Building on the success of its solid mid-ranger X3 Pro, POCO has crafted another performance-centric smartphone in the F3 GT. The handset offers super specifications as the brand seeks to establish itself in the premium segment. That said, the F3 GT is POCO's most expensive handset in India to date, promising high-flying performance similar to flagship phones. On paper, the device appears to be a strong contender against the likes of the OnePlus Nord 2, Reame X7 Max, Oppo Reno 6 and Mi 11X but it isn’t all roses here, and there are thorns too. Let’s quickly find out how the POCO F3 GT stacks up against the hottest devices in the premium segment.
Design: The POCO F3 GT is a good looking handset that offers a surprisingly premium feel in the hand. It’s essentially a rebranded version of the Redmi K40 Gaming Edition from China. POCO C3, POCO M2, POCO M2 Pro, POCO M3 Pro, POCO C3 are some other rebranded Xiaomi devices launched by the company in India. I like the glass-sandwich construct, even if it doesn’t dazzle like Asus and Red Magic phones or even the OnePlus Nord 2. One of the major highlights of the POCO F3 GT is its maglev trigger buttons, positioned on the right side. You also get the luxury of tactile feedback here but pressing down physical buttons during the gameplay is not smooth.
Display: POCO has never disappointed when it comes to the display tech, and the F3 GT thankfully doesn’t stumble either. The handset ships with a massive 6.67-inch AMOLED display, dominating the phone's front. It's ideal for multimedia consumption. You get the DC Dimming support on this HDR10+ certified panel. Also, the higher refresh of 120Hz assists smooth interaction and flawless app-to-app transition. POCO claims the F3 GT’s display has a peak brightness of 500 nits. To me, it’s as bright as the OnePlus Nord 2’s 6.43-Inch (90Hz) panel. In this segment, IQOO 7 flaunts the best display then comes Mi 11X’s 6.67-Inch (120Hz) panel.
Camera: The camera has never been the strongest aspect of POCO phones, and the same goes with the F3 GT. The F3 GT features a 64MP primary sensor along with an 8MP wide-angle and 2MP macro lenses. It’s a decent camera setup in this range but, of course, not the best one. Results are good but not great as details are there in daylight shots but random noise creeps around sunset and in low-light conditions. The OnePlus Nord 2 with its Sony IMX766 is a much better shooter than the POCO phone. In fact, the low light photography on the Nord 2 is really impressive along with the bokeh mode in the video that offers near-perfect edge detection even if you’re on the move.
Performance: The MediaTek Dimensity 1200 runs the show on the POCO F3 GT and offers the smartphone more than enough power to handle any task you throw at it, including gaming. In fact, it’s a gaming-centric phone. The presence of mechanical gaming trigger buttons adds versatility to its overall looks and performance. You can expect blistering fast performance on the F3 GT, complemented by the generous 6 to 8GB of memory stuffed alongside. You won’t witness any lag or stutter while playing graphics-intensive games like Call of Duty: Mobile, Battlegrounds Mobile India or even PES 2021, a more demanding title.
The same chipset is present in the Nord 2 and Oppo Reno 6 Pro. Performance is more or less similar but the POCO F3 has an edge as you’ll have to spend more to get the Nord 2 and Reno 6 Pro. However, the Oxygen OS remains the best Android skin by far as it looks more refreshing than MiUi and Colour OS in prolonged usage. Also, the F3 GT and Reno 6 Pro come with a lot of bloatware out of the box, which is sure to put you off.
Battery: The POCO phone packs a sizable 5,065mAh battery that easily lasts for a day. It comes with a 67W fast charger in the box that takes 42 minutes to charge the cell from 0 to 100 per cent.
Comments: The POCO F3 GT appears to offer decent functionality for power users who want a gaming-high and big-screen experience on the move. The revamped design, decent enough performance and sterling battery life make for a satisfying experience. However, the competition matches or betters this device in some areas. If I had to pick one in the premium segment, I feel tilted towards the OnePlus Nord 2 as it lives up to the expectations of being a flagship killer. The Nord 2 offers an overall better deal, especially when it comes to camera, and has that premium feel and aura which is missing in the F3 GT, complemented by the clean and smooth experience of the Oxygen OS.