IFA 2026: Poco’s F9 Ultra packs a subwoofer and 8,050mAh battery

Poco has shown its F9 Ultra and F9 Pro at IFA 2026, pairing Qualcomm processors with large batteries, 185Hz displays and Bose-tuned audio. The Ultra adds a built-in subwoofer, a 5x periscope camera and up to 1TB of storage.

There’s a catch for US buyers: neither phone is officially launching in the United States. Poco is bringing the F9 Ultra to 25 countries, including the UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Mexico and the UAE. US customers would need to import one, with uncertainty around warranty coverage, network compatibility and software support.

The two models share Poco’s first 200-megapixel main camera with optical image stabilization, a 32-megapixel selfie camera and a separate VisionBoost D8 chip. That secondary processor handles features such as AI Super Resolution and frame interpolation, allowing supported games to reach up to 185 frames per second. The display’s maximum refresh rate is not a general system-wide operating speed: it applies to compatible games, with more than 20 titles expected to support it at launch, including Clash of Clans and GTA: Liberty City Stories.

F9 Ultra and F9 Pro compared

The F9 Pro’s “V Series” processor is described as a binned version of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 with slightly reduced performance. Both phones use the VisionBoost D8, so the Pro retains Poco’s gaming-focused display processing even though it has a smaller screen, smaller battery and simpler camera array.

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The Ultra’s 2.1-channel system reuses the subwoofer introduced with last year’s F8 Ultra, while upgrading the two main speakers. Poco changed the subwoofer mount to add a white LED ring that can signal calls and notifications or pulse with games and music. It isn’t a replacement for a dedicated Bluetooth speaker, but the extra driver sets the phone apart from the Pro.

The Ultra also adds Bose’s game audio engine, including a mode designed to emphasize sounds such as enemy footsteps in first-person shooters. Bose audio profiles and a customizable equalizer are included. The Pro keeps the Bose-tuned stereo speakers but drops both the subwoofer and the light ring.

Brightness claims need careful reading

Poco’s display claims vary by how peak brightness is measured. One account puts both phones at 4,500 nits across larger screen areas, while another reports Poco’s 10,000-nit peak figure. Those numbers are not necessarily equivalent measurements, but the supplied launch coverage does not provide the test window, sustained brightness, automatic-brightness conditions or screen area used for either claim.

Both panels use Poco’s HyperRGB technology. The Ultra’s screen measures 6.9 inches; the Pro’s is 6.59 inches. Both are rated at 185Hz, although that ceiling is limited to supported games rather than ordinary interface use.

Cameras and battery separate the two models

The F9 Ultra combines the 200MP stabilized main sensor with a 50MP 5x periscope telephoto and a 50MP ultrawide. The F9 Pro’s 50MP 2.5x floating telephoto can focus from as close as 10 centimeters, but its ultrawide drops to 8MP. The Pro is more than a smaller-screen version of the Ultra: its camera system is materially simpler.

The Ultra’s 8,050mAh silicon-carbon battery is the largest Poco has put in an F-series phone. The cell has 16% silicon-carbon content in its anode, according to the available review coverage. Reports put endurance at roughly two days even with heavy use, while 100W wired charging takes less than an hour to reach full capacity. The Pro’s 6,330mAh battery is still large, and it supports the same 100W wired and 50W wireless charging rates.

The accelerated release schedule helps explain why the Ultra uses the same Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 platform rather than a newer generation. The phone arrives 10 months after its predecessor, so Poco has concentrated the changes in battery chemistry, cameras, audio and industrial design instead of replacing the main silicon.

That trade-off is visible in sustained workloads. The F9 Ultra reportedly overheats during gaming, although less severely than the F8 Ultra. The review coverage also found that video quality is average, the ultrawide camera is basic, and the phone ships with Android 16 rather than Android 17. Poco promises four Android updates and six years of security support—less software longevity than some premium competitors, though the exact end dates are not stated.

Pricing and availability

Poco’s European pricing places both phones in a higher price bracket than the brand’s earlier value-focused models. The F9 Pro starts at €899.90, with an early-bird price of €739.90. The F9 Ultra starts at €1,099.90 and drops to €829.90 during the initial offer.

The supplied coverage also lists configuration-specific prices in Asian markets and western equivalents. Those figures do not line up perfectly with the European launch prices: the 12GB/256GB Ultra is listed at $799, or $729 early, in one market, while the European version is €1,099 ($1,273) at retail and €829 ($961) during the launch offer. The 16GB/512GB model is listed at $949 ($799 at launch) and €1,199 (€899 at launch), while the 16GB/1TB model is listed at $1,199 ($1,059 deal) in Asian markets and €1,399 (€1,199 deal) in Europe.

The dollar amounts are market-specific listed prices, not US launch prices. Since Poco has confirmed no official US release for either flagship, there is no US MSRP, shipping date or domestic warranty arrangement to evaluate.

For buyers outside the supported markets, the Ultra combines an 8,050mAh cell, a 2.1-channel phone speaker system and a 5x periscope camera in one device. It also ships with Android 16, has documented gaming heat issues and has no official path to purchase in the United States.