Xiaomi announced the official debut of the first device under its Poco sub-brand, which is looking to redefine smartphones by offering high-end performance with no frills.

Poco is said to build on Xiaomi’s supply chain and service infrastructure, with separate sales, marketing and product development. The sub-brand’s first product is not available in Xiaomi flavour, an approach the company argued sets it apart from some rivals, which offer “a slightly tweaked product” with a different name “in both the parent and sub-brands’ lineups”.

Jai Mani, head of product for the unit, said: “As a small outfit within Xiaomi, Poco has the freedom to start from scratch, zeroing in on the product choices and technologies that matter. This is why we have created a smartphone that delivers unbelievable performance, focusing on the core innovations that truly matter, which we believe will resonate with tech enthusiasts.”

Targeting the Indian market, Poco’s first smartphone, F1, is priced at INR20,999 ($300) in base version (6GB of RAM, 64GB of storage). Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, versions are available with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

It also has a “LiquidCool Technology cooling system”, which the vendor said enables it to deliver peak performance for extended periods. It said the technology is 300 per cent more effective than conventional, non-liquid, cooling solutions as it enables heat from the CPU to dissipate quickly.

Also onboard is a “deeply customised” version of Xiaomi’s MIUI interface, which it said offers “a lighter, faster and smoother experience”.

It comes with a 4000mAh battery and dual rear cameras with artificial intelligence scene detection.