POCO finally launched the POCO F2 Pro earlier this month as the successor to the popular POCO F1 (Review). The POCO F2 Pro specifications and design confirms that the phone is a rebranded Redmi K30 Pro, something that was rumoured for a long time. The smartphone comes with top notch features such as the Snapdragon 865 SoC, liquid cooling 2.0 tech, and 64MP quad rear cameras. But does the phone offer more value than the mid-range POCO X2, which launched in India earlier this year as a rebranded Redmi K30. We take a look at how the two phones compare to see which one offers the most bang for the buck.
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POCO F2 Pro vs POCO X2: design and display
The POCO F2 Pro design is identical to the Redmi K30 Pro complete with a notchless display and pop-up selfie camera. The handset sports a 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with HDR10+ support and an in-display fingerprint sensor. However, the screen supports a standard 60Hz refresh rate. The POCO X2, on the other hand, offers a 6.67-inch FHD+ LCD display, but with a higher 120Hz refresh rate. In India, the POCO X2 is the only phone in its segment to offer a 120Hz display, which makes it an incredible value for money. So, while the POCO F2 Pro promises punchier colours and deeper blacks with its AMOLED display, you’ll get smoother scrolling and animations on the POCO X2 thanks to its higher refresh rate.
Talking more about the design, the POCO F2 Pro’s front camera is hidden in the pop-up mechanism on the phone’s top edge alongside the 3.5mm headphone jack, while the quad rear cameras are mounted in a circular module at the back with LED flash just below. The phone’s right spine houses a power button and volume rocker, whereas the bottom edge features USB Type-C port and speaker grille.
The rear panel of the POCO X2 also sports a vertical quad camera setup camera module with four camera sensors. The right spine of the phone sports a volume rocker and power button-cum-fingerprint-scanner. The SIM-ejector tray is on the left spine, while the bottom edge has got a headphone jack, speaker grille, and USB Type-C port.
POCO F2 Pro vs POCO X2: performance and software
Under the hood, the POCO F2 Pro rocks the mighty Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC. The chipset touts 2.84GHz clock speed, Adreno 640 GPU, and Snapdragon X55 modem for 5G connectivity. The phonemaker ships the handset with two RAM and storage configurations: 6GB + 128GB and 8GB + 256GB. The F2 Pro also features LiquidCooling technology to keep its thermal under check.
The POCO X2, on the other hand, has mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G SoC at the helm. It’s a gaming-centric SoC with Adreno 618 GPU and 2.2GHz clock speed. The chipset is paired with three RAM and storage configuration: 6GB + 64GB, 6GB + 128GB, and 8GB + 256GB. It goes without saying that the POCO F2 Pro will offer a faster, more powerful experience here. Software-wise, both the POCO F2 Pro and POCO X2 run Android 10-based POCO launcher out of the box.
POCO F2 Pro vs POCO X2: cameras
Both phones feature a 64MP Sony IMX686 primary camera, however, the quad camera setup is slightly different. The POCO F2 Pro has got an upper hand with 64MP main sensor, 13MP 123-degree ultra-wide-angle lens, 2MP depth of field lens with 1.75 μm, and 5MP (50mm equivalent tele) macro lens with 3cm ~ 7cm autofocus quad-rear camera setup. The cameras are backed by 8K video recording at 30fps, 4k 60fps, 960fps slow-motion at 1080p. On the front, it features 20MP selfie shooter.
In contrast, the POCO X2’s 64MP quad rear cameras pack 8MP 120-degree super wide-angle, 2MP macro, and 2MP depth sensors. The phone features dual selfie cameras comprising 20MP primary sensor and 2MP depth sensor. The handset can only shoot 4K resolution video at 30fps.
POCO F2 Pro vs POCO X2: battery and connectivity
The POCO F2 Pro is fueled by a 4700mAh battery with 30W fast charging. Connectivity options include 5G, Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS, NFC, USB Type-C, and headphone jack. With the POCO X2, you get a 4500mAh battery and 27W fast charging support and connectivity options such as Dual 4G VoLTE, WiFi, VoWiFi, Bluetooth 5, GPS/GLONASS/Beidou, USB Type-C, and 3.5mm headphone jack.
POCO F2 Pro vs POCO X2: price
POCO F2 Pro price in Europe is EUR 499, which roughly translates to Rs 40,700 in the Indian currency for the base 6GB RAM + 128GB storage variant. The phone also comes in 8GB RAM + 256GB variant that is priced at EUR 599 (approx Rs 49,000). There is no word on when the POCO F2 Pro will launch in India, but if it does we expect the pricing to be more aggressive compared to its European prices.
The POCO X2 price in India starts at Rs 15,999 for the base 6GB RAM + 64GB storage variant. The phone’s 6GB RAM + 128GB and 8GB RAM + 256GB storage options, meanwhile, are priced at Rs 16,999 and Rs 19,999, respectively.
POCO F2 Pro vs POCO X2: which phone offers more value?
For the Indian market, the POCO X2 definitely offers more value for money. It’s pricing at Rs 15,999 makes it an attractive smartphone in the affordable mid-range segment. This is still the only phone that offers a 120Hz display in its segment as well as a powerful Snapdragon 730G chipset. The POCO F2 Pro, if it launches in India, will need to be priced extremely competitively if it wants to take on the Realme X50 Pro. While it packs enough power under the hood, the standard 60Hz display may disappoint premium segment consumers who want a higher refresh rate.
