Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you must have heard of the cheapest phone with a Snapdragon 845, the Poco F1. Launched in India for only ₹21,000 ($300 USD), it’s generated a lot of hype and has been dubbed a “OnePlus killer.” While it is a pretty good phone for the price, I think calling it a “OnePlus killer” is inaccurate.

Note: After a lot of suggestions from Redditors, we’ve updated the article with some more points.

The reason it’s being called a “OnePlus killer” is that they both share a similar ideology: flagship specs at a low price. Comparing the two phones is like comparing raw sugar with refined sugar. Let me explain.

Raw power

The Poco F1 and OnePlus 6 are neck and neck when it comes to raw processing power. Both the phones feature a Snapdragon 845 processor and have 6/8 GB RAM. The differences arise when you start seeing other parts of the phones: the “little things.” To price it competitively with the OnePlus 6, Xiaomi has taken cost-cutting measures. These measures are what make it unable to compete with the OnePlus 6.

The compromises

Both the phones differ in their build. The Poco F1 has a plastic build and the OnePlus 6 has glass all around. You won’t get the premium feel or attractiveness of glass on the Poco F1. Along with that, you’re not greeted by the deep blacks and high contrast of the AMOLED screen on the OnePlus 6 when you look at the IPS LCD screen on the Poco F1. The Poco F1’s LCD screen is mediocre and touch sensitivity isn’t too great either.

Like it or not, both the phones feature a notch. However, the notch on the Poco F1 is much wider than the one on the OnePlus 6. And of course, there’s gonna be the bottom bezel too. The Poco F1 has a bottom bezel that’s larger than the one on the OnePlus 6. Also, the OnePlus 6 has dash charge which is faster than the Quick Charge 3.0 on the Poco F1. Although not officially IP rated, the OnePlus 6 can resist water splashes.

The Poco F1 lacks support for Widevine L1, a form of digital rights management solution. Without it, HD (720p+) video will not play properly on your Android device if you’re streaming from services like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video. It also lacks NFC, OIS, and many global bands.

Since this is a Xiaomi device, you’re not gonna get away with MIUI. MIUI is Xiaomi’s skin of Android that many people don’t like. OxygenOS on the OnePlus 6 is more close to a stock Android experience and is generally preferred more. Add faster Android updates on OxygenOS than MIUI to the mix and you’ll realize the software experience isn’t good too.

If you want to flash custom ROMs, you need to get permission to unlock the bootloader on the Poco F1 which can take quite a while. On the contrary, OnePlus actively supports the developer community. If you unlock the bootloader or root a OnePlus device, you won’t void your warranty. OnePlus also provides factory images with recovery instructions, releases sources on time, and even gives their devices to developers for free.

OnePlus compromised too

OnePlus, in its initial stages and even now, has made compromises too. The OnePlus 2 lacked NFC. The OnePlus 3/3T had a bad vibration motor. The OnePlus 5/5T skipped Widevine L1 too. The OnePlus 6 has average speakers.

However, as OnePlus grew up, the compromises reduced and the price tag increased. OnePlus should definitely feel the competition arising because, with time, Xiaomi may start refining the Poco series.

Conclusion

The Poco F1 misses out here. OnePlus has started paying attention to the “little things.” With the extra price you pay over the Poco F1, you get refinement. OnePlus is targeting people who want to have that premium essence cheaper than the $1000 phones we’re getting. Xiaomi is targeting people who are after speed and performance: they don’t care about the little things.

Xiaomi is selling raw sugar. OnePlus is selling refined sugar. Both do the trick, but you have to pay the premium if you want it refined.

Featured-Image: Android Authority

This article was written in part by Mostafa Wael.