Xiaomi Unveils Black Shark 2 Pro: Snapdragon 855+, UFS 3.0 Storage
by Anton Shilov on July 31, 2019 1:00 PM ESTXiaomi has introduced a refined version of its Black Shark 2 gaming smartphone. The new Black Shark 2 Pro is based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 Plus SoC and features a UFS 3.0 storage device. Besides the SoC uplift, Xiaomi has managed to reduce its input latency versus predecessor, providing a snappier gaming experience.
While the Black Shark 2 Pro is not a brand new handset, it does come in a new chassis designed to enable a very comfortable grip during gaming sessions and it is also compatible with Xiaomi’s Gamepad 2.0 Bluetooth add-on that adds 12 buttons, a physical joystick, and a touchpad. Just like the original version, the Black Shark 2 Pro comes with a 6.39-inch AMOLED display featuring a 2340x1080 resolution, a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 430 nits brightness, a 60,000:1 contrast ratio, and a 240 Hz touchscreen polling rate. In a bid to provide an even better gaming experience, the Black Shark 2 Pro features 34.7 ms input latency, down from 43.5 ms in case of the original one.
Another key feature of the Black Shark 2 Pro is Qualcomm’s top-of-the-range Snapdragon 855 Plus application processor that provides higher performance than the predecessor and which is cooled down using a new cooling system that uses a vapor chamber-like technology. The SoC is paired with 12 GB of LPDDR4X memory, as well as a 128 GB or 256 GB UFS 3.0 storage device. While the new smartphone uses new internals, it still comes with a 4000 mAh battery.
Imaging capabilities of the Black Shark 2Pro handset include main camera comprising of a 48 MP RGB sensor as well as a 12 MP telephoto sensor, which are accompanied by a dual-LED flash, as well as an HDR-enabled 20-MP sensor for selfies on the front.
The Black Shark 2 Pro Smartphone | ||||
Preliminary Specifications | ||||
Display | AMOLED 6.39" 2340x1080 Corning Gorilla Glass 6 |
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SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus Adreno 640 |
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RAM | 12 GB LPDDR4X | |||
Storage | 128 or 256 GB of UFS 3.0 NAND flash | |||
Local Connectivity | Wi-Fi | 802.11ac Wi-Fi | ||
Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 | |||
Data/Charging | USB 2.0 Type-C | |||
Audio | No 3.5-mm jack | |||
NFC | Yes | |||
LTE | X24 Modem | |||
Navigation | dual-band A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS | |||
Rear Camera | 48 MP, f/1.75, 1/2-inch 0.8µm pixels, Laser/PDAF |
12 MP, f/2.2, 54mm (telephoto), 1.0µm pixels, Laser/PDAF |
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Front Camera | 20 MP, f/2.0, 0.9µm | |||
Battery | Capacity | 4000 mAh | ||
Expected Life | ? | |||
SIM Size | Nano SIM + Nano Sim | |||
Sensors | accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | |||
Biometric Security | Fingerprint | in-screen | ||
Facial Recognition | - | |||
Dimensions | Height | 163.6 mm | 6.44 inches | ||
Width | 75 mm | 2.95 inches | |||
Thickness | 8.8 mm | 0.35 inches | |||
Weight | 205 grams | 7.23 ounces | |||
Colors | black, blue, silver, orange, purple | |||
Protection | Drop | ? | ||
OS | Google Android 9.0 | |||
Launch Countries | China initially, NA/EU launch later | |||
Price | $385+ |
Xiami will start shipments of the Black Shark 2 Pro smartphones in black, blue, silver, orange and purple colors. The 128 GB variant will cost CNY 2,999 ($385), whereas the 256 GB version will be priced at CNY 3,499 ($450).
Related Reading:
- Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Gaming Phone: Snapdragon 855, 12 GB RAM, 240 Hz Polling
- Xiaomi Launches The New MIX3 5G and Mi9 for European Markets
- Xiaomi Mi 9 Lauched in China: 6.39-inch Snapdragon 855 with Game Turbo
- The Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S Review: Fantastic Overall Value
Sources: Liliputing, GSM Arena
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rocky12345 - Wednesday, July 31, 2019 - link
Looks like a nice phone if you like the flashy look. The price is good as well. The one thing that makes me step back from it maybe is the no 3.5 head phone jack but I am guessing they would include something that allows for that through an adapter from the usb port. If they do I would also hope you could charge the phone while using the adapter or it is kinda useless then. If they do not include something to allow head phones with 2.5 plugs then this is a straight up no go. I have several decent head phones all of which are 3.5 plugs or have USB adaters to connect to the computer through regular USB ports. I have a set of decent blue tooth head phones that work either from blue tooth or 3.5 jack and the audio quality is far better through the 3.5 jack than it is from the blue tooth.ZolaIII - Thursday, August 1, 2019 - link
Buy a DAP (DAC AMP +BT) my recommendation goes to the Shanling M0, if you want more power & "balanced" 2.5 mm jack then go for Shanling M2X.ozzuneoj86 - Wednesday, July 31, 2019 - link
What tasks\games actually utilize more than 8GB of RAM on Android? Or even 4GB for that matter? I know phones are getting more and more powerful every year, but at some point it's like buying a GT 730 with 4GB of DDR3... all marketing, and no practical benefit.Are these phones actually powerful enough to make use of 50% more RAM than an Xbox One X or PS4 Pro?
jordanclock - Wednesday, July 31, 2019 - link
I certainly make use of the 8GB of RAM on my OP7Pro. It means my apps are hardly ever killed in the background, so multitasking is way faster.shabby - Wednesday, July 31, 2019 - link
You're forgetting that part of that memory is dedicated to the gpu, it acts as video memory too.My browser is using 400mb of memory now, that's just one app.
ZolaIII - Thursday, August 1, 2019 - link
Quait simply no. 8 GB is more than enough. It would be much more beneficial to have faster (true output) with lower latency RAM than more of it. It's actually shameful how ARM SoC's are made regarding RAM usually utilising 2x16 ~ 4x16 bit controller's. HMB would blast things up for a top range of SoC's.leo_sk - Monday, August 5, 2019 - link
Who knows, there maybe people who play pubg with a couple of casual games in background, with some chrome tabs open for hints, while recording their entire gameplay and chatting on whatsappeastcoast_pete - Wednesday, July 31, 2019 - link
While I am not necessarily looking for a gaming phone, if those prices are correct, I would be seriously tempted. Just hope they get the camera right. With an okay camera and this price range, it'll be hard to resist.Peter2k - Thursday, August 1, 2019 - link
Ya know, I'm amused how many people are foaming at Epic Game Store being "owned" by chinese and the supposed privacy concernsBut people hand over, potentially, by using a chinese cell phone
Just a random observation
Btw, my wife hates her Xiaomi, the handling from the UI feels off, and frankly I concur
Shrugs
Potatoes, potatoes
chaos215bar2 - Thursday, August 1, 2019 - link
Certainly there are exceptions, but most of the time when "people" are saying or doing two different things that seem to be fundamentally in opposition to each other, it's because they're not actually the same people.