The Xiaomi Black Shark 4 Pro isn’t really a new product. The gaming smartphone was initially introduced in March 2021 and was only accessible in China at the time. The global rollout is now underway, as planned. As a result, several features of the phone have a definite feel to them, yet other aspects of the device are appealing enough to entice some consumers.
What will you see here?
Two-minute review
Let’s start with the positives: the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chip that drives it may be a 2021 flagship CPU, but it’s still pretty strong when it comes to demanding chores and intense games, particularly when it’s backed up by ample amounts of RAM and internal memory.
This phone, like earlier editions in the Black Shark series, includes some nifty additions for gamers, such as trigger buttons on the device’s shoulders and a gaming configuration in the software that helps block out interruptions and maximize performance.
You’re not going to have any issues with the phone’s efficiency or how simple it is to use for gaming. The screen is ideal for gaming: it’s large, bright, and brilliant, with an outstanding 144Hz refresh rate. Furthermore, the battery life is adequate, letting you play for extended periods of time.
The Black Shark 4 Pro is an excellent phone for a certain class of consumers, but we must agree that it is unlikely to appeal to the wider public. Continue reading to see if it’s the perfect upgrade
Price and Availability
Xiaomi released the Black Shark 4 Pro in China the year before, but it is just now available worldwide. The beginning price for this device in the United States is $579, while the asking price in the United Kingdom, direct from Xiaomi or
Design of Xiaomi Black Shark 4 Pro
When it comes to the Black Shark 4 Pro’s look, there’s nothing overly striking – or inventive.
Also, the smartphone includes USB-C for data transmission and charging. This phone is hefty and substantial in comparison to today’s phones, many of which are quite thin. Nonetheless, it feels excellent in the hand, owing in part to a finely crafted matte glass covering. The camera hump on the rear is a touch too obvious and angular for our liking, but it’s far from unsightly.
Buttons
The two little switches to the right of the smartphone front, which conceal two more pop-out buttons, are perhaps the most intriguing aspect of its design. These buttons may be programmed to execute a number of functions, such as capturing screenshots or skipping multimedia tracks.
The power button on the side has a fingerprint sensor built into it. However, the volume buttons are on the left, a 3.5mm headphone socket is on the bottom.
Extra keys
Because the 4 Pro is a gaming phone, you can use these extra keys to control games when the device is in landscape mode. However, it’ll feel nearly like you’re holding a controller. It’s a great touch, as is the led Black Shark logo on the rear shell, which lights up in green when the phone is unlocked. That light may also be utilised to alert you to phone calls and texts, or it can be turned off completely.
Display of Xiaomi Black Shark 4 Pro
Xiaomi is known for making high-quality screens for its smartphones, and the 6.67-inch Super AMOLED screen on the Black Shark 4 Pro is no different. It boasts a 144Hz maximum refresh rate, HDR10+ compatibility, and maximum luminance of 1300 nits. All of this contributes to a panel that is crisp, bright, and easy on the eyes.
The only thing that detracts from this stunning display is the hole-punch selfie lens cut-out at the front, right in the center. Still, it’s not bothersome, and neither are the bezels surrounding the screen’s edges, which are satisfyingly thin. According to Xiaomi, the screen-to-body ratio is 85.8%. However, not the greatest, but still quite good.
Almost anything appears excellent on the Black Shark 4 Pro‘s display, including images, websites, videos, and, of course, games. By navigating to the settings panel for the onboard application, you may quickly adjust the color temperature and brightness.
Cameras
On the rear of the Xiaomi Black Shark 4, Pro is a triple-lens sensor featuring a 64MP wide sensor, an 8MP ultrawide sensor, and a 5MP macro sensor. The front-facing camera is a very normal 20MP wide selfie camera. There is no optical zoom, and video quality is limited to 1080p at 30 fps.
Pick up a premium Xiaomi phone, and the cameras are sure to be among the greatest features. That isn’t the case here, although the back camera still performs admirably in most lighting conditions. The night mode does a good job of lighting really dark environments, but it falls short of the capabilities of a few of the top phones in its class.
Nonetheless, the shutter speed is remarkable, and the smartphone captures color and detail well. The HDR setting can highlight darker regions of photographs while preserving details in bright areas. It’s not the finest HDR processing we’ve seen, but it’ll suffice.
The camera app, which is somewhat of a Xiaomi standard, is loaded with capabilities and options, so you can really get blown away with altering the white balance, brightness, and anything else if you won’t want to. However, most people simply want to point and shoot.
Software of Xiaomi Black Shark 4 Pro
The Black Shark 4 Pro runs Xiaomi’s JoyUI os, which is built on its primary MIUI os, which is based on Android 11. In summary, it’s not a horrible os, but we miss the simplicity and beauty of the original, stock version of Android. Xiaomi loves to jam a range of characteristics, settings, and utilities into their operating systems, and this is obvious here as well.
There’s a specific Shark Space app for controlling your phone’s games, eliminating annoying alerts, and lowering background activities so your games have as much RAM as possible to work with. It’s a convenient bonus to have, but it’s not absolutely necessary.
You can undoubtedly alter and configure your Black Shark 4 Pro smartphone considerably. Although, there are probably a few settings and applications too many here. However, the Mi Video app and Shark Chan gaming helper aren’t that useful. Overall, JoyUI is simple to use.
Battery life
The initial impressions are positive. However, the 4,500mAh batteries seem to keep their charge extremely well if you’re watching films or playing, even with the brightness set all the way up. An hour of streaming video can barely reduce the battery level by a few percentage points.
Two days of using this smartphone are absolutely achievable with some careful management. However, it depends on what you’re doing. Using the phone with demanding videogames drains the battery by roughly 20% per hour, though for less intensive jobs it’s far less, and most users won’t be gaming all-day
There is no wireless charging capability, although there is a 120W fast cable charging with the accompanying adapter. However, a truly astounding pace that can charge your smartphone from zero to full in as little as 15 mins. When you can recharge a phone so rapidly, battery life doesn’t matter as much.
Conclusion
The Xiaomi Black Shark 4 Pro succeeds in its claimed promise. That is a great gaming performance with a few useful additions. It’s quick and smooth, with a fantastic 120W rapid-charging battery. Nonetheless, it has several flaws. It isn’t a thick phone, but it is substantially bulkier than the thin flagship devices available from Apple and Samsung. Another feature that you lack is any type of waterproofing to keep your phone safe.
