The last few months have been quite packed with flagship smartphones. As of today, all major brands have released their top models, including OnePlus, Xiaomi, and realme. That’s why back in December 2025, I talked about which Android flagship is worth buying. That ranking included everyone: vivo X300, OnePlus 15, and realme GT 8 Pro. However, it was missing what is arguably the best smartphone of 2026 — POCO F8 Ultra. Let me explain why I consider it as such.
Truly the best Android flagship. Image: Hayls World
How Much Does POCO F8 Ultra Cost
Being a full-fledged flagship, POCO F8 Ultra costs only 50 thousand rubles. The price may vary depending on the store and the current dollar exchange rate, but the fact remains: POCO is cheaper than competitors.
The price is simply top-tier for a 2026 flagship
For comparison with POCO F8 Ultra, let’s take a look at the prices of flagships from other manufacturers:
- vivo X300 — from 51,956 ₽;
- OnePlus 15 — from 56,803 ₽;
- realme GT 8 Pro — from 57,853 ₽.
I personally use the vivo X300 smartphone, but I understand: if a compact body weren’t a priority for me, I would buy the POCO F8 Ultra without a doubt. Not the OnePlus 15, not the realme GT 8 Pro, but specifically the POCO.
A Powerful Smartphone on Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
Why POCO? Similar to the OnePlus 15 and realme GT 8 Pro, it runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor — the most powerful in 2026. This is its advantage over the vivo X300, which has the Dimensity 9500 under the hood. Also powerful, but not quite on the same level.
Unlike the OnePlus 15 and realme GT 8 Pro, the POCO smartphone costs less. So why overpay for a device on the same platform? I don’t think there’s a reason to.
How Does the POCO F8 Ultra Camera Shoot
Like it or not, POCO smartphones have always been known for their performance. But in the case of POCO F8 Ultra, I also see an uncompromisingly flagship camera setup:
- main 50 MP (1/1.31″);
- ultrawide 50 MP (1/2.88″);
- periscope 50 MP (1/2.76″);
- front camera 32 MP (1/3.44″).
The camera is fantastic. Take a look, for example, at a photo from the main camera in low light: the image is rich and vibrant, and all the details are intact. Nothing to complain about.
Photo from the main camera. Image: gsmarena.com
Overall, the camera setup here is very similar to the OnePlus 15. But in some areas, POCO looks better. This applies to the periscope, which here offers 5x optical zoom, while the OnePlus 15 offers 3.5x, and the cameraphone vivo X300 I bought — only 3x.
Photo with 5x zoom. Image: gsmarena.com
The zoom on POCO F8 Ultra is more powerful, which even with a not-the-largest sensor positively affects the detail in zoomed shots. Look at the photos it produces at 5x and even 10x zoom. And all of this in the evening, when there’s very little light, and it’s inherently very difficult for a smartphone to shoot.
Photo with 10x zoom. Image: gsmarena.com
Yes, something like the Xiaomi 17 Ultra or vivo X300 Ultra shoot better. But they also cost 30% more, while you can buy the POCO F8 Ultra for just 50 thousand, getting a camera at the level of a base 2026 flagship. Can’t argue with that.
Flagship Features of POCO F8 Ultra
In addition, the POCO smartphone has all the flagship features characteristic of 2026 models:
- metal frame;
- full water resistance;
- 50W wireless charging;
- fast USB 3.2 Gen 1;
- eSIM technology support.
I spent a long time trying to find compromises that made the POCO F8 Ultra so affordable, and I found only the absence of flexible screen refresh rate adjustment in the 1-120 Hz range via LTPO. But this affects not the image quality, but the smartphone’s battery life. It’s worse here than the OnePlus 15, but better than my vivo X300. The charge will last for a day and a bit more.
There is a compromise, but there’s also a killer feature. In the POCO F8 Ultra, it’s the subwoofer on the back of the smartphone. It makes stereo sound not only immersive but also deep. So now you can safely throw away your Motorola E398 feature phone if it happened to be sitting in your closet. POCO F8 Ultra delivers louder and better sound.
The smartphone has a real subwoofer. Image: Hayls World
