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Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Smartphone Review

The ultimate for gamers? The Xiaomi Black Shark 2 will settle for nothing less than being the best gaming smartphone. With the Snapdragon 855 high-end SoC, passive liquid-cooling, up to 12 GB RAM and optional controllers, it seems to have very high chances of achieving this. Our review will reveal if gamers should pull the trigger on this.

While the PC and console markets are saturated, mobile games show rapid growth - and this trend will increase in the coming years. No wonder that a particular product category of smartphones has been seeing an increase in popularity: Gaming smartphones.

Xiaomi has put on the market a notably powerful competitor: The Black Shark 2 wants to make gamers' hearts race with water cooling, a special gaming menu, the high-end Snapdragon 855 SoC, up to 12 (!) GB RAM and optional clip-on controllers. While it is at it, it also wants to outdo its predecessor, the Xiaomi Black Shark. Whether the gaming smartphone can succeed at this, we will find out in our review.

In order to determine how well the Black Shark 2 performs compared to other gaming smartphones, we will use the Xiaomi Black Shark, the Asus ROG Phone and the Razer Phone 2 as comparison devices. We will also compare its performance to other current high-end smartphones such as the Huawei P30 Pro, the Samsung Galaxy S10 and the Xiaomi Mi 9, which are equipped with the Snapdragon 855 as well.

Xiaomi Black Shark 2 (Black Shark Series)
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 8 x 2.8 GHz, Cortex-A76 / A55 (Kryo 485)
Graphics adapter
Memory
8 GB 
, LPDDR4x
Display
6.39 inch 19.5:9, 2340 x 1080 pixel 403 PPI, capacitive, AMOLED, FHD+, glossy: yes, HDR
Storage
128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash, 128 GB 
, 113.5 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: USB-C to 3.5mm audio adapter, 1 Fingerprint Reader, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, fingerprint reader, Liquid Cooling 3.0 System, RGB ighting, Camera2 API Level 3, Quick Charge 4.0, aptX, aptX HD, WiFi Display, WiFi Direct, VoLTE
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5.0, GSM (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), UMTS (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz), LTE (Band 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41), Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 8.77 x 163.61 x 75.01 ( = 0.35 x 6.44 x 2.95 in)
Battery
4000 mAh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Android 9.0 Pie
Camera
Primary Camera: 48 MPix 48 MP (f/1,8, 1/2", 0,8 µm) + 12 MP (telephoto, f/2,2, 1,0 µm, 2x optical zoom)
Secondary Camera: 20 MPix f/2,0, 0,9 µm
Additional features
Speakers: stereo speakers, Keyboard: virtual, modular power adapter (Quick Charge 3.0, 5V/3A, 9V/3A, 12V/2.25A, 20V/1.35A), USB cable (Type-A to Type-C), USB-C-to-3.5mm audio adapter, SIM-Tool, clear case, quick-start guide, JoyUI, 24 Months Warranty, fanless
Weight
205 g ( = 7.23 oz / 0.45 pounds), Power Supply: 35 g ( = 1.23 oz / 0.08 pounds)
Price
549 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case - Very stable metal-glass chassis for the Xiaomi phone

According to Xiaomi, the design of the Black Shark 2 was inspired by sports cars. The 8.7-millimeter (~0.34 in) thick smartphone looks therefore a bit more eccentric than a standard smartphone. This is especially evident on its back side, which features a futuristic and aggressive look.

The frame and buttons on the Black Shark 2 are made of metal. The rear has some elements made of scratch-resistant glass that are slightly recessed. When holding the smartphone in landscape orientation, fingers rest naturally on the glass surface and find a good grip on the metallic elements. The glass structure also aids in keeping fingers cool when gaming.

Overall, the glass-metal body managed to impress with its great stability, and it didn't show any flexing under strong force during our review. This stability has its limits though, since the Black Shark 2 lacks an IP-certification.

Alongside our 8 GB version review unit, which comes in the "shadow black" color, Xiaomi also offers the Black Shark 2 in the "frozen silver" color, which is limited to the 12 GB variant. In all configurations, the frame is decorated with a metallic-green strip. The Shark-Space button on the right also shows a green accent. Likewise, there's also an illuminated RGB strip on either side of the handset. These can be configured to light up in sync with in-game effects or music, as well as with notifications, incoming calls or low battery. The third RGB element is the Black Shark logo on the rear, which normally glows in green.

Size comparison

163.61 mm / 6.44 inch 75.01 mm / 2.95 inch 8.77 mm / 0.3453 inch 205 g0.4519 lbs161.6 mm / 6.36 inch 75.4 mm / 2.97 inch 9.3 mm / 0.3661 inch 190 g0.4189 lbs158.8 mm / 6.25 inch 76.2 mm / 3 inch 8.3 mm / 0.3268 inch 212 g0.4674 lbs158.5 mm / 6.24 inch 78.99 mm / 3.11 inch 8.5 mm / 0.3346 inch 219 g0.4828 lbs158.01 mm / 6.22 inch 73.37 mm / 2.89 inch 8.41 mm / 0.3311 inch 192 g0.4233 lbs157.5 mm / 6.2 inch 74.67 mm / 2.94 inch 7.61 mm / 0.2996 inch 173 g0.3814 lbs149.9 mm / 5.9 inch 70.4 mm / 2.77 inch 7.8 mm / 0.3071 inch 157 g0.3461 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Connectivity- Xiaomi Black Shark 2 with up to 12 GB RAM

Our review unit is the smaller variant of the Black Shark 2, which is configured with 8 GB LPDDR4x RAM and 128 GB UFS 2.1 storage. If that's not enough, there's also a bigger version available, which is equipped with 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage, and is available in the Xiaomi Shop for 100 Euros (~$112). Due to a lack of a microSD card reader, the storage can't be expanded.

The USB-C port supports USB-OTG and turns into a 3.5mm audio jack through the included adapter. Alternatively, audio can also be transmitted via Bluetooth 5.0, whereby the Black Shark 2 can also handle aptX and aptX HD. The USB-C port isn't the fastest when it comes to transferring data since at best 40 MB/s was reached using the included cable.

Left: Volume rocker
Left: Volume rocker
Right: Power button, Shark Space button
Right: Power button, Shark Space button
Top: No ports
Top: No ports
Bottom: USB-C port
Bottom: USB-C port

Software - Global version comes with Google services

Xiaomi has put their own user interface on their Black Shark smartphones. It is called JoyUI and is based on MIUI, which is found on other Xiaomi smartphones. The former has a darker design, however, and offers some additional functions targeted at gamers.

The Black Shark 2 comes with Android 9 and is quite up-to-date regarding security patches: at the time of writing (beginning of May) these are at the level of March 1, 2019.

It's pretty evident that Xiaomi kept the Chinese market in sight first: The three apps found under the "Recommended apps" are only usable if you understand Chinese. The same goes for the "Music", "App Store", "Game Center" and "Mi Video" apps that are found on the main screen, which lead to Chinese media portals and can't be uninstalled, except for the Game Center. We also weren't able to use the "Weather" app properly since it responded to every location input with a network error message. On the other hand, there are a few preinstalled apps that come in English, which will be useful for European users: These include a support tool, a compass and an audio recorder.

Our Black Shark 2 review unit is missing the Google apps as well as the Google Play Store and a German language setting. Xiaomi has published a step-by-step guide in their forum, which explains how to install Google services. Our guide can be found here. There is a way to avoid this: The Xiaomi Black Shark 2 is also offered in a global version that comes preinstalled with the Google Play Store as well as German language settings, among others.

The Parental Control and Anti-Theft features found on the Black Shark are also available on the Black Shark 2. Parents can in this way limit the usage time of individual apps to a certain duration. Another practical feature for users is the "Open health tips" menu option, which shows a notification every 2 or 4 hours reminding you that it's time to take a break from gaming.

Communication and GPS - LTE band 20, accurate GPS in Xiaomi smartphone

The Xiaomi Black Shark 2 has Bluetooth 5.0 and supports alongside GSM (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) and UMTS (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz) several LTE bands (band 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41), including the important band 20. Xiaomi doesn't give any additional information on LTE speeds or SAR values. On the contrary, there are no questions regarding VoLTE and Dual-LTE since they can both be activated within the SIM card settings. The Black Shark 2 does not support NFC.

In local networks, the gaming smartphone works on 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, and can transfer data through MU-MIMO pretty quickly. Using our Linksys EA8500 reference router, we measured 527 Mb/s for sending data, while 586 Mb/s were measured for receiving. Only the Razer Phone 2 is similarly fast among the other gaming smartphones, whereas the Asus ROG Phone and the Xiaomi Black Shark fall behind. However, the Black Shark 2 doesn't have such a stable Wi-Fi connection. Considerable fluctuations in speed were observed in both directions, with the transfer rate falling below the 300 Mb/s mark at times.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Huawei P30 Pro
Mali-G76 MP10, Kirin 980, 256 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
670 (542min - 717max) MBit/s +27%
Huawei P30 Pro
Mali-G76 MP10, Kirin 980, 256 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
541 (129min - 633max) MBit/s +3%
Samsung Galaxy S10
Mali-G76 MP12, Exynos 9820, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
579 (558min - 592max) MBit/s +10%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Adreno 640, SD 855, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
534 (430min - 578max) MBit/s +1%
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Adreno 640, SD 855, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
527 (410min - 577max) MBit/s
Razer Phone 2
Adreno 630, SD 845, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
388 (234min - 484max) MBit/s -26%
Xiaomi Black Shark
Adreno 630, SD 845, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
117 MBit/s -78%
Asus ROG Phone
Adreno 630, SD 845, 512 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
96.7 (50min - 106max) MBit/s -82%
iperf3 receive AX12
Huawei P30 Pro
Mali-G76 MP10, Kirin 980, 256 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
1014 (944min - 1115max) MBit/s +73%
Huawei P30 Pro
Mali-G76 MP10, Kirin 980, 256 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
661 (624min - 683max) MBit/s +13%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Adreno 640, SD 855, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
678 (549min - 725max) MBit/s +16%
Samsung Galaxy S10
Mali-G76 MP12, Exynos 9820, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
639 (612min - 683max) MBit/s +9%
Razer Phone 2
Adreno 630, SD 845, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
604 (420min - 626max) MBit/s +3%
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Adreno 640, SD 855, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
586 (267min - 693max) MBit/s
Average of class Smartphone
  (last 2 years)
376 MBit/s -36%
Xiaomi Black Shark
Adreno 630, SD 845, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
116 MBit/s -80%
Asus ROG Phone
Adreno 630, SD 845, 512 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
103 (86min - 109max) MBit/s -82%
03570105140175210245280315350385420455490525560595630665Tooltip
Xiaomi Black Shark 2; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø585 (267-693)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø527 (410-577)
GPS reception in buildings
GPS reception in buildings
GPS reception outdoors
GPS reception outdoors

The Black Shark 2 determines its current position through GPS, GLONASS and BeiDou. According to the GPS Test app, it was able to determine its position quickly both indoors and outdoors, and also with an accuracy of 4 meters (~13 feet) respectively.

The smartphone passed our practical test too: during a 9-kilometer-long (~5.6 miles) bike ride it provided us with a location almost as precise as the one determined by the professional navigator Garmin Edge 500, which leads to a direct comparison.

Xiaomi Black Shark 2: Total distance
Xiaomi Black Shark 2: Total distance
Xiaomi Black Shark 2: Lake
Xiaomi Black Shark 2: Lake
Xiaomi Black Shark 2: Turning points
Xiaomi Black Shark 2: Turning points
Garmin Edge 500: Total distance
Garmin Edge 500: Total distance
Garmin Edge 500: Lake
Garmin Edge 500: Lake
Garmin Edge 500: Turning points
Garmin Edge 500: Turning points

Telephone and call quality

The Black Shark 2 allows the use of two Nano SIM cards that can simultaneously connect to 4G. This is also possible through VoLTE, provided you have a suitable contract with your carrier. The phone app has a bit of a different layout than the standard app on Android 9, but it comes with all usual features like the recent calls list, the dial button and the contacts.

Phone calls made with the Black Shark 2 impress with their good call quality. Both parties were able to listen to each other loud and clear through the ear piece and on speaker as well, whereby speaking quietly worked just as well. During our test calls, we could perceive an hissing noise in the background from time to time, but it was not bothersome.

Cameras - Surprisingly good for a gaming smartphone

The camera is certainly not the first item on the wish-list for gaming smartphones. Nonetheless, Xiaomi didn't neglect this aspect on the Black Shark 2, since it comes with a dual-camera setup, which produces very decent pictures under good lighting conditions.

Its talents aren't enough to let it join the smartphone camera big leagues though, but they still manage to significantly outdo other gaming smartphones like the Asus ROG Phone (scene 1 and 2). Weak lighting conditions as the one in scene 3 are evidently too much for the Xiaomi device and result in very blurry pictures.

The dual-camera consists of a main camera that has an LED flash, auto-focus with phase detection and a 48MP sensor, which produces 12MP pictures through Pixel Binning. The second camera features the same resolution, which is joined additionally by a 2x optical zoom. The webcam uses a 20MP sensor.

Webcam sample
Webcam sample
Main camera sample
Main camera sample
Main camera sample
Main camera sample

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3

We took a better look at the camera under controlled lighting conditions. Here we tested color reproduction with the X-Rite ColorChecker Passport and the image sharpness with our test chart.

Colors are represented a bit too strongly by the Black Shark 2, but it handles grayscales accurately. The smartphone can represent the test chart up to the corners with sharpness, albeit with some noise, becoming slightly lighter in the lower half.

Photo of ColorChecker colors. The reference color is in the bottom half of each field.
Photo of ColorChecker colors. The reference color is in the bottom half of each field.
Detail of test chart
Detail of test chart
Photo of test chart
Photo of test chart

Accessories and warranty - Many choices in Xiaomi Shop

The modular power adapter provides up to 27 watts.
The modular power adapter provides up to 27 watts.

Our imported version came with a modular 27-watt power adapter (Quick Charge 3.0, 5V/3A, 9V/3A, 12V/2.25A, 20V/1.35A), a USB cable (Type-C to Type-A), a SIM tool, a clear case, an audio adapter (USB-C to 3.5mm jack) and a quick-start guide. When ordering the smartphone through our provider TradingShenzhen, a USB-OTG cable, as well as a European power plug adapter, are included in addition.

When buying the Black Shark 2 directly through the manufacturer, you'll also receive a European power plug adapter and a 24-month warranty on top of that, since the smartphone is being officially purchased in the European area. Independently, the seller warranty always applies if the seller belongs to the European area.

Xiaomi provides several accessories such as the Black Shark 2 Pro Kit, which costs about 90 Euros (~$101) and consists of a Kevlar case and two controllers. Furthermore, there's the Black Shark 2 Rookie Kit with a price of around 40 Euros (~$45), which comes with the controller corresponding to the left side of the smartphone. Gaming headphones (19.90 Euros, ~$22) and a USB-C to HDMI cable (39.90 Euros, ~$45) are also included in the accessories assortment.

Input devices and handling - Special game launcher for mobile gaming

The touchscreen on the Black Shark 2 reacts very precisely to inputs, which are registered equally quickly both on the edges of the display and on the center. This is important because swiping from a corner into the display can either bring up the music player or the Game Dock (while playing a game). The Game Dock is a kind of command center that presents all important settings for games in a strip of buttons.

The fingerprint scanner works as effortlessly as the display. This is found under the display and supports the registration of up to 5 finger prints. Other security features include face recognition or unlocking via a PIN, pattern or password.

Alongside the volume rocker and the power button, the Black Shark 2 also features, like the Black Shark that came before it, a third physical button in the form of a sliding switch, which is found on the right side of the phone. When it is slid to the left, the smartphone opens the Shark Space, a special game launcher. Sliding the switch to the right takes the user back to the Android user interface.

The standard keyboard used by the Black Shark 2 is Google's Gboard, which has a different name, but is in the end identical.

Keyboard in portrait mode
Keyboard in portrait mode
Keyboard in landscape mode
Keyboard in landscape mode

Display - Xiaomi Black Shark with AMOLED display and FHD+ resolution

Subpixel
Subpixel

The Xiaomi Black Shark 2 uses an AMOLED display that offers a screen size of 6.39 inches and a resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels (HD+ with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio). This produces a screen density of 403 PPI, which results in a very sharp display. Xiaomi optimized the HDR-capable 60-Hz display for the DCI-P3 color-space, which has a 108.9% coverage according to the manufacturer – we measured a maximum of 98.5%, which is still a very good value.

With an average brightness of 411.9 cd/m², the Xiaomi Black Shark 2 doesn't belong to the brightest smartphones, but it scores points through its theoretically infinite contrast and a very even brightness distribution (95%). In addition, the display brightness increases to up to 518 cd/m² when there is an even distribution of dark and light image areas (APL50). Also good: The display doesn't strain the eyes when viewed in the dark thanks to its minimal brightness of 2.36 cd/m².

Due to the OLED display, Pulse-Width-Modulation is used for brightness control. As soon as the display is set below maximum brightness, the screen flickers at a frequency between 81 and 245 Hz. A range that could be bothersome to sensitive users. Xiaomi came up with something in this regard, namely an option that is quite hidden within the settings and is called "AMOLED low brightness flashing protection". This can be found within the display settings, in the sub-menu corresponding to color reproduction. This option should reduce flickering at lower brightness levels. We tested this mode more in depth and were still able to identify flickering that remained at a quite constant level of around 60 Hz. The amplitude becomes flatter with the increase of brightness. It's feasible to think that this mode will lead to fewer complaints due to its more even flickering, albeit at a lower frequency. The response time of the AMOLED display isn't impacted in a negative way by this.

Screen flickering without flashing protection
Screen flickering without flashing protection
Screen flickering with flashing protection at minimal brightness
Screen flickering with flashing protection at minimal brightness
Screen flickering with flashing protection at 33% brightness
Screen flickering with flashing protection at 33% brightness
Screen flickering with flashing protection at 50% brightness
Screen flickering with flashing protection at 50% brightness
Screen flickering with flashing protection at 100% brightness
Screen flickering with flashing protection at 100% brightness
401
cd/m²
406
cd/m²
424
cd/m²
404
cd/m²
409
cd/m²
423
cd/m²
407
cd/m²
410
cd/m²
423
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 424 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 411.9 cd/m² Minimum: 2.36 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 95 %
Center on Battery: 409 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.2 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 4.8 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
95.5% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.21
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
AMOLED, 2340x1080, 6.39
Asus ROG Phone
AMOLED, 2160x1080, 6.00
Xiaomi Black Shark
IPS, 2160x1080, 5.99
Razer Phone 2
IGZO LCD, UltraMotion 120 Hz Display, 2560x1440, 5.72
Samsung Galaxy S10
OLED, 3040x1440, 6.10
Huawei P30 Pro
OLED, 2340x1080, 6.47
Xiaomi Mi 9
AMOLED, 2340x1080, 6.39
Screen
3%
-2%
26%
38%
46%
53%
Brightness middle
409
597
46%
549
34%
600
47%
701
71%
597
46%
593
45%
Brightness
412
637
55%
541
31%
577
40%
705
71%
608
48%
587
42%
Brightness Distribution
95
83
-13%
95
0%
92
-3%
98
3%
89
-6%
94
-1%
Black Level *
0.42
0.31
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
5.2
5.12
2%
6.08
-17%
3.43
34%
3.7
29%
2.2
58%
0.9
83%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
8.9
10.9
-22%
10.69
-20%
6.36
29%
10.3
-16%
3.6
60%
2
78%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
4.8
7.3
-52%
6.6
-38%
4.4
8%
1.4
71%
1.6
67%
1.5
69%
Gamma
2.21 100%
2.203 100%
2.305 95%
2.388 92%
2.1 105%
2.23 99%
2.27 97%
CCT
7430 87%
7371 88%
8399 77%
6069 107%
6553 99%
6268 104%
6548 99%
Contrast
1307
1935

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 242.7 Hz ≤ 99 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 242.7 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 99 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 242.7 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18100 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The Black Shark 2 offers several predefined display modes. These are the "Eye Care Mode" that filters blue light and protects the eyes through this, the factory preset "Cinema Mode", as well as the "Natural Mode" and the "Standard Mode". Additionally, the color temperature can be adjusted through a slider, and the True View mode can be activated. This adjusts colors according to the ambient light and should lead to a consistent image.

We measured the quality of color reproduction in Cinema Mode, Natural Mode and Standard Mode through our spectral photometer and the CalMAN software. The Standard Mode comes closest to the ideal values: The color temperature is good at 6255 K, as well as the grayscales (Delta-E 2.4) and color reproduction (Delta-E 4). On the contrary, there's a slight blue tint on the Cinema Mode and on the Natural Mode, but this shouldn't bother most users.

Color accuracy (Cinema Mode on standard settings, P3 target color-space)
Color accuracy (Cinema Mode on standard settings, P3 target color-space)
Color-space (Cinema Mode on standard settings, P3 target color-space)
Color-space (Cinema Mode on standard settings, P3 target color-space)
Grayscales (Cinema Mode on standard settings, P3 target color-space)
Grayscales (Cinema Mode on standard settings, P3 target color-space)
Color saturation (Grayscales (Cinema Mode on standard settings, P3 target color-space)
Color saturation (Grayscales (Cinema Mode on standard settings, P3 target color-space)
Color accuracy (Standard Mode, P3 target color-space)
Color accuracy (Standard Mode, P3 target color-space)
Color-space (Standard Mode, P3 target color-space)
Color-space (Standard Mode, P3 target color-space)
Grayscales (Standard Mode, P3 target color-space)
Grayscales (Standard Mode, P3 target color-space)
Color saturation (Standard Mode, P3 target color-space)
Color saturation (Standard Mode, P3 target color-space)
Color accuracy (Natural Mode, sRGB target color-space)
Color accuracy (Natural Mode, sRGB target color-space)
Color-space (Natural Mode, sRGB target color-space)
Color-space (Natural Mode, sRGB target color-space)
Grayscales (Natural Mode, sRGB target color-space)
Grayscales (Natural Mode, sRGB target color-space)
Color saturation (Natural Mode, sRGB target color-space)
Color saturation (Natural Mode, sRGB target color-space)

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 2 ms rise
↘ 2 ms fall
The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 10 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 2 ms rise
↘ 2 ms fall
The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 9 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Compared to other high-end smartphones, the AMOLED display on the Xiaomi Black Shark 2 is a bit less bright, but it's still very good for outdoor use with up to 518 cd/m². This is also aided by the stable viewing angles found on the AMOLED panel, which only darkens when being viewed from extreme angles.

Outdoors (cloudy sky)
Outdoors (cloudy sky)
Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Performance - The Xiaomi is one of the fastest Android smartphones

The Xiaomi Black Shark 2 is the mobile equivalent of a high-end gaming PC. It features the Snapdragon 855, the latest flagship SoC from Qualcomm. The octa-core processor is manufactured using a 7 nm process technology and consists of a main core with a clock speed of up to 2.84 GHz, 3 performance cores with up to 2.42 GHz and 4 ARM Cortex-A55 cores with up to 1.8 GHz. The high-end Adreno 640 serves as graphics unit.

The Black Shark 2 keeps the SoC at low temperatures thanks to its passive liquid-cooling, which should theoretically allow it to perform better than smartphones with similar configurations. An ideal candidate for a direct comparison can be found in the Xiaomi Mi 9, which also features the Snapdragon 855, but only uses standard cooling.

The Black Shark 2 didn't manage to outdo the Xiaomi Mi 9 during our synthetic benchmarks. The gaming smartphone achieved partly better results - 11,359 points compared to 10,999 points in the Multi-Core test from Geekbench 4.3 - however, they are overall practically on par and count towards the current fastest Android smartphones. The results observed in AnTuTu v7 were outstanding: With 371,562 points, the Black Shark 2 together with the Mi 9 (374,820 points), left the competition significantly behind.

The synthetic benchmarks only show half of the truth, however, because with the load peaks only occurring for a short time, the Black Shark 2's elaborate cooling system can't show its strengths. It isn't until the smartphone undergoes prolonged load, that its advantages start to show. The differences are then all the more apparent: The Xiaomi Mi 9 reacts with strong throttling, while the Black Shark 2 handles the full load effortlessly and is able to keep performing at its full potential. Nonetheless, the throttling on the Mi 9 doesn't show any perceivable consequences - power is still abundantly available.

Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
3537 Points
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
2500 Points -29%
Xiaomi Black Shark
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
2437 Points -31%
Razer Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
2409 Points -32%
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4499 Points +27%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
3306 Points -7%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
3523 Points 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (3406 - 3537, n=14)
3480 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone
  (800 - 9574, n=90, last 2 years)
5063 Points +43%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
11359 Points
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
9231 Points -19%
Xiaomi Black Shark
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
8453 Points -26%
Razer Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
9018 Points -21%
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
10162 Points -11%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
9880 Points -13%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
10999 Points -3%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (10187 - 11388, n=14)
10955 Points -4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2630 - 26990, n=90, last 2 years)
13549 Points +19%
Compute RenderScript Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
7936 Points
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
14489 Points +83%
Xiaomi Black Shark
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
13620 Points +72%
Razer Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
13896 Points +75%
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
10128 Points +28%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
8574 Points +8%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
7482 Points -6%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (7372 - 8024, n=12)
7629 Points -4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2053 - 18432, n=70, last 2 years)
10590 Points +33%
PCMark for Android
Work performance score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
10330 Points
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
9707 Points -6%
Razer Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
10006 Points -3%
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
9750 Points -6%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
12996 Points +26%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
10985 Points +6%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (10330 - 14439, n=19)
12161 Points +18%
Average of class Smartphone
  (10884 - 19297, n=2, last 2 years)
15091 Points +46%
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
8342 Points
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
9430 Points +13%
Xiaomi Black Shark
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
8309 Points 0%
Razer Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
8701 Points +4%
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
7595 Points -9%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
9135 Points +10%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
9035 Points +8%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (8342 - 11440, n=19)
9710 Points +16%
Average of class Smartphone
  (9101 - 12871, n=4, last 2 years)
10872 Points +30%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
83518 Points
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
64029 Points -23%
Xiaomi Black Shark
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
60543 Points -28%
Razer Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
62783 Points -25%
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
55524 Points -34%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
51779 Points -38%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
62225 Points -25%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (55771 - 83518, n=17)
70036 Points -16%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
110432 Points
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
80283 Points -27%
Xiaomi Black Shark
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
82423 Points -25%
Razer Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
80333 Points -27%
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
71292 Points -35%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
63469 Points -43%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
106534 Points -4%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (97354 - 110432, n=17)
105781 Points -4%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
45072 Points
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
37475 Points -17%
Xiaomi Black Shark
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
31384 Points -30%
Razer Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
35578 Points -21%
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
31297 Points -31%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
31483 Points -30%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
25339 Points -44%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (20636 - 45072, n=18)
32923 Points -27%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
7673 Points
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
6454 Points -16%
Xiaomi Black Shark
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
6324 Points -18%
Razer Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
6285 Points -18%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
4969 Points -35%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
7166 Points -7%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (5251 - 7820, n=18)
7091 Points -8%
Average of class Smartphone
  (712 - 7285, n=52, last 2 years)
3548 Points -54%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
9983 Points
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
8243 Points -17%
Xiaomi Black Shark
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
8312 Points -17%
Razer Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
8006 Points -20%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
5431 Points -46%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
9963 Points 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (6122 - 10008, n=18)
9272 Points -7%
Average of class Smartphone
  (618 - 9451, n=52, last 2 years)
3905 Points -61%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
4240 Points
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
3668 Points -13%
Xiaomi Black Shark
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
3443 Points -19%
Razer Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
3587 Points -15%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
3828 Points -10%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
3614 Points -15%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (3001 - 4618, n=18)
3925 Points -7%
Average of class Smartphone
  (1093 - 4525, n=52, last 2 years)
3005 Points -29%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
7980 Points
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
6568 Points -18%
Xiaomi Black Shark
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
6482 Points -19%
Razer Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
6425 Points -19%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
5313 Points -33%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
7449 Points -7%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (5268 - 8141, n=18)
7186 Points -10%
Average of class Smartphone
  (704 - 23024, n=115, last 2 years)
9038 Points +13%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
10300 Points
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
8345 Points -19%
Xiaomi Black Shark
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
8451 Points -18%
Razer Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
8389 Points -19%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
5767 Points -44%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
10291 Points 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (6358 - 10420, n=18)
9569 Points -7%
Average of class Smartphone
  (607 - 45492, n=114, last 2 years)
15757 Points +53%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
4462 Points
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
3763 Points -16%
Xiaomi Black Shark
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
3570 Points -20%
Razer Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
3532 Points -21%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
4164 Points -7%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
3788 Points -15%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (2345 - 4703, n=18)
3892 Points -13%
Average of class Smartphone
  (1075 - 8749, n=114, last 2 years)
4335 Points -3%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
5734 Points
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
4730 Points -18%
Xiaomi Black Shark
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
4668 Points -19%
Razer Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
4660 Points -19%
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4383 Points -24%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
4264 Points -26%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
5509 Points -4%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (4556 - 5747, n=20)
5489 Points -4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (286 - 7890, n=102, last 2 years)
2685 Points -53%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
6362 Points
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
5174 Points -19%
Xiaomi Black Shark
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
5220 Points -18%
Razer Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
5113 Points -20%
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
5176 Points -19%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
4400 Points -31%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
6355 Points 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (5429 - 6362, n=20)
6201 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (240 - 9814, n=102, last 2 years)
2675 Points -58%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
4262 Points
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
3637 Points -15%
Xiaomi Black Shark
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
3408 Points -20%
Razer Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
3557 Points -17%
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
2854 Points -33%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
3849 Points -10%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
3758 Points -12%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (2705 - 4612, n=20)
3954 Points -7%
Average of class Smartphone
  (858 - 4679, n=102, last 2 years)
3127 Points -27%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
6312 Points
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
4757 Points -25%
Xiaomi Black Shark
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
5078 Points -20%
Razer Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
5094 Points -19%
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4551 Points -28%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
4317 Points -32%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
5913 Points -6%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (3969 - 6404, n=20)
5819 Points -8%
Average of class Smartphone
  (317 - 20131, n=174, last 2 years)
6545 Points +4%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
7108 Points
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
5673 Points -20%
Xiaomi Black Shark
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
5770 Points -19%
Razer Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
5825 Points -18%
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
5358 Points -25%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
4361 Points -39%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
7076 Points 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (5184 - 7148, n=20)
6793 Points -4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (267 - 33376, n=173, last 2 years)
9330 Points +31%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
4535 Points
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
3040 Points -33%
Xiaomi Black Shark
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
3577 Points -21%
Razer Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
3540 Points -22%
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
2981 Points -34%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
4171 Points -8%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
3754 Points -17%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (1934 - 5024, n=20)
3942 Points -13%
Average of class Smartphone
  (938 - 8480, n=173, last 2 years)
4158 Points -8%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
4978 Points
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
4242 Points -15%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
4914 Points -1%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (3800 - 5012, n=20)
4719 Points -5%
Average of class Smartphone
  (365 - 6439, n=96, last 2 years)
2611 Points -48%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
5768 Points
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
4688 Points -19%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
5723 Points -1%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (4236 - 5884, n=20)
5618 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (298 - 8601, n=96, last 2 years)
2775 Points -52%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
3365 Points
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
3183 Points -5%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
3288 Points -2%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (2104 - 3452, n=20)
3045 Points -10%
Average of class Smartphone
  (1667 - 3525, n=96, last 2 years)
2671 Points -21%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
60 fps
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
89 fps +48%
Xiaomi Black Shark
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
60 fps 0%
Razer Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
89 fps +48%
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
60 fps 0%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
60 fps 0%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
60 fps 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (59 - 91, n=20)
63.4 fps +6%
Average of class Smartphone
  (22 - 165, n=177, last 2 years)
83.6 fps +39%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
167 fps
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
150 fps -10%
Xiaomi Black Shark
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
151 fps -10%
Razer Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
152 fps -9%
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
143 fps -14%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
138 fps -17%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
167 fps 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (85 - 167, n=20)
153.1 fps -8%
Average of class Smartphone
  (19 - 791, n=177, last 2 years)
243 fps +46%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
60 fps
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
75 fps +25%
Xiaomi Black Shark
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
59 fps -2%
Razer Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
56 fps -7%
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
53 fps -12%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
59 fps -2%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
60 fps 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (46 - 85, n=20)
59.6 fps -1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (6.8 - 165, n=178, last 2 years)
71.3 fps +19%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
102 fps
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
83 fps -19%
Xiaomi Black Shark
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
82 fps -20%
Razer Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
83 fps -19%
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
85 fps -17%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
91 fps -11%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
100 fps -2%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (50 - 102, n=20)
92.3 fps -10%
Average of class Smartphone
  (9.2 - 363, n=178, last 2 years)
137.9 fps +35%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
57 fps
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
54 fps -5%
Xiaomi Black Shark
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
53 fps -7%
Razer Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
37 fps -35%
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
30 fps -47%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
47 fps -18%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
58 fps +2%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (27 - 58, n=20)
47.7 fps -16%
Average of class Smartphone
  (3.7 - 158, n=178, last 2 years)
60.2 fps +6%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
71 fps
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
60 fps -15%
Xiaomi Black Shark
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
60 fps -15%
Razer Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
61 fps -14%
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
53 fps -25%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
56 fps -21%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
69 fps -3%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (35 - 71, n=20)
62 fps -13%
Average of class Smartphone
  (6.2 - 279, n=178, last 2 years)
97 fps +37%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
36 fps
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
31 fps -14%
Xiaomi Black Shark
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
31 fps -14%
Razer Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
22 fps -39%
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
23 fps -36%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
27 fps -25%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
38 fps +6%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (16 - 41, n=20)
31.7 fps -12%
Average of class Smartphone
  (5 - 117, n=178, last 2 years)
42.9 fps +19%
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
42 fps
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
35 fps -17%
Xiaomi Black Shark
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
35 fps -17%
Razer Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
35 fps -17%
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
35 fps -17%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
33 fps -21%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
42 fps 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (22 - 43, n=20)
39.2 fps -7%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.9 - 166, n=178, last 2 years)
58.6 fps +40%
on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
38 fps
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
34 fps -11%
Razer Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
23 fps -39%
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
25 fps -34%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
32 fps -16%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
37 fps -3%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (17 - 38, n=20)
32.5 fps -14%
Average of class Smartphone
  (3.6 - 123, n=218, last 2 years)
43.3 fps +14%
1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
43 fps
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
37 fps -14%
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
44 fps +2%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
36 fps -16%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
41 fps -5%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (22 - 43, n=21)
39.9 fps -7%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.3 - 229, n=218, last 2 years)
62.9 fps +46%
on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
25 fps
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
21 fps -16%
Razer Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
15 fps -40%
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
16 fps -36%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
20 fps -20%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
24 fps -4%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (11 - 26, n=20)
20.9 fps -16%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.8 - 105, n=218, last 2 years)
32.2 fps +29%
2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
17 fps
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
14 fps -18%
Razer Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
14 fps -18%
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
17 fps 0%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
14 fps -18%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
16 fps -6%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (8.5 - 24, n=21)
16.2 fps -5%
Average of class Smartphone
  (0.85 - 94, n=218, last 2 years)
25 fps +47%
Basemark GPU 1.1
1920x1080 Vulkan Medium Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
24.54 fps
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
38.35 (8.77min - 77.53max) fps +56%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
30.67 (5.93min - 132.19max) fps +25%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
35.63 fps +45%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (24.5 - 36.3, n=3)
32.2 fps +31%
Vulkan Medium Native (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
27.16 (8.36min - 61.33max) fps
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
28.46 (9.24min - 54.37max) fps
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
32.2 fps
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (22.7 - 32.2, n=2)
27.5 fps
1920x1080 OpenGL Medium Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
33.05 fps
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
33.04 (9.22min - 75.78max) fps 0%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
27.02 (2.8min - 80.83max) fps -18%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
37.41 fps +13%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (33.1 - 37.4, n=3)
35.9 fps +9%
AnTuTu v7 - Total Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
371562 Points
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
299878 Points -19%
Xiaomi Black Shark
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
290397 Points -22%
Razer Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
285952 Points -23%
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
328111 Points -12%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
316199 Points -15%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
374820 Points +1%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (217967 - 398720, n=16)
354450 Points -5%
VRMark - Amber Room (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
4486 Score
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
5020 Score +12%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
4964 Score +11%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (4486 - 4969, n=3)
4806 Score +7%
Average of class Smartphone
  (1010 - 10071, n=14, last 2 years)
5281 Score +18%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
3847 Points
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
4693 Points +22%
Xiaomi Black Shark
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
3489 Points -9%
Razer Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
4200 Points +9%
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4320 Points +12%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
4701 Points +22%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
4595 Points +19%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (3847 - 5397, n=19)
4796 Points +25%
Average of class Smartphone
  (411 - 11438, n=158, last 2 years)
5704 Points +48%
System (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
5993 Points
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
8613 Points +44%
Xiaomi Black Shark
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
7105 Points +19%
Razer Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
8120 Points +35%
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
7476 Points +25%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
8572 Points +43%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
8441 Points +41%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (5993 - 9143, n=19)
8539 Points +42%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2376 - 16475, n=158, last 2 years)
9621 Points +61%
Memory (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
3560 Points
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
5296 Points +49%
Xiaomi Black Shark
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
2871 Points -19%
Razer Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
3906 Points +10%
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4570 Points +28%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
5210 Points +46%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
4031 Points +13%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (2661 - 7500, n=19)
5097 Points +43%
Average of class Smartphone
  (670 - 12306, n=158, last 2 years)
6230 Points +75%
Graphics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
8125 Points
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
7957 Points -2%
Xiaomi Black Shark
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
5846 Points -28%
Razer Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
8001 Points -2%
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
7361 Points -9%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
7758 Points -5%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
9270 Points +14%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (8125 - 9510, n=19)
9174 Points +13%
Average of class Smartphone
  (697 - 58651, n=158, last 2 years)
13900 Points +71%
Web (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
1264 Points
Asus ROG Phone
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
1336 Points +6%
Xiaomi Black Shark
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 6144
1243 Points -2%
Razer Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Adreno 630, 8192
1226 Points -3%
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
1385 Points +10%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
1409 Points +11%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
1378 Points +9%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (1076 - 1601, n=19)
1356 Points +7%
Average of class Smartphone
  (10 - 2145, n=158, last 2 years)
1487 Points +18%
Basemark ES 3.1 / Metal - offscreen Overall Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 8192
1075 Points
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
1927 Points +79%
Huawei P30 Pro
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 8192
1627 Points +51%
Xiaomi Mi 9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
1415 Points +32%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (1075 - 1425, n=4)
1334 Points +24%
Average of class Smartphone
  (177 - 6114, n=61, last 2 years)
2145 Points +100%

In our browser benchmarks, the Black Shark 2 was surprisingly weak since it came out last in all our tests, and was only able to beat its predecessor. This difference in performance was not noticeable in everyday use, however, because surfing the web felt markedly fast.

Jetstream 2 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (13.8 - 351, n=167, last 2 years)
104 Points +128%
Huawei P30 Pro (Chrome 73)
60.5 Points +33%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 (45.5 - 67, n=16)
58.8 Points +29%
Xiaomi Mi 9 (Chrome 73)
57.2 Points +26%
Asus ROG Phone (Chrome 74)
48.93 Points +7%
Xiaomi Black Shark 2 (Chrome 73.0.3683.90)
45.54 Points
Speedometer 2.0 - Result
Average of class Smartphone (14.9 - 445, n=151, last 2 years)
104.7 runs/min +124%
Huawei P30 Pro (Chrome 73)
67.8 runs/min +45%
Xiaomi Mi 9 (Chrome 73.0.3683.75)
65.7 runs/min +41%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 (42.5 - 67.9, n=15)
62 runs/min +33%
Asus ROG Phone (Chrome 74)
54.1 runs/min +16%
Samsung Galaxy S10 (Samsung Browser 9.0)
54 runs/min +16%
Xiaomi Black Shark 2 (Chrome 73.0.3683.90)
46.7 runs/min
WebXPRT 3 - Overall
Average of class Smartphone (37 - 304, n=118, last 2 years)
130.7 Points +39%
Huawei P30 Pro (Chrome 73)
122 Points +30%
Xiaomi Mi 9 (Chrome 73.0.3683.75)
108 Points +15%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 (90 - 129, n=20)
105.2 Points +12%
Asus ROG Phone (Chrome 70)
103 Points +10%
Razer Phone 2 (Chrome 68)
96 Points +2%
Xiaomi Black Shark 2 (Chrome 73.0.3683.90)
94 Points
Xiaomi Black Shark (Firefox 61)
90 Points -4%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 89112, n=202, last 2 years)
33355 Points +96%
Xiaomi Mi 9 (Chrome 73.0.3683.75)
24534 Points +44%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 (17011 - 33918, n=21)
23749 Points +40%
Huawei P30 Pro (Chrome 73)
22447 Points +32%
Samsung Galaxy S10 (Samsung Browser 9.0)
20286 Points +19%
Asus ROG Phone (Chrome 70)
18275 Points +7%
Razer Phone 2 (Chrome 68)
17067 Points 0%
Xiaomi Black Shark 2 (Chrome 73.0.3683.90)
17011 Points
Xiaomi Black Shark (Firefox 61)
13663 Points -20%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Xiaomi Black Shark 2 (Chrome 73.0.3683.90)
2529 ms *
Xiaomi Black Shark (Firefox 61)
2287 ms * +10%
Razer Phone 2 (Chrome 68)
2283 ms * +10%
Asus ROG Phone (Chrome 70)
2154 ms * +15%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 (1852 - 2611, n=19)
2147 ms * +15%
Huawei P30 Pro (Chrome 73)
2009 ms * +21%
Samsung Galaxy S10 (Samsung Browser 9.0)
1924 ms * +24%
Xiaomi Mi 9 (Chrome 73.0.3683.75)
1873 ms * +26%
Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=165, last 2 years)
1658 ms * +34%

* ... smaller is better

The Black Shark 2 is very quick at reading and writing data thanks to its UFS 2.1 storage, whereby the writing of small data blocks could be a bit faster. The smartphone can handle the loading of large data amounts pretty quickly though. The Black Shark 2 lacks a microSD slot.

Xiaomi Black Shark 2Asus ROG PhoneXiaomi Black SharkRazer Phone 2Samsung Galaxy S10Huawei P30 ProXiaomi Mi 9Average 128 GB UFS 2.1 FlashAverage of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5
130%
85%
-7%
-1%
148%
162%
119%
392%
Sequential Read 256KB
793
725
-9%
742
-6%
733
-8%
832
5%
849
7%
666
-16%
763 ?(427 - 1011, n=112)
-4%
1468 ?(215 - 4512, n=210, last 2 years)
85%
Sequential Write 256KB
195.6
243.3
24%
199.6
2%
194.8
0%
193.2
-1%
250.8
28%
388.3
99%
295 ?(13.6 - 719, n=112)
51%
1078 ?(57.5 - 3678, n=210, last 2 years)
451%
Random Read 4KB
145.2
141.6
-2%
127.2
-12%
124.3
-14%
137.4
-5%
174.4
20%
149.4
3%
152.4 ?(92.6 - 239, n=112)
5%
242 ?(22.2 - 543, n=210, last 2 years)
67%
Random Write 4KB
25
152
508%
114.1
356%
23.99
-4%
24.44
-2%
159.2
537%
165.3
561%
130.6 ?(18.2 - 290, n=112)
422%
266 ?(13 - 709, n=210, last 2 years)
964%

Games - Smartphone gaming made easy

The Xiaomi Black Shark 2 is currently the fastest gaming smartphone. To begin with, because it is equipped with the Snapdragon 855 and the Adreno 640 graphics chip, which are top hardware and make it a bit faster compared to gaming competitors like the Asus ROG Phone, the Razer Phone 2 and naturally the Xiaomi Black Shark. Then there's also the combination of a special cooling system, the Game Dock and Shark Space, which improves the already strong performance of the Black Shark 2. In addition, special features like "Magic Press", which is also called "Master Touch" by Xiaomi, and  so Tesla – the "Ludicrous Mode".

The Game Dock provides different speed settings for games and appears when you swipe inward from any corner of the display while playing a game. The button strip offers access to, among others, a memory cleaner, a Do Not Disturb option and a dashboard, which shows the current frame rate. Additionally, a Game HDR setting is to be found, alongside settings for the Magic Press pressure sensitivity system.

Magic Press is technically similar to Apple 3D Touch, but it has some more tricks up its sleeve. In this way, different in-game actions occur depending on the amount of pressure used. Furthermore, players can customize Magic Press functions for both the right and left sides of the display, and on top of that, they can configure pressure sensitivity too. The display reacts remarkably fast to inputs – Xiaomi reports a 43.5ms response time. We didn't perceive any lag in the display's responsiveness.

Game Dock
Game Dock
Magic Press
Magic Press

Another exciting feature is Ludicrous Mode, which can be activated by tapping a game title within the Game Dock. The Black Shark 2 then diverts the maximum of system resources to the respective game and turns off RGB lighting as well as vibration effects.

Ludicrous Mode is not really necessary though, since the system monitor, which is also a part of the Game Dock, always showed the same magnificent behavior during our Gamebench tests: The Black Shark 2 tackles every current Android game without any issues at all, and it only needs a fraction of its system performance to do this. Provided the game allows it, it runs at 60 FPS, the maximum allowed by the 60-Hz panel on the Black Shark 2. PUBG Mobile should have run at 40 FPS, but it was limited to 30 FPS, but this didn't slow down the fun in any way.

Ludicrous Mode
Ludicrous Mode
Shark Space
Shark Space

Ludicrous Mode can also be activated when the sliding switch on the right side of the smartphone is slid to the left. The Black Shark then closes all background apps, clears memory and switches into Shark Space, a kind of game launcher. If you add your installed games to it, Shark Space will present them in a gallery along with game statistics such as play times and data usage, among others.

All the games we installed for our review (Asphalt 9: Legends, PUBG Mobile, Subway Surfers and World of Tanks Blitz) were able to be added to Shark Space without issues, as well as launched from here. On the contrary, the Android buttons don't work within Shark Space. They can be used again as soon as the sliding switch is slid to the right in order to go back to the "normal" Android system.

The full gaming package also includes hardware extras: Xiaomi also offers game controllers on their online shop, which can be attached to the right and left side of the Black Shark 2 respectively and cost between 39.90 Euros (~$45) and 89.90 Euros (~$101). Unfortunately, they weren't available to us for this review.

World of Tanks Blitz
World of Tanks Blitz
PUBG Mobile
PUBG Mobile
PUBG Mobile
051015202530Tooltip
Xiaomi Black Shark 2; 0.12.0: Ø29.9 (28-31)
World of Tanks Blitz
051015202530354045505560Tooltip
Xiaomi Black Shark 2; 5.10.0.372: Ø59.5 (23-61)
Subway Surfers
051015202530354045505560Tooltip
Xiaomi Black Shark 2; 1.102.0: Ø59.3 (5-61)

Emissions - Remains very cool, no throttling

Temperature

GFXBench Manhattan battery test
GFXBench Manhattan battery test
GFXBench T-Rex battery test
GFXBench T-Rex battery test

In order to maintain a constant frame rate even during long gaming sessions, the Xiaomi Black Shark 2 features a liquid-cooling system named Liquid Cooling 3.0, which is a mix of special heat pipes and passive liquid-cooling. The Xiaomi Black Shark used the same concept to keep the temperatures of its SoC in check, which should be of up to 8 °C (~ 14.4 °F) lower than on smartphones with the same SoC and standard cooling. The Black Shark 2 steps it up a notch here, since its Liquid Cooling 3.0 system is now supposed to lower the processor temperature by up to 14 °C (~ 25.2 °F).

In our review, this cooling was outstanding and seemed to be much more mature than in the Black Shark. While the predecessor reached up to 49.5 °C (~ 121 °F) under load, the case temperature on the Black Shark 2 only reached 31.1 °C (~ 88 °F), even after a one-hour stress test, and stayed, on average, below the 30 °C mark (~ 86 °F). This resulted in the smartphone always remaining comfortable to hold.

Finally we used the GFXBench tool to test whether the Liquid Cooling 3.0 system on the Black Shark 2 worked as efficiently as promised by the manufacturer. As you can see, Xiaomi kept their word since there is no throttling to be found: the frame rate remained constant throughout the 30 runs of the less graphically intensive T-Rex test, as well as during the more demanding Manhattan test. The Xiaomi Black Shark 2 can always use its SoC at its full performance potential.

Max. Load
 30.8 °C
87 F
31.1 °C
88 F
30.7 °C
87 F
 
 30.8 °C
87 F
30.2 °C
86 F
30.8 °C
87 F
 
 30.6 °C
87 F
30.1 °C
86 F
29.5 °C
85 F
 
Maximum: 31.1 °C = 88 F
Average: 30.5 °C = 87 F
29 °C
84 F
29 °C
84 F
29.5 °C
85 F
28.8 °C
84 F
29.2 °C
85 F
30.1 °C
86 F
28.8 °C
84 F
29.1 °C
84 F
30.1 °C
86 F
Maximum: 30.1 °C = 86 F
Average: 29.3 °C = 85 F
Power Supply (max.)  26.9 °C = 80 F | Room Temperature 22 °C = 72 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 30.5 °C / 87 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 31.1 °C / 88 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 30.1 °C / 86 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 27.6 °C / 82 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.

Speakers

Speakers
Speakers

The stereo speakers in the Xiaomi Black Shark 2 accompany the events on the display with very loud sound. This can reach up to 79.4 dB(A) and sounds pleasing primarily due to its balanced mids and highs.

Low notes are scarce on standard settings. However, these can be significantly improved when turning on the "speaker bass enhancement" option in the audio settings. But this results in the sound becoming very dull. Thanks to the support of aptX HD, sound quality is considerably better on Bluetooth.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2032.537.62531.928.13122.3244021.727.65029.230.96326.727.28020.329.410020.523.81252325.616015.643.120017.846.525016.353.931515.460.240015.965.150015.866.163013.367.580014.165.6100014.165.212501470.4160013.568.4200013.467.7250013.968.7315014.270.8400013.969500014.661.8630014.260.3800014.763.3100001562.11250014.956.91600015.357.2SPL26.479.4N0.845.6median 14.7median 63.3Delta0.98.530.328.938.129.628.530.331.433.236.632.724.625.524.124.920.524.91926.316.936.419.149.716.652.613.957.11563.514.662.712.35911.862.611.866.911.969.311.46811.270.411.570.211.371.310.96610.561.810.761.710.665.310.567.810.66710.65459.260.264.357.22479.612.514.116.810.40.544.8median 11.8median 62.6median 40.5median 33.8median 12.3median 62.23.7923.823.411.717.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseXiaomi Black Shark 2Asus ROG Phone
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Xiaomi Black Shark 2 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (79.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 21.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.7% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.5% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 15% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 76% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 37% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 55% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Asus ROG Phone audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (79.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 21.4% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.6% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 24% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 68% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 45% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 48% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Battery life - Average despite 4000 mAh battery

Energy consumption

Xiaomi has included a 4000 mAh battery in the Black Shark 2, a capacity that is also found on the Asus ROG PhoneRazer Phone 2 and Xiaomi Black Shark gaming smartphones. Contrary to these phones, the Black Shark 2 has a slightly lower energy requirement, which levels off under load at an average of 3.64 watts and reaches a maximum of only 8.86 watts. The Xiaomi Black Shark performs particularly worse in this comparison since it requires over 40% more energy than its successor.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.02 / 0.26 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 0.73 / 1.01 / 1.13 Watt
Load midlight 3.64 / 8.86 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
4000 mAh
Asus ROG Phone
4000 mAh
Xiaomi Black Shark
4000 mAh
Razer Phone 2
4000 mAh
Samsung Galaxy S10
3400 mAh
Huawei P30 Pro
4200 mAh
Xiaomi Mi 9
3300 mAh
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
 
Average of class Smartphone
 
Power Consumption
-19%
-42%
-60%
-18%
-55%
-8%
-33%
-31%
Idle Minimum *
0.73
0.6
18%
0.8
-10%
0.6
18%
0.61
16%
0.68
7%
0.67
8%
0.939 ?(0.58 - 1.96, n=19)
-29%
0.894 ?(0.42 - 2.37, n=157, last 2 years)
-22%
Idle Average *
1.01
1.4
-39%
1.5
-49%
1.5
-49%
1.27
-26%
2.6
-157%
1.26
-25%
1.506 ?(0.85 - 2.8, n=19)
-49%
1.452 ?(0.69 - 4.26, n=157, last 2 years)
-44%
Idle Maximum *
1.13
1.7
-50%
2.3
-104%
2.6
-130%
1.3
-15%
2.77
-145%
1.29
-14%
1.799 ?(1 - 2.9, n=19)
-59%
1.632 ?(0.79 - 4.45, n=157, last 2 years)
-44%
Load Average *
3.64
3.8
-4%
4.8
-32%
7.2
-98%
6.17
-70%
3.74
-3%
3.71
-2%
4.61 ?(3.64 - 5.8, n=19)
-27%
5.55 ?(2.4 - 16.5, n=157, last 2 years)
-52%
Load Maximum *
8.86
10.6
-20%
10.1
-14%
12.3
-39%
8.55
3%
6.82
23%
9.3
-5%
9.04 ?(7.49 - 11.9, n=19)
-2%
8.23 ?(4.32 - 20.8, n=157, last 2 years)
7%

* ... smaller is better

Battery run time

The low energy requirement in the Xiaomi Black Shark 2 is of help in practice since it leads to decent, albeit not great, battery life. For a day of intensive use, however, it will likely provide more than enough power.

In detail: The display went dark after 12:54 hours during our practical Wi-Fi test (programatically accessing a website every 30 seconds with brightness set at 150 cd/m²). When playing an H.264 video, however, it lasted 11:06 hours. The Asus ROG Phone and the Razer Phone 2 were on par with the Black Shark 2, which had to deal in turn with the Xiaomi Black Shark and the Xiaomi Mi 9. Only the Huawei P30 Pro was able to fully satisfy in terms of battery life.

The Black Shark 2 gets charged quickly. In our review it only took 1:15 hours for it to be fully charged using the included 27-watt charger. Unfortunately, the smartphone can't be charged wirelessly.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
15h 52min
WiFi Websurfing
12h 54min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
11h 06min
Load (maximum brightness)
4h 55min
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
4000 mAh
Asus ROG Phone
4000 mAh
Xiaomi Black Shark
4000 mAh
Razer Phone 2
4000 mAh
Samsung Galaxy S10
3400 mAh
Huawei P30 Pro
4200 mAh
Xiaomi Mi 9
3300 mAh
Battery Runtime
-5%
19%
5%
-7%
53%
15%
Reader / Idle
952
1110
17%
1753
84%
1630
71%
1259
32%
1966
107%
1650
73%
H.264
666
800
20%
747
12%
742
11%
842
26%
1193
79%
1008
51%
WiFi v1.3
774
533
-31%
711
-8%
531
-31%
427
-45%
838
8%
546
-29%
Load
295
216
-27%
253
-14%
206
-30%
170
-42%
344
17%
194
-34%

Pros

+ extremely fast SoC
+ excellent gaming performance
+ fast Wi-Fi
+ dual-SIM and VoLTE
+ premium, very stable chassis
+ bright AMOLED display with large color-space
+ good cameras under daylight
+ remains very cool under load

Cons

- no IP certification
- no microSD slot
- needs adapter to provide a 3.5mm audio jack
- average battery life
- no wireless charging
- no NFC

Verdict - The current best choice for gamers

In review: Xiaomi Black Shark 2. Review device provided by
In review: Xiaomi Black Shark 2. Review device provided by

The Xiaomi Black Shark 2 is a must for gamers: It is currently the fastest gaming smartphone that one can get, and it delivers such great performance that it can run any current Android game effortlessly at 60 FPS, even on maximum graphics settings. Higher frame rates aren't possible because the OLED display on the Black Shark 2 only supports up to 60 Hz.  

Alongside the lighting-fast SoC, games also benefit from Xiaomi's passive liquid-cooling, which makes it possible for the smartphone to perform to its full potential even on long gaming sessions, while also remaining comfortable to hold.

If you're looking for a gaming smartphone, the Xiaomi Black Shark 2 is currently the best choice.

The optionally purchasable controllers, as well as the Shark Space gaming menu, are neat extras. Shark Space allows you to activate Ludicrous Mode, which is a kind of afterburner for games – it is currently not necessary though because there isn't a single thing that suffers from stuttering.  Gamers will already be well-served with the 8 GB/ 128 GB variant, which is officially priced at 549 Euros (~$617). – however, for only 100 Euros (~$112) more, a model with 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage is also available.

When buying the global version of the Xiaomi Black Shark 2, you will receive Android 9 also in German and with the Google apps already preinstalled. But nothing can be done about the missing microSD slot and the fact that a 3.5mm audio jack is only available through a USB-C adapter.

Xiaomi Black Shark 2 - 05/06/2019 v6(old)
Manuel Masiero

Chassis
88%
Keyboard
67 / 75 → 89%
Pointing Device
93%
Connectivity
44 / 60 → 74%
Weight
88%
Battery
94%
Display
83%
Games Performance
73 / 63 → 100%
Application Performance
79 / 70 → 100%
Temperature
94%
Noise
100%
Audio
75 / 91 → 82%
Camera
77%
Average
81%
87%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

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Manuel Masiero, 2019-05- 6 (Update: 2019-07- 4)