Tag: poco f1

Xiaomi POCO F1 Gets Dark Mode Via MIUI Beta Update

Xiaomi’s POCO F1 is highly popular in the smartphone market owing to its aggressive pricing and high-end specifications that will give premium brands a run for their money. Since the release of the device, Xiaomi hasn’t been lenient at all regarding necessary software updates for the device, instead, the Chinese manufacturer is taking every possible step to keep the device at par, or even ahead of its competition. With Xiaomi providing updates for Widevine support, Slow-mo videos at 960 fps and Game Turbo Feature, POCO F1 users are more than elated with the features they are receiving via regular updates. Now, the company is rolling out a dark mode update in the closed MIUI Beta for the POCO F1.

What Is Dark Mode?

Dark Mode is slowly becoming an integral part of every application and operating system because it is easy on the eyes and conserves smartphone battery, especially on OLED devices. Apps like Firefox, Opera, Twitch and Telegram have already adopted this style, and companies are regularly adding dark mode support to new applications and software. A system-wide update is now rolling out to groups of POCO F1 users who have the latest open beta available on their device. This feature will enable users to implement a darker colour palette in the system (including the menus, system backgrounds and notification bars) and apps which are compatible with dark mode.

How To Enable Dark Mode On POCO F1?

Also Read: Xiaomi Mi 9X Leaks Before Official Announcement

Users can even apply the dark theme to their system applications, such as Gallery, messaging, phone and contacts. To experience the dark mode on their devices, users can go to the Display menu in Settings and turn on the dark mode. Noteworthy, the MIUI global beta must bear the version number 10.9.3.25, otherwise the button for toggling the dark mode wouldn’t be visible. If users do not wish to update the UI, they can use the MI Flash tool to flash the update package on their device via an unlocked bootloader. It is advisable to take a backup of all the data on the device before updating the smartphone.

March 26, 2019
Xiaomi Poco F1 Gets Game Turbo Mode For Better Gaming Performance

Xiaomi launched the Poco F1 smartphone last year in India. The device was an instant success owing to its competitive, flagship specifications at a lucrative price. In a recent software update to the handset, the company has added the Game Turbo mode. This should enable better performance on the smartphone for gaming or similar resource-intensive tasks.

Game Turbo Mode On Poco F1

In the latest update to the MIUI 10 operating system on the Poco F1, the company has added a Game Turbo Mode for the smartphone. The feature is responsible for optimizing the CPU power and the RAM of the device according to the game running on it. The performance is also balanced according to a particular game scene. So, for example, if a game has an area that has a lot of textures and layers, which usually is graphically intensive, then the CPU and GPU load will be increased. In the case of a graphically challenged environment, the load on the performance will be reduced.

Xiaomi Poco F1

To recall, Poco F1 was launched as the most affordable smartphone in the market with the 10nm Snapdragon 845 SoC. The chipset was seen in many Android flagship devices last year and has an Octa-core CPU with Adreno 630 for graphics. The frame of the handset is made from polycarbonate. The front is dominated by a 6.18 inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 2246 x 1080 px. There are minimal bezels on all sides, barring a significant chin and wide notch on the front. For biometrics and security, there is a rear mounted fingerprint sensor with support for face unlock technology.

The Poco F1 is powered by a 4000mAh battery with 18W fast charging support via the bottom mounted USB Type-C port. In terms of optics, the smartphone has a dual rear camera setup consisting of a 12MP sensor with f/1.9 aperture and a secondary 5MP sensor for depth effects. For selfies, there is a 20MP camera with f/2.0 aperture housed in the notch up front. For memory and storage, it is available in up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage.

Also read: PUBG Mobile Six-Hour Ban Lifted, Developers Issue Apology

As far as pricing is concerned, Poco F1 has received a temporary price slash which makes the prices of the smartphone start from Rs 19,999 for the version with 6GB RAM and 64GB ROM. The variant with 6GB RAM and 128GB onboard storage starts at Rs. 20,999. The model with 8GB of RAM and 256GB internal storage will be available for Rs. 27,999.

March 25, 2019
Poco F1 Gets Widevine L1 Support For HD Streaming

Xiaomi launched the Poco F1 in India back in the month of August last year. The smartphone with a budget price and flagship specifications witnessed rave reviews globally. But soon after the launch, the controversy arose that the device lacked the support for Widevine L1 certificate; which is necessary to stream HD digital content on services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. According to a senior Xiaomi India executive, the Poco F1 has been granted Widevine L1 certification. The executive also states that an OTA update with the L1 certification is being rolled out for beta users. Besides, the upcoming general public MIUI update for the device will incorporate this certificate. Therefore, the users will soon be able to stream HD content on their devices after updating the latest update.

Poco F1: Widevine L1 Support

The Widevine L1 certification is granted by Widevine Technologies, which is owned by Google. It is an encryption system to distribute video content from streaming services to consumer devices. When it was discovered that the Poco F1 lacked the Widevine L1 certification; it became identified that the device was incapable of streaming video content higher than 540p resolution. Similarly, OnePlus’s yesteryear flagship, the OnePlus 5T was also plagued by the same problem which was sorrowfully never eradicated.

The Poco F1 has started receiving the update supporting the Widevine L1 certificate in the latest MIUI 10 9.2.25 Beta. It was earlier speculated that the devices lacking certain hardware components cannot be Widevine L1 certified. However, Xiaomi has demonstrated that the aforementioned problem can indeed be fixed via software modifications. In addition to the L1 certification, streaming services also need to whitelist devices to allow them to stream HD content. Streaming services including Amazon Prime Video and Hotstar have already updated their respective applications to allow Poco F1 to be able to stream HD content. However, Netflix is yet to roll an update that allows updated Poco F1 units to stream HD content on its platform.

Also read: 1TB MicroSD Cards Are A Reality At MWC 2019

The update on the Xiaomi Poco F1 should arrive as a sigh of relief to existing users of the device. Unfortunately, the company has not provided any information on the stable release of the update; but it is expected to roll out as soon as the current software is out of Beta and has the bugs ironed out.

February 27, 2019
Xiaomi Poco F1 Armoured Edition Launched In 6 GB / 128 GB Variant

Xiaomi’s secret weapon is the Poco phone F1. It released with a huge hype around the unbelievable price and amazing specifications. The phone features the top of the line Snapdragon 845 SoC at an amazing launch price of Rs. 20,999. This caused a lot of uproar because of the cheap price. The Poco F1 was previously launched with an armoured edition but it was only available in the pricier 8 GB RAM and 256 GB storage variant. This was however, out of the budget of many consumers. This is set to change now that Poco F1 Armoured Edition has been launched at a lower 6GB RAM and 128 GB storage configuration.

The Poco F1 featured a MIUI 9.6 based on Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box but has recently started receiving Android 9.0 Pie on top of MIUI 10. The phone has a 6.18-inch full-HD+ screen with 1080 x 2246 pixel resolution display. Although there was a lot of furore regarding the phone not being able to play HD videos from some video streaming websites, many consumers did not care. The phone has a 2.5D curved display with Gorilla Glass 3 which provides additional protection. But the main feature that attracted so many fans towards this phone was the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC which is the latest SoC available at the moment.

The Poco F1 Armoured Edition has a dual camera setup at the back and a single camera at the front. The rear cameras include a 12-megapixel Sony IMX363 primary sensor and a 5-megapixel secondary sensor. It also features a 20-megapixel camera along with HDR and AI Beautify features. Other notable features include 4G+ VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth v5.0, USB Type-C, 3.5mm headphone jack. It has a 4,000 mAh battery that supports 18W charging and Quick Charge 3.

The phone’s armoured edition will go on sale in the country through Mi.com and Flipkart. Starting 00:01am on December 26, 2018. The 6GB 128GB variant is priced at Rs 23,999 in India.

December 25, 2018
Xiaomi To Re-launch Poco F1 In China As Mi Play
Xioami unveiled their sub-brand Poco earlier this year in India. The first smartphone that the company launched is the Poco F1. The smartphone was launched in the month of September. Due to its killer pricing and flagship level specifications, it was able to turn a lot of heads globally. The Poco F1 was initially launched in India and it carried a sub 20k price tag for the base variant. Previously there have been claims that the smartphone will carry the Xiaomi branding when it is launched globally.

Mi Play Teaser

Xiaomi is set to launch a new smartphone on the 24th of this month which will be called the Mi Play. The ‘Play’ name suggests that the smartphones will have a focus on gaming, entertainment, and such ‘fun’ activities. There are rumors which claim that the Poco F1, in fact, is the first Mi Play series smartphone.

Poco F1/ Mi Play Tech Specifications
- Display: 6.18-inch LCD Full HD+ 2246 × 1080 pixels, 18.7:9 aspect ratio
- Operating System: MIUI 10 Android 8.1 Oreo
- Processor: Snapdragon 845
- RAM: 6 GB/8 GB
- Storage: 64 GB/128GB/256GB
- Rear Cameras: 12 MP + 5 MP, Dual-LED Flash
- Selfie Camera: 20 MP
- Security: Rear Mounted Fingerprint Sensor, Infrared Face Unlock
- Connectivity: Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, Bluetooth 5 .0 , GPS, USB Type-C
- Battery: 4000mAh
- Dimensions: 155.5 x 75.3 x 8.8 mm
- Weight: 182 grams
Also Read: Lenovo Z5s With Triple Rear Cameras Launched In China

Although it is not yet official that the Poco F1 is the Mi Play, fortunately, we won’t have to wait for long as the latter will launch soon. It will be officially launched in China on 24th December 2018.

You can also watch our review video of the Poco F1 aka Mi Play
December 18, 2018
Mi A2 And Poco F1 Get Android Pie

The Xiaomi Mi A2 has officially become the first phone by the smartphone manufacturer to receive the Android 9 Pie update. The rollout was first limited to a few Mi A2 devices. But, will start reaching almost all devices from the 18th of December. Additionally, the Poco F1 has also started recieving an update for MIUI 10, which brings in a lot of big fixes as well.

Mi A2

The rollout of the Pie update started a few days back and other Xiaomi devices have also been receiving scattered updates. This includes the Mi A2 Lite as well. A global rollout is expected to start in January 2019. However the original Mi A1 is yet to receive any definite date for the update. But, users should not be disheartened as some Mi A1 users had also reported receiving the update. Since these devices are part of the Android One program, it is but natural for them to receive the Android Pie update first.

Poco F1

The Poco F1 has started receiving a stable update for MIUI 10 based on Android Pie. This update was also reported by multiple users last week. The update brings big fixes to the Poco F1 along with google Lens integration. It also fixes several issued with Android Auto. A few other bug fixes are mentioned below.

The update fixes the setting for turning off the screen automatically and also fixes the issues with the phone’s microphone. However, a lot of users are still reporting some issues even after the latest update. These include a Ambient display option in the settings, which apparently doesn’t work at all times. Some users also reported a touch lag. Other users also reported that the Google Assistant wasn’t responding to the “Ok Google” command at times. The company has mentioned that it will be releasing updates with fixes for these issues soon.

Also Read : Xiaomi Redmi 7 Listed On TENAA

While a select few Xiaomi phones have started receiving the latest Android 9 Pie operating system, majority of their phones are still running on older versions of Android. With most users having mid-range or budget smartphones from the company which do not get speedy updates, it is imperative that the smartphone giant does something about to speed up this process.

December 18, 2018
Poco F1 To Be Available Offline After 13th October

Poco F1 is the cheapest phone in the market that has the Snapdragon 845 processor. It was launched in August earlier this year and has performed well in terms of sales. Till now, the smartphone was only available online ,but Xiaomi has announced that it will also be available offline in Mi stores after 13th October.

Poco F1 Specifications:

The Pocophone F1 has a 6.18 inch LCD display that has a 2246 x 1080 px resolution and a pixel density of 403 ppi. The smartphone runs on the Snapdragon 845 Octa-Core CPU and the Adreno 630 GPU. It also has liquid cooling to keep the temperatures in check during heavy use. The device is available in three storage variants: 64 GB, 128 GB or 256 GB of internal storage paired with either 6 GB or 8 GB of RAM. It also supports storage expansion upto 256 GB via a microDS card.

For photography, it has dual 12 MP + 5 MP rear cameras with Dual-LED flash that can shoot 2160p videos @ 30 fps and super slow-mo 1080p videos @ 240 fps. The front selfie camera is a 20 MP shooter that captures 1080p videos @ 30 fps. In terms of connectivity, the Poco F1 has 802.11 Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0 and USB Type-C for charging and data transfer. It has a rear mounted fingerprint sensor for securely unlocking the device.

Also read: Google Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL Price And Availability In India

The phone is powered by a 4,000 mAh Lithium-Polymer battery and runs on the Android 8.1 Oreo operating system. It is available in three colour variants: Graphite Black, Rosso Red and Steel Blue. Additionally, there is a special Armour edition option for the top end 8 GB + 256 GB variant.

Price of the Poco F1:

6 GB RAM + 64 GB ROM- Rs. 20,999/-

6 GB RAM + 128 GB ROM- Rs. 23,999/-

8 GB RAM + 256 GB ROM- Rs. 28,999/-

8 GB RAM + 256 GB ROM(Armour edition)- Rs. 29,999/-

Watch our review of the Poco F1:

October 13, 2018
Xiaomi Poco F1 Rosso Red First Look : Pocophone Red

Xiaomi has launched the Poco F1 Rosso Red edition. The Poco F1 is available in three variants and four different colour options which are Black, Blue, Red and an Armoured edition for the top variant. The Poco F1 starts at Rs 20,999 and at this price, offers some killer features.

However, we did notice the screen bleeding issue in our video and in our use of the device as well. Additionally the Poco F1 lacks the Widevine L1 which means that it does not support HD playback on Netflix or Amazon Prime. But, if you are ready to overlook these issues, the device is a steal at this price and the Poco F1 Rosso Red only adds to its appeal.

To know more about the device, read Xiaomi Launches Poco F1 With Snapdragon 845.

The Poco F1 has a 6.18 inch FHD+ display. It has a resolution of 2246 x 1080px and a pixel density of 402 ppi. The highlight of the device is the fact that it runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC. This chipset is used by most flagship devices. Additionally, the processor is liquid cooled offering better performance. The Poco F1 has a 4,000 mAh battery and Quick Charge 3.0 support. It sports a 12 MP + 5 MP dual rear camera and a 20 MP front camera. The device also has IR Face Unlock and a rear fingerprint sensor.

The Poco F1 is available in three RAM and storage versions. It has 6 GB + 64 GB, 6 GB + 128 GB and 8 GB + 256 GB variants.

October 5, 2018
Xiaomi Poco F1 To Be Available Through Open Sale Starting Tonight

The Poco F1 has been the hottest topic in the Indian smartphone market in the past month. Offering flagship features at a mid-range price, it created a tiny revolution in the market. It forced competitors to be more critical in terms of pricing and has added to ongoing the innovation race. However, the device has been really hard to get one’s hands on due to the flash sale model followed by Xiaomi. In an unexpected announcement, Xiaomi announced that starting tonight, the Poco F1 will be available in an open sale.

Through a video on twitter, the company announced that it will be selling the Poco F1 in an open sale, ditching the flash sale format. Only the 6 GB/ 128 GB variant will be available for now, and the other two variants will soon follow. The device will be available exclusively on Flipkart and Xiaomi’s official website.

Buy the Poco F1 here

Specifications:

The Poco F1 has a a 6.18-inch FHD+ display with a notch and an 18:9 aspect ratio. However, what really highlights the Poco F1 is the Snapdragon 845 chipset with the Adreno 639 GPU. The device is also liquid cooled, which prevents heating and offers peak performance with the chipset. The Poco F1 has four variants. The base variant offers 6GB of RAM and 64 GB storage and is priced at Rs 20,999. The second variant, priced at Rs 23,999, offers 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. The top variant comes with a 8GB RAM and 256GB storage and costs Rs 28,999.

On the back, it has a dual 12MP+5MP camera setup which offers AI compatibility. The rear camera records video in 4K at 30 fps. The 20 MP front camera has an aperture of f/2.0.The device runs on a 4,000 mAh battery and supports Quick Charge 3.0. It has Android 8.1 Oreo and has an IR scanner for Face Unlock and uses USB Type-C for connectivity and charging. The Poco F1 was in the news recently as the device lacs support for HD video playback. This has happened due to the limitations on the hardware, which only supports a stream of upto 540p. Recently, users also took to social media to report screen bleed on the device. Other than this, there are numerous issues which seem to be arising regarding the device and Xiaomi is not seen responding.

#POCOF1 – ?200 cr. in the first sale. The Best Rated Flagship on @Flipkart. What's next for the #MasterOfSpeed?@manukumarjain and @cmanmohan are here with a surprise for you! RT if you didn't expect this ? pic.twitter.com/59uh4aC3KH

— POCO India (@IndiaPOCO) September 13, 2018

The flash sale model has been a part of Xiaomi’s strategy ever since it entered the Indian smartphone market. It had slowly started to shift out of this model with the presence of open sale of its devices and physical stores. However, Xiaomi went back to the strategy for the launch of the Poco F1. This could have been for many reasons. Xiaomi could have been creating a hype for the device or simply just been gauging the reaction of the audience. Whatever, the plan might have been, Xiaomi now seems comfortable enough to move the device to an open sale. While this could be great for Xiaomi, the numerous problems plaguing the device will be a slight setback.

September 13, 2018
Poco F1’s Second Flash Sale Today Including The Armoured Edition

The much awaited Xiaomi Poco F1 will have its second flash sale today. The Armoured edition of the Poco F1 will be available on sale today for the first time. The device has created a ripple in the smartphone market with its flagship specifications at a mid-range price. With the first sale of the Poco F1 being recorded as the biggest sale on Flipkart yet, it might not be so easy to get your hands on the device.

The Poco F1 will be available on Flipkart and Xiaomi’s official website. Other than the armoured edition of the device, it will be available in Graphite Black, Rosso Red and Steel Blue colours. However, one has to be incredibly fast and lucky in order to get the device. The previous sale of the Poco F1 had Xiaomi earning over Rs 200 crore in less than 5 minutes and the device being sold out very soon. Poco however, did not reveal the number of smartphones it sold. But, if the amount is over 200 crores, then it’s pretty clear that they sold at least 68,000 devices. On the other hand, if all the devices sold were base models, the units sold can be close to 1 lakh.

Going on sale at 12 PM today Buy the Poco F1 Here

Poco F1 Specifications:

The Poco F1 has a a 6.18-inch FHD+ display with a notch and an 18:9 aspect ratio. However, what really highlights the Poco F1 is the Snapdragon 845 chipset with the Adreno 639 GPU. The device is also liquid cooled, which prevents heating and offers peak performance with the chipset. The Poco F1 has four variants. The base variant offers 6GB of RAM and 64 GB storage and is priced at Rs 20,999. The second variant, priced at Rs 23,999, offers 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. The top variant comes with a 8GB RAM and 256GB storage and costs Rs 28,999.

On the back, it has a dual 12MP+5MP camera setup which offers AI compatibility. The rear camera records video in 4K at 30 fps. The 20 MP front camera has an aperture of f/2.0.The device runs on a 4,000 mAh battery and supports Quick Charge 3.0. It has Android 8.1 Oreo and has an IR scanner for Face Unlock and uses USB Type-C for connectivity and charging. The Poco F1 was in the news recently as the device lacs support for HD video playback. This has happened due to the limitations on the hardware, which only supports a stream of upto 540p.

For more details, check out our detailed review below:

September 5, 2018

Honor Play Vs Poco F1: Clash Of The Best Budget Flagship Phones

The Honor Play exploded into the market when it was released. The high performance device, set a benchmark for flagship killers and gives tough competition to higher-end devices. Everyone had come to terms with the fact that nothing could beat the Honor play when boom, the Poco F1 raced into the public sphere. The only phone to offer the Snapdragon 845 in this price range, it’s not just speed that sets the Poco F1 apart.

While the pricing of the base model of the Poco F1 is directly competitive with that of the Honor Play, the two devices do have many differences. The Poco F1 offers its 6GB/64GB variant at a highly lucrative price of Rs 20,999. Sitting just a little away from this is the 4GB/64GB Honor Play. The 6GB/128GB and the 8GB/256Gb variants of the Poco F1 cost Rs 23,999 and Rs 28,999 respectively.

Also Read: Honor Play Gaming Smartphone Launched

Display:

The Honor Play has a 6.3-inch Full HD display, complete with thin bezels on the side and a notch on the top. With a resolution of 2340×1080 pixels and a 19:9 aspect ratio, the Honor Play provides an immersive visual experience at 409 ppi. Not lagging behind, the Poco F1 gives a similar performance with its 6.18-inch, Full HD display. At 2246×1080 pixels, it gives us a density of 403 ppi.

Processor:

This is where Poco F1 really hits the sweet spot. With Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 845 chipset and the Adreno 630 GPU, the specs speak for themselves. Also adding to this is the fact that it is liquid cooled, which Poco claims will ensure that the Processor gives out peak performance always. Honor also brings on the heat with its Kirin 970 chipset coupled with its GPU Turbo technology, which has been promised will change gaming experiences for everyone.

RAM & Storage:

Another segment in which the Poco F1 surges forward with its higher specifications, what really adds to this is the expandable storage. With a memory card, the Poco F1’s storage can reach more than half a TB in its top model, providing more power for the user. The Honor Play has upto 256GB of expandable memory, giving you all the space you need.

Also Read: Xiaomi Launches Poco F1 With Snapdragon 845

Camera:

While both the devices have AI enabled cameras which provide extensive scene detection and other smart features, they do differ fundamentally. The Poco F1 has with a 12MP and 5MP sensor for its rear camera with an aperture of f/1.9 and f/2.0 respectively. the Honor play at the same time only offers a 16MP and 2MP sensor with an aperture of f/2.2 and f/2.4 respectively. It can be seen that the Honor Play does not really bring flagship specs when it comes to the camera. The AI technology however, helps it overcome this hurdle. Another cool feature that we’re looking forward to is the special scene detection for India in the Poco F1 which shows that they went that extra mile.

Both the devices house their front-facing cameras in the notch. They are similarly equipped with AI and an improved portrait mode. The Poco F1 has a 20MP, f/2.0 sensor while the Honor Play carries a 16MP, f/2.2 sensor.

Battery:

Neither of the phones come with flagship features like wireless charging but they do pack a punch. The Poco F1 packs a massive 4000 mAh battery and Quick charge 3.0. The Honor Play carries a 3750 mAh battery along with the Huawei Super charge 3.0. Each of the devices claim advanced AI and curated operating systems will ensure that battery life is further optimised.

Is The Hunt Over?

While the two smartphones bring an unbelievable amount of flagship features to us for great prices, will they really make their mark? As both the phones are sold in flash sales conducted from time to time, the impact they make on the audience may not be that concrete. Although it creates a buzz and ensures that anxious buyers are always lined up to buy the devices, companies like OnePlus are in the lead in this segment due to the availability of their phones in the market. Let’s wait and watch as to how these new entrants change the Indian Market.

[table style=”table-hover”]

Specifications	Poco F1	Honor Play
Price	6GB+64GB : Rs 20,999 6GB+128GB : Rs 23,999 8GB+256Gb : Rs 28,999	4GB+64GB : 19,999
Display	6.18 inch 2246 x 1080 FHD+ 18:7:9 Aspect Ratio 403 ppi	6.29 inch 2340 x 1080 FHD+ 19:5:9 Aspect Ratio 409 ppi
Chipset	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Liquid Cooled Octa Core @ 2.8 GHz Adreno 630 GPU	Kirin 970 Octa Core @ 2.3 GHz GPU Turbo
RAM	6GB 8GB	4GB
Storage	64GB, Expandable storage up to 256GB 128GB, Expandable storage up to 256GB 256GB, Expandable storage up to 256GB	64GB, Expandable storage up to 256GB
Primary Camera	Primary 12MP rear camera, f/1.9 + Secondary 5MP rear camera, f/2.0 4K video, 30 fps AI Enabled	Primary 16MP rear camera, f/2.2 + Secondary 2MP rear camera, f/2.4 4K video, 30 fps AI Enabled
Front- Facing Camera	20MP, f/2.0	16MP, f/2.2
Battery	4000 mAh Quick charge 3.0 USB Type-C charger	3750 mAh Huawei Super charge 3.0 USB Type-C charger
Additional Features	3.5 mm Headphone Jack Fingerprint scanner Infrared Scanner Face unlock	3.5 mm Headphone Jack Fingerprint scanner Face Unlock

[/table]

August 24, 2018

Xiaomi And Flash Sales: It’s Complicated

The flash sale model was pioneered by Xiaomi back in 2014 when it was using e-commerce platforms to slowly inch its way into the Indian market. They have come a long way since then and now hold the top position in the market share in India. Xiaomi is a respected brand and has carved out a huge fan following over time. However, they still use the flash sale method to sell some of their phones. Xiaomi now also aims to dominate the premium smartphone segment with the Poco F1. With so much at stake, is it a good idea for Xiaomi to stick to this or is it time to move on?

The concept behind flash sales is very simple. Deliberately create a shortage in supply to ensure that the demand for the product goes up. This system has numerous positives compared to the few negatives it may have. Demand for the product increases in the first place, making sure that it creates a lot of hype. This hype therefore attracts more consumers as everyone wants to get a piece of something that is not easy to obtain. The biggest advantage it offers is for smaller companies.

Redmi Note 5 Pro

Small companies cannot afford to invest in producing large number of smartphones only to see them go unsold. Therefore, a flash sale will allow them to produce smaller quantities which they are sure will sell. The intervals between flash sales can also help the company to gauge the mood of the people and know if the hype to buy the device is still around.

Also Read: Xiaomi Launches Poco F1 With Snapdragon 845

After Xiaomi ushered in this concept to the Indian smartphone market, quite a few others have followed it. That is good for a company which is just stepping in, but for Xiaomi, it can be a cause of concern. A lot of customers are unhappy because even though they’re willing to buy a Xiaomi phone, its not easily available. While they did change that and moved to selling phones via other methods, the Poco F1 seems like Deja Vu.

The Poco F1 is supposed to help Xiaomi establish itself in the flagship segment as well. We’ve already seen what the Poco F1 can do. It is also evident that Xiaomi holds the top spot in the Indian market share. If Xiaomi wants the Poco F1 to be its entry ticket to the premium segment, why is it holding back?

A few years back, not many people were trusting of Chinese brands like Xiaomi or OnePlus. Sales in India were low and it seemed uncertain as to how many devices could be sold. OnePlus, at the time, wasn’t big enough to take that risk and therefore started sales on an invite basis. Soon their sales grew, giving enough confidence and capital to move to a regular model of sales. OnePlus trashed the invites. This was a risky move as they weren’t sure as to how many people will buy the next flagship without the hype of an invite around it. OnePlus holds the top spot in the premium smartphone segment, having beaten Samsung and Apple.

While Xiaomi holds back with its sales, frustrated customers might go in for an alternative phone. The Poco F1, despite being an excellent device might go off without making a mark. Considering the fact that Xiaomi now holds a powerful spot in the Indian market, it’s up to them to make the next big move.

August 24, 2018
Xiaomi Launches Poco F1 With Snapdragon 845 Starting Rs. 19,999

Xiaomi has launched their new Sub brand Poco with their first phone the Poco F1. The phone is a Flagship Killers worst nightmare with specifications equalling Flagship tier 1 smartphones for as low as Rs. 20,999. The phone features a glass front and polycarbonate back with a vertically placed dual camera setup at the back. The front of the phone has a 6.18 inch 18.7:9 display with a 2246 x 1080 px FHD+ resolution. The front also has Gorilla Glass ( but the version is unspecified ). The display has a max brightness of 500 nits, a contrast ratio of 1500 : 1 and 84% NTSC color coverage.

The front also has a 20MP front camera with a 1.8 micron pixel “4-in-1 Super Pixel” sensor an ƒ/2.0 aperture HDR, AI scene detection, AI Beautify, AI portrait mode along with Face unlock using Infrared illuminator and an infrared camera essentially allowing for Face unlock to work in low light.

Inside the Poco f1 is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 with 8x KryoTM 385 cores- Up to 2.8GHz AIE 845 and the Adreno 630 GPU a new cooling technology that the company calls LiquidCool identical to what we saw with the Note 9. As the CPU heats, fluid inside the cooling module evaporates to vapour, moving to the cooler end, where it re-condenses as liquid.

The Poco F1 will have options of 6GB+64GB, 6GB+128GB, 8GB+256GB The RAM used is the LPDDR4X DRAM while for storage the poco F1 uses UFS 2.1 storage. The storage can be further expandable up to 256GB microSD.

The Poco F1 runs a new layer MIUI for POCO which is based on MIUI 9.6, and on Android O with the update to Android P soon after. The main camera layout has 12MP + 5MP AI dual camera setup. The primary 12MP camera is a Sony IMX363 ƒ/1.9 and 1.4?m Dual Pixel Autofocus with HDR, Multi-frame Noise Reduction and AI scene detection with the usual Beautify and portrait options .

The Poco F1 also has 4000 mAh battery with Quick charge 3.0 and a 9V 2 Amp charger is included in the box. The Poco F1 also has USB Type C USB 2.0 port with support for OTG.

The Poco F1 is a ridiculously well priced smartphone with a starting price of Rs. 20,999 ( Rs. 1000 cash back for HDFC card holders) with great specifications that will trouble a lot of other brands. POCO F1 is available with polycarbonate backs in Graphite Black, Steel Blue, and Rosso Red.

POCO F1 will retail at INR 20,999, INR 23,999, and INR 28,999 for the 6GB+64GB, 6GB+128GB, and 8GB+256GB respectively.

The Armoured Edition Poco F1 has a back panel made of DuPont Kevlar and a 8GB+256GB configuration and will retail at INR 29,999. POCO F1 will go on sale on mi.com and Flipkart on 29th August 2018, starting 12 PM.

August 22, 2018