Redmi K90 Review: Almost a Flagship… for Less (POCO F8 Pro Coming Soon?)

Price: ¥2,599 (~$360 USD / ~$455 global as POCO F8 Pro) | China Launch: October 2025 | Global Launch (as POCO F8 Pro): November 26, 2025

TL;DR Should You Buy the Redmi K90?

YES, if you want:

• Flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite processor (last year’s top chip, still blazing fast)
• Massive 7100mAh silicon-carbon battery with 100W fast charging
• Premium Light Fusion 800 main camera (same as Xiaomi 17)
• 2.5x telephoto camera (rare in this price segment)
• IP68 water resistance + premium glass build
• All-day battery life without compromise

MAYBE NOT, if you need:

• Absolute best camera system (Pro Max has better telephoto)
• 2K display resolution (this is 1.5K)
• Bose 2.1 audio (Pro Max exclusive)
• Dynamic refresh rate (this is fixed 120Hz LTPS)

Bottom Line: The Redmi K90 is the overlooked hero of the K90 series. It offers flagship specs, premium build quality, and genuinely useful cameras for ¥2,599 in China (~$455 globally as the POCO F8 Pro). If you don’t need the Pro Max’s bells and whistles, this is the smart buy.

Introduction: The Phone Everyone’s Ignoring (Mistake)

Let’s be honest. When Xiaomi launched the Redmi K90 series, everyone went nuts over the Pro Max. Bose 2.1 speakers! Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5! Periscope camera! The hype was real.

And in all that noise, the standard Redmi K90 got overlooked.

Which is a shame. Because this phone is genuinely impressive. You still get a flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, a massive 7100mAh battery, and the same premium 50MP Light Fusion 800 main camera as the Xiaomi 17. Plus, you get a 2.5x telephoto camera, which most competitors in this price range simply don’t offer.

Given that the Redmi K80 went global as the POCO F7 Pro, the vanilla K90 is almost certain to launch globally as the POCO F8 Pro on November 26, 2025. That makes it a very important phone for budget-conscious buyers worldwide.

So what exactly has Redmi done here? Let’s find out.

Unboxing What’s in the Box?

Typical Redmi packaging with Sound by Bose and HyperOS logos on the bottom. More branding on the sides. I picked up the base 12GB/256GB model. Redmi offers up to 16GB LPDDR5X RAM and up to a full 1TB of UFS 4.1 storage.

Inside the box:

• White insert with SIM tool, quick start guide, and solid-colored soft case
• Redmi K90 (I went with Black the purple looks best though)
• USB cable (Type-A to Type-C with orange accents)
• 100W fast charger

Everything you need to get started. No complaints here.

Design & Build Premium Glass, Aluminum Frame, and IP68

The Redmi K90 comes in Black, White, Blue, and Purple. Personally, I think the purple looks the best this time. But regardless of color, Redmi did something nice here.

The entire back, including the camera curve, is a single piece of glass. It feels premium in hand. The matte finish resists fingerprints and smudges beautifully.

The sides are aluminum, with rounded edges, curved corners, a flat front, flat back. It’s your typical 2025 flagship design language. Nothing revolutionary, but it looks and feels expensive.

Dimensions:

• Display: 6.59 inches
• Thickness: 8mm
• Weight: 206g

This is still a pretty large slab. It’s not the easiest to grip unless you have oversized hands. But for a phone with a 7100mAh battery, 206g is remarkably light.

Build Quality:

• IP68 water and dust resistance
• Gorilla Glass protection (front and back)
• Aluminum frame
• Ultrasonic fingerprint scanner (no multiple taps needed, works when wet)

The ultrasonic fingerprint scanner is placed conveniently and can even be used when your hands are wet. Makes sense given the IP68 rating.

Connectivity All the Essentials

• NFC: Yes
• Bluetooth: 5.4
• Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi 7
• IR blaster: Yes (control appliances around the house)
• 5G: Supported

Everything you’d expect from a 2025 mid-range flagship.

Battery & Charging 7100mAh Beast with 100W Fast Charging

The Redmi K90 packs a 7100mAh silicon-carbon battery. That’s massive. And with the included 100W charger:

• 0-50%: 18 minutes
• 0-100%: 45 minutes

Crazy fast for such a large battery.

No wireless charging on the standard K90 (Pro Max gets it). But you do get 22.5W reverse wired charging, which can be useful in a pinch to top up earbuds or a friend’s phone.

Real-World Battery Life: I didn’t get exact screen-on-time numbers in the review period, but with a 7100mAh battery and an efficient Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, expect easily 8-10 hours of screen time with mixed use. Maybe more if you’re not gaming heavily.

This is a two-day phone for most users. Easy.

Performance Snapdragon 8 Elite Flagship Power

The Redmi K90 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite (last year’s flagship Qualcomm SOC, not the Gen 5 in the Pro Max). Don’t let the “last year” label fool you this chip is still a beast.

Specs:

• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite
• RAM: 12GB/16GB LPDDR5X
• Storage: 256GB/512GB/1TB UFS 4.1
• Cooling: Vapor chamber

Sadly, the review unit wouldn’t run 3D Mark or AnTuTu benchmarks. But we’ve seen this chip all year long. It should handle anything you throw at it with ease.

Gaming Performance:

• No overheating issues in extended testing
• Smooth performance across all games
• Vapor chamber cooling keeps temps in check

Bottom line: This is flagship-level performance in a sub-flagship phone. No compromises.

Display 1.5K AMOLED, 120Hz, and Bright as Hell

The Redmi K90 sports a 6.59-inch 1.5K AMOLED display with some impressive specs:

Display Specs:

FeatureDetails

• Size 6.59 inches
• Resolution 1.5 K (1156 x 2510 pixels)
• Panel Type LTPS AMOLED
• Refresh Rate 120Hz (fixed, not dynamic)
• Peak Brightness 3500 nits (claimed), 1200 nits tested
• Sub-Pixel Arrangement Superior layout (same as Xiaomi 17 Pro Max)
• Low Brightness drops to 1 nit
• Dimming DC-like dimming throughout the range
• HDR HDR10+ support

The Good:

• Excellent color accuracy and punch
• Plenty bright for outdoor use (1200 nits tested)
• Deep blacks and excellent contrast (AMOLED advantages)
• Low-light usability down to 1 nit with DC-like dimming

The Not-So-Good:

• Not a 2K display like the Pro Max (1.5K is still sharp, though)
• Fixed 120Hz (LTPS panel, not LTPO), so no dynamic refresh rate to save battery

Verdict: This is a high-quality display. It’s not the absolute best (Pro Max wins there), but for the price, it’s excellent.

Audio Stereo Speakers with Balanced Sound

The Redmi K90 has symmetric stereo speakers with a balanced lift. It’s not the crazy Bose 2.1 setup on the Pro Max, but it’s still very good.

Audio Specs:

• Stereo speakers
• Dolby Atmos support
• Balanced sound across frequencies

Not the loudest. Not the bassiest. But clear, balanced, and perfectly fine for media consumption and casual gaming.

Cameras Light Fusion 800 Main + Telephoto

Here’s where the Redmi K90 outdoes most competitors in its segment.

Camera Setup:

• Main: 50MP Light Fusion 800 (1/1.55-inch sensor, OIS, f/1.9)
• Ultrawide: 8MP OV98D (run-of-the-mill mid-range sensor)
• Telephoto: 50MP OV50M (2.5x optical, 60mm equivalent, no OIS)
• Selfie: 20MP

Main Camera (50MP Light Fusion 800)

This is the same sensor as the Xiaomi 17. That’s flagship-level hardware in a sub-flagship phone.

Daylight Performance: Images turn out detailed with excellent dynamic range. Even in challenging lighting, highlights are well-controlled and shadows retain detail.

Low-Light Performance: The Light Fusion 800 shines here (pun intended). Noise levels are kept low, and the large 1/1.55-inch sensor pulls in plenty of light. Even without a dedicated night mode push, shots look clean.

Video: Can record up to 8K 30fps. Pretty good for a mid-ranger.

Verdict: The main camera is genuinely excellent. This alone makes the K90 a strong value.

Ultrawide Camera (8MP OV98D)

Standard mid-range ultrawide. Nothing special. Gets the job done for landscapes and group shots, but don’t expect flagship-level detail or low-light performance.

Telephoto Camera (50MP OV50M, 2.5x Optical)

This is where the K90 surprises. Most phones in this segment don’t have a telephoto at all. The iQOO Neo11 and OnePlus Ace6? No telephoto. Just digital zoom from the main sensor.

The K90’s 2.5x telephoto (60mm equivalent) is excellent for portraits. The sensor is smaller than the Pro Max’s periscope unit, so the K90 tends to rely on crops from the main sensor a bit more when you zoom beyond 2.5x. And since there’s no OIS, you might notice some blur occasionally, especially when zoomed in.

But given the competition has no telephoto at all, this is a huge plus.

Selfie Camera (20MP)

Pretty good for stills. Clean, detailed shots in good lighting. Video is capped at 1080p 60fps, which is a bit disappointing in 2025 (some phones offer 4K selfie video now).

Overall Camera Verdict: The K90 punches way above its weight class. The Light Fusion 800 main camera is flagship-tier, and the inclusion of a 2.5x telephoto is rare at this price. If cameras matter to you, this is one of the best values in the segment.

Software HyperOS 3 Based on Android 16

The Redmi K90 ships with HyperOS 3 based on Android 16 out of the box. That’s cutting-edge software.

Update Policy:

• 4 years of Android updates
• 5 years of security patches

Solid long-term support.

HyperOS Features:

• Clean, modern UI
• Smooth animations
• Customization options (themes, always-on display, edge lighting)
• Xiaomi ecosystem integration

No major complaints. HyperOS 3 is polished and feels fast on the Snapdragon 8 Elite.

Pricing: Is It Worth It?

China Pricing:

• 12GB/256GB: ¥2,599 (~$360 USD)
• 16GB/512GB: ¥2,899 (~$400 USD)
• 16GB/1TB: ¥3,199 (~$445 USD)

Global Pricing (as POCO F8 Pro):

• Expected: $449-$550 depending on region and config

Is It Worth It?

Rising memory prices and Qualcomm’s increased flagship SOC costs mean this isn’t dirt cheap. But given the competition all start around ¥2,600 (iQOO Neo11, OnePlus Ace6, Realme GT 8), the K90 is competitively priced.

What You Get for the Money:

• Flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite
• Massive 7100mAh battery with 100W charging
• Premium Light Fusion 800 main camera
• Rare 2.5x telephoto camera
• IP68 water resistance
• Premium glass and aluminum build

What You Don’t Get:

• Bose 2.1 speakers (Pro Max exclusive)
• 2K display (this is 1.5K)
• Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (Pro Max has it)
• Periscope telephoto with OIS (Pro Max has 5x)

The Verdict: For the price, the K90 is excellent value. It’s not the absolute best phone in the lineup, but it nails the sweet spot between performance, features, and price.

Who Should Buy Which?

Buy the K90 if:

• You want great value and don’t need the absolute best
• 1.5K display is fine (it’s still sharp)
• You’re okay with good stereo speakers (not Bose)
• You want to save ~¥1,400 ($195)

Buy the K90 Pro Max if:

• You want the best everything
• 2K display and Bose 2.1 audio matter
• You need the 5x periscope camera with OIS
• You want Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (marginal performance gain)

Honestly? For most people, the K90 is the smarter buy.

Global Launch as POCO F8 Pro

The Redmi K90 is expected to launch globally as the POCO F8 Pro on November 26, 2025.

Confirmed Details:

• Same design as Redmi K90 (rectangular camera block)
• Available in Black, Grey, and Aqua Blue
• Snapdragon 8 Elite confirmed
• Android 16 with HyperOS 3
• Global pricing: $449-$550 estimated

What Might Change:

• Battery capacity (global models sometimes smaller due to regulations)
• Some camera tuning tweaks
• Regional pricing variations

If you’re outside China, wait for the POCO F8 Pro launch on November 26. Same phone, global support.

Final Verdict Overlooked, But Excellent

The Redmi K90 is a solid all-rounder. Redmi nailed the balance between performance, features, and price.

What’s Good:

• Flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite performance
• Massive 7100mAh battery with 100W charging
• Premium Light Fusion 800 main camera (same as Xiaomi 17)
• Rare 2.5x telephoto in this segment
• IP68 water resistance + premium build
• Excellent media consumption experience

What’s Not:

• Selfie video capped at 1080p 60fps
• No OIS on telephoto (occasional blur when zoomed)
• Fixed 120Hz (not dynamic like LTPO)
• Ultrawide camera is just okay

Who Should Buy It:

• Budget-conscious buyers who want flagship specs
• Camera enthusiasts who appreciate a telephoto
• Heavy users who need all-day (or two-day) battery life
• Anyone waiting for the POCO F8 Pro global launch

My Rating: 8.5/10

The Redmi K90 (POCO F8 Pro) is an excellent sub-flagship that delivers where it counts. It’s not perfect, but for the price, it’s one of the best values in the segment.

What do you think about the Redmi K90? Is it the overlooked hero of the K90 series, or would you rather pay extra for the Pro Max? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.