Earlier this year, Poco launched its first-ever Ultra phone, the Poco F7 Ultra. It was an impressive device for its $649 price tag. Still, it wasn't in the league of mainstream flagships like the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which costs over twice as much. Its successor, the Poco F8 Ultra, closes that gap with premium features like a larger display and a massive battery. It also introduces a unique selling point that I'd never expected to find on a phone: It sounds fantastic.
Poco says the F8 Ultra is its "official entry into the premium flagship segment" and the price increase reflects that. The Poco F8 Ultra costs $729 and is cheaper than the recently announced OnePlus 15, which starts at $900. It isn't comparable to the likes of Oppo Find X8 Ultra, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra or the Galaxy S25 Ultra (all of which cost over $1,000). However, no phone I've tested comes close to the F8 Ultra's audio quality.
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The Poco F8 Ultra has three speakers: a top and bottom speaker, along with an additional Bose-branded subwoofer located adjacent to the rear cameras. It allows for a full 2.1 stereo output (the 2 stands for the two speakers and .1 for the subwoofer), which in real life sounds bigger than expected. It adds a pleasant amount of depth and bass to the audio.
Poco F8 Ultra's Sound By Bose partnership is a winner in every way. It's even branded on the phone's camera plateau. Prakhar Khanna/CNET
You can choose from two Bose-tuned sound profiles: "dynamic" and "balanced." Default EQ presets are "immersive" (which adds a slight echo for a 360-degree effect) and "voice" (which enhances vocals). You can further customize the equalizer under the "custom" setting.
I used the "dynamic" profile for its added bass. It makes music sound rich with its wide soundstage, and there was no distortion over the phone's speakers, even at high volumes. The "balanced" setting sounds flatter in comparison.
I've used the Poco F8 Ultra to watch YouTube videos and a few Netflix shows. I even used it as a bathroom speaker (I like good music in the shower). It obviously isn't the same as connecting your phone to a Bluetooth speaker, but it is surprisingly decent. In fact, I prefer consuming media on the Poco F8 Ultra now because it sounds better than most tablets, which are usually my go-to device at home.
Still, I'm not sure if the world is ready for phones with this level of sound quality. There's already that one person on the subway playing media through their phone's speakers, and this could make rides even noisier. If you're in the privacy of your own room and enjoy watching videos without headphones or earbuds, the Poco F8 Ultra is made for you.
The Poco F8 Ultra fits in my hand like a pair of jeans
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