Xiaomi Poco F1 launched in India at Rs 20,999, to go on sale on August 29

Poco -- a sub-brand Xiaomi will use the manufacturing and supply chain as well as the after-sales network of the Chinese parent in order to bring Poco F1 to the customers

Xiaomi, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer, launched the Poco F1 in India today, under their new sub-brand Poco which stands for 'a little'. The Flipkart-exclusive smartphone is the most affordable smartphone to feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC and is a premium addition to the portfolio of parent Xiaomi, known mostly for its budget and mid-range smartphones.

In a recent media interaction, Xiaomi India Managing Director Manu Kumar Jain had said that the company was working on a premium smartphone, which would not be from the company’s existing portfolio, but a new offering designed specifically for Indian consumers. The Poco F1 launched today, has premium looks, features and specifications while the price starts from Rs 20,999 and one can get a first sale offer of Rs 1000 instant cashback if bought through HDFC Bank credit or debit card.

"As a small outfit within Xiaomi, Poco has the freedom to start from scratch, zeroing in on the product choices and technologies that matter. The brand focusses on delivering performance and innovation, which we believe will resonate with tech enthusiasts," Jai Mani, Head of Product at Poco Global, said.

Apart from the flagship Snapdragon 845 chipset, the Poco F1 sports a 5.99-inch fullHD+ notch display with 19:9 aspect ratio. The notch houses an infrared face-unlock feature as well. The phone comes with a 20MP selfie camera and 12-megapixel and 5MP dual rear cameras, a 4000mAh battery, a fingerprint sensor on the back and LiquidCool Technology cooling system

The Poco F1 comes in three RAM and internal storage configurations - 6GB/64GB, 6GB/128GB and 8GB/256GB and is available in three colour options - Rosso Red, Steel Blue and Graphite Black and a kevlar-backed armoured 8GB/256GB edition.

The OS is based on Android 8.1 Oreo with a MIUI skin on it and is expected to receive the Android P update in near future.

"Poco brand is focussed on innovation and has a different positioning. Our first handset - F1 - is for the power users....We don't think Poco will impact Xiaomi sales, Poco will be complementary to Xiaomi," its Global Head Alvin Tse said.

While the Zenfone 5z from the stable of Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer Asus was the cheapest smartphone with Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC, the Poco F1 is astonishingly Rs 9000 cheaper. 

With its eyes on the premium smartphone market in India, Xiaomi's sub-brand Poco, will compete with high-end devices from the stables of OnePlus, Apple and Samsung and the new Poco F1 will compete head-on with the OnePlus 6 and Asus Zenfone 5z among others. Poco F1 will go on sale on mi.com and Flipkart on 29th August 2018 at midnight.