Xiaomi's sub-brand Poco returns with its second almost-flagship, the F9 Ultra. While the device won't land in the US, it helps contextualize what phonemakers in China are doing. With Poco's F9 Ultra, that's a lot of specification bang-for-your-buck and an eye-catching Dark Cherry red option. Colors are the thing in 2026.

The F9 Ultra's 6.9-inch AMOLED display tops out at 185Hz. Typically that dizzying refresh rate is found in pricier, mobile-gaming-centric smartphones, like ASUS' ROG Phone 9 Pro. It also comes with 2.1-channel Bose sound. There's still a touch of Bose branding on the camera unit, but all the cameras are now flush with the panel, making it look a little more refined than last year's Poco F8 Ultra.

Plenty has stayed the same: the F9 Ultra seems to use the same chipset as last year's device, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. We're still waiting on Qualcomm to reveal its follow-up to its Gen 5 chip. Poco has also included its own VisionBoost D8 chipset, tapping into AI models to "dramatically enhance image details, deliver high-quality graphics and smoother dynamic scenes". Yes, that was also in the F8 Ultra.

There are some upgrades, like a massive 8,050mAh battery, up from the 6,500mAh cell inside its predecessor. It supports up to 100W wired and 50W wireless charging with compatible chargers. Poco has also integrated its LiquidCool tech for improved heat dissipation and claims it reduces chip temperatures by as much as three degrees Celsius. It may be necessary for those tapping into Poco's WildBoost engine. The company says it supports 24 games – so far – at native 185 FPS. Poco says it can deliver 65 more frames per second, which sounds pretty substantial.

Camera-wise, the F9 Ultra has a 200-megapixel main camera, a 5x optical-zoom periscope telephoto and a 50MP ultrawide. Poco plans to announce specific pricing at its global launch event later today, but a spokesperson told journalists that the F9 Ultra would be priced under $800.