Ultra reportedly achieves four TÜV Rheinland certifications (Circadian Friendly, Low Blue Light Hardware Solution, Flicker Free, Intelligent Eye Care). During our testing, we particularly appreciated the Night Mode, which offers a minimum brightness of just 1 nit for reading in a dimly lit bedroom.

Performance: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in Benchmark Tests

The F9 Ultra is powered by the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, manufactured using TSMC’s 3-nm process and equipped with the third generation of Qualcomm’s in-house Oryon cores. The all-big-core design with a 2+6 configuration clocks up to 4.6 GHz, complemented by ultra-fast LPDDR5X RAM with speeds of up to 9,600 Mbps and UFS 4.1 storage. In our everyday testing, the device ran consistently smooth as butter, whether switching between numerous open apps, editing large 200-megapixel photos, or streaming and chatting at the same time.

According to POCO’s own measurements using AnTuTu (version 11.1.1, conducted at an ambient temperature of approximately 25 °C), the F9 Ultra achieved a score of 4,165,108 points, placing it just ahead of the competition from Samsung: The Galaxy S26 Ultra, which uses the same base chipset (marketed there as the “Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy”), scored 4,103,221 points in the same test series.

Benchmark	Result
Geekbench 7 Single-Core / Multi-Core	2,071 pts. / 8,896 pts.
Geekbench 7 GPU	16,688 points
Geekbench AI	2,247 / 3,655 / 5,276 points
Wild Life Extreme	Not available
Solar Bay	Not available
Solay Bay Extreme	Not available
Steel Nomad Light	Not available
PCMark Work 3.0	20,619 points

Unfortunately, we were unable to verify this in our test, as both AnTuTu and 3DMark refused to provide results. Still, Geekbench 7, Geekbench AI, and PCMark yielded results that revealed very good performance. Nevertheless, the F9 Ultra lags quite significantly behind the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra here, which achieves substantially higher scores in all tests. This includes about 1,000 more points in the Geekbench 7 single-core test (3,027) and nearly 1,500 more points in the multi-core test (10,497).

In practice, this lead is particularly noticeable during computationally intensive tasks, such as when quickly exporting 4K video footage or using AI-powered image editing features, which ran noticeably faster in our tests than we were used to with the previous generation of POCO devices.

The main chip is complemented by the dedicated VisionBoost D8 graphics chip, which features its own GEX-AISR module (used for motion interpolation, AI super-resolution, sharpness, and HDR processing, among other things). In practice, this translates to features such as intelligent refresh rate adjustment, AI-powered super-resolution for select titles like Call of Duty, Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, and PUBG Mobile, as well as “Dual-Core Visuals” for smoother playback on YouTube and Netflix.

Cooling: POCO 3D IceLoop Keeps the Clock Running

To ensure that all that computing power doesn’t result in throttling after just a few minutes, POCO relies on its proprietary 3D IceLoop cooling system. At its heart is an unusually large vapor chamber (loop heat pipe) measuring 6,300 mm², which spatially separates vapor and liquid, thereby enabling an efficient one-way heat cycle. According to the manufacturer, an additional 3D curvature directly above the chipset is designed to lower the SoC temperature by up to 3 °C, complemented by a large graphite layer covering 17,820 mm².

In our hands-on test involving extended gaming sessions—including a roughly one-hour round of Honkai: Star Rail in the open-world environment—the case remained noticeably warmer than when idle, but never became uncomfortably hot to the touch, and the frame rate remained pleasantly consistent throughout the entire test period, rather than dropping noticeably after just a few minutes. For a compact smartphone chassis, this is a solid result, even if physical limitations under sustained load at very high ambient temperatures cannot, of course, be completely overcome.

Gaming: WildBoost Engine and 185 FPS Mode

For gamers, the WildBoost Engine is likely to be one of the F9 Ultra’s most interesting features. Depending on the target frame rate and game scenario, it intelligently identifies the appropriate scheduling strategy, minimizes frame drops in real time, and dynamically regulates the temperature without unnecessarily draining the battery. As the first POCO model with a 185-Hz refresh rate, the F9 Ultra supports 24 games at native 185 FPS according to the manufacturer, including top titles such as CrossFire: Legends and Blood Strike, while Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Call of Duty: Mobile run at up to 165 FPS.

This is complemented by the aforementioned high touch sampling rate of up to 480 Hz and the Instant Touch mode at 4,800 Hz, which together ensure a very responsive, low-latency gaming experience. For titles like Genshin Impact, the new Game Color Enhancement feature also comes into play, delivering richer colors and greater detail in the game without requiring manual activation.

Battery and Charging: 8,050 mAh with 100-watt HyperCharge

With a capacity of 8,050 mAh, the POCO F9 Ultra features an impressively large battery cell for an 8.5-millimeter-thin flagship device, made possible by a new silicon-carbonchemistry with a 16 percent Si-C content and an energy density of 809 Wh/L. In our everyday test with mixed usage—including browsing, social media, some gaming, and video streaming—it comfortably lasted a full day, and with more moderate use, it lasted significantly longer. POCO’s own scenario tests reinforce this impression: In a direct comparison with the Galaxy S26 Ultra, the F9 Ultra lasts noticeably longer when scrolling on Twitter/X—29.07 hours versus 18.36 hours— with active Google Maps navigation at 18.99 versus 13.18 hours, and with WhatsApp video calls at 12.05 versus 8.30 hours.

Charging is done via a wired connection with up to 100 watts of HyperCharge, as well as wirelessly with up to 50 watts in standard charging mode. In our test, the battery was mostly recharged within a good half-hour using the included cable, which makes the generous battery even more convenient for everyday use. In addition, the F9 Ultra supports reverse charging at up to 27 watts via cable and 22.5 watts wirelessly—handy for quickly topping off wireless headphones or a smartwatch on the go.

Audio: Sound by Bose in a 2.1 configuration

For the first time, POCO has partnered with Bose to fine-tune the sound of the POCO F9 Ultra. Two symmetrically arranged 1115D stereo speakers, combined with an additional, independent 1620 subwoofer, create a 2.1 audio system that, according to the manufacturer, is designed to deliver a more balanced sound, deeper bass, and a wider soundstage.

In our testing while watching YouTube videos and listening to music on Spotify, the sound did indeed seem fuller and less tinny than what we’re used to from smartphone speakers. The noticeable bass response, in particular, is remarkable for a device of this design. Dolby Atmos rounds out the features; as expected, however, there is no longer an analog headphone jack.

Software, Eye Protection, and Update Promises

On the software side, the F9 Ultra runs HyperOS 3 based on Android 16. As of now, POCO promises up to four major operating system updates, which should be a key selling point, especially for buyers who want to use their smartphone for a longer period of time. During our testing period, the device operated smoothly and without any noticeable lag, even though HyperOS—as is typical for Xiaomi and POCO devices— It also features a custom interface with pre-installed additional apps, which may take some getting used to for users switching from another brand.

Camera: 200-MP main sensor and 5x periscope

For the first time, POCO has equipped an F-series model with a 200-megapixel main camera (f/1.7). This represents a significant leap in detail resolution, which really pays off when cropping and editing photos. The dedicated 200-MP mode can be selected directly in the camera app between Pro and Video modes and, according to POCO’s own recommendations, works best in bright front lighting or even lighting, while high-dynamic-range scenes, low-light shots, screenshots, as well as backlit and wide-angle shots taken from below, limit the mode’s detail sharpness.

In our daylight test, the 200-MP mode did indeed deliver good detail, but it’s less suitable for spontaneous snapshots due to the required stabilization period for the subject.

The main sensor is complemented by a 50-MP periscope telephoto lens (f/3.0) with 5x optical zoom and optical image stabilization (OIS)—which, according to POCO, enables lossless zoom up to 10x—as well as a 50-MP ultra-wide-angle lens (f/2.4). Based on our own test shots taken in good daylight with static, distant subjects such as architectural details, the telephoto lens actually delivered good color accuracy and image sharpness at 20zoom, but it can’t keep up with the Galaxy S26 Ultra, the excellent OPPO Find X9 Ultra, or the latest Google Pixel 11 Pro.

Of interest to videographers: The telephoto lens supports 4K recording at 60 frames per second, while the main camera supports up to 8K at 30 frames per second and various slow-motion modes up to 1,920 frames per second. The weakest link is the selfie camera, which—despite its 32 MP resolution and f/2.2 aperture—clearly lacks detail. The colors also appear significantly paler than those captured by the main camera.

For video recording, the F9 Ultra also features the new Live Kinematography mode, which enables seamless focal length changes during recording as well as automatic, smooth zoom transitions in “Freestyle” mode for travel videos or a quick zoom-out in portrait mode. POCO strongly recommends avoiding backlit and high-contrast scenes, refraining from camera movement in low-light conditions, using a tripod for handheld shots, and avoiding illuminated billboards to prevent lens ghosting.

POCO F9 Ultra Review: Conclusion

With the POCO F9 Ultra, POCO impressively demonstrates that the brand is evolving from a pure value-for-money contender into a bona fide flagship contender. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 delivered consistently strong performance in our test, and the 185Hz display with the new M11 panel is among the brightest and smoothest we’ve seen so far in a smartphone in this price range, and the 8,050-mAh battery makes charging anxiety practically a thing of the past in everyday use. POCO has also made noticeable improvements to the camera with the 200-MP main camera and the 5x periscope telephoto lens, although the image quality isn’t consistently impressive. There is a noticeable difference here compared to other flagship models, even though the results are quite impressive.

What we like: The collaboration with Bose delivers speaker sound that goes beyond the usual smartphone standard for the first time. There are minor trade-offs with some additional features, such as the 200-Hz gyro sampling rate and Sound by Bose Game Audio—which will be added via an OTA update—as well as the HyperOS interface, which may take some getting used to for those switching from other platforms. However, if you’re looking for a powerful, long-lasting Android flagship with a versatile camera and can adapt to the unique nature of HyperOS, our experience shows that the F9 Ultra currently offers one of the most exciting overall packages in its price range.