Xiaomi introduced the mid-range/flagship-Range killer series with the name of ‘POCO F1‘ back in 2018 and since its inception the purpose of the smartphone has been to give users a powerful high-end processor at a mid-range price but to achieve that, the company seriously compromised on the quality of other components especially the display battery.
POCO F1 was one of the worst smartphone in terms of display quality with a “screen burn” issue affecting a huge proportion of their phones especially when kept at ambient temperature above 37 degrees Celsius. The follow picture shows ‘yellowish display’ around some corners of the device.
The only fix to the screen burn issue in the POCO F1 is replacing the entire display but that is just a temporary fix as the newer screen will start exhibiting the same symptoms of “yellow spots” after extended use. We have personally been in contact with a few users who have gotten their displays replaced multiple times under warranty and each one of them experienced the same “yellowish spots” and the worst part is that fact that the smartphones were out of warranty by that time and POCO wouldn’t entertain any more replacements free-of-cost.
POCO Retention Issue
Various POCO F1 have users (including us) have also experienced image retention issue which is a very common phenomena in Xiaomi smartphones which is disappointing and frustrating when you are using a smartphone from one of the world’s biggest phone manufacturer.
Some YouTubers and Tech Geeks claim that they have fixed the Retention issue on POCO F1 and other Xiaomi Smartphones, however, Screen burn issue becomes the fate of POCO Series.
My Experience with POCO F1
I bought it in May 2019 to experience the high-end processor and liquid cooling and while my initial experience was far beyond then what I expected from this mid-range smartphone, extended use of the device was a completely different matter.
Image and Video Quality:
The support for Google’s GCAM on the POCO F1 enabled me to take the pictures through the eyes of Google Pixel Series without any extra ‘Root or Mod’ installed by simply just downloading the APK and there you go, GCAM was ready to roll.
I was able to take some of the finest photographs with the help of GCAM on POCO F1 and record videos at 4k Ultra High Definition (UHD) at 60fps which was an overall pleasant experience. However, the POCO F1 only has Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) so don’t expect miracles like some flagship Samsung smartphones but overall with the help of Gimbal you can record a decent 4K video.
Just after few a months, POCO started rolling out MIUI updates which was the final nail in the coffin as the POCO F1 was downgraded in terms of stock camera quality, started to lag and experience the image retention issue (as discussed above) which essentially made the smartphone difficult to use as a daily driver. Not to forget, the battery drain that accompanied the new updates meant you had to keep a charger on hand everywhere you went.
However, my hope was alive and kept using POCO F1 until the day I woke up and was greeted with the ‘screen burn’ on the left side exactly where the SIM Card tray is located but luckily I still had a few months of warranty left so I took the smartphone to Xiaomi Sales and Service and they replaced the display free of cost but I did have to pay the faulty battery. Although, it took them more than 10 days but I eventually got my POCO F1 back with a brand new display.
Plot twist, once again after few months screen burn issue appeared somewhere close to the left portion of the screen similar to what I experienced earlier but this time it’s 2020 and we are in the middle of COVID-19 lockdown so the Xiaomi Sales and Service fella said ‘we don’t have POCO F1 display available but we will count your phone under warranty. Just bring it back after August.” but by that time my official warranty was over and I couldn’t catch up with Xiaomi fella due to a busy routine.
What I learned from POCO F1 is don’t ever buy Xiaomi Smartphones as they are not reliable and have common issues such as battery drain, screen burn, retention issue and above all the most unstable MIUI.
What Xiaomi dies is throw hundreds of smartphones in the martket every year with specifications ranging from high-end to low-end while trying to attract people from all segments, especially mobile gamers but once they start dropping the bomb of MIUI updates that is pretty much the end of your smartphone as it no longer the way it should.
Newer POCO smartphones
The newer POCO devices such as the X3 are also experiencing the same screen burn in issue which is being reported by multiple users.
POCO Series is still eye-catching for gamers but I would suggest that it is better to avoid Xiaomi Smartphones and switch to any other brand which suits your budget. I wasted my money on POCO F1 and don’t want you to be the next POCO VICTIM!
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