The Poco F3 GT will be the company’s first flagship phone after almost three years. While that is a milestone in itself, it will also mark the start of Poco’s journey in the premium segment as well as a new product philosophy.
When the Poco F1 launched in 2018, it set a new record in terms of the price to performance ratio. Its approach of prioritizing specifications meant that aspects such as the design took a backseat. In fact, it was one of the only smartphones at that price point to have a polycarbonate frame and body.
This piece includes inputs from Anuj Sharma, Country Director, Poco India
It laid the foundation of Poco’s “Everything you need, nothing you don’t” philosophy, which can be seen on smartphones even today. Its current lineup, which is concentrated in the entry-level and mid-range segments, follows the same strategy by offering some of the best chipsets at each price point.
Having said that, Poco is about to turn over a new leaf as it enters a new segment of the Indian smartphone market. Ahead of the Poco F3 GT launch, Anuj Sharma, Country Director, Poco India, exclusively revealed to TechRadar India the new product philosophy, what to expect from future flagships and how they plan on disrupting the premium mid-range segment once again.
Start of a new chapter
It’s difficult to distinguish a Rs 30,000 phone from a Rs 15,000 phone these days.
Anuj believes that the current crop of smartphones around the Rs 30,000 mark either offer good specifications or a premium design, which is not a compromise consumers should have to make at this price point. He is confident that the Poco F3 GT will have the best built amongst all of these devices.
While the design was not a top priority for past Poco phones, all F series devices from now onwards will follow a new approach where the look and feel of the product will also be prioritized. This will include using more premium materials, using innovative structures and carefully planning the ergonomics across various use cases — even though that is likely to increase the bill of materials (BOM).
For instance, the Poco F3 GT will be one of the first smartphones in India to offer a triple-level bevel. The series 7000 aluminium mid-frame will be curved on the sides for easier wielding, have flat corners for better handling while watching videos or during photography, and have concave top and bottom edges for a more comfortable grip during gaming in landscape orientation. The chassis will be married with a glass back to increase the appeal.
Baby steps
Once you hold it in the hand, the consumer will realise that it feels very different in the hand, in a good way.
Chasing premium aesthetics also means opting for colours that are more understated and less flashy. So while Poco took its own sweet time to bring a new flagship to India, it wants to ensure that the devices are not perceived just as gaming smartphones.
In a bit that will delight a lot of fans, Anuj also confirmed that the Poco F3 GT will not be a one-off launch (which the Poco F1 kind of ended up being) and there will be more Poco F series premium devices coming to India in the future. “I don’t see us launching too many phones this year though.”
When asked about why they think now is the right time to end the hiatus and launch a new flagship, he explained that an earlier release would have been difficult due to external and internal factors, and they wanted to wait and create a phone that could be as disruptive as its predecessor. This is also why devices such as the Poco F2 Pro did not come to India.
The time is ripe
If we don’t do it right now, a lot of brands will continue to get away with not-optimal products.
Then there are also other factors such as a more open economy, recovering supply chains, much higher brand awareness, bigger product portfolio, which have made it easier for Poco to go with a more premium offering now.
We were not shown what the Poco F3 GT will look like or if it will be different from the Redmi K40 Gaming Edition, but Anuj remains confident that it will feel like the most thoughtfully designed smartphone in the mid-premium segment. “We’ll probably be a lot more subtle with this one” is all he left us with.
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