POCO F9 Ultra Offers Minor Upgrades Over Predecessor

Xiaomi's new POCO F9 Ultra smartphone has been reviewed, highlighting its minimal changes from the previous F8 Ultra model. The device maintains a similar design, with dimensions differing only by fractions of a millimeter. It features a large 6.9-inch screen and weighs 235 grams, slightly heavier than its predecessor. The back panel, previously with a denim-like texture, now comes in standard black and red finishes. The phone retains its IP68 water and dust resistance rating, but now uses Gorilla Glass 7i for screen protection, typically found in mid-range devices.

Hardware specifications remain largely unchanged, with the same Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor and 16GB of RAM as the F8 Ultra. Despite this, the phone is described as powerful and fast, handling daily tasks and demanding games without overheating. It supports eSIM and NFC. The display has been upgraded with a higher refresh rate and increased maximum brightness. A notable audio feature is the inclusion of a subwoofer, developed with BOSE, which enhances sound quality beyond standard smartphone speakers, though not reaching the level of external speakers. The battery capacity has seen a significant increase from 6,500mAh to 8,050mAh, allowing for approximately two days of use on a single charge. However, the review notes that charging, even with a 65W adapter (the 100W charger was not included in the test unit), is slow for such a large battery, taking over an hour for a full charge.

Software-wise, the POCO F9 Ultra runs on Android 16 and Xiaomi's HyperOS 3, the same versions as the previous model. It includes features like a dynamic island-style notification display near the selfie camera, AI capabilities for text summarization and translation (though not for audio transcription in Hebrew), and photo editing tools. The camera system has been upgraded with a 200-megapixel main sensor, replacing the previous 50-megapixel setup. Optical zoom remains at 5x. The cameras are praised for producing good results in both daylight and low-light conditions, with a special AI-assisted moon photography mode that significantly improves zoomed-in shots.

In conclusion, the POCO F9 Ultra is considered a good device with a strong spec sheet and a large screen, priced around 3,800 NIS, positioning it as a slightly more affordable alternative to flagship Samsung and Apple models. However, the reviewer suggests that its minimal upgrades make it more of a "slightly upgraded version" of the F8 Ultra, and purchasing the older model at a lower price might be a more sensible option given the lack of substantial differences.