It arrives not with a whisper, but a thump you can feel in your chest. In a market where smartphones blur together in endless iterations of glass and silicon, Poco has chosen a different route: sound loud enough to distinguish itself. The company’s new F8 lineup, built in partnership with Bose, introduces something no mainstream phone has carried before, a subwoofer embedded directly into the device.
• Poco launches F8 lineup with Bose collaboration
• First phone with built-in subwoofer arrives via F8 Ultra
• Focus on audio as a defining feature in crowded market
Both new models, the F8 Pro and F8 Ultra, feature dual stereo speakers tuned by Bose engineers, but the Ultra goes a step further with a miniature subwoofer designed to produce deeper bass than conventional phone speakers. Users will have access to two Bose-crafted audio modes: one designed for heavy low-end impact and another engineered for clarity in voices and balanced sound staging. Poco is betting that audio sophistication, not just processing power, will be what sets the F8 series apart.
• Both phones feature stereo speakers tuned by Bose
• Ultra model includes mobile subwoofer for deeper bass
• Two sound profiles available: Dynamic and Balanced
Beyond the speaker stack, Poco’s two flagships fall in line with the expectations of performance-focused phones at this price. The F8 Ultra carries Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, a 6.9-inch OLED display, triple 50-megapixel rear cameras, and wireless charging. The cheaper F8 Pro scales down to last year’s Snapdragon 8 Elite, a smaller screen, and reduced camera capability across all three lenses. Both devices share practical strengths including IP68 water resistance and batteries exceeding 6,000mAh.
• F8 Ultra is the higher-spec flagship
• F8 Pro offers last-gen power at a lower cost
• Both feature large batteries and IP68 durability
Pricing keeps Poco’s strategy clear. The F8 Pro starts at $579 and the F8 Ultra at $729, with an early-bird discount shaving $50 off at launch. The announcement also arrived alongside two budget tablets — the Pad X1 and Pad M1 — which aim to deliver high-resolution screens and Dolby Atmos audio for under $400. Poco is building a small ecosystem, but audio remains the headline.
• F8 Pro launches at $579, Ultra at $729
• Early-bird discount available
• Two sub-$400 entertainment-focused tablets introduced
If Poco’s bet pays off, future phones may not only boast more megapixels or brighter screens, but richer playback shaped by dedicated acoustic engineering. A subwoofer inside a smartphone once sounded like an engineering punchline. Now, it signals a growing shift, one where sensory experience matters just as much as raw speed.
• Subwoofer marks new direction in phone design
• Focus on sensory experience rather than raw specs
• Could influence future audio-centric device trends
