Xiaomi Poco F6 Pro review: Beastly but slim

The Poco F6 Pro punches above its $999 price tag in terms of performance, but you pay in other ways. Even though you’re getting a high-end device for less than you’d expect to pay, the Poco F6 Pro is loaded with bloatware, auto software, and ads.

The problem started as soon as I took the phone out. During installation, the Poco F6 Pro threatened to install about a dozen games unless I told them not to. This requires taking everyone down, without having to choose to just skip a step or pick them all off with one bomb. Although this only lasted a minute or so, it left a bad taste in my mouth.

After installing it, I was surprised by the amount of bloatware on the phone. While most Android phones come with some additional software installed in the box – perhaps due to commercial relations – Poco F6 Pro had at least ten. These include Amazon Shopping, Block Puzzle, Booking.com. Bubble Shooter, Crazy Juicer, Dust Settle, Jewels Blast, Snake Zone.io, Tile Fun, and Word Journey.

On top of this, you get two details; times when Google’s version and Xiaomi’s version of its software are installed in the box. There are two calculators, two file managers, two browsers, two graphics programs, and two app stores.

All of these apps – bloatware or not – can be removed, but they create a lot of friction when setting up the phone. This type of feature was very common on Android phones in those days, but many manufacturers have ruled it out. This makes the Poco F6 Pro stand out, and not in a good way.

For me, the last straw was advertising in the theme program. I was trying to change default images, and after using the settings, I was presented with a crypto-pop ad. Maybe this won’t offend anyone, but a completely transparent advertisement in a system program is very bad behavior. Apparently you can turn off advertising, but it shouldn’t start by default.

All of the above is a shame, because the Poco F6 Pro’s hardware itself is excellent.

The main draw is that Poco F6 Pro is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which is last year’s top chipset. It is the same processor found in phones like Galaxy S23 Ultrawhich still sells for more than $1,500 – even though it’s almost two years old.

Unsurprisingly, this means that the Poco F6 Pro is very fast. You get a daily experience with a lot of theme for the most complex applications like games. Diablo Immortal ran flawlessly on the highest settings at 60 FPS.

The Poco F6 Pro also ships with 512GB of storage, which doubles what you usually get for $999. You’ll pay $200 more to upgrade the 256GB Samsung flagship to 512GB, so 512GB as standard could be a bonus for anyone loading up their phone with data. OPPO’s Reno 12 Pro it’s the only phone you can get with 512GB of storage for under $1,000 in Australia, so this is a pretty special deal.

In terms of battery life, you can expect about five hours of viewing time each time. This is not bad, but nothing special. Expect a full day of moderate use with a bit of padding at the end.

When it comes to the phone itself, it’s nice and sturdy. There’s a nice heft to it, and it feels classy in the hand. The faux marble finish on the back might not be for everyone, but you can cover it up with a case. Also, the show is great! It’s 6.67-inch with a 120Hz refresh rate, and it’s bright enough to be used in direct sunlight.

Although there are many good things, this does not mean that everything else is good.

You can get good photos with good lighting, but outside of that, the results can be mediocre. The Poco F6 Pro can cope with moving subjects, and there is a clear drop in visibility in dark environments. These issues also affect telephoto lenses, but in a different way.

The integrated camera setup is not unexpected at this price point, though Google Pixel 8a and OPPO Reno 12 Pro both offer an unchanging image.

The Poco F6 Pro also lacks some of the features you’d expect at this price point. No wireless ordering either for example support, and is proof of explosion, but not water. This is very similar to other phones for $1,000 or more.

Software updates are no longer worth the cost. Xiaomi is only promising two major performance updates and three years of security updates for the Poco F6 Pro. Cheap equipment such as Samsung Galaxy A35 Get four years of operating system updates and five years of security, while the Google Pixel 8a gets seven years of both. Most other phones in this price bracket get at least three years of operating system replacement.

There are also a few software niggles that you should be aware of. Xiaomi’s take on Android can feel a bit naive compared to other manufacturers. The biggest change for me has been dealing with how the notification and quick change menus are split into two sections.

Scrolling down from the left side of the screen opens notifications, and scrolling down from the right opens quick settings. Swimming moves you between the two, but I discovered this by accident when trying to disable the notification. It’s the kind of change you can learn to live with, but there’s no way to go back to the traditional Android interface where you quickly access your settings and notifications in the same interface.

Another persistent issue was not being able to copy a link from a share. There are two different printing options, and three ways to share apps – Quick Share, Xiaomi Share, ShareMe – but there is no way to copy the clipboard link. This is something you can do on any other Android phone. Although there are other ways to copy the link, I always get frustrated with this option.

I also faced another problem. I had a few apps that kept crashing when I was trying to log in, including Spotify and Telegram. I’ve also had random crashes from Instagram, and sometimes the app just freezes after viewing a story. The only way to get back to normal brightness is to force quit and restart it. Although it is possible that there is a problem with the software itself, I have not seen this kind of behavior on other Android phones that I have tested.

The Digital Wellbeing timeline also appears to be broken. One day it told me that I had used the settings for two hours. Also, it told me that I only used the phone for 2 minutes, even though I had it all day. This isn’t the kind of thing you’d notice in everyday use, but it can be a problem if you give the Poco F6 Pro to a child and want to limit its use.

Xiaomi Poco F6 Pro – Final Thoughts

It’s hard to argue with the Poco F6 Pro’s features, but user reviews trump everything. Maybe you’re better off taking the time to debloat your phone, but you don’t have to – especially when you pay about $1,000.

The Poco F6 Pro can come in handy if you want a powerful smartphone without spending a ridiculous amount of money. It outperforms any other phone in this price bracket in terms of performance, and the 512GB storage is also very welcome.

And look, I think there’s a place in the world for a phone that’s supported by bundled products or bundled apps. The manufacturer just needs to be up front so that the customer knows what they are buying. But when you’re selling a premium product and your experience is really hard out of the box, that can stop the whole thing.