Xiaomi presented its first gaming smartphone Black Shark back in April, but only now has it received an international modification. However, the Chinese version went on sale only a little earlier - at least for the European buyer.
Interestingly, the Xiaomi-sponsored startup with the same name as the smartphone went a little further than other developers of “gaming” smartphones. The new product turned out to be even more gaming-oriented than the acclaimed Razer Phone.
Unlike competitors, Xiaomi and the company relied not just on the power of the platform, but on its convenience for long-term gaming. In addition, the smartphone is designed to turn into a full-fledged gaming console.
Let's see what happened - today in our review is the first Black shark, intended specifically for sale in Europe and the USA. Including in Russia.
Technical characteristics of Xiaomi Black Shark
| CPU | 4 x 2.8 GHz + 4 x 1.8 GHz (Kryo 385) |
| Video processor | |
| operating system | |
| Memory, GB | |
| Screen | |
| Cameras, Mpix | |
| Net | |
| Number of SIM cards, pcs. | |
| MicroSD support | |
| Wireless interfaces | |
| GPS/aGPS/GLONASS | |
| Battery, mAh | |
| Dimensions, mm | |
| Weight, g |
Top characteristics are the basis for the success of the new product. But the performance reserve cannot provide a high-quality game. Unfortunately, all popular platforms overheat in thin cases. With Black Shark things are a little different.
Equipment Xiaomi Black Shark
Since the manufacturer of Black Shark is not Xiaomi itself, but a startup sponsored by it, the design is seriously different from what we are used to.
The matte black box with a dark green logo looks stylish and eye-catching. Information about the model is extremely minimalistic. Alas, the review included the youngest one with 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of main memory, but there is also an advanced one - with 8 and 128 GB, respectively.
The equipment is quite rich: in addition to documentation, protective film and a key-clip, the manufacturer included box a power adapter, a USB Type C cable and an adapter from USB Type C to the usual AUX audio connector (mini-jack).
The manufacturer also includes a plastic bumper, which is a standard design element of a smartphone - all renderings show the Black Shark with protection. However, the main purpose of this case is not protective - it is necessary for attaching the included gamepad.
Appearance and design of Xiaomi Black Shark
Despite the fashionable 18:9 display format, Black Shark received an original design. The front side does not stand out in anything special: the arrangement of elements on the front panel is traditional: a conversational microphone and sensors are located above the screen, and to the left of it is the front camera.
Below the display is the Home key, or rather a touch panel with a fingerprint sensor that recognizes touches or gestures. This is not Meizu, so on the right and left there are navigation buttons “back” and “menu of running applications” with backlighting.
The back side looks fresh and stylish: instead of the usual rounding, the edges have chopped shapes. Comfortable! The all-metal surface is decorated with antenna elements. The bottom end has a single data connector, and at the edges of it there are grilles for the main speaker and a conversational microphone.
On the right side there are traditionally mechanical volume and power control keys. The left one hides a SIM card slot and a mechanical switch, surprisingly similar to the one in OnePlus or iPhone. But in Black Shark it has a much wider range of functions, in particular, activating the game mode.
The back cover itself is decorated not only with a dual camera and an additional microphone, but also with the signature Black Shark logo in bright green. By the way, with backlight.
Xiaomi Black Shark Display
Modern trends have led to the emergence of so-called “gaming monitors”. Therefore, new requirements are emerging for portable devices.
In addition to its unique properties, you need to know the following about the Black Shark screen: aspect ratio 18:9, diagonal 5.99 inches, 2160 x 1080 pixels, pixel density - 403 ppi, matrix - IPS matrix, touchscreen 10 touches. The viewing angles are maximum, there are no distortions.
And then the magic begins. Although the stated screen frequency of 120 Hz is not confirmed, the Black Shark panel has a lot of special features. For example, it displays colors according to the DCI-P3 standard, covering 97% of the human visible range.
White and black colors look natural and natural, without any spurious shades. The brightness adjustment range is wide. The readability of the display even in sunny weather remains at a good level, no difficulties are observed. At the same time, the image is much closer to what is usual for AMOLED than for IPS.
In addition, the smartphone is equipped with a blue filter and a special chip for optimizing video images. It is difficult to understand how strong its influence is. But we can say with confidence that Black Shark has become one of the best smartphones for viewing content.
Performance of Xiaomi Black Shark
They didn’t skimp on the “Black Shark” platform – the top-end Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 with Adreno 630 video core is used here. RAM, as already mentioned, can be 6 or 8 GB, which is combined with fast permanent memory UFS 5.1 gives incredible results in synthetic tests: Black Shark leaves almost all existing ones far behind smartphones.
This processor can effectively reduce the frequency to reduce temperatures. This is what it does in any other smartphones, including the popular flagships of Xiaomi, Samsung or HTC. And only Black Shark can boast of the absence of throttling due to the advanced liquid cooling system. There are enough resources not only for the game, but also for broadcasting the video stream to the network.
Wireless interfaces and communications Xiaomi Black Shark
While the Chinese version of the smartphone cannot boast of support for Russia’s favorite communication frequencies, international The Black Shark version can work in all GSM, WCDMA and LTE networks used in the CIS in any of its two Nano-SIM.
The stylish “X” on the back cover is nothing more than an antenna. The dimensions are impressive, so it’s not surprising that the connection is stable even in the Moscow metro.
There is modern dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and the navigation module works with GPS, GLONASS and BeiDou satellites. A “cold” start takes no more than ten seconds.
Multimedia capabilities of Xiaomi Black Shark
Like all modern flagship smartphones, the Black Shark has a dual main camera. The main module is 12.0 MP, the additional one is 20 MP (same as the front one). Each of them is equipped with lenses with an aperture of f/1.8, and the front camera has an aperture of f/2.2. The camera is equipped with phase detection autofocus, two-color LED flash, and 2x zoom.
The photos, despite the lack of optical stabilization, turn out excellent. Detailed, clear, with correct colors and contrast. Autofocus works quickly and accurately. Please note that the camera was completely inherited from MIUI.
The front camera takes pictures at a high level.
Since the smartphone does not have a mini-jack, you must use a USB Type C adapter. The sound in the headphones is powerful, clear, and bright - thanks to the DAC integrated into the processor and a pair of excellent Smart PA amplifiers.
The same equipment is responsible for the sound quality from a pair of external speakers. And, perhaps, Black Shark really sounds no worse than a portable speaker - and certainly better than almost all smartphones existing on the market.
An excellent noise reduction system with a unique property can play a significant role - it works in all communication modes, both in headphones and during a call, and even during speakerphone.
Xiaomi Black Shark Software and Firmware
The new, international version of the smartphone boasts almost pure Android 8.0 with OTA capability. However, before us is the startup Black Shark’s own development, stylized as - everything shortcuts on desktops, a curtain for notifications and quick settings at the top, three control keys under display.
In addition to screenshots, live video recording and broadcast from the screen are available, for which you need to simultaneously hold down the power and volume up keys. Additional options are provided by a customizable additional button.
It activates the “game” mode, which turns off notifications and unloads everything from memory. You can also use it to answer calls from the game, answer all incoming calls, turn on the blue filter, or customize the buttons and joystick.
Xiaomi Black Shark battery life
To ensure any reasonable battery life while gaming, Xiaomi had to compromise on the battery. Because of this, Black Shark has become the company's thickest smartphone - because it hides an impressive non-removable battery with a capacity of 4,000 mAh.
Despite the powerful hardware and the absence of software resource consumption limiters, the device shows passable results. Thus, browsing the Internet via LTE or Wi-Fi on the Black Shark is possible for 7 hours, and video files, due to the abundance of black color, are half an hour longer. If you listen to music with the screen off, the device will last about a day.
Unfortunately, in maximum load mode during the game it will not be possible to achieve results greater than 3-4 hours. Nevertheless, for such a gaming system this is a very good result.
The smartphone supports Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging technology, with which the battery is charged in an hour and a half. Unfortunately, the included power adapter cannot boast of this, so it charges the smartphone with a current of 3 Amps. On the other hand, this will allow the battery to live much longer.
Gamepad Xiaomi Black Shark
The gamepad has become a unique feature of the smartphone. Fixed on the top of the smartphone using two grooves in the included case, it turns an ordinary gadget into a full-fledged gaming console (but on Android there are many emulators with which you can play, for example, games for PSP). The mount is successful, nothing flies out.
On its front side there is a control joystick and a power key with an activity indicator. The upper corner is divided into two trigger buttons, and the body itself is made in the form of molding for fingers.
The manipulator is powered by its own, thanks to the built-in battery. You will have to charge it separately via its own USB Type C port.
conclusions
Despite its rare purpose - to replace a portable game console - Xiaomi Black Shark offers extremely balanced hardware for its price. It has virtually no direct disadvantages - the lack of optical stabilization is compensated by high-quality image processing algorithms; standard display frequency - expanded color gamut and excellent image quality.
A capacious battery turns the Black Shark into the only sufficiently autonomous Xiaomi flagship this year. Stylish appearance and comfortable shape clearly distinguish the smartphone from absolutely all mobile devices on the market.
Even if we take into account that for the average user the controller does not matter, but for fans of mobile games it will come in handy. In addition, it is much more convenient than most separately purchased devices.
Given that the Black Shark costs as much as any other flagship this year, it's definitely worth a look. From July 30 to August 5, the international version of Black Shark can be purchased at a discount on GearBest. The basic 6/64 GB modification will cost the buyer only $500, the older 8/128 GB version will cost $560. Additional discount - on the Russian-language page.
