Poco F4 5G: Three years after release, my Poco F4 still gets software updates, which honestly surprised me given Xiaomi’s spotty track record. The latest MIUI 15 update finally fixed that annoying camera crash bug that’s plagued us since day one. Remember when taking portrait shots would randomly freeze the entire phone? Yeah, that’s gone now. Battery optimization still feels unnecessarily aggressive though – I’ve whitelisted Spotify four separate times and it still gets killed in the background during longer listening sessions. The control center redesign makes no logical sense whatsoever, with toggles moved around for apparently no reason. I’ve accidentally turned on airplane mode while trying to adjust brightness at least a dozen times since the update. Classic Xiaomi – fix three things, break two others in the process.
Battery Life: The Endurance Athlete Has Lost a Step
When I first got this phone, the 4,500mAh battery easily lasted a full day with juice to spare. Now? I’m typically hunting for a charger by early evening. Screen-on time has dropped from 7+ hours to about 5 hours with identical usage patterns. Battery degradation is inevitable with lithium-ion cells, but the drop feels steeper than my previous phones at the three-year mark. The 67W charging remains impressively quick though, giving me about 70% in 30 minutes, which somewhat makes up for the diminished capacity. One weird quirk I’ve noticed – charging while using GPS navigation makes the phone hot enough to fry an egg. Not literally, but uncomfortably warm to hold without a case. The battery percentage indicator also occasionally jumps around, dropping from 42% to 35% in seconds, then creeping back up again.
Camera System: Good Enough for Social Media, But That’s About It
The 64MP main camera was never ground breaking, but it’s held up reasonably well for casual photography. Daylight shots still look detailed enough for Instagram, with colors that pop without looking radioactive like Samsung’s processing. Dynamic range remains the biggest weakness – shoot anything with bright skies and dark shadows, and you’ll either get blown-out clouds or black shadows with nothing in between. Night mode produces usable shots if your hands are steady and your subject perfectly still, but anything less than ideal conditions results in a blurry mess. The ultra-wide lens produces images that look decent at first glance but fall apart completely if you zoom in even slightly. For documenting everyday moments it’s perfectly adequate, but anyone with even passing interest in photography will find the limitations frustrating.
Performance: Snapdragon 870 Still Has Some Fight Left
The aging Snapdragon 870 chipset was a solid mid-range performer in 2022, and it’s held up surprisingly well for everyday tasks. Social media, messaging, email, and web browsing still feel smooth and responsive. It’s only when pushing the hardware with newer, demanding games that the limitations become apparent. Genshin Impact runs at medium settings with noticeable frame drops during combat and environment transitions. Call of Duty Mobile fares better, maintaining playable framerates at high graphics settings. App switching remains quick enough that I rarely notice delays, though Chrome tabs reload more frequently than they used to. For anyone who isn’t a hardcore mobile gamer, the performance still feels perfectly adequate in 2025, which speaks to how overbuilt modern smartphones have become for typical usage patterns.
Display Quality: Still a Highlight, Mostly
The 6.67-inch AMOLED display remains this phone’s standout feature. Colors pop without looking oversaturated, black levels are genuinely black, and the 120Hz refresh rate still makes scrolling feel buttery smooth. Maximum brightness has degraded slightly over time – outdoor visibility in direct sunlight is more challenging than it was when new. The always-on display feature continues to be useful for checking notifications at a glance, though it comes with a noticeable battery penalty. One minor annoyance that’s developed over time: there’s a faint green tint visible on gray backgrounds at low brightness levels, a common issue with older AMOLED panels. For media consumption, the screen remains excellent, making Netflix binges and YouTube marathons genuinely enjoyable experiences.
Build Quality: Aging Gracefully or Falling Apart?
I’ve been rocking my Poco F4 without a case for months now (living dangerously, I know). The glass back has developed a constellation of micro-scratches only visible under direct light, but no major cracks despite several drops onto hardwood floors. The plastic frame has held up remarkably well, with only a small dent on the bottom edge from an unfortunate bathroom tile encounter. Buttons remain clicky and responsive with minimal wear. The side-mounted fingerprint scanner deserves special mention – it’s still lightning quick and rarely fails, unlike in-display scanners that seem to degrade more noticeably over time. The vibration motor has lost some of its precision, feeling buzzier and less defined than when new.
Poco F4 5G Value Proposition: Still Worth Buying Used in 2025?
With the Poco F6 series already on shelves and the F7 rumored for next month, used F4 prices have absolutely cratered. I’ve seen mint condition units going for under $150 on marketplace apps – incredible value considering the specs. For budget-conscious buyers, students, or anyone who needs a reliable backup phone, it represents exceptional value even in 2025. You’re getting a capable processor, beautiful display, and decent build quality for the price of entry-level phones with significantly worse specs. Just be aware that official software support is likely ending soon, with security updates already shifting to quarterly rather than monthly. If you spot one in good condition for around $130-150, it’s worth considering if your smartphone needs are more basic and you’re not chasing the latest features.