I had forgotten that phones could still amaze me until I used one that has a subwoofer.

      A few nights ago, I found myself at a party attempting to recommend a song to someone. Usually, I would have to send it later or fight to connect to the Bluetooth speaker. However, I had the POCO F9 Ultra with me, so I decided to do something I typically dislike on phones and played the song through its speakers. To my surprise, it cut through the surrounding noise quite well.

      Despite the not-so-great conditions, the F9 Ultra remained loud and, crucially, clear enough for the person next to me to hear what I was trying to share. This experience made me realize that I’m particularly interested in this one feature of the phone more than its other flagship elements. POCO has equipped the device with two symmetrical 1115D stereo speakers and an independent 1620 subwoofer—which used to require separate attachments—creating what they describe as a 2.1-channel audio system tuned by Bose. It also offers Dynamic and Balanced sound profiles, with the former focusing on enhanced bass and the latter on clearer vocals and overall balance.

      However, that's just a technical overview. I’ve only begun using the F9 Ultra, so I can't offer a comprehensive assessment of the overall experience yet. Nonetheless, it's the first phone in a while that has compelled me to discuss more than just the basics. POCO and Bose have previously collaborated on powerful smartphone speakers, and I finally got to experience it.

      This won't serve as a replacement for your speaker, and that’s not its intent.

      When you hear the term subwoofer, it raises certain expectations. You expect to really feel the bass. I don’t want to suggest that the F9 Ultra produces the type of chest-thumping bass you’d expect from a true speaker. It still has to contend with the laws of physics, as there's a limit to the low-end power a smartphone can generate. The bass notes sound more distinct than what I typically anticipate from a phone of this size, and the lows don't just fade into a muddled background. There's a bit more clarity between the low-end frequencies and mids, giving the music a fuller sound without overshadowing the vocals.

      Many flagship phones can deliver decent sound at moderate volumes, but the F9 Ultra offers a similar presentation with added depth. The song retained its character. The company claims that the independent subwoofer is designed to provide deeper bass while enhancing vocal clarity, detail, and the overall soundstage of the speaker system.

      In many ways, it resembles a small Bluetooth speaker.

      In the few days I’ve had this device, the F9 Ultra continuously reminded me of those compact Bluetooth speakers. While it can't replace a larger speaker, it somewhat replicates that experience. This means that while doing chores or preparing to head out, you can enjoy vibrant sound without having to locate your headphones or connect to wireless speakers. Just place the POCO F9 Ultra on your bed or table, and it will ensure you can hear it.

      The dedicated rear driver is a major highlight. The circular grille is located right next to the cameras, allowing you to see the component responsible for this audio performance. My Dark Cherry variant enhances the overall prominence of the sizable camera-and-speaker area, and POCO has also integrated dynamic lighting into the rear module for calls, music, and compatible games. This adds a nice touch. Rhythmic lighting is always enjoyable, and the ability to use it for notifications adds to its functionality.

      The rest of the phone is also quite powerful.

      POCO didn't just invest in the speakers; the new subwoofer is built into a proper flagship phone. The F9 Ultra features a 6.9-inch AMOLED display that operates at up to 185Hz, powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, along with a dedicated VisionBoost D8 chipset capable of frame-rate interpolation, super resolution, and Game HDR in supported scenarios.

      The brand is also adding support for over 20 games to utilize the native refresh rate. I’ll spend more time exploring the usefulness of these features together. As of now, I appreciate that the speakers don’t appear to be just a gimmick on an otherwise average device.

      Modern flagship phones are impressively capable, which tends to make them fairly predictable. You might analyze camera quality, compare brightness levels, and test the same games to see which performs better. With each year, you expect phones to improve. In this regard, the F9 Ultra meets all those major expectations as well. It boasts a massive 8,050mAh battery, 100W wired charging, 50W wireless charging, and a 200MP main camera.