The Black Shark 4 Pro is hefty (220g), and thicker than the average smartphone. The back has a frosted finish that’s resistant against fingerprint smudges. But the gaming-centric design, such as the triangle LED, may not be everyone’s cup of tea. What’s undoubtedly great are the physical triggers that pop up when you toggle the switch next to them.
- Also, the first 200 orders will get a bonus original fluorescent case, and a Black Shark “Gaming Finger Sleeve” (we are just as clueless about that one, I promise you).
- On the other hand, the distortion along the edges of the image is quite present.
- You can install the Xiaomi Black Shark 4 ADB Driver by downloading and extracting the driver on the Computer.
- Xiaomi should have stopped there because Shark Chan has a few other features that are just plain off-putting.
- If you’re using an iPhone, you should get the excellent Backbone One controller to attach to your phone.
The Black Shark 4 Pro piggybacks on the successes of last year’s Black Shark 4, continuing the company’s tradition of offering high-end specs for an astonishingly low price tag. Where the $579 flagship differs is in the upgraded Qualcomm Snapdragon G processor and its wealth of brightness (1,297 nits to the 694 of its predecessor). Prices listed are for reference only and may not reflect the actual market price. Additionally, the price of the product may vary between different countries.
- If you already know that games install into the app drawer on Android by default, it can feel like relearning an unnecessarily obtuse way to access your content.
- I used to be pretty skeptical about gaming phones, and for the most part, still am.
- When you use Mobile Data, it gets worse, and when you use Mobile Data when the signals are weak, it gets worst for your phone to manage heat.
- Likewise, even though the phone is relatively thin at only 0.39 inches (10mm), it’s 6.42 inches (163mm) tall and 3 inches (76mm) wide.
The end result is a spectacularly vivid panel for your games to look at their best both indoors and in direct sunlight outdoors. The Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness trailer was the perfect showcase for the display as spells glow off the screen with vivid color. Color accuracy is impressive, the brightness levels are outstanding and the fluidity of that 144Hz refresh rate actually helped me in games like Real Racing 3. The Black Shark 4 Pro squeezes every last drop of potential out of last year’s components, pairing them with 120W charging and physical shoulder buttons, to make a decent budget gaming phone. But there are too many problems and an extremely creepy assistant app, to make it worthwhile.
In addition to the shoulder buttons, these phones still have a pressure-sensitive display that I really liked in the Black Shark 2. With the shoulder buttons and a screen like this, you can re-map the controls of a mobile game to be a little more comfortable. Richard Taylor is a technology expert and journalist based in the UK. With a degree in Computer Science from the University of Birmingham, he provides insightful analysis and expert reviews of the latest smartphones and technology. His technical expertise, passion for technology and years of experience make him a trusted source in the industry.
Lastly, connectivity options on the Black Shark 4 and Black Shark 4 Pro include Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, and a 3.5mm audio jack. The top hardware also deserves an excellent operating system. Through the Shark Space 4.0 on JOYUI 12.5, users can quickly get access to network settings, performance adjustment, mute-notification, and other functions in the game. The “diving mode” is designed for hardcore players who can effectively prevent the problem of being interrupted by phone calls or messages in the game. Multi-task running while playing games is also possible, you can do stock Android firmware that on Magic Window.