Big question of the week: Will you go for the Poco F8 Pro or aim higher with the Poco F8 Ultra?
Just six months after the buzz around the F7 lineup, Poco is back—and this time, it’s pushing both performance and prices. The newly launched Poco F8 Pro and F8 Ultra arrive with notable upgrades, playful design tweaks, and unfortunately, heftier price tags that raise eyebrows among budget-conscious fans. But here's where it gets interesting: despite the cost increase, these phones might still be some of the best performance-for-money options out there.
The pricier heavyweight – Poco F8 Ultra
The Poco F8 Ultra comes in around €80 to €100 more expensive than last year’s F7 Ultra, depending on whether you choose 256GB or 512GB of storage. That’s based on the MSRP, of course. For early buyers, there’s a generous discount—€180 or €200 off—which quickly makes this phone a much more tempting offer.
So, what’s new? The Ultra’s 6.9-inch OLED display grows noticeably larger, though it steps down in resolution from 1440p+ to 1200p+. Still, it supports a buttery smooth 120Hz refresh rate, 12-bit color, and Dolby Vision HDR. The battery gets a major boost too—from the relatively modest 5,300mAh cell in the F7 Ultra to a robust 6,500mAh pack this time around. Charging speeds remain impressive with 100W wired and 50W wireless charging.
Under the hood, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 powers the Ultra—making it one of the most affordable phones with that chipset yet. Photography fans will appreciate the improved sensors: a main 50MP sensor that’s physically larger than before (1/1.31”), a new 50MP periscope telephoto with 5x optical zoom (115mm equivalent), and a sharper 50MP ultra-wide lens, though the field of view narrows slightly from 120° to 102°.
The balanced performer – Poco F8 Pro
Then there’s the Poco F8 Pro—technically more affordable but still notably upgraded. It costs €50 more than the previous F7 Pro, putting it just into the premium mid-range bracket. However, once again, the early bird pricing dramatically lowers those numbers: €180 off for the 256GB version and €200 off for the 512GB. For less than €500, it’s hard not to pay attention.
Interestingly, the F8 Pro resembles the older F7 Ultra in several ways. It features the same Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and a similarly sized display (now 6.59 inches). While the ultra-wide camera drops down to a modest 8MP, the rest of the hardware feels plenty capable. The battery steps up to 6,210mAh—significantly larger than its predecessor’s—and helps cement its reputation as a mid-range powerhouse.
So, if you were impressed by the F7 Ultra’s sharp 1440p+ screen, this year’s trade-off might be tough to swallow. But the F8 Pro counters with endurance and peak performance that should appeal to gamers and power users alike.
Pricing breakdown
Here’s how everything stacks up at launch. MSRP prices are listed first, with early bird discounts shown in brackets. For comparison, the original F7 lineup prices are also included (though those have since dropped in the market):
| Model | 256GB | 512GB |
|--------|--------|--------|
| Poco F7 Pro | $500 £500 €600 | $550 £550 €650 |
| Poco F7 Ultra | $650 £650 €750 | $700 £700 €800 |
| Poco F8 Pro | $580 ($530) £600 (£450) €650 (€470) | $630 ($580) £600 (£450) €700 (€500) |
| Poco F8 Ultra | $730 ($680) £750 (£550) €830 (€650) | $800 ($730) £800 (£600) €900 (€700) |
You can find the current offers for each model from Poco’s affiliate retailers—many of which are already going below MSRP. For example, the Poco F8 Ultra 12GB RAM + 256GB variant is available for around £549 / €659, while the F8 Pro starts at roughly £399 / €519. That’s aggressive pricing for what’s inside these devices.
So, should you buy one?
At its early bird pricing, the Poco F8 Ultra can easily claim the title of a true “flagship killer”—a label we don’t see often anymore. In-depth reviews suggest it delivers on most fronts: blazing performance, great battery life, and capable cameras for its class. But some will argue that Poco traded some finesse for raw specs this time. Is that a fair trade-off?
Meanwhile, the F8 Pro is shaping up to be the smarter pick for many. With its slightly toned-down design but strong internals, it undercuts similar mid-range competitors by hundreds. Its upgraded battery and promising camera tweaks make it a natural step up from the F7 Pro.
Still, the debate remains wide open. Does the Poco F8 Ultra justify its price bump, or is the F8 Pro the smarter value deal for 2025?
What’s your take? Would you pay more for flagship specs, or save big and go for the Pro? Drop your thoughts below—this discussion is bound to divide opinions.
