This story was originally published on March 22, 2021, and last updated on March 23, 2021.
UPDATE: 2021/03/23 9:33 A.M. GMT+8 BY NICOLE BATAC
We wanted to update you with the local pricing and availability of the POCO F3 and X3 Pro.
The POCO F3’s 6GB+128GB model will retail at PHP 17,990, while the 8GB+258GB version is priced at PHP 20,990 exclusively on Lazada.* Those who will avail on March 27 will enjoy an early bird offer of PHP 15,990 and PHP 18,990 for the 6GB+128GB and 8GB+256GB, respectively.
The 6GB+128GB and 8GB+256GB versions of the POCO X3 Pro will retail at PHP 12,990 and PHP 15,990, respectively. This model will be exclusively available on Shopee. Early bird price of PHP 10,990 for the 6GB+12GB variant and PHP 13,990 for the 8+256GB variant will apply for purchases made on March 24.
*If you buy something from these links, LiTT may earn a commission.
ORIGINAL STORY:
While POCO has been spun-off from Xiaomi, it still shares many of Xiaomi’s philosophies regarding making smartphones. POCO aims to deliver value at accessible price points. The new POCO F3 and X3 Pro don’t stray from that strategy.
What do these new phones have to offer you? Let’s take a look below.
Pricing info
The POCO F3 is what the company calls the real beast. Its 6GB option retails at an aggressive price of EUR 349 (around PHP 20,182), with an early bird price of EUR 299 (PHP 17,298), which is the same early bird price as the POCO F1 when it first launched; while the 8GB variant costs EUR 399 (PHP 23,073), with an early bird price of EUR 349 (PHP 20,182). These early bird prices will be available from March 27 until April 6.
POCO calls the X3 Pro the most affordable 4G flagship that offers value for money. Its 6GB variant is priced at EUR 249 (PHP 14,405), but the company is offering an early bird discount at select outlets for EUR 199 (PHP 11,513); while its 8GB variant costs EUR 299 (PHP 17,298), with early price of EUR 249 (PHP 14,405). Early bird pricing will be in effect from March 24 until April 1.
Powerful performance
The POCO F3 is considered the brand’s most powerful handset so far, armed with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G chipset, Adreno 650 GPU, and up to 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB UFS 3.1. It’s also a 5G-ready device, so you can get access to fast speeds and improved performance. But if you’re looking to expand your storage, unfortunately, that isn’t available with the F3.
The POCO X3 Pro might be for you if you need expandable storage or just need a high-performing 4G device. This handset runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 860 processor, Adreno 640 GPU, up to 8GB LPDDR4X RAM, and 256GB UFS 3.1 storage (expandable up to 1TB via microSD).
Both phones run on MIUI 12 for POCO, which is based on Android 11.
The POCO F3 has a slightly smaller 4,520mAh battery, while the POCO X3 Pro gets a 5,160mAh battery. Both support 33W fast wired charging through USB-C and the included 33W fast charger.
Eye-catching design
POCO is pretty experimental with the design of its phones. We say experimental in the sense that you can quickly identify these phones. It might not be for everyone, but it definitely makes them easily identifiable.
Our first look at the POCO F3 reminds us a bit of its former parent company’s current flagship, the Mi 11. But its triple camera setup is more elongated. The rest of the phone’s Corning Gorilla Glass 5 back is kept clean.
There are three color options for the F3: Night Black, Arctic White, and Deep Ocean Blue. The blue is the most distinctive one, with different shades of blue and lines cutting through the phone and the POCO logo is more prominent. It’s quite sleek and thin, too, at 7.8mm.
The POCO X3 Pro doesn’t really stray too far from the POCO X3 NFC, which should be a wise move to keep the design cohesive for that series. But the X3 Pro has a new reflective chroma strip in the center and metallic texture on the sides.
You can get the X3 Pro in Phantom Black, Frost Blue, and Metal Bronze.
Both phones have a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, while the X3 Pro also gets AI Face Unlock.
Speedy displays
The POCO F3 and X3 Pro both get 6.67-inch displays. But the former has a flagship-grade E4 AMOLED panel, and the latter has an LCD one. You do get high refresh rates from both screens, though. Both offer 120Hz refresh rate, with the F3 offering a 360Hz touch sampling rate and the X3 Pro a 240Hz one. The X3 Pro has an adaptive display, which POCO calls Dynamic Switch. It automatically switches the refresh rate depending on what the device is doing. Expect buttery, smooth graphics and better performance overall from both handsets, especially when playing fast-paced games.
Capable cameras
The Poco F3 offers a triple camera setup, while the X3 Pro offers a quad-camera arrangement. Both feature a 48-megapixel primary sensor with 1/2″ sensor size, 1.6μm 4-in-1 large pixel, f/1.79 aperture, 6P lens, and AF. Both also have an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera with f/2.2 aperture and 119-degree field of view and a 20-megapixel front-facing camera with f/2.2 aperture. The F3 gets a combined 5-megapixel telemacro lens, while the X3 Pro gets 2-megapixel macro and depth sensors.
Some of the modes you can expect to get on the F3’s cameras include Audio Zoom, Dual Video, Night mode 2.0, and One-Click Video. The X3 Pro’s cameras get features like Ultra-wide Night mode, Dual Video, Video Clone, and Long exposures. Their selfie shooters both get Night mode and Dual Video, too.
Improved audio
The X3 Pro is the only handset equipped with a 3.5mm audio jack, but both offer dual speakers for studio-quality sound. The F3 takes it further with Dolby Atmos certification. It is also the first POCO device to have triple microphones with 360-degree surround sound pick-up.
Both devices are Hi-Res Audio certified, but the F3 gets an additional certification for Hi-Res Audio Wireless.
Poco F3 & X3 Pro specs
| POCO F3 | POCO X3 Pro | |
| DISPLAY | 6.67″ E4 AMOLED FHD+ DotDisplay 120Hz refresh rate 360Hz touch sampling rate 2,400 x 1,080 Corning Gorilla Glass 5 HDR10+ | 6.67″ FHD+ LCD DotDisplay Adaptive 120Hz refresh rate 240Hz touch sampling rate 2,400 x 1,080 Corning Gorilla Glass 6 HDR10 |
| PROCESSOR | Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 Adreno 650 GPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 860 Adreno 640 GPU |
| OPERATING SYSTEM | MIUI 12 for POCO based on Android 11 | MIUI 12 for POCO based on Android 11 |
| RAM + STORAGE | 6GB LPDDR5 + 128GB UFS 3.1 8GB + 256GB | 6GB LPDDR4X + 128GB UFS 3.1 8GB + 256GB |
| REAR CAMERAS | 48MP primary 8MP ultra-wide angle 5MP telemacro | 48MP primary 8MP ultra-wide angle 2MP macro 2MP depth |
| FRONT CAMERA | 20MP | 20MP |
| AUDIO | Dual speakers Dolby Atmos Hi-Res Audio & Hi-Res Audio Wireless certified Triple microphone array | Dual speakers 3.5mm headphone jack Hi-Res Audio certified |
| CONNECTIVITY | Dual SIM 5G Wi-Fi 6 Bluetooth 5.1 NFC IR Blaster | Dual SIM (hybrid) 4G LTE Wi-Fi 5 Bluetooth 5.0 NFC IR Blaster |
| SECURITY | Fingerprint (side) | Fingerprint (side) AI Face Unlock |
| BATTERY | 4,520mAh 33W fast charging In-box 33W charger USB-C | 5,160mAh 33W fast charging In-box 33W charger USB-C |
| DIMENSIONS & WEIGHT | 163.7 x 76.4 x 7.8mm, 196g | 165.3 x 76.8 x 9.4mm, 215g |
| COLORS | Arctic White Night Black Deep Ocean Blue | Phantom Black Frost Blue Metal Bronze |
| PRICING | 6GB: EUR 349 / PHP 20,182 8GB: EUR 399 / PHP 23,073 | 6GB: EUR 249 / PHP 14,405 8GB: EUR 299 / PHP 17,298 |
Check out Isa’s unboxing of the POCO X3 Pro:
Buy the POCO F3 from Lazada HERE. *
Buy the POCO X3 Pro (6GB) from Lazada HERE.
Buy the POCO X3 Pro (8GB) from Lazada HERE.
Buy the POCO X3 Pro (6GB) from Shopee HERE.
Buy the POCO X3 Pro (8GB) from Shopee HERE.
The POCO F3 and X3 Pro certainly give us many reasons to consider them for our next smartphone purchase. We will keep you posted on local availability. What are your favorite features? Are you thinking of getting one? Sound off on our Facebook or Twitter.
If you buy something from these links, LiTT may earn a commission, but it won’t cost you extra. Prices are subject to change without prior notice.