Xiaomi Debuts New Sub-Brand POCO F1

POCO F1 sets a new benchmark in the smartphone industry by redefining flagship performance, while maintaining an honest pricing 

by Shrutee K/DNS

NEW DELHI, INDIA, 22 August 2018—POCO, a new sub-brand from global technology leader  Xiaomi, made its debut today with a mission to deliver performance that truly matters. Created by a highly-experienced team within Xiaomi, POCO seeks to redefine the smartphone experience by offering the ultimate performance with no frills.  The brand’s mission is encapsulated in its very first smartphone unveiled today, POCO F1, which offers an unbelievably fluid and powerful experience like no other. It features the flagship Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 845 platform, the industry-leading LiquidCool Technology cooling system, up to 8GB RAM and 256GB UFS 2.1 storage, and a long-lasting 4000mAh battery.

Jai Mani, Head of Product, POCO Global, said: “POCO stands for ‘a little’—we believe in starting small but dreaming big. As a small outfit within Xiaomi, POCO has the freedom to start from scratch, zeroing in on the product choices and technologies that matter. This is why we have created a smartphone that delivers unbelievable performance, focusing on the core innovations that truly matter, which we believe will resonate with tech enthusiasts.”

The new powerhouse will be available at an irresistible price tag, echoing Xiaomi’s mission to make amazing products available to everyone at honest pricing. It will hit the shelves in India on 29 August starting at INR 20,999, and roll out around the world gradually.

POCO F1, Master of Speed

POCO F1 is a dream come true for power users, who can enjoy gaming at high frame rates and use intensive applications without worrying about slowdowns resulting from overheating. This is thanks to the powerful Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 845 SoC paired with the highly efficient LiquidCool Technology cooling system, enabling it to deliver sustained peak performance for extended periods. Internal testing shows that this system is 300% more effective than conventional, non-liquid cooling solutions as it allows heat from the CPU to dissipate quickly.  Moreover, POCO F1 features a 4000mAh battery that can sustain 8 hours of non-stop gaming. Coupled with up to 8GB LPDDR4x DRAM and super-fast 256GB UFS 2.1 storage, POCO F1 easily achieves an AnTuTu score that exceeds 290,000.

AI dual camera and 20MP front camera for uncompromised photography

POCO F1 churns out gorgeous images with its AI dual camera consisting of a 12MP Sony IMX363primary sensor with Dual Pixel Autofocus, together delivering amazing photos even in low light and backlit scenarios. On the front, POCO F1 deploys a 20MP sensor featuring Super Pixel technology that combines the information of four pixels into one large 1.8μm pixel for clearer images with less noise. Both the rear and front cameras are supported by AI features for photos, such as AI Portrait, AI Beautify, and AI Scene Detection.

POCO F1 also comes with an infrared illuminator and infrared camera on the front, allowing the AI face unlock feature to securely unlock the device both in pitch-dark conditions as well as in bright daylight.

MIUI for POCO

To fully unleash the performance beast, MIUI has been deeply customized on POCO F1 for a lighter, faster, and smoother experience. Introducing a system optimization feature called “turbocharged engine”, POCO F1 delivers faster app startups, faster gaming performance, as well as a faster swiping experience due to enhancements in the screen response and animation frame rate. With a new POCO Launcher, POCO F1 comes with an app drawer that can automatically categorize apps, helping users finds apps easily. In India, MIUI for POCO incorporates taxi, music, and video streaming services for an even more robust user experience. Based on Android 8.1 Oreo, MIUI for POCO also prioritizes security with regular patches and updates from Google. It will receive the Android P update in the near future.

Armoured Edition with DuPont™ Kevlar®

At the event, POCO F1 Armoured Edition with a back panel made of DuPont™ Kevlar® also made its debut. The super-tough, heat-resistant material is widely used in the aviation industry,  the military, and high-end cycling. Its textured surface gives POCO F1 a unique appearance and provides a comfortable grip.POCO F1 is also available with polycarbonate backs in Graphite Black, Steel Blue, and Rosso Red. POCO F1 will retail at INR 20,999, INR 23,999, and INR 28,999 for the 6GB+64GB, 6GB+128GB, and 8GB+256GB respectively. The Armoured Edition comes in a single 8GB+256GB configuration and will retail at INR 29,999. POCO F1 will go on sale on mi.com and Flipkart on 29th August 2018, starting 12 PM.

POCO F1 also brings a first sale offer with HDFC Bank which extends a INR 1000 instant cashback to all HDFC credit and debit card holders. This will essentially bring down the price of POCO F1 to INR 19,999, INR 22,999, and INR 27,999 for the 6GB+64GB, 6GB+128GB, and 8GB+256GB respectively, and Armoured Edition to INR 28,999 for the first sale. This makes POCO F1 the world’s only Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 845 smartphone under INR 20,000. POCO F1 also has an incredible JIO offer with up to INR 8000 worth of benefits and 6TB of high speed data.

About Xiaomi: Xiaomi Corporation was founded in April 2010 and listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on 9 July, 2018 (1810.HK). Xiaomi is an internet company with smartphones and smart hardware connected by an IoT platform at its core. With the vision of being friends with its users and being the “coolest company” in the hearts of its users, Xiaomi is committed to continuous innovation, with an unwavering focus on quality and efficiency. The company relentlessly builds amazing products with honest prices to let everyone in the world enjoy a better life through innovative technology. Xiaomi is currently the world's fourth-largest smartphone brand, and has established the world's largest consumer IoT platform, with more than 100 million smart devices (excluding smartphones and laptops) connected to its platform. Currently, Xiaomi products are present in more than 70 countries and regions around the world and have a leading foothold in many markets. Xiaomi is the number 1 smartphone in India from Q3 2017 onwards, as per IDC.