Look, Xiaomi‘s POCO is back to its old tricks, and we mean that in the best way possible. The brand that built its reputation on flagship-killing specs for midrange prices is officially setting the date for its next big swing: the POCO F8 Series. And if the spec sheet is even half-true, “UltraPower Ascended” isn’t just a marketing tagline; it’s a direct threat.
POCO has confirmed its global launch event for November 26 in Bali, Indonesia. While it’s playing coy with the details, the rest of the internet isn’t. The F8 lineup is expected to be a three-part assault — the POCO F8, POCO F8 Pro, and POCO F8 Ultra, with the vanilla model likely launching later.
Power bank with a speaker attached?
The POCO F8 Ultra is, by all credible reports, a rebranded version of the Redmi K90 Pro Max. If you’ve been watching the import market, you know what this means. We’re expecting the Ultra variant to roll out with the top-tier Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 5G chipset, a huge 6.9-inch 120Hz display, and a triple 50-megapixel camera array.
SEE ALSO: POCO F7 Ultra review: Ultra performance, ultra value? [Video]
The Chinese-market K90 Pro Max that the Ultra is supposedly based on packs a 7,560mAh battery — a capacity that laughs in the face of flagships struggling to hit 5,000mAh. In a classic move for international releases, though, the POCO F8 Ultra may get a slight battery downgrade. Leaks now point to a 6,500mAh cell for the international model. Look, 6,500mAh is still large and, paired with 100-watt fast charging, should easily be a two-day-plus battery.
POCO F8 Ultra
As if that wasn’t enough, POCO is apparently tired of “good enough” phone audio. The company has confirmed a partnership with Bose for what it’s calling “Mobile Acoustics.” Teasers show the F8 Ultra with a speaker grille next to the camera module, which reportedly houses a 2.1 speaker system complete with its own dedicated woofer. Yep, a woofer. On a smartphone. We’re not sure if it’s a game-changing gimmick or just a gimmick, but we are absolutely here to find out.
The ‘Pro’ model and the preorder deal
If the Ultra is too… well, ultra… the POCO F8 Pro is waiting in the wings. It’s also expected to be a rebrand, this time of the standard Redmi K90. That likely means you’ll get a slightly more compact handset running last-gen’s flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite, which is still more than enough power for just about everyone. Both phones are expected to debut with Xiaomi’s new HyperOS 3, built on Android 16.
POCO F8 Pro
The open sale kicks off right after the launch, but POCO is trying to lock in buyers right now. It has a reservation event running from today, November 17, through the unveiling, offering “Ultra Benefits” for early commitment. The perks are compelling: one free screen replacement within the first six months, a 24-month warranty, and the usual bundle of subscription trials (three months of YouTube Premium, three months of Spotify, and six months of 100GB Google One).
It’s the classic POCO playbook: Tweak the most over-the-top hardware from its parent company, and launch it globally for what will presumably be an extremely aggressive price. We’ll have the full details, hopefully including its Philippine release, on November 26.
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