For much of its existence in India, POCO has been shorthand for raw performance at disruptive prices. High-refresh-rate displays, aggressive chipsets, and gamer-friendly tuning defined the brand's early years. But as the Indian smartphone market matures and buyer priorities evolve, POCO is quietly reshaping what "performance" really means.
In a wide-ranging conversation with MySmartPrice, Ken Sekhar, Marketing Head at POCO India, outlined how the brand is expanding beyond benchmarks while staying true to its core enthusiast DNA.
No Identity Shift
Despite POCO's closer public alignment with the Xiaomi Group, Sekhar is clear that there has been no internal reset. POCO continues to operate with a distinct mandate and audience focus.
The brand, he says, exists for users who do not want to conform to the mainstream. That audience may care about gaming today, but tomorrow it could be music, travel, content creation, or work. As lifestyles have evolved, POCO's definition of performance has expanded beyond chipsets to include battery longevity, sustained usage, and reliability over longer ownership cycles.
This thinking is reflected in devices like the POCO F7, which paired top-tier performance with stronger design and camera improvements, signalling a move toward more balanced products without abandoning the enthusiast-first mindset.
Performance Is Still the Core, But the Meaning Has Expanded
While devices like the POCO F7 felt more balanced than earlier models, Sekhar is clear that performance remains non-negotiable for the brand. What has changed is how broadly POCO now defines it.
"The way you should look at it is performance first and foremost," he said. "And when I say performance, I mean it more broadly. It's not just the chipset. It's battery, endurance, and how long you can actually push the phone."
POCO's recent focus on high-capacity silicon-carbon batteries is a direct outcome of this thinking. The brand believes its users spend more time on their phones than average, making longevity as important as peak power.
"Our users are maxing out their use cases. They need devices that last," Sekhar said.
Why the ₹25,000 to ₹40,000 Segment Matters More Than Ever
India's mid-premium smartphone segment has become one of the most competitive battlegrounds in the market. Near-flagship processors, premium displays, and fast charging are now table stakes.
POCO's response is not to chase price alone, but to double down on value. Sekhar argues that value is not about being cheap. It is about offering hardware and capabilities that feel a generation ahead of the price paid. The brand's internal benchmark is simple: deliver a phone that feels worth significantly more than its retail price.
He added that POCO applies the same thinking to smartphones. "Can I give you a phone that feels worth ₹50,000 or ₹55,000 in the ₹40,000 segment? That's the question we ask ourselves."
This philosophy, he said, is central to POCO's positioning. "We believe in honest pricing. Great technology should not be in the hands of a few. It has to be democratized."
Ultra Models Are Being Seriously Evaluated
POCO's Ultra lineup has never officially launched in India, but consumer interest is no longer hypothetical. According to Sekhar, search data and community feedback indicate sustained demand for Ultra-branded devices, even though they are not available locally.
POCO is actively evaluating the opportunity, especially as Indian consumers hold on to phones longer and gravitate toward "value flagships" that can last three to five years. Any Ultra device for India, however, would need to align with POCO's pricing ethos and deliver tangible long-term benefits rather than headline luxury.
The X Series Shake-Up and a Shift in Portfolio Thinking
One of the more surprising revelations is POCO's plan to significantly elevate its X series. Sekhar confirmed that an upcoming X device will outperform the previous generation F series, a move that challenges POCO's traditional product hierarchy.
This shift reflects a broader portfolio strategy where durability, battery health, long-term performance, and software support are becoming as important as raw power. POCO now plans industry-leading update commitments of up to four years of Android updates and six years of security patches on select devices, aligning with longer replacement cycles.
A Data-Driven Approach to Fixing Cameras
Cameras have long been POCO's weakest perception point. Instead of chasing flagship camera leadership, the brand has invested in a multi-stage testing and optimisation process that begins nine months before launch.
"Camera is one of the biggest reasons people buy phones today," he said. "So we had to fix how we approach it."
The process includes internal expert reviews, blind A-B testing against the best-rated camera phones in the same price segment, and large-scale consumer feedback through Flipkart and community channels. Feedback reveals sharp differences in camera preferences across gender, usage patterns, and price sensitivity, insights that are fed back into repeated optimisation cycles.
"What surprised us," Sekhar said, "is how differently men and women think about cameras, and how different price segments value completely different things."
POCO runs four cycles of camera optimisation per device, continuing even after launch based on media, community, and user feedback. "For the first time, people started saying they were surprised by a POCO camera," he said. "That's progress for us."
The result, according to Sekhar, is a noticeable shift in post-launch conversations. Reviewers and users are no longer dismissing POCO cameras outright, but engaging with them critically, which the brand sees as progress.
GTM Strategy Still Anchored to Flipkart, With Selective Expansion
POCO's go-to-market strategy remains firmly anchored to Flipkart, a partnership that has shaped the brand since its inception. In the near term, POCO plans to deepen this ecosystem rather than dilute focus.
That said, the company is evaluating limited integrations across other Xiaomi Group touchpoints, including Mi.com and Mi Stores, though no immediate changes are being announced. For now, the emphasis remains on scale, data feedback, and fast iteration through its strongest retail partner.
From Enthusiast Brand to Community-Led Lifestyle Play
Looking ahead two to three years, POCO does not see itself purely as a volume disruptor or a traditional flagship challenger. Instead, the brand wants to occupy the space between value flagships and lifestyle technology.
Sekhar believes this transition will not be driven by marketing alone, but by the community itself. As POCO users use their devices to create content, build careers, and pursue personal passions, the brand's identity evolves organically through those stories.
For POCO, the goal remains unchanged: put advanced technology in the hands of people who should not have to pay a premium to access it. What is changing is the scope of what that technology enables.
