Xiaomi’s new flagship phone: Get it for £290 off: A Practical Look

Anyone looking for a smartphone that prioritises high performance, a fast display and long battery life should consider the new Poco F9 Ultra. The device was only released on 1 September and features the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, a 185Hz AMOLED display and a massive battery. It’s available in burgundy or black.

At launch, Xiaomi’s flagship Poco F9 Ultra smartphone is already available on Amazon well below the recommended retail price. It was on sale last week but the price has dropped to a new low.

Instead of £999, the model with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage currently costs only £709 from Amazon. This represents a saving of £290, or 29%.

As the model has only been available for a few days, there are currently no customer reviews, but we gave the Poco F8 Ultra 4 out of 5 stars and our Editor’s Choice Award.

What the Poco F9 Ultra has to offer

Under the bonnet is the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. The processor is supported by VisionBoost D8 and the WildBoost Engine, which are designed specifically to optimise gaming on the fast display. It has 16GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage. The smartphone also supports 5G.

It has a 6.9-inch, 1.5K panel. The refresh rate of up to 185Hz is designed to ensure an extremely smooth display, especially when scrolling and gaming.

According to the manufacturer, this is complemented by a peak brightness of up to 4,500 nits and a touch sampling rate of up to 4,800Hz. The display also supports DCI-P3, HDR10 and Dolby Vision. Corning Gorilla Glass 7i is used for protection.

Xiaomi

A standout feature is the 8,050 mAh battery. This is said to enable a battery life of up to 1.7 days on a single charge. The battery is also designed for long-term use: after 1,600 charge cycles, it’s expected to retain at least 80% of its original capacity.

Charging options include 100-watt HyperCharge via cable and wireless charging at up to 50 watts. The smartphone can also charge other devices: reverse charging is possible via cable at 27 watts and wirelessly at 22.5 watts.

Poco’s first 200-megapixel camera is located on the back. A 50-megapixel periscope telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom is available for distant subjects. The camera system is complemented by a 50-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera. The main camera also features optical image stabilisation (OIS).

Why this is a good deal

The Poco F9 Ultra is aimed primarily at users looking for a smartphone with plenty of power, a large battery and a fast display. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, 16GB of RAM, the 185-hertz display, the 200-megapixel camera with 5x optical zoom and the 8,050 mAh battery combine to create an absolutely top-of-the-range smartphone.

Instead of the stated RRP of £999, Amazon is currently offering it for just £709. This means you save 29% straight away. The Poco F9 Ultra was only launched on 1 September and you can find out what it’s like to use in our full review. We gave the Poco F8 Ultra 4 out of 5 stars and our Editor’s Choice Award.