From bulky hardware to sleek, AI-driven powerhouses, we’ve come a long way for flagship phones. Now, “ultra” has been the standard for the past few years.
The POCO F9 Ultra seems to fit in just right. With a smooth 185Hz refresh rate, a 200 MP main camera, a massive battery without being too bulky, and a design that’s easy on the eyes, it delivers ultra specs without the ultra price.
Display
The POCO F9 Ultra has a massive 6.9” AMOLED display built around the M11 panel with POCO HyperRGB technology. That means it uses a full RGB subpixel layout, so you get sharper 1.5k clarity. It also has a 185Hz refresh rate and up to 4500-nit peak brightness, with Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support. It’s big and bright, making it perfect for gaming, watching videos, or just scrolling.
Performance of an Ultra
At the heart of the POCO F9 Ultra is the Snapdragon Elite Gen 5, paired with a dedicated graphics chipset, the VisionBoost D8. Built on a 3nm process with a max clock speed of 4.6GHz. If you don’t know what that means, it means it’s fast. Really fast.
The VisionBoost D8 takes things to the next level, pushing frame rates up to 185 fps in some supported games and 165 fps in others. It also supports 1.5k super-resolution, making visuals crisp and vibrant without sacrificing performance.
Then there’s WildBoost Engine, which actually handles four things that actually matter when you’re gaming: speed, control, visuals, and audio. It maintains high frame rates, enhances colors, and tunes speakers with Sound by Bose. It makes gaming feel smooth and polished.
| (enhanced visual modes with the wild engine boost) |
I tested all of this with Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Call of Duty Mobile, both at max settings. MLBB ran really smoothly with almost zero frame drops (my internet connection may be a factor). The enhanced visual mode was a game-changer for me. As an OG MLBB gamer, I’m just now noticing all the character design and map details with the HDR mode of the WildBoost Engine. It’s like seeing the game for the first time all over again. COD Mobile was just as solid. The fast touch sampling really helped during intense gunfights.
With such intense games, I expected it to overheat. Surprisingly, POCO’s LiquidCool Technology, the 3D IceLoop cooling system, does its job really well, keeping heat to a minimum even during long hours of gaming. If overheating is your concern, this phone puts those worries to rest.
With bigger battery comes great responsibility
The POCO F9 Ultra houses a massive 8050mAh silicon-carbon battery. It’s like having a power bank that you can game on. To put it to the test, my friends and I jumped into back-to-back gaming sessions and went for 5 hours straight before we finally logged out. Even after all that, I still had plenty of juice left for a good long doom scroll.
When you do manage to run it dry, getting back up to speed is a breeze. The 100W wired charging and 50W wireless HyperCharge support mean your break is over before you know it.
Reverse charging might just be my favorite party trick. Sharing that power with a dying device is a lifesaver when outlets are nowhere to be found. The POCO F9 Ultra can share up to 27W wired or 22.5W wirelessly. If you’ve got that much battery, it’s practically your duty to save a friend.
More than just a lens
As a self-proclaimed photographer, I’ve learned that a phone camera can be your greatest friend or your biggest letdown. The POCO F9 Ultra has a 200MP main sensor, a 50MP telephoto, and a 50MP ultrawide. But let’s be real, all these megapixels are useless if the processing software is a mess. So I took it for a spin, from the neon chaos of an indoor amusement park to one of the historic churches inside Intramuros, with some architecture in between. Here are some of my shots.
I shot everything in raw to see what the camera and its processing capabilities can do on their own. The results were impressive, with nice colors, sharp details, and the zoom held up nicely. I shot the Manila Cathedral at night, and yes, it was dark. With that in mind, the camera pushed the ISO all the way to 6400, which introduced some grain and softer details, but it’s forgivable given the low-light conditions. I also noticed that the AI struggled a bit with the mixed neon and artificial lighting, which led to some overprocessed and oversaturated shots, making them look less natural than I’d prefer. That said, it’s a non-issue since I can always tweak the colors in lightroom or the native editing app. The main sensor at f/1.6 handled the darkness more confidently.
Then there’s the supermoon mode. Zoom past 20x, and AI magic kicks in. The result? A moon that looks like it was taken through a telescope. Not really what our eyes see, but it looks fun and shareable.
As you can see, it delivers great shots straight out of the camera. No edits, no filters—even a beginner will look like a pro.
Loud and clear
Bringing in the Bose-tuned speakers, the audio quality of the POCO F9 Ultra is absolutely superb. There are two sound profiles; just set it to dynamic and thank me later. I was honestly surprised when I first used it. No muffled sound, and it’s even louder than my laptop speakers at max volume. You can also tweak it with the equalizer if you’re feeling fancy.
If you want to impress your friends as I did, you can light up the speakers too. The backlight effect is not just for music; you can also use it for game lighting effects and notifications. Just head to the settings and look for backlight effects.
The verdict
The POCO F9 Ultra offers great value. From the Snapdragon Elite Gen 5 and Vision D8 chipsets to the massive 8050mAh battery, the 185Hz AMOLED display, and the 200MP camera, everything about this phone screams performance.
It handles hours of gaming, stays cool thanks to the 3D IceLoop cooling system, and delivers high-end visuals that make every game look better. The camera setup doesn’t disappoint, delivering crisp and vibrant shots that look great straight out of the camera. And the Bose-tuned speakers to top it off. It’s just too good of a deal to pass on.
If you’re a heavy power user like me, who likes to take photos on the go, loves playing music out loud, and hates carrying a power bank, then this phone is definitely for you.
Specs
- Snapdragon® 8 Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform
- VisionBoost D8 dedicated graphics chipset
- WildBoost Engine: up to 185FPS gaming system
- 6.9-inch AMOLED, 2608 x 1200, 1.5K
- M11 panel, POCO HyperRGB, circular polarization technology display
- Refresh rate up to 185Hz
- Peak brightness up to 4500 nits at 25% APL; up to 10000 nits at 1% APL
- 8050mAh (typ)
- 100W wired and 50W wireless HyperCharge
- Reverse charging up to 27W wired and 22.5W wireless
- 200MP HP5, OIS Main camera
- 50MP JN5, 5x periscope, OIS Telephoto camera
- 50MP Ultra-wide
- 32MP front camera
- 2.1-channel triple-speaker system with independent subwoofer
- Sound by Bose
- Corning® Gorilla® Glass 7i
- Metal frame; fiberglass back
- IP68 rating
- 8.74mm
- 235g
- Colors: Black, Dark Cherry
- Storage: 12GB + 256GB; 16GB + 512GB; 16GB + 1024GB
Pricing
The early bird promo runs from September 1-16, 2026, and comes with free REDMI Buds 8 Active. Available through Shope.
- Php 45,999 (12GB + 256GB)
- Php 48,999 (16GB + 512GB)
- Php 79,999 (16GB + 1024 GB)
Regular prices include Php 55,999 (12GB + 256GB), Php 59,999 (16GB + 512GB), and Php 89,999 (16GB + 1024GB).
