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Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro Smartphone Review - Powerful Gaming Smartphone with a Drawback

5G gaming machine. Since the Xiaomi phone offers a wide range of features for about 670 Euros (~$760), the Black Shark 3 Pro is not just interesting for gamers: It comes with a OLED panel with 90 Hz and 1440p, a 270 Hz touch-sampling rate, 65 W fast charging, Wi-Fi 6, stereo speakers, a 64 MP camera, 5G and a Snapdragon 865. What more can you ask for? Read on to find out how the Shark 3 Pro fares in our review.
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro smartphone review

The Black Shark 3 Pro combines high-end specifications including a 7.1-inch OLED panel with a 90 Hz refresh rate and a native resolution of 1440p, stereo speakers and a high-end SoC with the typical gamer smartphone visuals. Xiaomi's gaming subsidiary Black Shark has launched its latest smartphone generation in Europe with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. Unlike the "normal" Black Shark 3, which comes at an MSRP of 599 Euros in Europe (~$680), the prices for the Pro version are not yet official. However, a Chinese import version of the Black Shark 3 Pro is already available. Our lender TradingShenzhen demands about 730 Euros (or ~$820) for our test device, which is equipped with 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage space, while a version with 8 GB of RAM is available for around 670 Euros (or ~$760).

Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro (Black Shark Series)
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 8 x 2.4 - 2.8 GHz, Cortex-A77 / A55 (Kryo 585)
Graphics adapter
Memory
12 GB 
Display
7.10 inch 19.5:9, 3120 x 1440 pixel 484 PPI, capacitive touchscreen, AMOLED, glossy: yes, HDR, 90 Hz
Storage
256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash, 256 GB 
, 219 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: 3.5-mm headphone jack, 1 Fingerprint Reader, NFC, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: Accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, compass, USB-C, OTG, Miracast, P2i-rating
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/ax = Wi-Fi 6/), Bluetooth 5.0, 5G NR NSA (N41, N78, N79); FDD LTE ( B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B7, B8, B12, B17, B18, B19, B20, B26, B28); TDD LTE (B34, B38, B39, B40, B41); WCDMA(B1, B2, B4, B5, B6, B8, B9, B19); GSM (B2, B3 B5, B8), Dual SIM, LTE, 5G, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 10.1 x 177.8 x 83.3 ( = 0.4 x 7 x 3.28 in)
Battery
5000 mAh Lithium-Polymer
Charging
fast charging / Quickcharge
Operating System
Android 10
Camera
Primary Camera: 64 MPix (f/1.8, 26mm, 1/1.72", 0.8µm) + 13 MP (f/2.25) + 5 MP (f/2.2)
Secondary Camera: 20 MPix f/2.2, 1/3", 0.9 µm
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: virtual keyboard, Quick charger, USB Type-C-cable, SIM tool, protective case, screen protector, quick-start guide, JoyUI, 12 Months Warranty, Widevine L3 (China), A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, QZSS, LTE Cat 24, fanless
Weight
253 g ( = 8.92 oz / 0.56 pounds), Power Supply: 189 g ( = 6.67 oz / 0.42 pounds)
Price
730 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Competing Devices

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Drive
Size
Resolution
Best Price
85.3 %
06/2020
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
SD 865, Adreno 650
253 g256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash7.10"3120x1440
84.2 %
06/2020
Nubia RedMagic 5G
SD 865, Adreno 650
218 g256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash6.65"2340x1080
88.4 %
06/2020
OnePlus 8
SD 865, Adreno 650
180 g256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash6.55"2400x1080
87.8 %
05/2020
Xiaomi Mi 10
SD 865, Adreno 650
208 g128 GB UFS 3.0 Flash6.67"2340x1080
84.1 %
05/2020
Oppo Reno3 Pro 5G
SD 765G, Adreno 620
171 g128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash6.50"2400x1080
82 %
02/2020
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G
SD 765G, Adreno 620
208 g128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash6.67"2400x1080
87.2 %
12/2019
Asus ROG Phone 2
SD 855+, Adreno 640
240 g512 GB UFS 3.0 Flash6.59"2340x1080

Case - Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro with Gamer Elements

Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro smartphone review
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro in Blasting Black

You can either like the design language of gaming smartphones or hate it. This statement remains true for the Black Shark 3 Pro as well. While the bezels around the 7.1-inch OLED panel, which consists of scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass, are acceptable, they are fairly large relative to competitors in this price category. As a result, it reaches a screen-to-body ratio of only 83.6%.

The build quality of the case is solid overall. The buttons are integrated firmly into the frame with barely any leeway. Their actuation points are crisp. However, the position of the power button has room for improvement, since it has been placed in such a high place that it is hard to reach, even with larger hands.

Although the Black Shark 3 Pro does not have an IP certification, it comes with nano coating from P2i, which at least protects the Xiaomi phone from splash water. Due to the dimensions and the heavy weight, the Xiaomi smartphone is somewhat unwieldy. Like with most other gaming phones, the Black Shark 3 series' flagship is not a compact smartphone.

Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro smartphone review
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro smartphone review
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro smartphone review
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro smartphone review
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro smartphone review
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro smartphone review
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro smartphone review
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro smartphone review
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro smartphone review
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro smartphone review
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro smartphone review

Size Comparison

177.8 mm / 7 inch 83.3 mm / 3.28 inch 10.1 mm / 0.3976 inch 253 g0.558 lbs170.99 mm / 6.73 inch 77.6 mm / 3.06 inch 9.48 mm / 0.3732 inch 240 g0.529 lbs168.6 mm / 6.64 inch 78 mm / 3.07 inch 9.8 mm / 0.3858 inch 218 g0.4806 lbs165.3 mm / 6.51 inch 76.6 mm / 3.02 inch 8.79 mm / 0.3461 inch 208 g0.4586 lbs162.6 mm / 6.4 inch 74.8 mm / 2.94 inch 8.96 mm / 0.3528 inch 208 g0.4586 lbs160.2 mm / 6.31 inch 72.9 mm / 2.87 inch 8 mm / 0.315 inch 180 g0.3968 lbs159.4 mm / 6.28 inch 72.4 mm / 2.85 inch 7.7 mm / 0.3031 inch 171 g0.377 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Features - Xiaomi Smartphone with UFS 3.0 Storage

Apart from a 3.5 mm headphone jack, connectivity includes the Black Shark logo as status LED, Miracast for wireless video output to external monitors and USB OTG, which allows the smartphone to recognize external storage mediums. Although there is a USB Type-C port, it is only connected to a USB 2.0 interface internally.

Since the Chinese version of the Black Shark 3 Pro only supports Widevine DRM level L3, our test device is unable to stream HD content from Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, or other streaming services. However, the international version of the gaming smartphone should come Widevine L1-certified.

Right edge
Right edge
Left edge
Left edge
Top edge
Top edge
Bottom edge
Bottom edge

Software - Black Shark 3 Pro with Android 10 and JoyUI 11

The Black Shark 3 Pro comes with Google's latest operating system, Android 10, preinstalled and the manufacturer's own JoyUI on top of it. At the time of writing, the latest security updates date back to March 2020.

JoyUI now features Mi Share, an always-on display and the possibility to output video content to a TV within the same Wi-Fi network. The dedicated gaming software Shark Space 3.0 offers a wide range of gaming customizations and functions as a central hub for controlling accessories.

The international version of the Black Shark 3 Pro has access to familiar Google services, and unlike with the Chinese version users can select system languages other than Chinese or English ex-factory.

The preinstalled software on the Chinese model does not support Google services ex-factory. Instead, Chinese services and Xiaomi's own services act as replacements. However, unlike on Huawei's smartphones, users are not completely cut off from Google's services. That being said, a few things have to be accounted for when manually installing Google's applications. Alternatively, our lender TradingShenzhen offers a Google installer on its homepage. That being said, some apps may still not work after installing the Google Play Store retroactively, since the smartphone has not been officially certified to be compatible with the Play Store.

Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro smartphone review
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro smartphone review
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro smartphone review
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro smartphone review
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro smartphone review
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro smartphone review

Communication and GPS - Xiaomi Phone with Wi-Fi 6 and NFC

In terms of the communications modules, Xiaomi uses dual SIM and a Qualcomm SDX55 modem for compatibility with the latest 5G standard and Bluetooth version 5.0. Meanwhile, an NFC chip provides support for Google Pay. The Black Shark 3 Pro supports a total of 15 LTE bands and most of the LTE frequencies relevant to Europe - this includes the LTE band 28, which is becoming more and more important. While buyers of the Chinese version will not be able to utilize band 28, their version will instead support band 20.

Even within the home Wi-Fi, the gaming smartphone has a lot to offer. With the current Wi-Fi standard Wi-Fi 6 and multi-user MIMO, the transfer rates when connected to home networks are fast and consistent. In conjunction with our reference router Netgear Nighthawk AX12, the Black Shark 3 Pro supports transfer rates of above 800 Mb/s, which is a very good result for a smartphone of this price class.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
OnePlus 8
Adreno 650, SD 865, 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash
937 (466min - 960max) MBit/s +7%
Nubia RedMagic 5G
Adreno 650, SD 865, 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash
926 (463min - 960max) MBit/s +6%
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
Adreno 650, SD 865, 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash
876 (785min - 909max) MBit/s
Xiaomi Mi 10
Adreno 650, SD 865, 128 GB UFS 3.0 Flash
867 (440min - 907max) MBit/s -1%
Oppo Reno3 Pro 5G
Adreno 620, SD 765G, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
642 (549min - 664max) MBit/s -27%
Asus ROG Phone 2
Adreno 640, SD 855+, 512 GB UFS 3.0 Flash
530 (410min - 606max) MBit/s -39%
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G
Adreno 620, SD 765G, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
341 (280min - 399max) MBit/s -61%
iperf3 receive AX12
Nubia RedMagic 5G
Adreno 650, SD 865, 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash
946 (911min - 960max) MBit/s +16%
Xiaomi Mi 10
Adreno 650, SD 865, 128 GB UFS 3.0 Flash
903 (881min - 916max) MBit/s +11%
OnePlus 8
Adreno 650, SD 865, 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash
894 (864min - 925max) MBit/s +9%
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
Adreno 650, SD 865, 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash
817 (785min - 843max) MBit/s
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G
Adreno 620, SD 765G, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
687 (345min - 697max) MBit/s -16%
Oppo Reno3 Pro 5G
Adreno 620, SD 765G, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
623 (611min - 633max) MBit/s -24%
Asus ROG Phone 2
Adreno 640, SD 855+, 512 GB UFS 3.0 Flash
605 (520min - 657max) MBit/s -26%
Average of class Smartphone
  (last 2 years)
376 MBit/s -54%
050100150200250300350400450500550600650700750800850900Tooltip
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø817 (785-843)
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø876 (785-909)
GPS Test indoors
GPS Test indoors
GPS Test outdoors
GPS Test outdoors

In order to be able to judge the precision of our test device's locating capabilities in practice, we simultaneously record our route with the GPS bike computer Garmin Edge 520. At the end of our test track with a total length of 11.5 kilometers (~7.15 miles), only a distance of 80 meters (~262 feet) separates the smartphone GPS from the professional navigation device. The deviations from the route are small and a look at the detailed course of the GPS recording reveals that the good accuracy of the Black Shark 3 Pro combined with its large display makes it an ideal choice for car navigation. Determining our position via the main satellite systems GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou and QZSS is very quick - even indoors - with an accuracy of within 3 meters.

GPS Black Shark 3 Pro
GPS Black Shark 3 Pro
GPS Black Shark 3 Pro
GPS Black Shark 3 Pro
GPS Black Shark 3 Pro
GPS Black Shark 3 Pro
GPS Garmin Edge 520
GPS Garmin Edge 520
GPS Garmin Edge 520
GPS Garmin Edge 520
GPS Garmin Edge 520
GPS Garmin Edge 520

Telephony and Call Quality - Black Shark 3 with Dual 5G

GPS Test indoors

There are no surprises when it comes to the call quality. Voices can be clearly understood and our conversational partner also characterizes our own voice as distinct-sounding. Thanks to Wi-Fi calling, Wi-Fi networks can be used to make calls in situations where the cell-phone coverage is limited. Additionally, both SIM slots support 5G.

We did not encounter any issues during video calls via Skype with the integrated front camera. The call quality of the integrated microphone is good.

Cameras - Xiaomi Smartphone with a 64 MP Camera

Picture taken with the front camera
Picture taken with the front camera

The triple-camera module consists of a 64 MP main camera and an aperture of f/1.8. Xiaomi's gaming-smartphone subsidiary has not provided any further details related to the image sensor, which could be a Samsung GW1 or a Sony IMX 686. Since the latter is also used in Xiaomi's current mid-range offering, it would make sense for Xiaomi to base its Black Shark 3 series on the same sensor. As with the Redmi K30 5G, the Black Shark combines 2x2 adjacent pixels into one larger pixel, resulting in pictures with a resolution of 16 MP.

In daylight, the gaming smartphone takes good pictures with accurate colors. However, the level of detail within the pictures tends to suffer due to the lower degree of sharpness. In darker environments, the pictures suffer from image noise and the sharpness decreases further. Similarly, there is room for improvement in terms of the illumination and exposure.

Video can be recorded at UHD with up to 60 FPS. However, the image stabilization during video recordings is subpar.

The main camera is complemented by an ultra-wide-angle optics with a resolution of 13 MP and an f/2.25 aperture as well as a 5 MP camera for bokeh effects. While the wide-angle optics produces decent results in well-lit environments, compromises have to be made when it comes to the sharpness and details. Infinitely variable zooming between the wide-angle and the main optics is not possible.

In well-lit scenarios, the 20 MP front camera captures beautiful, albeit somewhat overly soft-focused, selfies. However, the degree of sharpness is decent and the exposure does not go overboard even in very bright lighting.

64 MP cam
64 MP cam
Ultra wide angle
Ultra wide angle
5x zoom
5x zoom

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 further analyzed the color accuracy of the Black Shark 3 Pro under controlled lighting conditions. Compared to the reference colors, the colors of the mid-range smartphone are too bright and the pictures of the X-Rite ColorChecker passport show that white tones look significantly warmer than they should.

ColorChecker
18.8 ∆E
10.1 ∆E
16.1 ∆E
16.6 ∆E
13.7 ∆E
8.4 ∆E
9.9 ∆E
17.8 ∆E
12.1 ∆E
8.7 ∆E
7.6 ∆E
5.1 ∆E
14 ∆E
11.7 ∆E
12.4 ∆E
1.8 ∆E
11.1 ∆E
13.8 ∆E
5.9 ∆E
5.2 ∆E
8.3 ∆E
11.7 ∆E
6.1 ∆E
5.1 ∆E
ColorChecker Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro: 10.49 ∆E min: 1.77 - max: 18.76 ∆E
ColorChecker
27.6 ∆E
46.2 ∆E
36 ∆E
33.9 ∆E
39.8 ∆E
55 ∆E
46.2 ∆E
31.4 ∆E
35.1 ∆E
26.4 ∆E
56.3 ∆E
57.1 ∆E
27.5 ∆E
43.9 ∆E
31.7 ∆E
62.8 ∆E
37.3 ∆E
41.8 ∆E
58.5 ∆E
61 ∆E
46.8 ∆E
34.3 ∆E
22.8 ∆E
12.3 ∆E
ColorChecker Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro: 40.48 ∆E min: 12.31 - max: 62.81 ∆E

Accessories and Warranty - Gaming Smartphone with Lots of Accessories

Xiaomi Black Shark 3 smartphone review
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 smartphone review
Gaming Accessory included with the Black Shark 3 Pro

Aside from the smartphone itself, the package includes a USB cable, a protective case made of plastic and a modular 65 W charger. Additionally, our lender TradingShenzhen has expanded the scope of delivery with an EU adapter and a USB OTG adapter.

Optionally available extras include various gaming accessories such as a gamepad and a magnetic charging cable. The Black Shark FunCooler Pro combines a 6200 RPM fan with a large aluminum heatsink.

The warranty period of the Xiaomi smartphone is 12 months. Furthermore, TradingShenzhen grants buyers the option of sending the device to a German address in a warranty case. This protects users from having to go through the time-consuming process of shipping the device to China within the first 12 months.

Input Devices & Handling - Black Shark 3 Pro with a 90 Hz Panel and a 270 Hz Sampling Rate

With a touchscreen sampling rate of 270 Hz, the display's refresh rate is not the only one to exceed the 60 Hz mark, which makes the 7.1-inch OLED panel incredibly responsive. Below the display, there is an optical fingerprint sensor and while it responds reliably, it is not one of the fastest of its kind. While users may also use biometric authentication via facial recognition to unlock their Black Shark 3 Pro, this is not the most secure method due to the underlying, 2D-based technology.

Xiaomi Black Shark 3 smartphone review
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 smartphone review
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 smartphone review

Display - Xiaomi Smartphone with an OLED Panel

Subpixel array
Subpixel array

Similar to Apple's TrueTone technology, the Black Shark 3 Pro's display is able to adjust its color temperature to the ambient lighting. The 7.1-inch AMOLED panel has an aspect ratio of 19.5:9 and a native resolution of 3120x1440 pixels, a pixel density of 484 PPI and a high refresh rate of 90 Hz, resulting in a clear and smooth visual experience.

While the Black Shark 3 Pro's luminosity is good as well, it could be slightly brighter still for outdoor use. When using the auto mode with the ambient light sensor enabled and displaying a purely white image, we measured a peak brightness of 630 cd/m². However, the Black Shark 3 Pro's ambient light sensor tends to respond somewhat sluggishly compared to other smartphones. In the APL50 measurement, which is more indicative of real-world conditions, since it simulates an even distribution of bright and dark areas on the panel, our test device achieved a brightness of 776 cd/m² - a good result.

Although the gaming phone uses PWM to control the brightness, which is common for OLED panels, the frequency is fairly high at 362 Hz. Furthermore, a DC dimming mode is available on the Black Shark 3 Pro.

569
cd/m²
566
cd/m²
583
cd/m²
567
cd/m²
570
cd/m²
570
cd/m²
619
cd/m²
624
cd/m²
630
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 630 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 588.7 cd/m² Minimum: 2.17 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 90 %
Center on Battery: 293 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.65 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 4.9 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
99.9% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.205
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
AMOLED, 3120x1440, 7.10
Nubia RedMagic 5G
OLED, 2340x1080, 6.65
OnePlus 8
AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.55
Xiaomi Mi 10
Super AMOLED, 2340x1080, 6.67
Oppo Reno3 Pro 5G
AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.50
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G
LCD IPS, 2400x1080, 6.67
Asus ROG Phone 2
AMOLED, 2340x1080, 6.59
Screen
-37%
49%
48%
4%
25%
-5%
Brightness middle
570
593
4%
778
36%
786
38%
774
36%
658
15%
580
2%
Brightness
589
601
2%
783
33%
791
34%
778
32%
643
9%
599
2%
Brightness Distribution
90
92
2%
95
6%
96
7%
95
6%
93
3%
91
1%
Black Level *
0.49
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.65
8.1
-74%
0.9
81%
1.1
76%
5.28
-14%
1.8
61%
4.9
-5%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
7.61
16.2
-113%
2.2
71%
2.2
71%
8.55
-12%
4.4
42%
9.1
-20%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
4.9
7.1
-45%
1.7
65%
1.8
63%
6.2
-27%
3.8
22%
5.4
-10%
Gamma
2.205 100%
2.28 96%
2.25 98%
2.26 97%
2.292 96%
2.22 99%
2.17 101%
CCT
7500 87%
7566 86%
6481 100%
6315 103%
7319 89%
6255 104%
7487 87%
Contrast
1343

* ... 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 362 Hz

The display backlight flickers at 362 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) .

The frequency of 362 Hz is relatively high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering. However, there are reports that some users are still sensitive to PWM at 500 Hz and above, so be aware.

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.

Our analysis with a spectrophotometer and the CalMAN software yields average DeltaE values of 4.7 and 4.9 for the colors and grayscale, respectively, which means that the deviations from the sRGB color space are fairly large. However, due to the OLED technology, the black values and as a result, the contrast ratio of the display, are excellent.

CalMAN color accuracy (target color space sRGB)
CalMAN color accuracy (target color space sRGB)
CalMAN color space (target color space sRGB)
CalMAN color space (target color space sRGB)
CalMAN grayscale (target color space sRGB)
CalMAN grayscale (target color space sRGB)
CalMAN saturation sweeps (target color space sRGB)
CalMAN saturation sweeps (target color space sRGB)

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
8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 5 ms rise
↘ 3 ms fall
The screen shows fast response rates in our tests and should be suited for gaming.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 16 % 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
10 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 5 ms rise
↘ 5 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 18 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Outdoors, we achieved good results with the Black Shark 3 Pro's auto mode. Thanks to the high contrast ratio, the display is easy to read and while the screen's content remains discernible even in direct sunlight in the summer, the resulting visual experience is not ideal. When disabling the ambient light sensor, the gaming phone's brightness drops by a noticeable amount (296 cd/m²).

Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro smartphone review
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro smartphone review
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro smartphone review

Even when viewing the display from an extremely steep angle, the brightness only marginally decreases and the viewing angles are good overall.

Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro smartphone review

Performance - Black Shark 3 Pro with a Snapdragon 865

The Black Shark 3 Pro is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, which integrates one fast "prime core" with a clock speed of up to 2.84 GHz and three additional Cortex A77-based cores with clock speeds of up to 2.42 GHz. For energy conservation purposes, there are four additional ARM Cortex A55 cores (1.8 GHz). Meanwhile, the powerful Adreno 650 graphics unit within the Qualcomm SoC handles graphics calculations.

The system performance of the JoyUI is exceptional. The user experience is smooth during daily tasks and there are barely any stutters. Thanks to fast UFS storage and the responsive panel, applications start almost instantly.

Combined with 12 GB of LPDDR5 RAM, the Snapdragon 865 within our test device delivers fast performance despite the high-resolution panel, and it even outperforms the Xiaomi Mi 10, which is equipped with a Full HD display with far fewer pixels, in many cases. That being said, the results of the Black Shark 3 Pro fall short of those of 1080p competitors when it comes to purely graphics-dependent onscreen calculations. Although the Xiaomi smartphone reaches above-average results in our web-based benchmarks as well, the 1440p resolution comes at the cost of higher benchmark results. Subjectively, using the Chrome browser is still a very responsive experience and even more-complex web pages load quickly.

Geekbench 5.5
Single-Core (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
903 Points
Nubia RedMagic 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
909 Points +1%
OnePlus 8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
919 Points +2%
Xiaomi Mi 10
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 8192
910 Points +1%
Oppo Reno3 Pro 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
595 Points -34%
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
569 Points -37%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
  (764 - 924, n=23)
903 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (119 - 2138, n=211, last 2 years)
900 Points 0%
Multi-Core (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
3361 Points
Nubia RedMagic 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
3076 Points -8%
OnePlus 8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
3427 Points +2%
Xiaomi Mi 10
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 8192
3309 Points -2%
Oppo Reno3 Pro 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
1676 Points -50%
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
1520 Points -55%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
  (2687 - 3449, n=23)
3268 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (473 - 6681, n=211, last 2 years)
2944 Points -12%
OpenCL Score 5.1 (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
3080 Points
Nubia RedMagic 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
2954 Points -4%
OnePlus 8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
3001 Points -3%
Xiaomi Mi 10
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 8192
2829 Points -8%
Oppo Reno3 Pro 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
1178 Points -62%
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
1212 Points -61%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
  (2829 - 3080, n=8)
2981 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (516 - 18876, n=39, last 2 years)
6770 Points +120%
Vulkan Score 5.1 (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
3008 Points
Nubia RedMagic 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
2487 Points -17%
OnePlus 8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
2663 Points -11%
Xiaomi Mi 10
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 8192
2549 Points -15%
Oppo Reno3 Pro 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
1004 Points -67%
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
1035 Points -66%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
  (2487 - 3259, n=8)
2723 Points -9%
Average of class Smartphone
  (281 - 18656, n=45, last 2 years)
7243 Points +141%
PCMark for Android
Work performance score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
11839 Points
Nubia RedMagic 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
13954 Points +18%
OnePlus 8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
13079 Points +10%
Xiaomi Mi 10
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 8192
11850 Points 0%
Oppo Reno3 Pro 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
9454 Points -20%
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
10689 Points -10%
Asus ROG Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ / 855 Plus, Adreno 640, 12288
15193 Points +28%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
  (10990 - 19989, n=22)
13584 Points +15%
Average of class Smartphone
  (10884 - 19297, n=2, last 2 years)
15091 Points +27%
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
10945 Points
Nubia RedMagic 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
12879 Points +18%
OnePlus 8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
10800 Points -1%
Xiaomi Mi 10
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 8192
10613 Points -3%
Oppo Reno3 Pro 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
7896 Points -28%
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
9989 Points -9%
Asus ROG Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ / 855 Plus, Adreno 640, 12288
11690 Points +7%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
  (9202 - 15299, n=23)
11246 Points +3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (9101 - 12871, n=4, last 2 years)
10872 Points -1%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
110468 Points
Nubia RedMagic 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
73143 Points -34%
OnePlus 8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
72524 Points -34%
Xiaomi Mi 10
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 8192
Points -100%
Oppo Reno3 Pro 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
43778 Points -60%
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
47824 Points -57%
Asus ROG Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ / 855 Plus, Adreno 640, 12288
81679 Points -26%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
  (56045 - 112989, n=20)
84555 Points -23%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
149468 Points
Nubia RedMagic 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
150654 Points +1%
OnePlus 8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
144611 Points -3%
Xiaomi Mi 10
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 8192
Points -100%
Oppo Reno3 Pro 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
66655 Points -55%
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
68634 Points -54%
Asus ROG Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ / 855 Plus, Adreno 640, 12288
113347 Points -24%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
  (110875 - 180392, n=20)
147707 Points -1%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
57583 Points
Nubia RedMagic 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
26182 Points -55%
OnePlus 8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
27026 Points -53%
Xiaomi Mi 10
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 8192
Points -100%
Oppo Reno3 Pro 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
19888 Points -65%
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
23203 Points -60%
Asus ROG Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ / 855 Plus, Adreno 640, 12288
41296 Points -28%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
  (17817 - 58293, n=20)
35224 Points -39%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
90 fps
Nubia RedMagic 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
90 fps 0%
OnePlus 8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
60 fps -33%
Xiaomi Mi 10
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 8192
90 fps 0%
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
86 fps -4%
Asus ROG Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ / 855 Plus, Adreno 640, 12288
61 fps -32%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
  (50 - 138, n=23)
75.4 fps -16%
Average of class Smartphone
  (22 - 165, n=177, last 2 years)
83.6 fps -7%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
203 fps
Nubia RedMagic 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
206 fps +1%
OnePlus 8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
207 fps +2%
Xiaomi Mi 10
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 8192
202 fps 0%
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
95 fps -53%
Asus ROG Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ / 855 Plus, Adreno 640, 12288
166 fps -18%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
  (168 - 266, n=23)
206 fps +1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (19 - 791, n=177, last 2 years)
243 fps +20%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
68 fps
Nubia RedMagic 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
88 fps +29%
OnePlus 8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
60 fps -12%
Xiaomi Mi 10
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 8192
88 fps +29%
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
48 fps -29%
Asus ROG Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ / 855 Plus, Adreno 640, 12288
61 fps -10%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
  (50 - 111, n=23)
71.7 fps +5%
Average of class Smartphone
  (6.8 - 165, n=178, last 2 years)
71.3 fps +5%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
122 fps
Nubia RedMagic 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
126 fps +3%
OnePlus 8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
125 fps +2%
Xiaomi Mi 10
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 8192
123 fps +1%
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
54 fps -56%
Asus ROG Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ / 855 Plus, Adreno 640, 12288
100 fps -18%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
  (96 - 151, n=23)
123.6 fps +1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (9.2 - 363, n=178, last 2 years)
137.9 fps +13%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
43 fps
Nubia RedMagic 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
51 fps +19%
OnePlus 8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
60 fps +40%
Xiaomi Mi 10
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 8192
75 fps +74%
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
33 fps -23%
Asus ROG Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ / 855 Plus, Adreno 640, 12288
58 fps +35%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
  (43 - 83, n=24)
60.1 fps +40%
Average of class Smartphone
  (3.7 - 158, n=178, last 2 years)
60.2 fps +40%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
86 fps
Nubia RedMagic 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
74 fps -14%
OnePlus 8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
88 fps +2%
Xiaomi Mi 10
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 8192
86 fps 0%
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
37 fps -57%
Asus ROG Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ / 855 Plus, Adreno 640, 12288
71 fps -17%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
  (67 - 103, n=24)
86 fps 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (6.2 - 279, n=178, last 2 years)
97 fps +13%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
25 fps
Nubia RedMagic 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
42 fps +68%
OnePlus 8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
46 fps +84%
Xiaomi Mi 10
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 8192
42 fps +68%
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
19 fps -24%
Asus ROG Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ / 855 Plus, Adreno 640, 12288
38 fps +52%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
  (25 - 54, n=24)
40.5 fps +62%
Average of class Smartphone
  (5 - 117, n=178, last 2 years)
42.9 fps +72%
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
51 fps
Nubia RedMagic 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
51 fps 0%
OnePlus 8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
52 fps +2%
Xiaomi Mi 10
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 8192
50 fps -2%
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
21 fps -59%
Asus ROG Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ / 855 Plus, Adreno 640, 12288
43 fps -16%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
  (39 - 62, n=24)
51.1 fps 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.9 - 166, n=178, last 2 years)
58.6 fps +15%
on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
53 fps
Nubia RedMagic 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
44 fps -17%
OnePlus 8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
48 fps -9%
Xiaomi Mi 10
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 8192
46 fps -13%
Oppo Reno3 Pro 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
20 fps -62%
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
21 fps -60%
Asus ROG Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ / 855 Plus, Adreno 640, 12288
41 fps -23%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
  (28 - 57, n=25)
43.2 fps -18%
Average of class Smartphone
  (3.6 - 123, n=218, last 2 years)
43.3 fps -18%
1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
27 fps
Nubia RedMagic 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
54 fps +100%
OnePlus 8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
54 fps +100%
Xiaomi Mi 10
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 8192
53 fps +96%
Oppo Reno3 Pro 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
24 fps -11%
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
23 fps -15%
Asus ROG Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ / 855 Plus, Adreno 640, 12288
47 fps +74%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
  (27 - 67, n=25)
52.7 fps +95%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.3 - 229, n=218, last 2 years)
62.9 fps +133%
on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
27 fps
Nubia RedMagic 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
28 fps +4%
OnePlus 8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
31 fps +15%
Xiaomi Mi 10
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 8192
29 fps +7%
Oppo Reno3 Pro 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
13 fps -52%
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
8.9 fps -67%
Asus ROG Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ / 855 Plus, Adreno 640, 12288
27 fps 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
  (18 - 40, n=25)
27.8 fps +3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.8 - 105, n=218, last 2 years)
32.2 fps +19%
2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
20 fps
Nubia RedMagic 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
20 fps 0%
OnePlus 8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
20 fps 0%
Xiaomi Mi 10
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 8192
20 fps 0%
Oppo Reno3 Pro 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
8.6 fps -57%
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
13 fps -35%
Asus ROG Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ / 855 Plus, Adreno 640, 12288
18 fps -10%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
  (20 - 27, n=25)
20.5 fps +3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (0.85 - 94, n=218, last 2 years)
25 fps +25%
AnTuTu v8 - Total Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
572807 Points
Nubia RedMagic 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
607937 Points +6%
OnePlus 8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
563466 Points -2%
Xiaomi Mi 10
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 8192
566256 Points -1%
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
298925 Points -48%
Asus ROG Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ / 855 Plus, Adreno 640, 12288
501784 Points -12%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
  (527301 - 631025, n=24)
579049 Points +1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (last 2 years)
101336 Points -82%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
5302 Points
Nubia RedMagic 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
6149 Points +16%
OnePlus 8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
5897 Points +11%
Xiaomi Mi 10
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 8192
5752 Points +8%
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
3990 Points -25%
Asus ROG Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ / 855 Plus, Adreno 640, 12288
5335 Points +1%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
  (5264 - 6402, n=23)
5871 Points +11%
Average of class Smartphone
  (411 - 11438, n=158, last 2 years)
5704 Points +8%
System (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
8622 Points
Nubia RedMagic 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
9723 Points +13%
OnePlus 8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
10021 Points +16%
Xiaomi Mi 10
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 8192
9810 Points +14%
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
6870 Points -20%
Asus ROG Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ / 855 Plus, Adreno 640, 12288
8693 Points +1%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
  (8412 - 10147, n=23)
9660 Points +12%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2376 - 16475, n=158, last 2 years)
9621 Points +12%
Memory (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
5688 Points
Nubia RedMagic 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
8398 Points +48%
OnePlus 8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
6912 Points +22%
Xiaomi Mi 10
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 8192
7450 Points +31%
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
5278 Points -7%
Asus ROG Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ / 855 Plus, Adreno 640, 12288
6077 Points +7%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
  (5304 - 8874, n=23)
7073 Points +24%
Average of class Smartphone
  (670 - 12306, n=158, last 2 years)
6230 Points +10%
Graphics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
11445 Points
Nubia RedMagic 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
11648 Points +2%
OnePlus 8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
11654 Points +2%
Xiaomi Mi 10
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 8192
11730 Points +2%
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
5087 Points -56%
Asus ROG Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ / 855 Plus, Adreno 640, 12288
10467 Points -9%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
  (11366 - 13833, n=23)
11779 Points +3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (697 - 58651, n=158, last 2 years)
13900 Points +21%
Web (sort by value)
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
1429 Points
Nubia RedMagic 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
1505 Points +5%
OnePlus 8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
1498 Points +5%
Xiaomi Mi 10
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 8192
1276 Points -11%
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, Adreno 620, 8192
1378 Points -4%
Asus ROG Phone 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ / 855 Plus, Adreno 640, 12288
1465 Points +3%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
  (1276 - 2169, n=23)
1497 Points +5%
Average of class Smartphone
  (10 - 2145, n=158, last 2 years)
1487 Points +4%
Jetstream 2 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (13.8 - 351, n=167, last 2 years)
104 Points +96%
Asus ROG Phone 2 (Chrome 78)
67.3 Points +27%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (45.2 - 77, n=20)
63.6 Points +20%
Nubia RedMagic 5G (Chrome 83)
61.5 Points +16%
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G (Chrome 80)
53.1 Points 0%
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro (Chrome 83)
53.1 Points
OnePlus 8 (Chrome 83)
51.3 Points -3%
Xiaomi Mi 10 (Xiaomi Browser V11.4.23)
50.9 Points -4%
Speedometer 2.0 - Result
Average of class Smartphone (14.9 - 445, n=151, last 2 years)
104.7 runs/min +55%
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro (Chrome 83)
67.7 runs/min
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (30.6 - 74.5, n=19)
63.9 runs/min -6%
Nubia RedMagic 5G (Chrome 83)
59.6 runs/min -12%
Xiaomi Mi 10 (Xiaomi Browser V11.4.23)
56.2 runs/min -17%
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G (Chrome 80)
54.9 runs/min -19%
OnePlus 8 (Chrome 83)
50.8 runs/min -25%
Asus ROG Phone 2 (Chrome 78)
39.1 runs/min -42%
WebXPRT 3 - Overall
Average of class Smartphone (37 - 304, n=118, last 2 years)
130.7 Points +29%
Xiaomi Mi 10 (Xiaomi Browser V11.4.23)
118 Points +17%
Asus ROG Phone 2 (Chrome 78)
111 Points +10%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (97 - 127, n=23)
106.7 Points +6%
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro (Chrome 83)
101 Points
OnePlus 8 (Chrome 83)
99 Points -2%
Nubia RedMagic 5G (Chrome 83)
99 Points -2%
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G (Chrome 80)
80 Points -21%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 89112, n=202, last 2 years)
33355 Points +59%
Asus ROG Phone 2
24571 Points +17%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (14606 - 31224, n=23)
22518 Points +7%
Xiaomi Mi 10 (Xiaomi Browser V11.4.23)
22016 Points +5%
Nubia RedMagic 5G (Chrome 83)
21048 Points 0%
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro (Chrome 83)
20976 Points
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G (Chrome 80)
18809 Points -10%
OnePlus 8 (Chrome 83)
15745 Points -25%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G (Chrome 80)
2787 ms * -35%
OnePlus 8 (Chrome 83)
2538 ms * -23%
Nubia RedMagic 5G (Chrome 83)
2401 ms * -16%
Xiaomi Mi 10 (Xiaomi Browser V11.4.23)
2104 ms * -2%
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro (Chrome 83)
2061 ms *
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (1623 - 2911, n=24)
2031 ms * +1%
Asus ROG Phone 2 (Chrome 78)
2007 ms * +3%
Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=165, last 2 years)
1658 ms * +20%

* ... smaller is better

Xiaomi Black Shark 3 ProNubia RedMagic 5GOnePlus 8Xiaomi Mi 10Oppo Reno3 Pro 5GXiaomi Redmi K30 5GAsus ROG Phone 2Average 256 GB UFS 3.0 FlashAverage of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5
-14%
3%
-3%
-33%
-51%
-24%
-9%
21%
Sequential Read 256KB
1398
1654
18%
1707
22%
1498
7%
961
-31%
890
-36%
1487
6%
1573 ?(983 - 1789, n=21)
13%
1468 ?(215 - 4512, n=210, last 2 years)
5%
Sequential Write 256KB
658
388.4
-41%
748
14%
680
3%
476.3
-28%
312.8
-52%
386.4
-41%
559 ?(387 - 818, n=21)
-15%
1078 ?(57.5 - 3678, n=210, last 2 years)
64%
Random Read 4KB
218.2
201.6
-8%
215
-1%
207
-5%
159.1
-27%
96.8
-56%
165.9
-24%
209 ?(168.5 - 265, n=21)
-4%
242 ?(22.2 - 543, n=210, last 2 years)
11%
Random Write 4KB
261.5
193.6
-26%
203.9
-22%
215.9
-17%
145
-45%
101
-61%
165.3
-37%
186.4 ?(24.8 - 272, n=21)
-29%
266 ?(13 - 709, n=210, last 2 years)
2%

Gaming - Gaming Phone with an Adreno 650 GPU

The integrated gyroscope and touchscreen controls of the Black Shark 3 Pro work reliably and accurately while gaming. Aside from the usual smartphone buttons, there is a button for the gaming hub and the "Master Triggers", which are two dedicated, retractable shoulder buttons. Although the shoulder buttons can be reassigned to other actions, they are significantly looser than the other buttons.

The graphics performance of the Adreno 650 is sufficient enough to display even more-demanding games such as PUBG mobile smoothly at the highest quality settings. However, we were unable to take advantage of the full 90 Hz of the OLED panel in the titles we tested, even though some of the titles theoretically support higher refresh rates - Black Shark seems to have limited the frame rate to 60 FPS, which is a particularly odd choice for a gaming smartphone. The slightly older shooter Dead Trigger 2 can only be played at 60 FPS at high graphics settings, while Asphalt 9 Legends is currently stuck at the 30 FPS mark. We used Gamebench to record the frame rates.

Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro smartphone review
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro smartphone review
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro smartphone review
PUBG Mobile
051015202530354045505560Tooltip
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro: Ø59.9 (57-61)
Asphalt 9 Legends
051015202530Tooltip
Dead Trigger 2
051015202530354045505560Tooltip
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro: Ø60.1 (60-61)

Emissions - Black Shark 3 Pro with Stereo Speakers

Temperature

Excessive heat development under load can adversely affect the gaming experience. We used the battery test of the GFXBench app to monitor the performance level of the Black Shark 3 when stressed for extended periods. As the Manhattan 3.1 test shows, the frame rate barely drops as the system load increases. The fluctuations are within 5%. Thus, performance drops during prolonged gaming sessions are unlikely thanks to the effective sandwich-style liquid cooling system.

Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro smartphone review
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro smartphone review
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro smartphone review
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro smartphone review
Max. Load
 38 °C
100 F
39.6 °C
103 F
39.5 °C
103 F
 
 38.3 °C
101 F
40.1 °C
104 F
40.2 °C
104 F
 
 38.3 °C
101 F
39.6 °C
103 F
39.4 °C
103 F
 
Maximum: 40.2 °C = 104 F
Average: 39.2 °C = 103 F
35.4 °C
96 F
38.8 °C
102 F
36.1 °C
97 F
36 °C
97 F
39.9 °C
104 F
35.7 °C
96 F
36.4 °C
98 F
39.3 °C
103 F
36.1 °C
97 F
Maximum: 39.9 °C = 104 F
Average: 37.1 °C = 99 F
Power Supply (max.)  39.9 °C = 104 F | Room Temperature 21.6 °C = 71 F | Fluke t3000FC (calibrated), Voltcraft IR-260
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 39.2 °C / 103 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 40.2 °C / 104 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 39.9 °C / 104 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.
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro smartphone review
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro smartphone review

Speakers

Speaker test: Pink noise
Speaker test: Pink noise

In our tests, the stereo speakers, which face the user, achieve a satisfactory maximum volume level of 84 dB(A). The audio is defined by mids that sound fairly unbalanced.

For better audio output, buyers may use the 3.5 mm headphone jack, which offers good sound and a solid maximum volume level. Thanks to support for the Bluetooth codecs aptX and aptX HD as well as LDAC, nothing stands in the way of wireless solutions, either.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2035.435.12539.736.9312828.44027.4315029.834.36325.826.58022.22610023.424.112521.222.716019.230.920018.940.22501949.531517.252.84001657.950016.764.863018.865.580014.770.1100015.673.512501474.9160013.975.6200014.474.7250014.773.6315014.372.840001571.9500015.773.2630015.860.4800015.763.41000016.260.61250015.7581600015.948.9SPL71.86327.684.3N26.315155.8median 15.9median 63median 14.3median 70Delta3.313.913.314.332.828.826.228.123.32521.925.52831.119.924.419.122.519.926.116.531.619.644.517.544.317.55113.956.713.961.415.865.215.265.61466.3146713.970.313.473.113.874.514.374.91473.414.572.714.670.914.569.414.768.415.165.41561.914.849.326.583.50.854.8median 14.6median 65.61.18.9hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseXiaomi Black Shark 3 ProXiaomi Mi 10
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 70% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(-) | nearly no mids - on average 70% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(-) | nearly no highs - on average 70% lower than median
(+) | highs are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (117.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 85% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 6% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 95% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 2% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Xiaomi Mi 10 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.5 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 23.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.5% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.2% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (2.8% 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%

Energy Management - Xiaomi Smartphone with 65 W Fast Charging

Energy Consumption

The Xiaomi smartphone is equipped with a large 5000 mAh battery (2x2500 mAh) that can be fully recharged via the USB Type-C port within less than 45 minutes thanks to Qualcomm's quick charge 4.0+ 65 W technology. Additionally, four magnetic connectors on the back of the Black Shark 3 Pro offer an alternative charging method that requires an optional charging cable and limits the charge rate to 18 watts.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.1 / 0.2 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 1.5 / 2.3 / 3.1 Watt
Load midlight 7.4 / 12.3 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 3 Pro
5000 mAh
OnePlus 8
4300 mAh
Xiaomi Mi 10
4780 mAh
Oppo Reno3 Pro 5G
4025 mAh
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G
4500 mAh
Asus ROG Phone 2
6000 mAh
Nubia RedMagic 5G
4500 mAh
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
 
Average of class Smartphone
 
Power Consumption
31%
46%
24%
49%
31%
20%
36%
Idle Minimum *
1.5
0.9
40%
0.53
65%
0.66
56%
0.68
55%
1.1
27%
1.133 ?(0.52 - 2.2, n=22)
24%
0.894 ?(0.42 - 2.37, n=157, last 2 years)
40%
Idle Average *
2.3
2.3
-0%
1.46
37%
2.37
-3%
1.05
54%
1.5
35%
2.23 ?(1.19 - 5.37, n=22)
3%
1.452 ?(0.69 - 4.26, n=157, last 2 years)
37%
Idle Maximum *
3.1
2.33
25%
1.52
51%
2.42
22%
1.07
65%
1.71
45%
2.45 ?(1.23 - 5.41, n=22)
21%
1.632 ?(0.79 - 4.45, n=157, last 2 years)
47%
Load Average *
7.4
3.5
53%
3.83
48%
6.8
8%
4.14
44%
4.84
35%
5.26 ?(3.5 - 7.4, n=22)
29%
5.55 ?(2.4 - 16.5, n=157, last 2 years)
25%
Load Maximum *
12.3
7.68
38%
8.89
28%
7.5
39%
9.05
26%
10.42
15%
9.68 ?(7.67 - 12.3, n=22)
21%
8.23 ?(4.32 - 20.8, n=157, last 2 years)
33%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

The runtimes are generally good. In spite of the huge 1440p panel, the lithium-polymer battery lasts almost 13 hours in our Wi-Fi test, which we performed at a display brightness of 150 cd/m². Even under continuous load, the energy reserves of the Black Shark 3 Pro last for more than 4 hours at maximum brightness. Thus, long gaming sessions are no problem for this particular gaming smartphone.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
26h 29min
WiFi Websurfing
12h 47min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
16h 12min
Load (maximum brightness)
4h 07min
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
5000 mAh
OnePlus 8
4300 mAh
Xiaomi Mi 10
4780 mAh
Oppo Reno3 Pro 5G
4025 mAh
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G
4500 mAh
Asus ROG Phone 2
6000 mAh
Nubia RedMagic 5G
4500 mAh
Battery Runtime
1%
2%
14%
3%
11%
-30%
Reader / Idle
1589
1374
-14%
1789
13%
2083
31%
H.264
972
1096
13%
1126
16%
734
-24%
WiFi v1.3
767
1045
36%
662
-14%
876
14%
802
5%
851
11%
614
-20%
Load
247
168
-32%
226
-9%
243
-2%
149
-40%

Pros

+ neat gaming features
+ fast Wi-Fi
+ 90-Hz AMOLED panel
+ lots of performance
+ 5G support
+ 65-W fast charging
+ lots of accessories
+ dual SIM+3.5-mm headphone jack
+ fast UFS 3.0 storage
+ stereo speakers...

Cons

- ...with weaknesses
- non-expandable storage
- no IP certification
- dim display with ambient light sensor disabled
- no wireless charging
- USB 2.0

Verdict - Big, Bigger, Black Shark 3 Pro

Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro in review: Test device courtesy of
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro in review: Test device courtesy of

The Black Shark 3 Pro offers excellent gaming hardware for mobile gaming enthusiasts. The enormous OLED panel features both a high refresh rate and a high sampling rate. Despite the 1440p resolution, the performance of the gaming smartphone is outstanding, the runtimes are decent and the heat development barely affects the available performance - even without the optional accessory "FunCooler Pro". Dedicated shoulder buttons and stereo speakers add to the overall gaming experience, although the speakers are lacking in terms of quality compared to those of the Xiaomi Mi 10.

Aside from smaller complaints, which relate to the dim display in manual mode without the ambient light sensor, somewhat loose Master Trigger buttons as well as a lack of storage expansion options, one issue is particularly irritating on a smartphone intended for gaming: The software restrictions from the Chinese manufacturer. They limit the OLED panel to below the full 90 Hz refresh rate in our test games, even though PUBG mobile and Dead Trigger 2 both theoretically support 120 FPS - here, Black Shark appears to have implemented a 60-FPS limit. The fact that the Redmi K30 5G reaches the full 120 FPS in our test exacerbates this frustration. We hope that Black Shark will fix this as soon as possible.  

The Black Shark 3 Pro is a gamer's delight.

For those who consider the 7.1-inch display to be too large, the "normal" Black Shark 3, which is already available in Europe with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage, is an interesting alternative.

Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro - 08/31/2022 v7
Marcus Herbrich

Chassis
85%
Keyboard
71 / 75 → 95%
Pointing Device
94%
Connectivity
51 / 70 → 73%
Weight
88%
Battery
90%
Display
85%
Games Performance
59 / 64 → 92%
Application Performance
83 / 86 → 97%
Temperature
90%
Noise
100%
Audio
69 / 90 → 77%
Camera
71%
Average
80%
85%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro Smartphone Review - Powerful Gaming Smartphone with a Drawback
Marcus Herbrich, 2020-06- 8 (Update: 2020-06-10)