In Q4 of 2018, the POCO F1 reportedly become the best selling smartphone sold online in India, beating competition such as the OnePlus 6. The Pocophone was sometimes referred to as the "flagship killer killer" for offering high-end specifications at an affordable price. The first POCO phone was released in 2018 in India on Xiaomi's website. It instantly became a bestseller with 700,000 units sold until 6 December 2018, becoming the best selling smartphone sold online in India.