Xiaomi Poco F4 GT

Solid build quality, not overly 'gaming' design.

The 'Freezing' and 'Speediest' branding on the back rubs us the wrong way.

'Apex of power' might be a bit of grandstanding, but marketing likes big words. Looking past them, there's a phone well worth considering.

Useful retractable triggers ; Good speakers ; Large, bright AMOLED screen ; Very fast 120W charging

No MicroSD card slot ; Lots of bloatware ; Average cameras ; No IP rating

Although the Poco F4 GT offers features aimed specifically at gamers, this should not put off potential buyers seeking a powerful, solidly built and relatively affordable phone. Indeed, these features can enhance usability for everyone. In addition,...

Great performance

Glass and metal design ; Powerful speakers ; Bright OLED screen ; Interesting gamepad-style trigger controls

Severe performance throttling during gaming ; Short battery life ; Camera array is only OK ; Gets warm readily

The Poco F4 GT is a gaming phone with a top-tier processor, and costs significantly less than some in this class. However, its battery life is fairly short, the level of performance throttling is disappointing and it gets quite hot in normal use –...

High-quality glass and metal shell ; Unusual magnetic pop-up trigger buttons ; High peak performance ; Good 4-speaker audio system

Gets hot even when not playing games ; Suffers from very significant thermal throttling ; Battery life is not particularly good ; Cameras aren’t a match for non gaming-focused phones near the price

A powerful gaming phone where the play-enhancing features go beyond raw power and an aggressive design, but relatively short battery life and a tendency to run hot reduce its appeal significantly.

Big screen and loud stereo speakers ; Trigger buttons are great for gaming ; Stupidly fast charging ; Speedy performance

MIUI still feels illogical in places ; Battery could last longer ; Phantom touches on the fingerprint sensor

If your desire in a phone is to get flagship power and speed without the price tag that's usually associated, the F4 GT could well be the phone. It's big, it's powerful and it costs about half as much as the big-name flagship phones.

Great trigger buttons ; Very fast 120W charging ; Excellent specs & performance ; Subtle design

No headphone jack ; Clunky software ; Middling battery life

The Poco F4 GT has excellent hardware specs for the price including the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. Paired with amazingly fast charging, trigger buttons, and game-boosting software features, it is a solid gaming phone that manages to masquerade as a regular...

Innovative pop-up gaming triggers ; Fast charging ; Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip ; Great gaming experience ; Four stereo speakers ; Subtler design than other gaming phones

Disappointing camera ; Battery life could be better ; Some tacky-feeling elements of design

This is a phone for gamers that escapes some of the overly-garish designs previously offered. So, if you want a gaming phone without marking yourself out as a mobile gamer at all times, this is a great option.