Xiaomi's sister brand Poco has partnered with Bose to help its new F8 phones stand out in an increasingly crowded market. Both the F8 Pro and F8 Ultra feature stereo speakers developed in conjunction with the audio company, with the Ultra going even further by including a subwoofer.
Both new F8 phones feature the same dual stereo speakers tuned by Bose, although you'll have to buy the Ultra if you also want to take advantage of the subwoofer, which Poco says delivers “deeper and more impressive bass.” Additionally, there are two sound profiles tuned by Bose engineers: a Dynamic mode that provides extra bass, and a Balanced option that emphasizes vocals and provides a flatter soundstage.
“By combining Bose's expertise in acoustic engineering with Poco's innovation in design and technology, the Poco F8 series achieves a level of clarity and depth that redefines what's possible in mobile audio,” said Nick Smith, president of audio technology and chief strategy officer at Bose.
Otherwise, these two phones are pretty typical affordable flagships. F8 Ultra has more powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipsetwith a large 6.9-inch OLED display, triple 50-megapixel rear camera and wireless charging. F8 Pro uses last year's Snapdragon 8 EliteThe 6.59-inch screen is smaller and replaces each of the three rear lenses. Both are IP68 rated and feature over 6,000mAh batteries, which should provide decent longevity.
The F8 Pro starts at $579 and the Ultra starts at $729, although there's a $50 early bird discount available at launch. Both phones were announced alongside a pair of sub-$400 tablets, the Pad X1 and Pad M1, both of which feature high-resolution displays and Dolby Atmos speakers that serve as good entertainment options.
