Poco F6 vs. Poco F6 Pro
Poco undoubtedly has a great value proposition going with its latest F6 series. The vanilla F6 starts at $379 globally for a base 8GB/256GB unit, whereas the Poco F6 Pro has a $499 base MSRP for the 12GB/256GB model. That's not an insignificant price difference, and it leads us nicely to the main question we aim to answer - which one is a better deal and, ultimately, a better fit for you personally.
Despite sharing the same model family under the Poco brand, the two devices are quite different. Poco relies on Xiaomi RnD and tends to rebrand already existing Xiaomi models for its lineup. In this particular case, the vanilla F6 is based on the Xiaomi Redmi Turbo 3, whereas the F6 Pro is based on the Xiaomi Redmi K70. This approach to product development on Poco's end isn't intrinsically bad, but it does lead to some interesting disparities, like the fact that despite its "Pro" moniker, the F6 Pro lacks the proper ingress protection of its vanilla sibling as well as the Gorilla Glass Victus front.
So how much better is the Xiaomi Poco F6 Pro to deserve its price premium? Let's look into it.
Table of Contents:
For starters, you can compare the complete specs sheets or directly continue with our editor's assessment in the following text.
Size comparison
The two phones are very similar in overall dimensions, which is quite natural given that both have the same display diagonal at 6.67 inches and the same battery capacity at 5,000 mAh. They differ slightly in weight, with the vanilla Poco F6 coming in at 179 grams while the F6 Pro tips the scale at 209 grams. This is probably due to the difference in materials more than anything else.
The regular Poco F6 has a plastic back and a plastic frame, whereas the F6 Pro has a glass back and an aluminum frame. However, as we already mentioned in the intro, this doesn't tell the full story. Despite its more modest bill of materials, the vanilla F6 offers better overall protection. It has IP64 certification, while the F6 Pro is stuck with basic IP54. Also, the front of the vanilla F6 is covered with Gorilla Glass Victus, while the Pro model has a more basic Gorilla Glass 5 finish.
Let's talk about color options. The vanilla F6 kind of wins in this department since it comes in Green in addition to the more basic Black and Titanium. The F6 Pro can be had in either Black or White. Then again, we personally find the slight marble-like effect on the back of the F6 Pro more intriguing than the basic finish on the vanilla. So, let's call it a toss-up.
Speaking of design, while the two phones are very similar from the front, with their flat displays only interrupted by a punch-hole selfie and pretty thin bezels all around, we wouldn't call their backs similar at all. Beyond the signature pattern on the Pro we already mentioned, there is also a major difference in the camera islands. The vanilla F6 doesn't actually have one with two big circular individual cameras and an LED flash to the side. On the other hand, the Pro has a massive camera island stretching almost the entire width of the phone and much smaller circles for the cameras themselves. It's almost as if the two phones weren't meant to be related to begin with (wink, wink).
Regarding other interesting titbits, both phones have an IR blaster. Also, NFC in most markets. Both models also have a stereo speaker setup, with the earpiece acting as the second channel.
On the bottom, we have the SIM slot, which lacks expandable storage on either device, as well as the main speaker and the Type-C port. Both phones support USB Host/OTG but nothing else fancy like video output. So, you are stuck with USB 2.0 data speeds of 480 Mbps max on both phones.
Display comparison
Both phones have the same large display diagonal of 6.67 inches. The similarities don't end there either, with 12-bit color, HDR10+, Dolby Vision certification and a 120Hz refresh rate. Those are some pretty great specs all around.
However, the F6 Pro still has a leg up in this department. First of all, it has a higher resolution of 1440 x 3200 pixels, compared to 1220 x 2712 pixels on the vanilla model. This naturally means that there is a difference in sharpness between the two phones. Mind you, it is not one that you can truly appreciate with the naked eye. At around 446 ppi, the Poco F6 still looks plenty sharp. However, the F6 Pro has a notably higher pixel density of around 526 ppi.
It is also worth noting that Poco advertises a much higher peak brightness of 4,000 nits for the Poco F6 Pro compared to 2,400 nits on the Poco F6. However, it is also worth pointing out that in our more practical standardized testing, both phones managed a very similar maximum brightness output of just over 1,200 nits. More than plenty to be comfortable outdoors.