In a launch event in China, Xiaomi-backed Black Shark has unveiled two new gaming phones: the Black Shark 4 and Black Shark 4 Pro. Direct successors to the last year’s Black Shark 3 series, both phones boast notable improvements, including 144Hz displays, upgraded processors, and up to 120W fast charging support.

Black Shark 4 series: Specifications

Specification

Black Shark 4 / Black Shark 4 Pro

Dimensions and Weight

  • 163.83mm x 76.35mm x 9.9mm
  • 220g

Display

  • 6.67-inch Samsung E4 AMOLED
  • 1080 x 2400 (full HD+)
  • 144Hz refresh rate
  • Up to 720Hz touch sampling rate
  • 1300nits peak brightness
  • HDR10+

SoC

  • Black Shark 4:
    • Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 SoC
    • Adreno 650
    • 7nm
  • Black Shark 4 Pro:
    • Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC
    • Adreno 660
    • 5nm

RAM and Storage

  • Black Shark 4:
    • RAM: 6GB, 8GB, 12GB
    • Storage: 128GB, 256GB
  • Black Shark 4 Pro:
    • RAM: 8GB, 12GB, 16GB
    • Storage: 256GB, 512GB

Battery & Charging

  • 4,500 mAh battery
  • 120W fast charging support

Rear Camera

  • Primary:
    • Black Shark 4: 48MP f/1.8
    • Black Shark 4 Pro: 64MP f/1.8
  • Secondary: 8MP ultra-wide
  • Tertiary: 5MP macro

Front Camera

  • 20MP f/2.0

Ports

  • USB Type-C port
  • 3.5mm headphone jack

Connectivity

  • 5G
  • NFC
  • Bluetooth 5.2
  • Type-C port
  • WiFi 6 with 2 x 2 MIMO antenna

Others

  • Shoulder buttons for gaming
  • Side-mounted fingerprint scanner

Software

  • Android 11 with MIUI 12

Black Shark 4

The Black Shark 4 features a 6.67-inch full HD+ AMOLED display with a 144Hz screen refresh rate, up to 720Hz touch sampling rate, and 1300nits peak brightness. Unlike previous Black Shark phones, which have always used a top-of-the-line Snapdragon processor, the standard Black Shark 4 is opting for the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 SoC, a higher clocked variant of the Snapdragon 865. The device comes in four memory configurations: 6GB + 128GB, 8GB + 128GB, 12GB + 128GB and 12GB + 256GB. On the back, the Black Shark 4 sports a triple camera setup comprised of a 48MP primary sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide camera, and a 5MP macro lens. A 20MP unit is fitted on the front for the selfie needs.

Black Shark 4

The device packs a 4,500mAh battery, a step down from the 4,720mAh battery on the previous model. On the flip side, you are now getting 120W fast charging support which the company claims can charge the phone from 0 to 100% in just 15 minutes.

Other highlights of the Balck Shark 4 include two capacitive shoulder buttons, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, a 3.5mm audio jack, 5G support, and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner. The phone comes running MIUI 12 based on Android 11.

Pricing and Availability

The Black Shark 4 is priced as below:

  • 6GB + 128GB: CNY 2,499 (~$384)
  • 8GB + 128GB: CNY 2,699 (~$415)
  • 12GB + 128GB: CNY 2,999 (~$460)
  • 12GB + 256GB: CNY 3,299 (~$507)

The Black Shark 4 is available for pre-order starting today from Black Shark's online store.

Black Shark 4 Pro

The Black Shark 4 Pro only differs in terms of processor, the primary camera, and memory configuration. It’s powered by the top-tier Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset with up to 16GB LPDDR5 RAM and 512GB UFS 3.1 storage and uses a 64MP primary camera instead of a 48MP one used by the regular model.

Pricing and Availability

Pricing for the Pro model is as follows:

  • 8GB + 128GB: CNY 3,999 (~$615)
  • 12GB + 128GB: CNY 4,499 (~$690)
  • 16GB + 256GB: CNY 5,299 (~$813)

Xiaomi hasn't yet shared any details regarding the subsequent global announcement of either of the phones.