POCO is on a tear as of late. The model has launched seven telephones in 2022, with the POCO F4 and X4 GT becoming a member of the likes of the X4, F4 GT, M4 Professional, M4, and the budget-focused C40. Following the launch of the F4 and X4 GT, I talked to Angus Ng, POCO World’s head of product advertising, concerning the model’s technique, software program initiatives, and what’s in retailer for the remainder of the yr.
POCO is more and more turning to MediaTek to energy its mid-range gadgets, and that has taken on an added significance with the X4 GT; a gaming-focused system that options the MediaTek Dimensity 8100. To speak additional about MediaTek’s function in POCO’s journey, we had been joined by Anuj Sidharth, MediaTek India’s deputy director for advertising.
Ng began off by speaking about POCO’s efficiency final yr, noting that it was the “most profitable yr” for the model by way of number of merchandise launched, and gross sales quantity. “We had been very targeted on establishing every sequence, so we had fashions within the F sequence, X sequence, and the M sequence. These had been key in establishing our positioning out there.”
Gaming is the way in which ahead
POCO has been significantly busy in 2022, and Ng says that is by design. With the model establishing clearly-defined product traces — C sequence is aimed on the entry degree, M sequence on the price range class, X sequence as the worth flagship, and F sequence for gaming — Ng says that this yr is all about “making an attempt issues out and going all-out in releasing numerous merchandise, and seeing which one actually hit the market and be taught from how the market reacts to every launch, see what works and what does not.”
Gaming is a giant focus for POCO in 2022, with the F4 GT and X4 GT permitting the model to make inroads into this class.
Based mostly on the info, the model will fine-tune its portfolio for subsequent yr — that is just like what POCO did final yr. Ng additionally notes that the aim is to draw a extra mainstream viewers, stating, “We nonetheless wish to keep that core userbase that may be very enthusiastic about know-how, however we have been making an attempt to discover ways in which we are able to department out a bit extra by increasing our product traces.”
The gaming class is an space the place POCO is paying extra consideration nowadays. The F3 GT debuted a yr in the past with the Dimensity 1200, and an aggressive design catered to players. It had ultrasonic triggers on the aspect that can be utilized and configured for in-game actions. POCO constructed on that design with the F4 GT this yr, providing sooner {hardware} and higher charging tech.Â
The positioning is sensible for POCO due to the markets that the model targets — India and Southeast Asia. Each are mature in relation to cellular gaming, due to titles like PUBG and Name of Responsibility: Cellular. Ng notes that there is additionally rising curiosity in western markets for gaming-focused gadgets, and with POCO seeing elevated momentum within the likes of Spain, France, and the U.Ok., it has been in a position to carve out a distinct segment for itself.Â
On that observe, Ng says that POCO’s differentiated product portfolio permits the model to introduce gaming-focused telephones not simply within the worth flagship class, but in addition within the mid-tier and price range segments. “The number of processors we’re utilizing permits us to ship performance-focused telephones throughout completely different product traces, and it has at all times given us a bonus on cellular gaming in lots of segments, not simply within the high-end.”
Ng says that MediaTek has accomplished a “sensational” job within the final two years, and that is true. The Taiwanese vendor managed to show issues round with its Dimensity sequence, outmatching what Qualcomm affords on this phase.Â
“Three years in the past, Qualcomm was in a dominant place, and it was virtually like a monopoly at one level. So it is good to see elevated competitors throughout the business now,” stated Ng. “MediaTek is beginning to push out nice efficiency; it isn’t about worth for cash anymore. It is truly to the purpose the place MediaTek is ready to compete at a really, very excessive degree, and even surpass, what Qualcomm is doing in most segments. That is all the way down to the choices they’ve made, particularly going with TSMC for manufacturing.”
Qualcomm/MediaTek rivalry is just like AMD/NVIDIA, and that is nice information for the business as a complete.
Ng likened the Qualcomm/MediaTek rivalry to that of AMD/NVIDIA within the video card area, noting that MediaTek was in a position to remedy numerous ache factors for high-end gadgets. “For lots of excessive finish gadgets in recent times, it isn’t about how briskly they’ll go, however how sizzling they get and managing thermals. MediaTek has delivered on that entrance, significantly within the $300 to $500 phase.”
POCO’s newest launch illustrates these factors properly. The X4 GT is powered by the Dimensity 8100, and it has among the greatest efficiency figures within the sub-$500 class. Sidharth pointed to the work MediaTek has accomplished over the past two years to overtake its mid-range chipsets, noting that numerous work went into fine-tuning the designs to ship optimum thermal effectivity.Â
That is evident within the newest wave of Dimensity {hardware}, and whereas MediaTek does not have a gaming-focused design as such, Sidharth stated that the optimizations to its recreation engine permits the Dimensity 8100 to ship clean body charges at as much as 144Hz.
That is one of many causes POCO went with the Dimensity 8100, as a result of the X4 GT is POCO’s first telephone with a 144Hz panel. POCO opted to make use of an LCD panel in lieu of AMOLED tech, with Ng noting that the choice was primarily based on the truth that LCD tech is “straightforward to repair, good with blue gentle and low-light optimizations, and simpler on the eyes,” and that there’s a userbase that wishes telephones with excessive refresh charge screens that includes LCD panels. Going with an LCD panel additionally saves prices, permitting POCO to problem the likes of the Galaxy A53 and different telephones on this class.
Whereas it is nice to see a 144Hz panel on this class, there aren’t many video games that may make the most of the display screen tech. Ng says that POCO is speaking to recreation publishers to get some momentum going on this space. “Our focus is to work with extra recreation builders and gaming corporations, and get them to assist the total potential of our telephone’s {hardware}.”Â
As for making a real flagship that goes up in opposition to the greatest Android telephones, Ng says that it’s not a precedence for the model. “We have no plans to do full flagship, I feel our F4 GT was actually shut although. The one factor that we actually lacked from that telephone was a real tremendous flagship digital camera and wi-fi charging; if you happen to added these two issues on, it would tackle any telephone in the marketplace actually at that time. However there’s additionally the truth that we do not at all times focus an excessive amount of on digital camera. We use good sensors on our telephones — it is probably not 108MP — however our focus is to ship telephones that may take good pictures for sharing on social media. Our foremost precedence remains to be on the $200 to $500 class.”
Constructing differentiated software program
The place the model is as an alternative focusing a bit of bit extra is software program. Ng talked about final yr that software program was an enormous precedence for POCO, because it tries to distinguish itself from its Xiaomi siblings. Ng revealed on the time that the model will work on a POCO UI with a singular feature-set, however that is “not on the desk” in 2022. As an alternative, the route POCO is taking is alongside the traces of a skinned interface that is constructed on a MIUI basis, altering the “design and tonality.” That is in step with how OxygenOS and Realme UI work — each interfaces use ColorOS as the muse — and it is sensible for POCO to go the identical route.
POCO needs to be taught from Google on how you can optimize software program for its gadgets.
The most important focus for POCO by way of software program is the POCO Launcher. The launcher debuted just a few years in the past, nevertheless it hasn’t obtained a lot consideration not too long ago, and it nonetheless has loads of bugs.Â
“So the primary precedence for us is to take away all the present bugs. We have arrange an inside group to deal with this, and there is a platform the place customers can share what’s unsuitable with their gadgets on a software program degree on POCO’s boards or social media. We realized that numerous the software program issues had been within the entry-level and price range telephones; whether or not that is an absence of efficiency due to taxing software program, frequent crashes, or reboots. So our precedence is to optimize the software program for these telephones. Google does an ideal job on this space the place they’re in a position to optimize software program for Pixels, and we wish to do one thing comparable.”
Ng stated {that a} new model of the POCO Launcher is coming “very, very quickly,” and that going ahead, POCO will higher customise the software program on its particular person product traces. “Often, you do not need one common system to suit all of your gadgets, as not all of the gadgets can run that system as easily. So for our budget-focused M and X sequence fashions, we would look into creating new options focused at these gadgets, and reducing again some options that will sluggish the telephone down in a yr or two years’ time. Not all customers need or use all of the options in MIUI, and we wish to tailor the software program accordingly in order that our price range fashions do not decelerate after prolonged use.”
In the same vein, Ng says that POCO is trying to create “new and attention-grabbing options” for the F and X GT fashions. “MIUI by itself has numerous options, and we have now to determine what options will make a distinction.” And as for software program updates, POCO remains to be guaranteeing quarterly safety patches and two years of platform updates for its portfolio. The problem for the model is to make sure it could try this for all of the fashions in its portfolio; POCO launched over a dozen gadgets within the final 12 months, and that places further pressure on engineering sources.
Intelligent positioning and specializing in worth has allowed POCO to carve out a distinct segment for itself within the intense $300 to $500 class, and it is clear that the model’s aim for the foreseeable future is to ship performance-focused telephones on a price range. If it could try this and tailor software program options for particular person product traces, POCO has the potential to make respectable inroads in international markets.Â
