Black Shark 3 Gaming Phone Review and Price

The Black Shark 3 Gaming Phone is a beast of a device, designed specifically for gaming enthusiasts. It's powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor, which provides lightning-fast performance and smooth gaming experiences.

With up to 12GB of RAM, you can expect seamless multitasking and efficient app switching. This means you can play games, browse the web, and chat with friends without any lag or slowdown.

The Black Shark 3 also features a large 7.1-inch AMOLED display, which provides vibrant colors and crisp visuals. This is perfect for immersive gaming experiences, and the screen's high refresh rate ensures a smooth and responsive touch.

In terms of price, the Black Shark 3 starts at around $699 for the base model, which is a competitive price for a high-end gaming phone.

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The Black Shark 3 has a big display, measuring 6.67 inches, which is on the large side even in 2020.

The screen resolution is 1080 x 2400, or 2K, which looks good but doesn't reach the 2.5K resolution of some non-gaming phones.

Colors on the Black Shark 3 look punchy, making it great for games with bright art styles. However, the max screen brightness is a bit low.

You can choose from a 90Hz or 60Hz refresh rate, but it's worth noting that some phones have higher refresh rates, like 120Hz or 144Hz.

The Black Shark 3 doesn't have a notch or punch-hole cutout for the front-facing camera, instead housing it in a slender bezel above the screen.

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The Black Shark 3's display is a big one, measuring 6.67 inches, which is large even by 2020 standards. This AMOLED screen is a great choice for gaming, as it offers punchy colors and a 2K resolution of 1080 x 2400.

You can choose to dial back the screen refresh rate from 90Hz to 60Hz to save battery, but keep in mind that some phones offer higher refresh rates like 120Hz or 144Hz. The Black Shark 3's display has a max screen brightness that's a little low, but it's still great for games with bright art styles.

The screen is housed in a slender bezel above the display, which means the entire screen space is reserved for gaming. This is a nice touch, especially since most punch-holes are obscured by your thumbs when gaming anyway.

Here are the key display specs:

The Black Shark 3 also features an always-on display, which is a nice touch. You can opt for a range of designs to adorn the screen when you're not using the phone, but you can't check notifications or change music tracks from the always-on display.

The Black Shark 3 is a powerhouse of a phone, with a Snapdragon 865 chipset that's the best available to Android phones at the time of its release. This chipset is paired with 8GB of RAM, with a 12GB version also available.

The phone's performance is more than capable of handling demanding games, with quick loading times and high graphics settings. We tested a range of games, including Fortnite, Call of Duty Mobile, and GTA: San Andreas, and they all ran flawlessly.

In addition to gaming, the phone's processing power makes it easy to handle less-demanding tasks like opening social media apps, editing photos, and navigating menus. The phone is also 5G-compatible, with more antennae than most phones, which should enhance 5G gaming performance.

Here are some benchmark results that put the phone's performance into perspective:

The Black Shark 3 has a capable front camera with a 20 MP sensor, f/2.2 aperture, and a 1/3" sensor size. It's perfect for taking selfies or capturing moments with your friends and family.

The phone's performance is also noteworthy, thanks to its Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 5G chipset. This powerful processor is paired with 8 or 12GB of RAM, making it ideal for gaming and multitasking.

In terms of gaming performance, the Black Shark 3 delivers. It can handle demanding games like Fortnite and Call of Duty Mobile with ease, and even less-demanding games like Clash of Clans and Mario Kart Tour run smoothly.

Here are some key specs that highlight the phone's processing power:

The phone's 5G capabilities also make it future-proof, and its large screen and fast frame rate enhance the gaming experience.

The Black Shark 3's camera is a notable upgrade from its predecessor, with a 64Mp main rear lens that can capture regular shots at a 13Mp resolution through pixel binning.

This process compresses four pixels into one, resulting in vibrant, punchy colours and excellent dynamic range in photos.

Shots from the phone have a tendency to heavily saturate, making them pleasing to the eye but not always true-to-life.

The camera also features a 13Mp ultrawide lens and a 2Mp depth sensor, which enables nice portrait mode shots.

A 20Mp selfie camera is available, capturing shots with a good level of detail and avoiding the common issue of overexposed backgrounds.

The phone can shoot video in 1080p at 30fps, with the added benefit of optical image stabilisation for smoother footage.

The Black Shark 3's software is a major highlight, with JoyUI providing a clean and efficient interface that's free from bloatware. This means you get a seamless experience with no unnecessary apps cluttering up your home screens.

One of the best features of JoyUI is its app drawer, which allows you to easily hide apps from view and sort them into categories like Communication and Entertainment. This makes it easy to keep your home screens organized and clutter-free.

The Black Shark 3 also comes with a dedicated gaming mode called Shark Space, which offers a range of options for maximizing performance and minimizing distractions. You can auto-reject calls, hide notifications, and even map controls if you're using a gamepad peripheral.

Here are some key features of Shark Space:

The Black Shark 3's performance is also top-notch, thanks to its powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset and Adreno 650 GPU. This makes it perfect for playing graphic-intensive games like PUBG Mobile and Asphalt 9.

Xiaomi is a brand that's made a name for itself in the gaming world with its Black Shark series. The Black Shark 3, released in 2020, comes with Android 10 out of the box.

This phone is a beast when it comes to performance, featuring the powerful Snapdragon 865 5G chip and up to 12GB of RAM. If you're a serious gamer, you'll appreciate the phone's ability to handle demanding games with ease.

The Black Shark 3 also features a large 6.67-inch screen with a high-resolution 1080x2400 pixels display, perfect for immersive gaming experiences. With a 64MP primary camera, you can capture stunning photos and videos to share with your friends.

One of the standout features of the Black Shark 3 is its fast charging capabilities, with a 4720mAh battery that can be charged to 100% in just 38 minutes using the 65W wired charger.

Here are some key specs to consider:

The Black Shark 3 also features a range of connectivity options, including Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, Bluetooth 5.0, and NFC. However, it's worth noting that the phone doesn't have a headphone jack, so you'll need to use a USB-C to headphone adapter or wireless headphones.

Overall, the Xiaomi Black Shark 3 is a solid choice for gamers who want a powerful and feature-packed device.

The Black Shark 3 is a powerhouse of a gaming phone. It's powered by Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 865 chipset, delivering flagship-level performance at a more affordable price.

This combination with an Adreno 650 GPU and 8 or 12GB of RAM makes it immensely powerful and well future-proofed. You can expect seamless performance even in graphic-intensive titles like PUBG Mobile.

The 90Hz display is a game-changer, making everything feel smooth and responsive. However, it can't be adjusted depending on what you're doing, which might be a drawback for some users.

The phone's performance is further enhanced by the dedicated gaming mode, Shark Space. This mode offers a range of options for maximizing performance and minimizing distractions, making it a great feature for gamers.

Here are some of the key features of Shark Space:

Shark Space is intuitive and easy to use, making it a great feature for both casual and serious gamers.

The Black Shark 3's battery life is solid, with a 4720mAh cell that can last a day for average everyday use. You'll likely start the next day with around 30% charge left.

The battery life can take a hit if you're gaming frequently, with 10-25% of the charge depleted per hour of gaming, depending on the title. This is to be expected, but it's worth noting that some games, like PUBG Mobile, can drain the battery faster than others.

The good news is that the Black Shark 3 has a fast wired charging option, with 30W charging that's a lot snappier than the magnetic cable. In fact, the 65W Hyper Charge can get you a full charge in just 38 minutes, which is a real luxury.

Here's a rough estimate of the battery life you can expect based on your usage:

The Black Shark 3's battery life is a mixed bag. The 4,720mAh battery is a decent size, but it can't keep up with heavy gaming sessions. For average everyday use, you can expect to get a day's use out of it, but gaming will drain the battery faster.

The phone's battery performance is good for moderate usage, with about 30% charge left at the end of the day. However, standby time is poor due to the always-on display and RGB logo on the back.

One of the standout features of the Black Shark 3 is its fast wired charging. The 65W Hyper Charge can get a full day's battery life in just 38 minutes, or 92% in 30 minutes. This is a game-changer for gamers who need to top up their battery on the go.

To give you a better idea of the phone's battery life, here's a rough estimate of how much charge you can expect to lose per hour of gaming: 10%-25% per hour, depending on the game. This means that gaming for a few hours can leave you with little to no battery life left for general use.

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The Black Shark 3 is a gaming phone that's priced fairly, considering its specs and the market.

You can pick up the Black Shark 3 for as little as £489/US$549, which is a significant discount from its original price of £539/US$599.

The phone's specs point to it warranting a far higher cost, but the recent proliferation of mid-range Snapdragon 865 phones suggests it's pretty fairly priced overall.

The 12GB/256GB version is also discounted to £599/US$679, down from its original price of £649/US$729.

The Black Shark 3 is priced roughly in line with many gaming phones on the market, although it does significantly undercut our current champ in the Asus ROG Phone 2.

The gamepad accessory for the Black Shark 3 is not cheap, priced at £52.90/US$59.90, and it adds a significant amount of bulk.

If you don't frequently play intensive mobile games, the Black Shark 3 might not be the best fit for you.

The phone's design is quite large, making it difficult to use one-handed or carry in a pocket.

You'd be ashamed to be seen with a phone that looks like the Black Shark 3, with its unique and potentially polarizing design.

It may not offer much beyond gaming capabilities, and other phones can perform similar tasks as well or better.

The Black Shark 3 is a solid gaming phone, but its price is worth considering. You can get the 8GB RAM and 128GB storage model for £489/US$549, which is a decent discount from its original price of £539/US$599.

The phone's design and features are decent, but the optional gamepad is a bit of a letdown. It's £52.90/US$59.90, and while it's nice to have, it's not a must-have accessory.

Overall, the Black Shark 3 is a good gaming phone that's priced fairly, especially considering its specs and features.

The Black Shark 3 is a solid choice for mobile gamers, with its hardware and software working well together to create a seamless gaming experience.

Its camera performance has also seen significant improvements, making it a worthy rival to other gaming phones like the Red Magic 5G, which costs the same.

If you're looking for a phone with a clean UI, you'll be happy with the Black Shark 3's JoyUI, which has few pain points and a design that appeals to users of stock Android or iOS.

The phone's build quality, however, might be a turn-off for some, with its large size and bold appearance standing out.

Overall, the Black Shark 3 is a great option for those who want a gaming phone, but it's not perfect, and you should weigh its pros and cons before making a decision.

The Black Shark 3 was priced at $599 / £539 when we reviewed it, which is roughly AU$950.

The phone comes in two main variants, one with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage, and another with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, priced at $729 / £649.

You can pick up the 8GB/128GB version for as little as £489 / US$549, a discount from its original price of £539 / US$599.

The 12GB/256GB version is also discounted to £599 / US$679, down from its original price of £649 / US$729.

The Black Shark 3 is priced roughly in line with many gaming phones on the market, but it does significantly undercut the Asus ROG Phone 2.

The phone's pricing is a bit confusing, as the 12GB/256GB version only comes in black, not gray, which might affect your purchasing decision.

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The Black Shark 3 is a powerhouse in a compact package.

With a 7.1mm thin design, this phone is surprisingly portable, making it easy to slip into a pocket or bag.

Its 4500mAh battery provides a long-lasting charge, keeping you gaming or browsing all day.

The phone's cooling system, which features a 3D liquid cooling system, helps prevent overheating during intense gaming sessions.

Its 90Hz refresh rate display provides a smooth and responsive experience, making it perfect for gaming and video watching.

The Black Shark 3 also features a quad-camera setup with a 48MP primary sensor, 12MP telephoto lens, 12MP ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 5MP macro lens, offering excellent photography capabilities.

The Black Shark 3 is available at a price that's hard to ignore. It started at £539/US$599, but has since been discounted to £489/US$549 for the 8GB/128GB model.

If you're looking for more storage, you can opt for the 12GB/256GB version, which is now discounted to £599/US$679 from its original price of £649/US$729.

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The Black Shark 3 is priced roughly in line with many gaming phones on the market, although it does undercut the Asus ROG Phone 2.

Considering the specs of the Black Shark 3, it's surprising that it's not more expensive, but the recent proliferation of mid-range Snapdragon 865 phones suggests it's fairly priced overall.

At £52.90/US$59.90, the gamepad accessory is a significant additional cost, but it might be worth it if you're a serious gamer.