Deutsch
Español
Français
Italiano
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Русский
Türkçe
Svenska
Chinese
MagyarXiaomi Black Shark 3 Smartphone Review – Gaming Power with LED Effects
"Black Shark", it sounds wild, perhaps a little like a B-movie and definitely like something gamers would enjoy. As past generations have shown, Xiaomi's Black Shark series gaming smartphones tend to offer a lot of gaming-specific features.
With the Black Shark 3, the third generation of the powerful gaming smartphone has arrived. We have already tested the Pro model, which was only available as an import device from Asia at the time. While the non-Pro Black Shark 3, which we are reviewing here, is more compact and equipped with a lower-resolution display, a modem with fewer 5G frequencies, no NFC module and less storage, it is significantly cheaper at just below 600 Euros (~$685). Unfortunately, it lacks the dedicated trigger buttons on the side, which can be freely assigned to additional functions on the Black Shark 3 Pro.
Let us see, whether the Black Shark 3 is still a compelling enough smartphone for gamers.
Competing Devices
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Drive | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85.3 % | 07/2020 | Xiaomi Black Shark 3 SD 865, Adreno 650 | 222 g | 128 GB UFS 3.0 Flash | 6.67" | 2400x1080 | |
| 87.3 % | 05/2019 | Xiaomi Black Shark 2 SD 855, Adreno 640 | 205 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.39" | 2340x1080 | |
| 85.3 % | 06/2020 | Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro SD 865, Adreno 650 | 253 g | 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash | 7.10" | 3120x1440 | |
| 88.4 % | 06/2020 | OnePlus 8 SD 865, Adreno 650 | 180 g | 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash | 6.55" | 2400x1080 | |
| 84.2 % | 06/2020 | Nubia RedMagic 5G SD 865, Adreno 650 | 218 g | 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash | 6.65" | 2340x1080 | |
| 87.7 % | 04/2020 | Samsung Galaxy S20+ Exynos 990, Mali-G77 MP11 | 188 g | 128 GB UFS 3.0 Flash | 6.70" | 3200x1440 |
Case – Polarizing Yet Convenient
Often times, the cases of gaming devices are polarizing and as it happens, the Xiaomi Black Shark 3 is a far cry from the clearly defined lines of an iPhone. A triangular module with cut-off corners houses the camera module, and the entire back is covered by an X that consists of a glossy material contrasted by two matte stripes. While the color variants black and gray are fairly conservative choices, the gray variant comes with light blue accents.
The back is not just supposed to look good but also be of use while gaming: The design is entirely symmetric and there is even a congruent counterpart to the camera module, although it of course does not actually contain a camera setup. Since both modules slightly protrude from the case, the Black Shark 3 is easy to handle and there is no threat of it slipping out of the hand during games.
As is common for a gaming smartphone nowadays, the Black Shark 3 comes with LED effects on the back that are very customizable. They also double as the notification LED and light up on new messages.
Although the phone itself is slightly heavier than its predecessor, it is significantly lighter and more compact than the Black Shark 3 Pro. That being said, fans of lightweight smartphones are bound to be disappointed by most gaming smartphones.
Features – Many Features for Below 600 Euros/$700
Xiaomi offers two configurations of the smartphone:
- 8 GB LPDDR4X RAM + 128 GB internal storage: 599 Euros (~$685)
- 12 GB LPDDR5 RAM + 256 GB internal storage: 729 Euro (~$834)
However, the gray color variant is only available for the lower-end model. For the price, the features are more than decent, particularly when considering that the smartphone uses fast UFS 3.0 storage. Meanwhile, the faster LPDDR5 RAM is exclusive to the higher-capacity configuration.
Since the USB port is only connected to USB 2.0 internally, data transfers to and from a PC will be relatively slow. Thanks to the Widevine L1 certification of the European model of the Black Shark 3, users will be able to stream movies and TV shows at HD resolutions.
Software - JoyUI Specifically for Gamers
JoyUI 11, which has been developed specifically for Xiaomi's gaming smartphones, is based on Android 10. No criticism is warranted when it comes to the security patches, which were up to date at the time of writing.
A slider on the right edge of the device launches Shark Space 3.0, which is a special gaming environment that blocks interruptions while gaming and allows users to tweak certain settings. Furthermore, it can be used to control certain accessories such as the FunCooler.
The lighting on the back can be individually customized. Many screens come in the green-black Black Shark design, even with the dark mode disabled.
Communication and GPS – Onboard 5G
There is onboard 5G and thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon X55 modem, both mmWave and sub-6 GHz are supported to allow for either short range/high throughput or higher range/slightly smaller throughput networking.
Since the Black Shark 3 supports numerous 4G frequencies, users should not encounter any issues when trying to connect to mobile communications networks even when traveling to remote countries. Bluetooth 5.0 is supported as well. Unfortunately, Xiaomi has elected not to implement NFC and thus payments with the smartphone via mobile payment services are unavailable.
Relative to other devices in its price range, the smartphone performs well in conjunction with our reference router Netgear Nighthawk AX12: Thanks to Wi-Fi 6 support, our test device achieves fairly high transfer rates that occasionally even rival those of more expensive smartphones.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| OnePlus 8 | |
| Nubia RedMagic 5G | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20+ | |
| Average of class Smartphone (16.9 - 1368, n=69, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 2 | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| Nubia RedMagic 5G | |
| OnePlus 8 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20+ | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 2 | |
| Average of class Smartphone (32.7 - 953, n=70, last 2 years) | |
GPS, AGPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo and QZSS are used to determine the current position. Our short tests with the apps GPS Test and GPSTest show that the device benefits from its wide range of accessible satellites, which it is able to use to quickly locate us with an accuracy of within 3 meters (~10 feet).
Of course, the Xiaomi Black Shark 3 also has to prove itself on our bike ride, which we simultaneously record with the professional navi Garmin Edge 520 for comparison purposes. Here, the gaming smartphone produces very accurate results apart from a few small deviations. It is quite reliable and produces good results even in more difficult scenarios such as circling the roundabout twice. Overall, the phone is well suited to daily navigation tasks.
Telephony and Call Quality – Solid Call Quality
Google's standard app is used as the telephony app. Both VoLTE and Wi-Fi calling are available and both SIM slots are 5G-compatible.
The volume of the integrated earpiece is very high, which allows users to clearly understand the person on the other end of the line, even in very noisy environments. While the quality is decent, there is noticeable static at times. Meanwhile, our voice is being transmitted very loudly and clearly. Although our conversational partner is slightly quieter in hands-free mode, voices still sound distinct. In this mode, our voice sounds somewhat distanced, but relatively clear. The speech quality can be described as good overall.
Cameras – Good Results
The camera setup matches that of the Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro: The main camera has a 64-megapixel sensor, which captures pictures at a resolution of 16 megapixels. Although this may sound strange at first, it is common practice on current smartphones: Four pixels are combined into one, which results in a higher light yield, since each pixels cover a larger part of the image. However, 64-megapixel pictures can be captured with the appropriate mode.
On top of that there is a wide-angle lens with a resolution of 13 megapixels, which can be used for macro shots. The third optics, which has a resolution of 5 megapixels, is only responsible for depth information and cannot take pictures by itself. Unfortunately, zooming between the main and the wide-angle camera is not available, and instead the two optics can only be switched between.
Red shades are often a challenge for cameras and both the Black Shark 3 and the OnePlus 8 Pro struggle to capture the red blossoms. In this scene, the iPhone 11 Pro Max offers a lot more details, as does our DSLR camera. Conversely, the landscape shot of our test device looks detailed and well balanced, whereas the iPhone manages to capture more light. While the Black Shark 3 still achieves a detailed representation of low-light situations with high contrasts, it then noticeably struggles in terms of sharpness in some areas and suffers from image noise.
Videos can be recorded at 4K and 60 FPS and the quality is rather good even in poor lighting. While the autofocus could be slightly more responsive, we were pleased with the quality of video recordings overall.
In our lab, the main camera faces several predefined lighting scenarios. At one lux, the camera still manages to capture some parts of the scene, although the image then suffers from noticeable graininess and clarity issues. Although the picture looks somewhat pale at full lighting, particularly towards the edges, the representation is still decent overall.
Accessories and Warranty – Optional Cooler
The scope of delivery includes a hefty quick charger, a silicone bumper, a SIM tool and of course a charging cable. Plenty of additional accessories are available on the Black Shark web shop, such as the Fun Cooler for 39 Euros (~$45), which can be attached to the back of the smartphone to reduce the temperature of the back by up to 28 °C (82.4 °F). However, neither the surface temperature nor throttling were severe enough for this accessory to be worth it, in our opinion.
The GamePad costs just below 60 Euros (~$69) and offers four freely assignable buttons and a joystick that like its counterparts on modern consol controllers can also be pressed. The magnetic pins on the back of the Black Shark 3 can be used to connect magnetic cables. They can be purchased for 25 Euros (~$29) and provide a more conveniently located charging connector, where the cable does not get in the way while gaming. However, the cable and the magnet port only support charging at up to 18 watts.
The manufacturer offers buyers of the smartphone a 24-month warranty.
Input Devices & Handling – Very Responsive Thanks to 90 Hz
For most people who have tried a smartphone with a 90-Hz screen, it is hard to return to a phone with a 60-Hz display: The snappy response of a panel with a higher refresh rate is simply better. The same holds true for the Black Shark 3 which is smooth and stutter-free, which can certainly be partially attributed to the fast SoC.
Xiaomi uses Google's default GBoard as the keyboard app. It allows for fast and precise typing and other keyboards can be subsequently installed at any time.
An in-display fingerprint sensor has been placed in a convenient location, where it recognizes fingerprints quickly and accurately. The smartphone can also be unlocked via facial recognition, which works well even in poorly lit environments.
Display – Relatively Bright and without Blue Tint
Compared to the Pro model, the Black Shark 3 has a slightly smaller screen with a slightly lower resolution. In practice, the display still looks clear. The screen gets brighter than the one of the Pro model by a small margin for a decent maximum brightness overall. At 90%, the illumination is sufficiently even.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 90 %
Center on Battery: 619 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.74 | 0.55-29.43 Ø5.2
ΔE Greyscale 1.7 | 0.57-98 Ø5.4
99.6% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.188
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.67 | Xiaomi Black Shark 2 AMOLED, 2340x1080, 6.39 | Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro AMOLED, 3120x1440, 7.10 | OnePlus 8 AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.55 | Nubia RedMagic 5G OLED, 2340x1080, 6.65 | Samsung Galaxy S20+ AMOLED, 3200x1440, 6.70 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | -49% | -37% | 35% | -91% | 22% | |
| Brightness middle | 619 | 409 -34% | 570 -8% | 778 26% | 593 -4% | 740 20% |
| Brightness | 616 | 412 -33% | 589 -4% | 783 27% | 601 -2% | 747 21% |
| Brightness Distribution | 90 | 95 6% | 90 0% | 95 6% | 92 2% | 94 4% |
| Black Level * | ||||||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 3.74 | 5.2 -39% | 4.65 -24% | 0.9 76% | 8.1 -117% | 2.6 30% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 7.94 | 8.9 -12% | 7.61 4% | 2.2 72% | 16.2 -104% | 4.57 42% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 1.7 | 4.8 -182% | 4.9 -188% | 1.7 -0% | 7.1 -318% | 1.5 12% |
| Gamma | 2.188 101% | 2.21 100% | 2.205 100% | 2.25 98% | 2.28 96% | 2.269 97% |
| CCT | 6662 98% | 7430 87% | 7500 87% | 6481 100% | 7566 86% | 6284 103% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 227.3 Hz |  | |
The display backlight flickers at 227.3 Hz (Likely utilizing PWM) . The frequency of 227.3 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 18878 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | |||
Although the color accuracy of the display cannot match that of the OnePlus 8 even in the natural mode, the difference only becomes visible to the naked eye when viewing red or yellow colors. We were impressed by the accurate representation of the grayscale, which does not suffer from a noticeable blue tint.
We observed PWM, which is typical for AMOLED screens. However, the Black Shark 3 comes with a DC dimming mode, which can alleviate the issues sensitive people may experience with the perceived flickering of the brightness controlling technology. The response times of the screen are worthy of a gaming smartphone, meaning they are quite fast.
Display 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. » 14 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (22.3 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 9 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 5 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 4 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows fast response rates in our tests and should be suited for gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.25 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 15 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (35.2 ms). | ||
Outdoors, the Black Shark 3 fares well in bright sunlight, although smartphones with even brighter displays have an obvious advantage here. The viewing angles warrant no criticism: The screen is visible from all angles and there are no distortions.
Performance – Super-Fast Black Shark Phone
At the time of this writing, the Snapdragon 865 is one of the fastest SoCs available for mobile devices, making it an ideal choice for a gaming phone. Like the Pro version, the Black Shark 3, too, is able to compete with even the fastest Android smartphones, which the benchmark results further reinforce.
| Geekbench 5.4 | |
| Single-Core (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro | |
| OnePlus 8 | |
| Nubia RedMagic 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20+ | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (764 - 924, n=23) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (119 - 1885, n=241, last 2 years) | |
| Multi-Core (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro | |
| OnePlus 8 | |
| Nubia RedMagic 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20+ | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (2687 - 3449, n=23) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (473 - 5538, n=241, last 2 years) | |
| Vulkan Score (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (2634 - 4737, n=15) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (79 - 9992, n=177, last 2 years) | |
| OpenCL Score (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (2896 - 4464, n=15) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (368 - 10711, n=166, last 2 years) | |
| PCMark for Android | |
| Work performance score (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 2 | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro | |
| OnePlus 8 | |
| Nubia RedMagic 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20+ | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (10990 - 19989, n=22) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (9875 - 19297, n=4, last 2 years) | |
| Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 2 | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro | |
| OnePlus 8 | |
| Nubia RedMagic 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20+ | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (9202 - 15299, n=23) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (5279 - 13282, n=28, last 2 years) | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 | |
| T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 2 | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro | |
| OnePlus 8 | |
| Nubia RedMagic 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20+ | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (50 - 138, n=23) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (22 - 165, n=186, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 2 | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro | |
| OnePlus 8 | |
| Nubia RedMagic 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20+ | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (168 - 266, n=23) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (19 - 497, n=186, last 2 years) | |
| GFXBench 3.0 | |
| on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 2 | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro | |
| OnePlus 8 | |
| Nubia RedMagic 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20+ | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (50 - 111, n=23) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (6.8 - 161, n=187, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 2 | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro | |
| OnePlus 8 | |
| Nubia RedMagic 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20+ | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (96 - 151, n=23) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (9.2 - 331, n=188, last 2 years) | |
| GFXBench 3.1 | |
| on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 2 | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro | |
| OnePlus 8 | |
| Nubia RedMagic 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20+ | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (43 - 83, n=24) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (3.7 - 143, n=188, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 2 | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro | |
| OnePlus 8 | |
| Nubia RedMagic 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20+ | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (67 - 103, n=24) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (6.2 - 223, n=188, last 2 years) | |
| AnTuTu v8 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro | |
| OnePlus 8 | |
| Nubia RedMagic 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20+ | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (527301 - 631025, n=24) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (101336 - 725649, n=39, last 2 years) | |
Similarly, the Black Shark 3 reaches top web browsing speeds. During day-to-day use, this manifests as pages loading quickly and scrolling without any lags, provided the web page has been programmed properly.
| Jetstream 2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (17.3 - 282, n=164, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 (Chrome 83) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (45.2 - 77, n=20) | |
| Nubia RedMagic 5G (Chrome 83) | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro (Chrome 83) | |
| OnePlus 8 (Chrome 83) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20+ (Chrome 80) | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 2 (Chrome 73.0.3683.90) | |
| JetStream 1.1 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (27.5 - 414, n=78, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 (Chrome 83) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (74.2 - 145.1, n=21) | |
| Nubia RedMagic 5G (Chrome 83) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20+ (Chrome 80) | |
| OnePlus 8 (Chrome 83) | |
| Speedometer 2.0 - Result | |
| Average of class Smartphone (13.3 - 375, n=153, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 (Chome 83) | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro (Chrome 83) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (30.6 - 74.5, n=19) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20+ (Chome 80) | |
| Nubia RedMagic 5G (Chrome 83) | |
| OnePlus 8 (Chrome 83) | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 2 (Chrome 73.0.3683.90) | |
| WebXPRT 3 - --- | |
| Average of class Smartphone (34 - 292, n=144, last 2 years) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (97 - 127, n=23) | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 (Chrome 83) | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro (Chrome 83) | |
| OnePlus 8 (Chrome 83) | |
| Nubia RedMagic 5G (Chrome 83) | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 2 (Chrome 73.0.3683.90) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20+ (Chrome 80) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 74261, n=193, last 2 years) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (14606 - 31224, n=23) | |
| Nubia RedMagic 5G (Chrome 83) | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro (Chrome 83) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20+ (Chrome 80) | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 2 (Chrome 73.0.3683.90) | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 (Chrome 83) | |
| OnePlus 8 (Chrome 83) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total Score | |
| OnePlus 8 (Chrome 83) | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 2 (Chrome 73.0.3683.90) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20+ (Chrome 80) | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 (Chrome 83) | |
| Nubia RedMagic 5G (Chrome 83) | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro (Chrome 83) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (1623 - 2911, n=24) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (414 - 10031, n=167, last 2 years) | |
* ... smaller is better
The extremely fast UFS 3.0 storage is a joy to use and offers significant performance advantages compared to the previous model Black Shark 2. Since competitors have been working on closing the gap, however, devices such as the OnePlus 8 are now able to match our Black Shark 3 in this category.
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 | Xiaomi Black Shark 2 | Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro | OnePlus 8 | Nubia RedMagic 5G | Samsung Galaxy S20+ | Average 128 GB UFS 3.0 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | -63% | -3% | -2% | -19% | -5% | -15% | -10% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 1692 | 793 -53% | 1398 -17% | 1707 1% | 1654 -2% | 1603 -5% | 1520 ? -10% | 1183 ? -30% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 680 | 195.6 -71% | 658 -3% | 748 10% | 388.4 -43% | 694 2% | 546 ? -20% | 743 ? 9% |
| Random Read 4KB | 238.3 | 145.2 -39% | 218.2 -8% | 215 -10% | 201.6 -15% | 199.6 -16% | 206 ? -14% | 208 ? -13% |
| Random Write 4KB | 227.8 | 25 -89% | 261.5 15% | 203.9 -10% | 193.6 -15% | 229.8 1% | 193.9 ? -15% | 217 ? -5% |
| Sequential Read 256KB SDCard | 66.8 ? | 67.3 ? | ||||||
| Sequential Write 256KB SDCard | 57.6 ? | 55.7 ? |
Gaming – Made for Gamers
The Shark Space gaming mode of the Black Shark 3 promises to guard against all interruptions during gaming sessions: Here, incoming calls can be blocked, messages hidden and the screen can be set to ignore accidental touches. Furthermore, the RAM can be cleared to make space for game data.
Even though PUBG Mobile theoretically supports 90 FPS, the Black Shark 3 does not recognize this possibility. Although manufacturers often cite a higher battery drain, it would be nice to let users decide for themselves. At least 60 FPS are achievable even at very high quality settings. By contrast, the demanding racing game Asphalt 9 is limited to 30 FPS by default, which our test device maintains consistently. We use Gamebench to record the in-game frame rates.
The Black Shark 3 should be able to display even the latest games smoothly. The fact that the manufacturer has locked users out of taking advantage of higher frame rates with a display that is capable of doing so is incomprehensible.
Emissions – No Throttling Under Load
Temperature
Although with a maximum temperature of 41.8 °C (107.28 °F), the heat development of the gaming smartphone is noticeable, it never becomes uncomfortably hot. When the device is not under heavy loads, it remains cool. According to Xiaomi, the smartphone uses a sandwich liquid cooling solution that is supposed to achieve a better efficiency due to a balanced distribution of the components that produce heat and long cooling strips that are filled with a liquid.
With GFXBench's battery test, we assess the stability of the frame rates under prolonged load. Here, we observe no significant frame rate dip even after running the benchmark in a loop 30 times.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 41.8 °C / 107 F, compared to the average of 34.9 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 52.9 °C for the class Smartphone.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 41.2 °C / 106 F, compared to the average of 33.7 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29 °C / 84 F, compared to the device average of 32.6 °C / 91 F.
Speakers
The speakers are front-facing and the top speaker also functions as the earpiece for calls.
While the audio quality is decent, the speakers do not get very loud. Lower mids could have been more pronounced, since the sound feels somewhat weak overall. Although the speakers are suitable for giving music or videos a quick listen, we recommend using a headset for a gaming-worthy sound stage. External audio devices can be connected via the 3.5-mm jack or Bluetooth for a clear, good audio experience.
Since the Black Shark 3 is certified for Hi-Res audio, it supports the playback of lossless audio formats.
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (80.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 24.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.1% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (5.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.8% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (21.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 36% of all tested devices in this class were better, 11% similar, 52% worse
» The best had a delta of 11%, average was 23%, worst was 65%
Compared to all devices tested
» 60% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 32% worse
» The best had a delta of 3%, average was 20%, worst was 65%
Nubia RedMagic 5G audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 22.4% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.6% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.3% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (3.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (20.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 30% of all tested devices in this class were better, 11% similar, 59% worse
» The best had a delta of 11%, average was 23%, worst was 65%
Compared to all devices tested
» 55% of all tested devices were better, 9% similar, 36% worse
» The best had a delta of 3%, average was 20%, worst was 65%
Battery Life – Black Shark Is No Long-distance Swimmer
Energy Consumption
While the energy consumption of the Xiaomi Black Shark 3 is not particularly low, it is slightly lower compared to the Pro model. However, the Black Shark 3 consumes slightly more energy during day-to-day use than other, similarly powerful smartphones.
| Off / Standby |   0 / 0.2 Watt |
| Idle |  1.2 / 2.1 / 2.5 Watt |
| Load |
6.3 / 10.7 Watt |
    
| |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 4720 mAh | Xiaomi Black Shark 2 4000 mAh | Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro 5000 mAh | OnePlus 8 4300 mAh | Nubia RedMagic 5G 4500 mAh | Samsung Galaxy S20+ 4500 mAh | Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | 41% | -18% | 19% | 19% | 8% | 6% | 31% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 1.2 | 0.73 39% | 1.5 -25% | 0.9 25% | 1.1 8% | 1 17% | 1.133 ? 6% | 0.885 ? 26% |
| Idle Average * | 2.1 | 1.01 52% | 2.3 -10% | 2.3 -10% | 1.5 29% | 1.7 19% | 2.23 ? -6% | 1.486 ? 29% |
| Idle Maximum * | 2.5 | 1.13 55% | 3.1 -24% | 2.33 7% | 1.71 32% | 2.3 8% | 2.45 ? 2% | 1.7 ? 32% |
| Load Average * | 6.3 | 3.64 42% | 7.4 -17% | 3.5 44% | 4.84 23% | 5.8 8% | 5.26 ? 17% | 4.27 ? 32% |
| Load Maximum * | 10.7 | 8.86 17% | 12.3 -15% | 7.68 28% | 10.42 3% | 11.8 -10% | 9.68 ? 10% | 7.09 ? 34% |
* ... smaller is better
Battery Life
While 11:43 hours in our Wi-Fi test is not a bad result per se, the runtime has decreased compared to the previous model. This is somewhat unexpected, since the battery capacity of the newer model is significantly larger at 4720 mAh. Similarly, the Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro does not exactly achieve record-breaking runtimes, either, and the OnePlus 8 for example does a far better job. Although with 3:26 hours, the Black Shark 3 reaches a decent runtime when gaming at full load, its predecessor was able to last significantly longer here as well.
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 4720 mAh | Xiaomi Black Shark 2 4000 mAh | Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro 5000 mAh | OnePlus 8 4300 mAh | Nubia RedMagic 5G 4500 mAh | Samsung Galaxy S20+ 4500 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | -2% | 11% | 11% | -21% | 16% | |
| Reader / Idle | 1487 | 952 -36% | 1589 7% | 1374 -8% | 2041 37% | |
| H.264 | 899 | 666 -26% | 972 8% | 1096 22% | 978 9% | |
| WiFi v1.3 | 703 | 774 10% | 767 9% | 1045 49% | 614 -13% | 794 13% |
| Load | 206 | 295 43% | 247 20% | 168 -18% | 149 -28% | 218 6% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict – Lots of Performance...But Not for Long
The Xiaomi Black Shark 3 has many features gamers have come to expect: An extraordinary and yet well thought-out design, extremely fast performance, swift internal storage, a reliable cooling solution and a good screen.
However, the device is not without flaws and the battery life could have been higher for longer gaming sessions, the high refresh rate support of the display in games is not as far-reaching as we would have liked and the speakers have room for improvement as well. That being said, a few compromises are unavoidable, since the Black Shark 3 gives users access to the world of gaming for just 599 Euros (~$685). This also includes the lack of an IP certification, wireless charging and NFC. The latter is particularly astounding, since mobile payments are becoming more and more important.
Compared to the Pro model, there are no dedicated shoulder buttons, however there are many gaming accessories, some of which are incredibly convenient.
The Black Shark 3 is blazing fast, but its battery life is only average.
All in all, the Black Shark 3 is an inexpensive alternative for all those who are primarily looking for high gaming performance. For non-gamers who like the design, it is still a relatively affordable, yet powerful smartphone with a 90-Hz display. In any case, the battery life should not be a top priority.
Xiaomi Black Shark 3
-
08/31/2022 v7
Florian Schmitt
More articles related to this device
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 (Black Shark Series)Related Articles
Pricecompare
