POCO X2 vs POCO F2 Pro: Reasons Why POCO X2 Is A Better Choice

After the success of the POCO F1, it took Xiaomi more than a year to release a new smartphone under the POCO brand. The POCO X2, announced in February this year, wasn’t really a true successor to the POCO F1 since it features a mid-range Snapdragon 730G instead of a flagship chipset. Last month, the brand announced the POCO F2 Pro, which is a rebranded model of the Redmi K30 Pro. The device features a Snapdragon 865 chipset, 64MP quad rear cameras, and liquid cooling 2.0 technology. 

Even though the F1 also has top-end specs like the F2 Pro, the latter’s price is significantly higher. Its starting price in Europe is set at around Rs. 40,000, which should be lower when the phone comes to India. However, it will be very unlikely to reach the Rs. 20,000 mark like the POCO F1. Even though the POCO X2 and F2 Pro are in different segments, the former actually has several strengths over the latter. It would be better for you to read our comparison between the POCO X2 vs POCO F2 Pro and see which phone is a better choice for you.

POCO X2 vs POCO F2 Pro: Design & Display

As mentioned, the F2 Pro is a rebranded model of the Redmi K30 Pro, meaning it features the same notch-free display and pop-up selfie camera design. The device comes with a 6.67-inch AMOLED panel with HDR10+, Full-HD+ resolution, and an under-display fingerprint reader. What might disappoint you is the 60Hz refresh rate. While many phone makers have used displays with 90Hz or high refresh rates, the F2 Pro only features a standard 60Hz one. 

It is even more disappointing when the POCO X2 actually comes with a 120Hz display despite having a lower price tag. Of course, it is not perfect as this phone has a 6.67-inch LCD panel instead of an AMOLED one. The display also supports FHD+ resolution, but HDR10 instead of HDR10+. For now, the POCO X2 is the only smartphone in its segment that offers a 120Hz screen. So, while the F2 Pro delivers deeper black and punchier colors with the AMOLED panel, the POCO F2 promises smoother animations and scrolling thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate.

In terms of design, the F2 Pro is clearly better than the X2. With a flawless display thanks to the pop-up camera design, you will feel great in watching videos, movies, and playing games as well. As for the POCO X2, it features a pill-shaped punch-hole at the top right corner. It still looks great with thin bezels on the side, but will certainly not as good as that of the F2 Pro. Around the back, we can’t really say which phone has the better design and it is really up to your liking.  

POCO X2 vs POCO F2 Pro: Performance

Inside, the F2 Pro is powered by the top-end Snapdragon 865 chipset, which has a clock speed of 2.84GHz, Adreno 640 GPU for graphics, and Snapdragon X55 modem for 5G network. It comes in two memory configurations - 6GB LPDDR4X RAM + 128GB UFS 3.1 storage and 8GB LPDDR5 RAM + 256GB UFS 3.1 storage. It is also equipped with Liquid Cooling tech to keep its temperature at a good level.

The POCO X2, meanwhile, gets the power of a mid-range Snapdragon 730G under the hood. It is a gaming chipset with a 2.2GHz clock speed and an Adreno 618 GPU. The handset is available in three configurations: 6GB RAM + 64GB UFS 2.1 storage, 6GB RAM + 128GB storage, and 8GB RAM + 256GB storage. 

You can easily see that the POCO F2 Pro is more powerful than its sibling. It has a more powerful chipset (SND865 vs SND730G), faster storage standard (UFS 3.1 vs UFS 2.1), and Liquid cooling technology for a better thermal management. However, with the Snapdragon 730G, PUBG X2 PUBG experience will still be very good even for high graphics settings. Software-wise, both of them run on Android 10-based MIUI 11, so there is no difference in this regard. 

POCO X2 vs POCO F2 Pro: Cameras & Battery

Both smartphones come with a quad-camera setup and have the same 64MP Sony IMX686 main sensor. However, the specs of their setups are different. The F2 Pro has a better one, including a 64MP main sensor, a 13MP ultra-wide-angle shooter with a 123-degree viewing angle, a 2MP depth-sensing camera with 1.75 μm, and a 5MP macro camera that doubles up as telephoto lens. These cameras are capable of recording 8K videos at 30 fps, 4K videos at 60fps, and 1080p slow-mo videos at 960fps. Upfront, it gets a 20MP camera for selfies and video chats.

POCO X2, on the other handset, is equipped with a 64MP main sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle snapper with a 120-degree viewing angle, a 2MP portrait camera, and a 2MP macro camera. For selfies and video calls, the brand packs a 20MP + 2MP dual-camera array inside the punch-hole. The X2 can only capture 4K video at 30fps.

The POCO F2 Pro’s battery has a capacity of 4,700 mAh and supports 30W fast charging technology. Meanwhile, the POCO X2 has a slightly smaller battery (4,500mAh) and supports 27W fast charging solution. As for connectivity, there aren’t many differences between the two. The F2 Pro’s connectivity options include Dual 4G VoLTE, 5G, Bluetooth 5.1, NFC, GPS, USB-C port, and Wi-Fi 6. Connectivity options of POCO X2 include Wi-Fi, VoWiFi, GPS/GLONASS/Beidou, Bluetooth 5,0, USB-C port, and Dual 4G VoLTE.

POCO X2 vs POCO F2 Pro: Price in India

The price of the POCO F2 Pro in Europe is 499 EURO, which is around Rs. 41,000 for the entry-level model with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The 8GB RAM + 256GB storage option is priced at 599 EURO (around Rs. 51,200). For now, there is still no rumor regarding the POCO F2 Pro launch in India, but we expect to see it soon at a much more competitive price.

As for the POCO X2 price in India, it starts at Rs. 15,999 for the entry-level 6GB + 64GB model. The POCO Flipkart price for the 6GB + 128GB and 8GB + 256GB options are Rs. 16,999 and Rs. 19,999, respectively.

POCO X2 vs POCO F2 Pro: Verdict

The POCO X2 surely offers higher value for the money than the POCO F2 Pro. For a price of Rs. 15,999, the handset is one of the best smartphones under Rs. 20,000 you can get in India with a 120Hz display and a powerful Snapdragon 730G. If the POCO F2 Pro comes to India, its pricing will have to be much more aggressive in order to compete against the Realme X50 Pro.

We will also pit the POCO X2 vs Realme X2 in our next article, so stay tuned, and check out our mobile section for more interesting news.

You can also check out our POCO X2 review:

>>> POCO X2 Review: A Great Mid-Range Smartphone With 120Hz Display