Less than a year after the debut of the previous generation, POCO has already refreshed its flagship F series: POCO F9 Pro and POCO F9 Ultra have taken the place of POCO F8 Pro and POCO F8 Ultra, introducing a generational leap that goes far beyond the usual chipset update. Among smoother displays, larger-capacity batteries and improved cameras, it’s worth understanding what truly changes between the two generations, and whether the upgrade is justified.
POCO F9 Pro and Ultra vs POCO F8 Pro and Ultra: all the differences between the two generations
Design: a comparison
On the aesthetic front, POCO maintains a recognizable design language across the two generations, with flat backs and IP68 certification confirmed on all four models. The colors, however, change: POCO F9 Pro arrives in Black, White and Aurora Green instead of Black, Blue and Titanium Silver for POCO F8 Pro, while POCO F9 Ultra offers Black and Dark Cherry compared to Black and Denim Blue of POCO F8 Ultra.
The dimensions remain in roughly the same range, with POCO F9 Pro slightly thicker than POCO F8 Pro (8.79 mm vs 8.0 mm) and a weight rising from 199 to 206 grams; on the Ultra variant the weight increases from 218 to 235 grams, mainly due to the larger battery we’ll discuss further ahead.
A curious detail concerns POCO F8 Ultra: according to the official spec sheet, the Denim Blue color is slightly thicker and heavier (8.3 mm and 220 grams) than the Black variant (7.9 mm and 218 grams), due to the different rear panel finish.
Display: refresh rate and brightness on a clear rise
The most evident difference concerns the panels. Both POCO F9 Pro and POCO F9 Ultra switch to a fixed 185 Hz refresh rate, compared to the 120 Hz of the previous generation, and raise peak brightness to 4,500 nits versus the 3,500 nits of POCO F8 Pro and Ultra.
The diagonals remain unchanged, 6.59″ for the Pro models and 6.9″ for the Ultra, as do the 1.5K and 2K resolutions respectively.
Chipset and performance
POCO F9 Pro makes the most significant jump: it mounts the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 V Series with clock up to 4.6 GHz, versus the Snapdragon 8 Elite (not Gen 5) of POCO F8 Pro, capped at 4.32 GHz.
On this front, POCO F9 Ultra starts from a base more similar to the previous generation: F8 Ultra already mounted the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 with the same VisionBoost D8 chip, so the performance leap between the two Ultra models is less pronounced than that observed between the Pro models.
Battery and charging: the real leap is on the Ultra
On the battery front, POCO F9 Pro grows moderately to 6,330 mAh compared to 6,210 mAh in POCO F8 Pro, but for the first time introduces 50W wireless charging, absent on the previous model which stopped at the wired 100W.
The bigger leap, however, is for POCO F9 Ultra, which with a battery of 8,050 mAh greatly surpasses the 6,500 mAh of the previous F8 Ultra, with a claimed battery life by POCO of up to two days of use.
The wired charging remains unchanged at 100W on both Ultra generations, as well as the wireless charging at 50W.
Cameras
The camera department is the area where the generation-to-generation comparison is less linear. On the main sensor, the leap is evident for both models: both POCO F9 Ultra and F9 Pro mount a 200 MP f/1.68 sensor with OIS. They both replace the 50 MP main sensors of their respective POCO F8 Pro (f/1.88) and POCO F8 Ultra (f/1.67).
On the ultra-wide, the Pro generation doesn’t change at all: both F9 Pro and POCO F8 Pro mount the same 8 MP f/2.2 sensor. The telephoto remains at 50 MP with an equivalent focal length of 60 mm on both Pro generations.
On POCO F9 Ultra the ultra-wide also remains unchanged at 50 MP f/2.4 compared to POCO F8 Ultra, while the periscope telephoto maintains the same f/3.0 aperture with OIS, extending the overall digital zoom. On the selfie side, POCO F9 Pro rises to 32 MP from 20 MP of POCO F8 Pro, while on the Ultra the front camera remains at 32 MP.
Audio, connectivity and software
The Sound by Bose tuning remains a constant across both generations, but POCO F9 Pro and Ultra introduce a new Game Audio mode coming via OTA from September 2026, not present on the previous generation.
For connectivity, Bluetooth 6.0 arrives on the POCO F9 Pro as well, closing the gap with the F8 Ultra (which already had Bluetooth 6.0) compared to the F8 Pro, stuck at version 5.4. All four models share the same operating system, Android 16 with HyperOS 3.
Specifications at a glance: POCO F9 Pro vs POCO F8 Pro
| Characteristic | POCO F9 Pro | POCO F8 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 157.49 x 75.25 x 8.79 mm | 157.49 x 72.25 x 8.0 mm |
| Weight | 206 g | 199 g |
| Colors | Black, White, Aurora Green | Black, Blue, Titanium Silver |
| Certification | IP68 | IP68 |
| Display | 6.59″ AMOLED, 1.5K, 185 Hz | 6.59″ AMOLED, 1.5K, 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 4,500 nits | 3,500 nits |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 V Series | Snapdragon 8 Elite |
| RAM | 12 GB LPDDR5X Ultra | 12 GB LPDDR5X |
| Storage | 256/512 GB UFS 4.1 | 256/512 GB UFS 4.1 |
| Battery | 6,330 mAh | 6,210 mAh |
| Wired charging | 100W | 100W |
| Wireless charging | 50W | Not available |
| Main camera | 200 MP f/2.0 OIS | 50 MP f/1.88 OIS |
| Ultra-wide | 8 MP f/2.2 | 8 MP f/2.2, 120b0 |
| Telephoto | 50 MP, 60 mm equivalent, f/2.0 | 50 MP, 2.5x optical zoom |
| Selfie | 32 MP | 20 MP |
| Bluetooth | 6.0 | 5.4 |
| Launch price in Italy | from €899.9 (12/256 GB) | from €649.9 (12/256 GB) |
Specifications at a glance: POCO F9 Ultra vs POCO F8 Ultra
| Characteristic | POCO F9 Ultra | POCO F8 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 163.49 x 77.94 x 8.74 mm | 163.3 x 77.82 x 7.9 mm |
| Weight | 235 g | 218 g |
| Colors | Black, Dark Cherry | Black, Denim Blue |
| Certification | IP68 | IP68 |
| Display | 6.9″ AMOLED, 2K, 185 Hz | 6.9″ AMOLED, 2K, 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 4,500 nits | 3,500 nits |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 |
| RAM | 12/16 GB LPDDR5X Ultra | 12/16 GB LPDDR5X |
| Storage | 256/512 GB/1 TB UFS 4.1 | 256/512 GB UFS 4.1 |
| Batteria | 8,050 mAh silicon-carbon | 6,500 mAh silicon-carbon |
| Wired charging | 100W | 100W |
| Wireless charging | 50W | 50W |
| Main camera | 200 MP f/1.68 OIS | 50 MP f/1.67 OIS |
| Ultra-wide | 50 MP f/2.4 | 50 MP f/2.4 |
| Telephoto | Periscopic f/3.0, 120 mm equivalents, OIS | Periscopic f/3.0, 115 mm equivalents, OIS |
| Selfie | 32 MP | 32 MP |
| Bluetooth | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Launch price in Italy | from €1,099.9 (12/256 GB) | from €829.9 (12/256 GB) |
Our reviews
Beyond the specs on paper, it may be useful to take a look at our complete reviews dedicated to the two Pro models. POCO F8 Pro stood out as a best buy almost unbeatable at launch price, with the 8 MP ultra-wide camera noted as the real weak point of the specs, along with the absence of wireless charging.
The POCO F9 Pro review confirms this second limit as persistent: the ultra-wide-angle remains under-detailed even in the new generation, and the final verdict, while positive on the display, performance and telephoto lens, is described as “with reservations” mainly due to the list price being higher, which makes the trade-off on the ultra-wide-angle less acceptable than it was for the previous generation.
Conclusions: which POCO to choose between the two generations?
The choice between the two generations depends largely on what you are looking for. Those who already own POCO F8 Pro or POCO F8 Ultra will find in the new generation a real upgrade primarily in the display (185 Hz and higher brightness) and battery, with the most significant leap precisely on POCO F9 Ultra and its 8,050 mAh.
On the photography front, the story is more nuanced: the 200 MP main sensor represents certainly progress on paper, but as confirmed by reviews of both Pro models, the real limitation — the 8 MP ultra-wide — remains the same from one generation to the next, and for this reason it weighs more at a higher launch price.
Who starts from scratch and is considering POCO F9 Pro and Ultra for the first time will still find in the new generation the more balanced overall package between the two, albeit at a higher launch price compared to what was asked a year ago for F8 Pro and Ultra.
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