Xiaomi has unveiled its new sub-brand Poco, offering premium smartphone features for a small price. The first device is the Poco F1, which will launch in India this month from INR 20,999 (around EUR 250).
The Chinese company said Poco, which means 'little' in Spanish, will offer the "ultimate performance with no frills". While the Xiaomi brand focuses on "all-round flagship smartphones that set industry standards", Poco "zeroes in on perfecting one aspect that truly matters, providing a user experience that is set to get tech enthusiasts super excited, while maintaining an extreme bang for the buck proposition", the company said.
The phones will carry the logo 'Poco by Xiaomi'. The Poco organisation will run its own sales and marketing, while relying on Xiaomi still for supply chain and service infrastructure.
The Poco F1, launching 29 August in India, runs the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, Android 8.1, up to 8 GB RAM and 256 GB storage and a 4,000 mAh battery. Its uses Xiaomi's LiquidCool technology to optimise performance as well as a system optimization feature called "turbocharged engine" to deliver faster app startups, faster gaming performance, as well as a faster swiping experience due to enhancements in the screen response and animation frame rate, the company said.
Other features include an AI dual camera consisting of a 12MP Sony IMX363 primary sensor with Dual Pixel Autofocus and a 20-megapixel camera on the front with Super Pixel technology for clearer images with less noise. Both the rear and front cameras are supported by AI features for photos, such as AI Portrait, AI Beautify, and AI Scene Detection. The Poco F1 also comes with an infrared illuminator and infrared camera on the front, allowing the face unlock feature to work also in the dark.
The Poco F1 will be available with polycarbonate backs in Graphite Black, Steel Blue, and Rosso Red and cost INR 20,000 for 6GB RAM and 64 GB storage, INR 23,999 for 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage and INR 28,999 for 8GB and 256GB respectively. The top model is also available in an Armoured Edition with Kevlar plating on the back for INR 29,999.
