Xiaomi Black Shark 5 smartphone review - Gaming joy at an affordable price
Possible competitors in comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Drive | Size | Resolution | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 84.9 % v7 (old) | 08 / 2022 | Xiaomi Black Shark 5 SD 870, Adreno 650 | 220 g | 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.67" | 2400x1080 | |
| 85.7 % v7 (old) | 06 / 2022 | Xiaomi Black Shark 5 Pro SD 8 Gen 1, Adreno 730 | 220 g | 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.67" | 2400x1080 | |
| 86.3 % v7 (old) | 07 / 2021 | Xiaomi Black Shark 4 SD 870, Adreno 650 | 210 g | 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.67" | 2400x1080 | |
| 83.6 % v7 (old) | 10 / 2021 | Nubia RedMagic 6S Pro SD 888+ 5G, Adreno 660 | 220 g | 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.80" | 2400x1080 | |
| 85.3 % v7 (old) | 02 / 2022 | Motorola Moto G200 5G SD 888+ 5G, Adreno 660 | 202 g | 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.80" | 2460x1080 |
Case and features - Rear notification LED
The Black Shark 5 is available for the price of a high-end phone, but it still offers many features of the higher-end model Black Shark 5 Pro with it. The model is available with the following amounts of memory:
- Black Shark 5 - 8 GB RAM / 128 GB mass storage: 549 Euro
- Black Shark 5 - 12 GB RAM / 256 GB mass storage: 649 Euro
We'll test the larger memory variant and see if it's worth it. Thanks to a 250 euro saving compared to the Black Shark 5 Pro (available at amazon.de for 899 euro) it might even be the cleverer choice for gamers.
The Black Shark 5 is available in gray and black and looks a bit more restrained than the Pro model: the back refracts the light and features a large brand lettering, and there is also, like on the Xiaomi Black Shark 5 Pro, a multicolor LED on the back that displays notifications. However, the smartphone's design is probably a bit too flashy for business meetings.
The quality is average: although there is a metal frame and a glass back, the case can be pressed a bit and makes noise. However, the phone feels good in the hand and has a clean finish.
You do not get IP certification, wireless charging, and only a USB 2.0 port even in the cheap model. NFC and Bluetooth 5.2 are on board, though.
Communication, software and operation - Triggers for games and everyday life
The phone supports Wi-Fi 6, but not Wi-Fi 6E, so it cannot access the less-used 6 GHz band. This has a slightly negative impact in terms of speed in our test with the AXE11000 router: the phone achieves typical speeds, but they are slightly lower and less stable when receiving data in comparison with the Black Shark 5 Pro, which supports WiFi 6E.
5G is supported, just so as many 4G frequencies, so you can also surf mobile abroad without problems. The reception is on a good level in our samples during the test, even indoors.
The in-house JoyUI is based on Android 12 and is equipped with a special design and some extra features for gamers: for example, you can adjust numerous settings for games in Shark Space. During our test, we get an update to the already somewhat older security patches from June 2022. You should expect a security update every three months, the manufacturer states 2 years as the update period.
One of the trademarks of the Black Shark phones is the mechanical triggers that can be extended and retracted via sliders. They can not only be used for gaming but are also beneficial for everyday smartphone use, for example, scrolling or launching apps. The controls can be freely assigned, but they always have the function of a shutter release in the camera app, for example.
The standby button is found on the casing's right and the fingerprint sensor is also integrated here. It unlocks the smartphone almost without delay and works reliably. Unlocking via a face scan is also possible, but it is only software-based and thus not quite as secure.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| Nubia RedMagic 6S Pro | |
| Motorola Moto G200 5G | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 4 | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| Nubia RedMagic 6S Pro | |
| Motorola Moto G200 5G | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 4 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 5 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 5 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 5 Pro | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 5 Pro | |
Cameras - No hybrid zoom
The main camera with 64 megapixels comes from Samsung and usually takes pictures with a quarter of the resolution, but with more light-sensitive, larger pixels. The color reproduction in dark areas suffers in case of large brightness differences in the picture. In addition, images are heavily blurred overall. Large areas look grainy when looking closer. In low light, the camera brightens up well and still shows some details.
The wide-angle camera can only be selected directly; there is no hybrid zoom. We like the distortion correction, but the picture has a clear blue cast overall and hardly shows any more details when zoomed in. There is also a low-resolution macro camera for extreme close-ups.
Videos with the camera system can be recorded at a maximum of 4K with 60 fps. If you want to shoot with the wide-angle lens, you have to select it before recording, because switching during recording is not supported. The autofocus responds quickly and without pumping, and the exposure adjustment also works well.
The manufacturer claims the front-facing camera to be 20 megapixels, but it is actually only a 16-megapixel sensor from Omnivision. It is possible to take decent selfies with it, but they could show a bit more detail in dark areas and also look a bit grainy in detail.
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.
Hauptkamera BlumeHauptkamera UmgebungHauptkamera Low LightWeitwinkelkamera
Display - PWM flickering could be a problem
The screen is an AMOLED panel with 2400 x 1080 pixels resolution. The highlight is the high frame rate of up to 144 Hz. The screen proves to be sufficiently bright, but it hardly reaches higher values than 700 cd/m² even with a small measuring area. That is okay for outdoor use, but the brightness could be even higher for a better HDR experience.
The display of the Black Shark 5 yields very similar measurements as the one of the Black Shark 5 Pro so it seems to be the same panel.
There are only differences in the response times, but this will be due to our new oscilloscope, which records more accurate values. The PWM frequency is also higher, which seems to be due to a different control. There is no DC dimming mode to alleviate the PWM flickering.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 98 %
Center on Battery: 649 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.88 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.9
ΔE Greyscale 3.2 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
99.9% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.215
| Xiaomi Black Shark 5 AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.7" | Xiaomi Black Shark 5 Pro AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.7" | Xiaomi Black Shark 4 Super AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.7" | Nubia RedMagic 6S Pro AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.8" | Motorola Moto G200 5G IPS LCD, 2460x1080, 6.8" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Response Times | -227% | -284% | -54% | 5328% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 1.8 ? | 6 ? -233% | 11 ? -511% | 2.4 ? -33% | 32 ? -1678% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 1.6 ? | 8 ? -400% | 6 ? -275% | 2.4 ? -50% | 28 ? -1650% |
| PWM Frequency | 460 | 235 -49% | 162.3 -65% | 90.6 ? -80% | 89290 19311% |
| Screen | -6% | -14% | -27% | -6% | |
| Brightness middle | 649 | 642 -1% | 676 4% | 714 10% | 512 -21% |
| Brightness | 646 | 637 -1% | 669 4% | 705 9% | 488 -24% |
| Brightness Distribution | 98 | 96 -2% | 98 0% | 96 -2% | 87 -11% |
| Black Level * | 0.36 | ||||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 3.88 | 3.19 18% | 5.77 -49% | 5.9 -52% | 3.42 12% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 7.58 | 7.12 6% | 9.81 -29% | 8.7 -15% | 5.9 22% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 3.2 | 4.9 -53% | 3.7 -16% | 6.8 -113% | 3.7 -16% |
| Gamma | 2.215 99% | 2.22 99% | 1.959 112% | 2.25 98% | 7154 0% |
| CCT | 7171 91% | 7671 85% | 6584 99% | 7774 84% | 1.944 334362% |
| Contrast | 1422 | ||||
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -117% /
-79% | -149% /
-104% | -41% /
-36% | 2661% /
1772% |
* ... smaller is better
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 0.8 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 0.8 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. » 6 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 1.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 0.8 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 1 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 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 6 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (32.8 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 460 Hz |  | |
The display backlight flickers at 460 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) . The frequency of 460 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 8684 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Measurement series with fixed zoom level and different brightness settings
Performance, emissions and battery life - Long-lasting fun
The Snapdragon 870 from Qualcomm was already used in the Black Shark 4. It is an upper-class SoC, but still, a level below the current top processors when it comes to performance, and the SoC is also a bit older. In our benchmarks, the processor's performance is slightly lower than in other gaming phones, the differences are sometimes around 20%.
In graphics-intensive applications, the Adreno 650 actually keeps up quite well, but 3DMark Wild Life shows that the graphics solution is not as future-proof as in other gaming phones.
The Black Shark 5 can achieve quite good rates in our gaming benchmarks, even though they fluctuate considerably in the fast shooter Armajet. In return, you get the possibility to use 90 fps in low settings in PUBG Mobile, which wasn't available on the Black Shark 5 Pro at the time of testing.
The storage controller is less convincing. The Black Shark 5 has to accept a drop in transfer speeds compared with the Pro model. The differences are so obvious that they also become visible in everyday use as slightly longer loading times of apps.
In return, the Black Shark 5 has to deal with much less heating than its more powerful brother. The case heats up noticeably under prolonged high load, but the waste heat remains within reasonable limits and should only become unpleasant in high ambient temperatures.
The stereo speakers are located on the phone's short edges and spread a good sound with deep mids and a quite rounded sound overall. If you want even better sound, you can connect headphones or speakers via USB-C or Bluetooth, whereby the latter can use all current aptX codecs.
The Black Shark 5 comes with a 4,650 mAh battery, which provides a decent runtime of 13 hours in our Wi-Fi test and can also last for a few hours during gaming. The phone can be charged with up to 120 watts via the included adapter. Thus, the battery needs a maximum of half an hour until it is completely full again.
| Xiaomi Black Shark 5 | Xiaomi Black Shark 5 Pro | Xiaomi Black Shark 4 | Nubia RedMagic 6S Pro | Motorola Moto G200 5G | Average 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | 83% | 23% | 22% | 19% | 47% | 58% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 1363.7 | 1945.4 43% | 1663 22% | 1607 18% | 1898 39% | 1742 ? 28% | 1873 ? 37% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 677.4 | 1485.2 119% | 760 12% | 765 13% | 712 5% | 1160 ? 71% | 1466 ? 116% |
| Random Read 4KB | 224.3 | 344.9 54% | 283.1 26% | 285.8 27% | 155.9 -30% | 286 ? 28% | 277 ? 23% |
| Random Write 4KB | 197.5 | 424.8 115% | 259.9 32% | 254.9 29% | 322.5 63% | 319 ? 62% | 309 ? 56% |
Gaming Benchmarks
| PUBG Mobile | |
| HD | |
| Nubia RedMagic 6S Pro | |
| Motorola Moto G200 5G | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 5 | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 5 Pro | |
| Smooth | |
| Nubia RedMagic 6S Pro | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 5 | |
| Motorola Moto G200 5G | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 5 Pro | |
| Armajet - Deathmatch, 4vs4, Magma, Bots only | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 5 Pro | |
| Motorola Moto G200 5G | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 5 | |
Temperature
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 42.7 °C / 109 F, compared to the average of 35.1 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 63.7 °C for the class Smartphone.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 43.9 °C / 111 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 31 °C / 88 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
Speaker
Xiaomi Black Shark 5 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (82.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 69% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(-) | nearly no mids - on average 69% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(-) | nearly no highs - on average 69% lower than median
(+) | highs are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (123.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 92% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 1% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 36%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 98% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 0% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Motorola Moto G200 5G audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (81.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 25% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.4% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.9% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 27% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 65% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 36%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 47% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 46% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Battery life
Pros
Cons
Verdict - Often sufficient for gamers
The perspective of the Xiaomi Black Shark 5 is important: if you want an absolutely future-proof gaming phone that you can use for the current top games for years, then a smartphone with a faster SoC is recommended. If the demands are not quite as high and/or you want to replace the phone in the next few years anyway, then it is still completely sufficient for current mobile games.
In addition, there is great gaming software and mechanical triggers, which can also be cleverly integrated into the phone's overall operating concept in everyday use. The battery even lasts a bit longer than in the Black Shark 5 Pro but you have to do without the modern WiFi 6E. The phone's screen is on par with its more expensive brother, but there are slight drawbacks in the camera.
The Black Shark 5 is a low-priced gaming phone with mechanical triggers. It doesn't play in the top performance league but can fulfill higher demands.
If you invest the 250 euro surcharge for the Pro model, you will get even more performance, an even more unusual appearance, and a slightly better configuration.
The Xiaomi Black Shark 4 is also still available, for example at amazon.de. You can save a few Euros here, and it could be a good alternative thanks to the same SoC and even more restrained design. However, you should consider the shorter software update cycle.
Price and availability
The Xiaomi Black Shark 5 is available at the manufacturer's price of 549 Euros for the smaller storage version. You can either order it directly from the manufacturer's website or from amazon.de.
The storage variant with 256 GB mass storage and 12 GB RAM costs 100 Euros extra, it is also available at the manufacturer or at amazon.de.
Xiaomi Black Shark 5
- 08/30/2022 v7 (old)
Florian Schmitt
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