Xiaomi has launched the latest member in its mobile gaming spinoff, Black Shark — the third generation in the series and the first to incorporate the latest 5G technology. The new gaming smartphone (Black Shark 3 and Black Shark 3 Pro) comes with a lot of improvements over it predecessors with additional gaming earbuds to deliver a great gaming experience, however, it is sold as a separate accessory.
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 and Black Shark 3 Pro sports an X-shaped antenna design as it predecessors, it comes with two stereo speakers, triple-camera setup on the rear and a single selfie shooter.
Black Shark 3 features a 90Hz refresh rate OLED display and comes in an FHD+ resolution, and the Pro, on the other hand, has a QHD+ panel. The devices also come with a 270Hz touch sampling rate means an ultra-low latency of just 24 milliseconds — ideal for mobile gamers.
Xiaomi has also brought back the 3.5mm headphone jack on the third generation Black Shark phones and added Tencent games trademark logo on the rear.
The devices come with a shoulder trigger (you can call it R1, L1), fourth-generation liquid cooling system and an external cooling fan to help keep the heat out under intense usage.
Both device boast of a 64MP main camera assisted by a 13MP ultra-wide and a 5MP depth sensor camera. On the front, there is a 20MP shooter in the top bezel. I kind of like the fact that Xiaomi has decided not to use any of the new Samsung Infinity display with cutout or hole punch.
Black Shark 3 is powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with up to 12GB RAM, 256GB storage. The devices run MIUI based Android 10 and housed by a 4,720mAh battery with 30W fast charge and 5000mAh battery with 65W fast charge respectively. Both support quick charge 4+ technology.
You may also like: Oppo Launches Reno3 Pro — World’s First 44MP selfie Camera Phone
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 And Black Shark 3 Pro Quick Specs
| Black Shark 3 | Black Shark 3 Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.67″ 20:9 1080p AMOLED, 105% DCI-P3 gamut | 7.1″ 19.5:9 1440p AMOLED, 97% DCI-P3 gamut |
| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 |
| RAM | 8GB LPDDR4X or 12GB LPDDR5 | 8GB or 12GB LPDDR5 |
| Storage | 128GB or 256GB UFS 3.0 | 256GB UFS 3.0 |
| Rear camera | 64MP f/1.8 wide, 13MP f/2.25 ultrawide, 5MP f/2.2 depth | 64MP f/1.8 wide, 13MP f/2.25 ultrawide, 5MP f/2.2 depth |
| Front camera | 20MP f/2.2 | 20MP f/2.2 |
| Battery | 2-cell 4,720mAh w/ up to 30W (8GB RAM) or 65W (12GB RAM) charging, Quick Charge 4+ support | 2-cell 5,000mAh w/ up to 65W charging, Quick Charge 4+ |
| Headphone jack | Yes | Yes |
| Software | Android 10 | Android 10 |
| Connectivity | 5G, Bluetooth 5, Wi-Fi 6, USB-C | 5G, Bluetooth 5, Wi-Fi 6, USB-C |
| Dimensions | 168.7 x 77.3 x 10.4mm / 222g | 177.8 x 83.3 x 10.1mm / 253g |
| Colours | Faerie Pink, Midnight Black, Knight Grey, Frozen Silver | Knight Grey, Blasting Black |
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Price And Availability
Black Shark 3 and Shark 3 Pro will be available from March 10 in China. You’ll pay 3,499 yuan (~$501) for the 8GB/128GB model, 3,799 yuan (~$544) for the 12GB/128GB variant, and 3,999 yuan (~$573) for the 12GB/256GB option.
As for the Pro model, it starts at 4,699 yuan (~$673) for the 8GB/256GB option and 4,999 yuan (~$716) for the 12GB/256GB variant. The company says you can expect a global release in the “near future.”