But Poco F5 this year faces some tough fights with the iQOO Neo 7 and the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus vying for your attention in the sub-Rs 30,000 price segment. So naturally, performance will be the main criteria, but is that enough for you to decide on your next smartphone? We’ve decided to compare these three phones and see which deserves your money.
Poco F5 vs iQOO Neo 7 vs Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus: Price in India
Poco F5 has launched in India for a starting price of Rs 29,999 for the 8GB + 256GB variant, and the price goes up to Rs 33,999 if you buy the 12GB + 256GB variant.
On the other hand, the iQOO Neo 7 is available at Rs 28,999 for the 8GB + 128GB model, and you pay Rs Rs 32,999 for the 12GB + 256GB variant.
Lastly, the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus sells at Rs 29,999 for the 8GB + 256GB variant, and the 12GB + 256GB model costs Rs 32,999.
Poco F5 vs iQOO Neo 7 vs Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus: Design
The Poco F5 5G features a plastic body panel, while the frame is made of aluminium, making it lightweight and comfortable. It has a glossy back, but surprisingly you hardly see the phone attracting fingerprint smudges. In terms of the dimensions, Poco F5 weighs 182 grams and on the whole, it has a good hand feel that doesn’t wear you out.
The iQOO Neo 7 comes with a plastic body and frame. The camera module at the back is square-shaped and looks rather busy visually. iQOO has offered a dual-tone touch, making it look different from the other phones in this range.
The Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus has been bestowed with a glass back panel which has become the norm on the Redmi Note lineup over the past few years. In addition, Redmi opts for a vertical camera layout at the back which features a high-quality primary sensor (more on that later).
Design-wise, iQOO Neo 7 has a better look and feel, but if you need a phone that is comfortable to use and not overly bulky, the Poco F5 is also worth looking at.
Poco F5 vs iQOO Neo 7 vs Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus: Display
Poco F5 features a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate screen with Full-HD+ resolution. In addition, the screen supports Dolby Vision and comes with eye-protection mode.
The iQOO Neo 7 5G flaunts a 6.78-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. In addition, the screen offers 1300 nits of peak brightness and supports HDR10+ certification.
The Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus has a 6.67-inch AMOLED display, which supports HDR10+ and Dolby Vision like the Poco F5. Compared to these two, Redmi’s screen maximum screen brightness level is 900 nits.
Poco F5 vs iQOO Neo 7 vs Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus: Performance and UI
Poco F5 is the first phone with the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 chipset in India, which is paired with up to 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. You have the option to expand the RAM virtually up to 7GB as well. Poco F5 boots the Android 13-based MIUI 14 version out of the box.
The iQOO Neo 7 is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8200 SoC paired with up to 12GB RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. iQOO is offering the Android 13-based Funtouch OS version out of the box.
Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus uses the MediaTek Dimensity 1080 chipset for performance but is not as powerful as the other two models. However, Redmi offers the phone with up to 12GB RAM and 256GB storage as well.
Poco F5 and iQOO Neo 7 are primarily equal in terms of performance, while the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus is the odd one because it uses a base mid-range chipset that is not known for its heavy numbers.
Poco F5 vs iQOO Neo 7 vs Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus: Cameras
Poco F5 carries a triple camera system at the back that includes a 64MP primary sensor with OIS, an 8MP ultrawide sensor and 2MP macro lens.
The iQOO Neo 7 also has a triple rear camera setup, where the 64MP primary sensor gets OIS support. But the other two sensors, 2MP macro and 2MP depth are there to make the numbers.
The Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus wins the megapixel race thanks to the primary 200MP ISOCELL HPX sensor with OIS support and comes with an 8MP ultra-wide and a 2MP macro sensor.
On the front, all three phones get a 16MP shooter for selfies and video calls.
Over here, Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus has the definite lead with its 200MP sensor that delivers quality. After that, Poco and iQOO come second and third, respectively, in our preferences.
Poco F5 vs iQOO Neo 7 vs Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus: Battery
Poco F5 packs a 5000mAh battery that supports 67W fast wired charging.
The iQOO Neo 7 and the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus also come with a 5000mAh battery, and they offer charging at 120W speed via the bundled charging adapter.
Poco F5 is not exactly offering slow charging speed, but the other two give you almost double the speed, which makes them attractive.
Poco F5 vs iQOO Neo 7 vs Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus: Verdict
Poco F5 enters the performance arena and gives a good account of itself. To some extent, it has the hardware, the display and even the camera that justifies its price tag. But, unfortunately, the software has blemishes like every other brand in this range, except OnePlus Nord.
The iQOO Neo 7 is also suited for gaming and supports 120W charging speed, and the 120Hz AMOLED display makes it another solid option. However, the camera is not the strong point of this device.
And finally, the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus is overall a good phone with a 200MP camera, 120W charging and AMOLED display on board. But you won’t get the performance levels Poco and iQOO provide with their respective products.
