POCO F4 5G vs POCO X3 Pro: 5 ways the phones are different

The POCO F4 5G is tipped to be launching in India in the coming days, which has naturally led to speculations around what the smartphone could bring to the table. Rumours in the industry, coupled with the confirmed specifications of the device that we already know, have added up to claim that the POCO F4 would be a flagship grade smartphone, and could therefore finally replace the POCO X3 Pro smartphone that was launched in India early last year.

The upcoming device, naturally, has a number of key differences between itself and the POCO X3 Pro – both in terms of the specifications that it will offer, and also how it looks. On this note, here’s looking at the five ways in which the POCO F4 5G will be different from a previous flagship-grade device from Xiaomi sub-entity POCO.

POCO F4 5G differences: Processor

The first key difference between the devices lies in the chipset that they use. The older POCO X3 Pro was powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 860 SoC when it was launched. Now, the POCO F4 has been confirmed to use the Snapdragon 870 SoC, which is definitely a step up from the older chipset. However, interestingly, the Snapdragon 870 was a chipset that was launched as a one-step lower offering to the flagship chip from its generation, which was the Snapdragon 888. Nevertheless, it is a flagship grade offering, and should offer decent performance on the device.

The POCO F4 5G, it is important to note, is expected to be a rebranded Redmi K40S, when it is unveiled in India. The latter is reserved for the Chinese market, while globally, the same device may be marketed under POCO’s umbrella.

RAM

The amount of memory available in the smartphone is also expected to be different. While the erstwhile POCO X3 Pro had launched with 6GB and 8GB RAM variants, the upcoming POCO F4 5G is expected to bring up to 12GB RAM to the table. The base variant of the smartphone is also expected to feature at least 8GB of RAM – hence offering an upgrade over what the X3 Pro had offered last year.

Camera

While the POCO X3 Pro had used a quad camera setup last year, the upcoming POCO F4 5G will reportedly bring a triple rear camera setup to the table. The X3 Pro used a 48MP primary camera, along with an 8MP ultra-wide unit, and two 2MP cameras for macro photography and depth sensing. In comparison, the upcoming POCO F4 5G is expected to use a 64MP main camera, along with an 8MP ultra-wide camera and a 2MP one for macro photography. Depth processing will likely be handled at a software level by the POCO F4 5G’s image signal processor.

Battery

The new smartphone is also expected to get superior fast charging speed – although the overall battery capacity is expected to get a downgrade. The POCO X3 Pro featured a 5,160mAh battery with 33W fast charging. In comparison, the upcoming F4 5G is expected to use a 4,520mAh battery, but pair that with faster, 67W fast charging. The latter could help charge the phone faster, if its per-charge usage cycle ends up being lower than the X3 Pro’s. It is also important to note that the POCO F4 5G will run on a more efficient processor than the X3 Pro, which could offset the difference between the overall battery capacity in the two phones.

Slimmer and lighter

Finally, the POCO F4 5G is also expected to be a slimmer and lighter phone, and bear a significantly different design in comparison to the X3 Pro. The latter featured a rounded back, with rounded edges – all packaged together in a fairly hefty body. For reference, the POCO X3 Pro was 9.4mm thick, and measured 215 grams. In comparison, the POCO F4 is expected to be much lighter and thinner – measuring 7.7mm and 195 grams as per the Redmi K40S’ dimensions.

It will also be clearly different in terms of the overall design, with the POCO F4 5G expected to feature straight, boxier edges, and flat sides.