Xiaomi's Poco F6 Pro and Poco F6 smartphones are available in Australia from today. The pair offer solid bang for buck on paper, but what's perhaps most interesting is the change in distribution.
While Xiaomi phones have been available in Australia in the past, they've usually been brought in by a third-party business or as grey imports.
This time around, the company responsible works more like a franchise. Xiaomi Australia isn't a part of the mainline Chinese business, but is now the exclusive official reseller of Xiaomi products in Australia.
It also has a two-way relationship with the mainline business, and has worked with Xiaomi to make sure all phones sold in Australia support every necessary mobile frequency and essential tech like VoLTE. A Xiaomi Australia spokesperson told WhistleOut they've also made requests like ensuring NFC is included on every phone sold in Australia.
The phones also come with a standard two-year Australian warranty.
Xiaomi Australia soft launched with the Redmi Note 13 range in December last year, which are available through retailers such as JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman. The company is considering bringing in flagship Xiaomi devices such as its foldables and Leica-cobranded phones, but no firm plans have been made.
When it comes to the devices, the pair of Poco phones are designed to offer specs that punch above their price tags, with an emphasis on performance.
The Poco F6 Pro retails for $999 and is powered by last year's flagship Android chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, for example. Other key specifications include a 6.67-inch Quad HD+ display with a 120Hz refresh rate, 12GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, and a 5,000mAh battery. When it comes to photography, the Poco F6 Pro has a 50MP primary lens, 8MP ultra-wide lens, 2MP macro lens, and a 16MP selfie camera.
The standard Poco F6 is a little cheaper at $699. Key specifications include a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset, a 6.67-inch 1220p+ display with a 120Hz refresh rate, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and a 5,000mAh battery. The phone has a 50MP primary camera, 8MP ultra-wide camera, and 20MP selfie camera.
Both phones are splash-proof but not fully water-resistant. Both are dual SIM, but don't support eSIM. Xiaomi Australia says the devices will get two years of major operating system updates and three years of security updates.
The Poco F6 Pro and Poco F6 will be exclusively available through the Xiaomi Australia online store. Anyone who buys either device before September 30 will get a voucher for the store. The voucher is valued at $200 for the F6 Pro, and $100 for the standard F6. These vouchers will have a three-year expiry.
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Alex Choros
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