Black Shark finally holds an official global launch for its 4 Pro smartphone

It has been a long time in coming, but Black Shark has finally announced the 4 Pro for markets outside China. The Xiaomi sub-brand still refers to the device as its "gaming flagship", even though it runs on last year's Snapdragon 888 processor and its 5-series successor can't be far away at this point. On the other hand, the "new" phone offers a combination of specs that can't be found elsewhere.

They include a 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED display, which might make up for being of Samsung's E4 standard of yesteryear with one of the industry's best refresh rates of 144Hz. It adds to its gaming credentials with pop-up mechanical shoulder triggers, which, as Black Shark asserts, make for a "responsive and satisfying" gaming experience that might evoke that of real triggers.

The international model of the Black Shark 4 Pro comes with Joy UI 12.5 based on MIUI 12.5 out of the box - not to mention DTS Ultra X certification for the phone's inescapably-touted No.1 DxOMark audio rating.

However, and possibly more importantly, the global 4 Pro comes with a full-fat 120W power brick and a 6A type-C cable. In other words, the phone has indeed emerged with its series' best Hyper Charge speed intact, whereas certain other gaming phones released outside China do not.

The Black Shark 4 Pro is available via its own-brand website or on Amazon in Shadow Black, Misty Grey or Cosmos Black finishes for its newly non-textured rear panel. It starts at $579, €579 or £489 for a 8GB RAM/128GB base model.