Sony Xperia 1 VIII vs Xiaomi Poco F9 Ultra
Verdict
Sony Xperia 1 VIII and Xiaomi Poco F9 Ultra tie on the OH Rank at a score of 78. Sony Xperia 1 VIII wins on SD Memory; Xiaomi Poco F9 Ultra wins on Battery and Screen. Xiaomi Poco F9 Ultra is 3.9mm wider than Sony Xperia 1 VIII. Xiaomi Poco F9 Ultra is the more recent release, from Sep 1, 2026.
Score Breakdown
Performance /15
Battery /15
Screen /15
IP Protection /15
Main Camera /15
Selfie /5
Video /5
SD Memory /5
Software /5
Desktop Replacement /5
TOTAL
78
78
Sony Xperia 1 VIII
74mm (2.91in) · Jun 18, 2026 · Rank #26
13+10+10+12+12+4+4+5+5+3 = 78
SUPERIOR* TOP Memory Expansion* TOP Software
EDITORIAL: Sony is back with it's top-dog 1 Series phone but the alarming lack of software effort remains. As usual, the hardware is amazing: premium build, great battery life, bright screen, good front-facing stereo speakers, two-stage camera button and now exclusive in the flagship world: SD memory expansion and a headphone jack. The phone is still one of the narrowest flagships and the only one to hide the selfie in a bazel to let you view content on a full screen.
PROs
relatively narrow, updated design, good SD 8 Elite Gen 5 performance (tho it will heavily throttle under heavy load), 36hr long endurance from a (still just) 5000mAh lithium battery, selfie-free >1500nits bright (and sub-1nit capable) LTPO OLED screen with options like Creator Mode and HDR support, IP68 protection, excellent 52MP 24mm OIS main + 50MP 70mm OIS telephoto + 50MP 16mm ultrawide (all with dual-pixel PDAF) setup, very good 12MP 24mm selfie, good video recording, fast and tool-free expandable memory slot, 4 years of stock-like Android OS with some proprietary tricks, limited desktop replacement functionality with Android 17 update, very fast USB-C 3.2 port with OTG and Video Out, headphone/microphone jack, very good front-facing stereo speakers, two-step camera button
CONs
85min slow 30W (15W wireless) charging, sub-400ppi LTPO screen doesn't drop refresh below 30Hz, flagship-grade camera hardware should produce better images, no AF on a selfie, minimal AI integration and general lack of effort on the software side
Xiaomi Poco F9 Ultra
77.9mm (3.07in) · Sep 1, 2026 · Rank #24
13+14+11+12+12+4+4+0+5+3 = 78
* TOP Battery Endurance* TOP Software
EDITORIAL: Poco used to stand for "flagship killer" with a combination of excellent performance and lower price. For years, the compromise was the brand and imaging performance. But everything has an end and we're seeing a new Poco now: exceptional endurance, top-tier components with improved imaging and a flagship-level price. While disappointing to many, F9 Ultra is still a phone with a lot.
PROs
flagship build, good SD 8 Elite Gen 5 with UFS 4.1 performance, >42hr endurance from a 8050mAh Si-C battery with sub-60min 100W (50W wireless) charging, ~1250nits 415ppi 185Hz AMOLED screen with Dolby Vision, IP68 protection, very good 200MP 24mm main + 50MP 114mm periscope telephoto (both OIS PDAF) + average 50MP 17mm ultrawide, very good 32MP 22mm selfie, above average video recording (ultrawide spoils the score), feature and connectivity rich OS with 4 years of updates, Android 17's native desktop replacement functionality, fast USB-C 3.2 with video output, Bose branded stereo speaker system with a bass speaker
CONs
bigger (almost 9mm/0.35" thick) and heavier (235g/8.29oz) then F8U, same processor at much higher price (than F8U), non-LTPO with minimal refresh rate variability (mostly 60-120Hz), no AF on ultrawide or selfie, no expandable memory slot, speaker sound could be louder, big price hike
Both phones here were scored by me, using the same ten categories, with no ads, sponsorships, or manufacturer relationships — this comparison is as objective and honest as it gets.
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