 "Xiaomi Black Shark 2 vs Asus ROG Phone vs OnePlus 7 Pro: Gaming flagships compared")
The Xiaomi Black Shark 2 has been
announced
by Xiaomi in the Indian markets for a price of Rs 39,999. This is the first gaming smartphone that the company has launched in India and it will be competing with the likes of the Asus ROG Phone (Review)
and even the
OnePlus 7 Pro (Review)
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The Xiaomi Black Shark 2. Image: Xiaomi China[/caption] On paper, the Xiaomi Black Shark 2 appears to be a beast of a device as it runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset and has up to 8 GB of RAM. There’s also a vapour cooling chamber for smooth gameplay. One speciality of the Black Shark 2 is a pressure-sensitive display which is somewhat like 3D Touch technology seen on iPhones. What makes it different is that both left and right sides are independently pressure-sensitive making it easy to map buttons to either side. The optics of the device are handled by a 48 MP primary camera and a 12 MP secondary camera. Up front, it has a 20 MP camera for making video calls and taking selfies. Obviously being a gaming phone you will not be using it to capture images but the 48 MP sensor is definitely a nice touch. As mentioned before the Black Shark 2 will be competing against the ROG Phone and even the OnePlus 7 Pro. Keeping in mind that this is just a comparison based on specs of the device on paper let’s see how the Black Shark manages to fare against both these devices.
| Smartphone | Black Shark 2 | ROG Phone | OnePlus 7 Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display Size (inch) | 6.39 | 6 | 6.67 |
| Resolution (pixels) | 1080 x 2340 | 1080 x 2160 | 1440 x 3120 |
| Pixel Density (PPI) | 403 | 402 | 516 |
| Display Type | AMOLED | AMOLED | Fluid AMOLED |
| Dimensions(mm) | 163.6 x 75 x 8.8 | 158.8 x 76.2 x 8.3 | 162.6 x 75.9 x 8.8 |
| Weight (gm) | 205 | 200 | 206 |
| Dual SIM | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SIM Type | Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM |
| Connectivity Types | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 |
| CPU Cores | Octa-core | Octa-core | Octa-core |
| CPU Clock Speed (GHz) | 1x 2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x 2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x 1.80 GHz Kryo 485 | 4x2.96 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4x1.7 GHz Kryo 385 Silver | 1x 2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x 2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x 1.80 GHz Kryo 485 |
| GPU | Adreno 640 | Adreno 630 | Adreno 640 |
| RAM | 6,8 GB | 8 GB | 6,8 GB |
| Ruggedness | Splashproof | Splashproof | Splashproof |
| On-Board Memory | 128, 256 GB | 128, 256 GB | 128, 256 GB |
| Expandable Memory | No | No | No |
| Sensors | In-display fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | In-display fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| Primary Camera | 48 MP, f/1.8 + 12 MP, f/2.2 | 12 MP, f/1.8, + 8 MP | 48 MP, f/1.6 (primary) + 16 MP, f/2.2 (ultrawide) + 8 MP, f/2.4 (telephoto) |
| Optical Image Stabilization | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Camera Array | Dual-camera | Dual-camera | Triple Camera |
| Autofocus System | PDAF | PDAF | Phase detection autofocus |
| Secondary Camera | 20 MP, f/2.0 | 8 MP, f/2.0 | Motorised pop-up 16 MP, f/2.0 |
| Video Capture | 1080p@30fps | 1080p@30fps | 2160p@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@480fps, Auto HDR, gyro-EIS |
| Flash | LED flash | LED flash | Dual-LED |
| OS Version | Android 9.0 | Android 9.0 | Android Pie |
| AI (Smart Assistant) | Google Assistant | Google Assistant | Google Assistant |
| GPS | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, WiFi Direct, DLNA, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, WiFi Direct, DLNA, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, WiFi Direct, DLNA, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | v5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | v5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | v5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD |
| NFC | No | Yes | Yes |
| Infrared | No | No | No |
| Fingerprint Scanner | Yes, In-display | Yes, rear-button | Yes, In-display |
| 3.5mm jack | No | Yes | No |
| Radio | No | No | No |
| USB Type | Type-C reversible connector | Type-C reversible connector | Type-C reversible connector |
| USB Standard | USB 2.0 | USB 3.1 | USB 3.1 |
| Battery (mAh) | 4,000 | 4,000 | 4,000 |
| Fast charging | Yes, fast battery charging 27W | Yes, fast battery charging 30W | Yes, 30 W Warp Charge |
| Colours | Black, Silver, Blue | Black | Mirror Grey, Almond, Nebula Blue |
| Prices in India | Starts at Rs 39,999 | Rs 69,999 | Starts at Rs 48,999 |
Verdict While the ROG Phone and OnePlus 7 Pro seem to come out on top with their fluid 90 Hz refresh rate, the low latency and pressure-sensitive display could give the Black Shark 2 the edge. In terms of raw processing power, even though the ROG houses an over-clocked Snapdragon 845 chipset, the latest Snapdragon 855 on the Black Shark 2 and OnePlus 7 Pro are sure going to make the gaming experience better and possibly run cooler. We shall be reviewing the Black Shark 2 in detail so stay tuned for our detailed verdict on the device. Black Shark 2 with pressure-sensitive display launched in India starting at Rs 39,999 Xiaomi Black Shark 2 India launch highlights: Prices start at Rs 39,999 while the top-end variant costs Rs 49,999