Xiaomi’s latest POCO F9 Ultra signals a strategic move upmarket, offering flagship hardware and premium design at a significantly increased price, challenging previous value-oriented positioning.
Xiaomi’s latest POCO F9 Ultra marks a clear shift upmarket for the brand, pairing flagship-grade hardware with a much sharper asking price. In Spain, the starting price rises to €1,099.99, well above the previous generation’s launch level, and that alone changes the way the phone is judged. According to EL ESPAÑOL – El Androide Libre, the increase is easier to accept once the device’s performance, battery life and audio are taken into account, but it also means POCO is no longer operating in the value-first territory that defined earlier models.
The handset makes a strong first impression. Its glass back and aluminium frame give it a polished finish, while its size and weight are a consequence of the hardware packed inside. At 8.4mm thick and 238g, it is not a compact device, yet the industrial design is deliberate rather than excessive. The dark cherry finish reviewed by EL ESPAÑOL gives it a restrained, premium look, although the overall silhouette will feel familiar to anyone who has seen recent high-end iPhones or the prior POCO F8 Ultra.
One of the most distinctive features is the audio system. POCO has fitted the F9 Ultra with a 2.1-channel setup that includes a dedicated subwoofer alongside stereo speakers, and the sound tuning is handled with Bose. Computer Bild also highlighted this arrangement in its hands-on review, noting the unusually bold bass and the sense of width it brings to music, video and games. POCO has added an LED ring around the rear speaker module, which can be used for calls, notifications and some app alerts, making the design more than just decorative.
The display is another major selling point. Gizmochina and NoypiGeeks both report that the phone uses a 6.9-inch AMOLED panel with a 185Hz refresh rate, while EL ESPAÑOL describes it as exceptionally bright and fluid in daily use. The panel is paired with support for Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and HDR Vivid, plus a high touch sampling rate aimed at gaming responsiveness. POCO also says the screen incorporates its Xiaomi Vision Care system, which is intended to reduce visual strain through a broader package of eye-comfort features.
Inside, the phone is built around Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB of UFS 4.1 storage in the version tested by EL ESPAÑOL. That combination is enough to keep demanding games and heavy multitasking running smoothly, and the publication says the phone remained cool during extended play thanks to the LiquidCool 3D IceLoop system. NoypiGeeks also points to the VisionBoost D8 chip, which handles graphics upscaling and frame interpolation to improve gaming performance. In practice, this is a device aimed squarely at users who want sustained speed rather than benchmark headlines.
Battery life is arguably the clearest reason the F9 Ultra stands out. The 8,050mAh silicon-carbon battery is much larger than what most premium phones now offer, and EL ESPAÑOL says it can last close to two days in normal use. Gizmochina reports 100W wired charging and 50W wireless charging, which should reduce the inconvenience of carrying such a large cell. The software package is equally important: the phone ships with HyperOS 3 on Android 16, and POCO promises four major operating system upgrades and six years of security updates. That is a meaningful commitment, even if the higher price means the F9 Ultra has to justify itself against tougher rivals than before.
Disclaimer: This content is intended for informational purposes only. Readers are advised to exercise their own judgement, conduct due diligence, or consult a qualified expert before acting on any information provided.
