Gaming smartphones is definitely a new niche of smartphones which you probably might not have heard of. You all know there are gaming laptops, even Xiaomi had one of those and it is now extending the same courtesy to its mobile phones. The new Xiaomi Black Shark is a gaming smartphone developed in collaboration with Black Shark Technology, a gaming company. It is just like other smartphones you know but with a strong inclination towards gaming which is also evident in its design.
Where to Buy Xiaomi Black Shark
Jumia Nigeria – See Offers | Jumia Kenya – See Offers | Jumia Ghana – See Offers
Xiaomi Black Shark Key Specs and Features
- 5.99-inch, IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 2160 X 1080 pixels (403 ppi)
- Android 8.0 Oreo
- Octa-core Qualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845 with 6GB/8GB
- 64GB/128GB built-in storage with no memory card support
- Dual 12MP + 20MP rear camera and a 20MP front camera
- 4G LTE
- Fingerprint sensor (front)
- 4, 000mAh non removable Li-ion battery
Design and Display
First sight of the Xiaomi Black Shark reveals that it is not like your conventional smartohone at least in design, rather it looks more like a rugged smartphone. The front of Xiaomi Black Shark has reduced bezels and looks more or less like any smartphone with a fingerprint sensor below the display and a LED indicator at the top with all the normal residents. The rear as a unique design with a sort of hour glass pattern but with a straight line on the middle. You have a glass at the bottom bearing Black Shark on it and at the top with has the camera & flash.
To enjoy gaming, it is pertinent there’s a nice display with a large enough screen to play with as well as a crisp resolution. The Xiaomi Black Shark ticks all these boxes with a 5.99-inch display and 2160 X 1080 pixels resolution. Even though this is only an LCD screen, the colours are quite crisp and with a 403 ppi pixel density.
Battery and Camera
The Xiaomi Black Shark comes with enough power for gaming which happens to weigh heavily on the battery. Powered by a 4, 000mAh battery you should be able to get quality on-screen time and you also have quick charge feature. There’s no wireless charging but you do have a USB Type-C port, if it counts for something.
Being a gaming smartphone, the Xiaomi Black Shark does quite well with a dual camera at the rear. It has 12MP primary camera assisted by a 20MP sensor which on paper is a nice enough armoury for a good enough pictures. Also, the smartphone has a 20MP camera stationed for selfies up front with its own flash incase of low light.
Hardware and Software
Now to the real deal, the Xiaomi Black Shark has a top notch chipset that is needed to avoid lags during gaming. Harnessing the power of the latest Octa-core Qualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845 processor and an Adreno 630 GPU, you are rest assured that you enjoy your gaming to the fullest.
It also goes further to come with a 6GB RAM alongside a higher variant sporting 8GB RAM with 64GB and 128GB storage space respectively. This ensures ample storage for your gaming files and to multitask with ease. You also have it running Android 8.0 Oreo straight from the box. The Xiaomi Black Shark does come with a gaming extension accessoriy that connects through bluetooth for a more immersive gaming experience.
Xiaomi Black Shark Price and Availability
The smartphone is priced at about 172, 000 Naira for the 6GB variant and close to 200, 000 Naira for the 8GB RAM model. Availability at the moment is only limited to around China but you could always get it from online stores later on.
Xiaomi Black Shark Specs
Here are a few specs of the Xiaomi Black Shark:
General Features
- Platform: Android 8.0 Oreo
- Processor: Octa-core 4 x 2.8 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4 x 1.8 GHz Kryo 385 Silver (Qualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845)
- GPU: Adreno 630
- Memory: 6GB/8GB
- Colours: Black, Gray
- Dimension: 161.6 x 75.4 x 9.3 mm
- Weight: 190g
- SIM Type: Nano Sim
- SIM Count: Dual Sim
Display
- Display: 5.99-inch, IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 2160 X 1080 pixels (403 ppi)
- Screen Protection: –
Camera
- Rear Camera: Dual 12MP + 20MP camera, 2160p Video@30fps, 1080p Video@30fps, 720@120fps
- Rear Camera Features: 2x optical zoom, dual pixel phase detection autofocus, dual-LED dual-tone flash, Geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, HDR, panorama
- Front Camera: 20MP camera, 1080p Video@30fps
Storage
- Built-in Storage: 64GB/128GB
- Memory Card Support: –
- Bundled Cloud Storage: –
Network Support
- 2G GSM: Yes
- 2G CDMA 1X: –
- 3G WCDMA: Yes
- 3G CDMA EVDO: –
- 4G LTE: LTE band 1(2100), 3(1800), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 12(700), 34(2000), 38(2600), 39(1900), 40(2300), 41(2500)
Internet & Connectivity
- GPRS: Yes
- EDGE: Yes
- 3G/WCDMA/HSPA: Yes
- HSPA+: 5.2/42.67Mbps
- CDMA EVDO: –
- 4G LTE: Yes
- WLAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, WiFi Direct
- Wi-Fi Hotspot: Yes
- Bluetooth: Yes, v5.0 with A2DP, LE, aptX HD
- NFC: –
- Infrared Blaster: –
- USB Port: USB Type-C 2.0
Messaging
- SMS/MMS: Yes
- Instant Messaging: Yes
- Push Emails: Yes
- Email Protocol: –
Entertainment
- Music Player: MP3/WAV/WMA/eAAC+/FLAC player
- Video Player: MP4/WMV/H.264 player
- FM Radio: –
- Loudspeaker: Yes
- 3.5mm Jack: Yes
Navigation
- Navigation: Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS
- Maps: Yes
Sensors & Control
- Digital Compass: Yes
- Accelerometer: Yes
- Proximity Sensor: Yes
- Light Sensor: Yes
- Barometer: –
- SpO2: –
- Pedometer: –
- Heart Rate Monitor: –
- Gyroscope: Yes
- Fingerprint Scanner: Yes, (front)
- Iris Scanner: –
- Face Unlock: –
- Intelligent Digital Assistant: –
- Motion Sensing / Gesture Control: –
- Voice Control: –
Other Features
- Video Streaming: Yes
- Active Noise Cancellation: Yes
- Wireless Charging: –
- Built-in Mobile Payment: –
- Water Resistant: –
- Dust Resistant: –
- Image Editor: Yes
- Video Editor: Yes
- Document Viewer: Yes
- Document Editor: Yes
Battery
- Battery: 4, 000mAh removable Li-ion battery
- Talktime: –
- Standby Time: –
- Fast Charging: Yes
