Eleven months after the original and five months after the updated version arrived, today Xiaomi is back with an all-new gaming phone dubbed the Black Shark 2.
Front-facing stereo speakers and a larger display
As expected, the new device is a blend of both the Xiaomi Black Shark and the Black Shark Helo. Over on the rear, the smartphone features a rather unique-looking panel that is carved out of aluminum and glass. This includes a large Black Shark logo towards the center and neon green highlights around the edges.
Up front, the Black Shark 2 is adorned with a new 6.4-inch AMOLED display manufactured by Samsung. Thanks to various optimizations, Xiaomi has reduced the input latency for the display by a significant margin, something that should improve responsiveness when gaming. The upgraded panel is also pressure sensitive and, through a new feature called Magic Press, users can press down harder on one side of the display to trigger a specific action.
Like the Black Shark Helo that it succeeds, the Black Shark 2 retains the 18:9 display aspect ratio. This is due to the front-facing stereo speakers which are housed within the top and bottom bezels.
The smartphone’s large display also integrates an optical in-screen fingerprint scanner like many other high-end devices these days.
The same processor as the Samsung Galaxy S10
Following in the footsteps of Xiaomi’s Mi 9 and Samsung’s Galaxy S10 series, the new Black Shark 2 is powered entirely by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855. As standard, the chip is paired with a respectable 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. However, this can be bumped to 8GB of RAM for a little extra.
If you aren’t satisfied with either of these configurations, a pricier version with double the storage and 8GB of RAM has been created too. And for those of you that simply want the best, an even more impressive version with a whopping 12GB of RAM will also be sold by Xiaomi.
Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Liquid Cool 3.0
In all cases, the Black Shark 2 benefits from a new Liquid Cool 3.0 vapor chamber cooling system. This promises chipset temperatures that are 14°C lower than usual. But once again, those of you looking for a little extra will be able to purchase a dedicated Cooling Case add on. This features a dedicated fan that dissipates even more heat, to the point of lowering the chipset temperature by a further 5°C.
As standard, the smartphone does throttle performance a little in order to guarantee optimal battery life. However, if this isn’t a concern to you, a special Ludicrous mode will boost everything to its maximum potential.
The Xiaomi Black Shark 2 unsurprisingly ships with Android 9 Pie straight out of the box. It’s paired with a large 4,000mAh battery that supports 27W fast charging.
Two cameras on the back, one up front
Despite the Black Shark 2’s focus on gaming, the new smartphone also includes a decent set of cameras.
The rear, on the one hand, features a primary 48-megapixel shooter which is paired with a secondary 12-megapixel sensor. The latter also features a telephoto lens capable of 2x optical zoom.
Also, for the selfie king and queens out there, Xiaomi has equipped the device with a 20-megapixel front-facing camera.
Xiaomi Black Shark 2 availability and pricing
In terms of availability, the Black Shark 2 is once again limited to Chinese consumers at the moment. An international release is possible eventually, but Xiaomi is yet to confirm any details.
As for pricing, the Black Shark 2 with 6GB of RAM starts at the equivalent of just $477 in China. This then rises to $521 for the 8/128GB model and $565 for the 8/256GB version. If, on the other hand, you are only interested in the 12/256GB version, you’ll have to spend the equivalent of $625 in the region.
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If the smartphone does ever launch internationally, it’s worth noting that these price tags will probably be higher.
Lastly, as has been the case in the past, Xiaomi's Black Shark 2 is compatible with a range of accessories. This includes the GamePad 3.0 which adds gamepads to either side of the smartphone.
Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Cooling Case
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