Poco F9 Pro review

Design and handling

The Poco F9 Pro features roughly the same design as its predecessor, which in turn stays close to the aesthetic of the last two generations of iPhone Pro models. We have a big, rectangular camera island that has the camera sensors and the LED flash on its left half.

The whole body is flat - flat back, flat front and a flat side frame. However, the edge where the back panel and the side frame meet is seamless and the transition gives the impression of a unibody design.

While the front panel is still Gorilla Glass 7i, the back glass has been replaced with a glass fiber-reinforced plastic, which Xiaomi calls "fiberglass". It's nearly indistinguishable from proper glass, but some will probably see this as a downgrade. However, it doesn't really affect the in-hand feel in a negative way.

The handset also features IP68 certification for water and dust protection, although IP69 and IP69K are already available on some rivals. Not that the difference is too dramatic.

The available colors are just three - White, Black and Aurora Green. The one we got is the White variant.

There's nothing out of the ordinary around the side frame. The volume rocker and the power button are conveniently positioned, while the SIM card tray at the bottom can hold up to two physical SIM cards. eSIM is also supported instead of either or both slots, but only two SIM cards can be active at the same time.

Poco F9 Pro

The fingerprint reader is ultrasonic, offering excellent responsiveness and reliability. We had no issues at all.

Overall, the Poco F9 Pro's design and build quality are excellent. We are even slightly surprised by how good it feels in the hand. It's definitely on the slippery side, but it gives the impression of a far more premium product than it actually is.