Xiaomi Black Shark 2 vs Asus ROG Phone vs OnePlus 7 Pro: Gaming flagships compared

The Xiaomi Black Shark 2 has been announced by Xiaomi in the Indian markets for a price of Rs 39,999. This is the first gaming smartphone that the company has launched in India and it will be competing with the likes of the Asus ROG Phone (Review) and even the OnePlus 7 Pro (Review).[caption id="attachment_6707201" align="alignnone" width="1024"]

The Xiaomi Black Shark 2. Image: Xiaomi China[/caption]On paper, the Xiaomi Black Shark 2 appears to be a beast of a device as it runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset and has up to 8 GB of RAM. There's also a  vapour cooling chamber for smooth gameplay. One speciality of the Black Shark 2 is a pressure-sensitive display which is somewhat like 3D Touch technology seen on iPhones. What makes it different is that both left and right sides are independently pressure-sensitive making it easy to map buttons to either side.The optics of the device are handled by a 48 MP primary camera and a 12 MP secondary camera. Up front, it has a 20 MP camera for making video calls and taking selfies. Obviously being a gaming phone you will not be using it to capture images but the 48 MP sensor is definitely a nice touch.As mentioned before the Black Shark 2 will be competing against the ROG Phone and even the OnePlus 7 Pro. Keeping in mind that this is just a comparison based on specs of the device on paper let's see how the Black Shark manages to fare against both these devices.

Smartphone	Black Shark 2	ROG Phone	OnePlus 7 Pro
Display Size (inch)	6.39	6	6.67
Resolution (pixels)	1080 x 2340	1080 x 2160	1440 x 3120
Pixel Density (PPI)	403	402	516
Display Type	AMOLED	AMOLED	Fluid AMOLED
Dimensions(mm)	163.6 x 75 x 8.8	158.8 x 76.2 x 8.3	162.6 x 75.9 x 8.8
Weight (gm)	205	200	206
Dual SIM	Yes	Yes	Yes
SIM Type	Nano-SIM	Nano-SIM	Nano-SIM
Connectivity Types	GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE	GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE	GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 855	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845	Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
CPU Cores	Octa-core	Octa-core	Octa-core
CPU Clock Speed (GHz)	1x 2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x 2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x 1.80 GHz Kryo 485	4x2.96 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4x1.7 GHz Kryo 385 Silver	1x 2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x 2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x 1.80 GHz Kryo 485
GPU	Adreno 640	Adreno 630	Adreno 640
RAM	6,8 GB	8 GB	6,8 GB
Ruggedness	Splashproof	Splashproof	Splashproof
On-Board Memory	128, 256 GB	128, 256 GB	128, 256 GB
Expandable Memory	No	No	No
Sensors	In-display fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass	Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass	In-display fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
Primary Camera	48 MP, f/1.8 + 12 MP, f/2.2	12 MP, f/1.8, + 8 MP	48 MP, f/1.6 (primary) + 16 MP, f/2.2 (ultrawide) + 8 MP, f/2.4 (telephoto)
Optical Image Stabilization	Yes	Yes	Yes
Camera Array	Dual-camera	Dual-camera	Triple Camera
Autofocus System	PDAF	PDAF	Phase detection autofocus
Secondary Camera	20 MP, f/2.0	8 MP, f/2.0	Motorised pop-up 16 MP, f/2.0
Video Capture	1080p@30fps	1080p@30fps	2160p@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@480fps, Auto HDR, gyro-EIS
Flash	LED flash	LED flash	Dual-LED
OS Version	Android 9.0	Android 9.0	Android Pie
AI (Smart Assistant)	Google Assistant	Google Assistant	Google Assistant
GPS	Yes	Yes	Yes
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, WiFi Direct, DLNA, hotspot	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, WiFi Direct, DLNA, hotspot	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, WiFi Direct, DLNA, hotspot
Bluetooth	v5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD	v5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD	v5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD
NFC	No	Yes	Yes
Infrared	No	No	No
Fingerprint Scanner	Yes, In-display	Yes, rear-button	Yes, In-display
3.5mm jack	No	Yes	No
Radio	No	No	No
USB Type	Type-C reversible connector	Type-C reversible connector	Type-C reversible connector
USB Standard	USB 2.0	USB 3.1	USB 3.1
Battery (mAh)	4,000	4,000	4,000
Fast charging	Yes, fast battery charging 27W	Yes, fast battery charging 30W	Yes, 30 W Warp Charge
Colours	Black, Silver, Blue	Black	Mirror Grey, Almond, Nebula Blue
Prices in India	Starts at Rs 39,999	Rs 69,999	Starts at Rs 48,999

VerdictWhile the ROG Phone and OnePlus 7 Pro seem to come out on top with their fluid 90 Hz refresh rate, the low latency and pressure-sensitive display could give the Black Shark 2 the edge. In terms of raw processing power, even though the ROG houses an over-clocked Snapdragon 845 chipset, the latest Snapdragon 855 on the Black Shark 2 and OnePlus 7 Pro are sure going to make the gaming experience better and possibly run cooler. We shall be reviewing the Black Shark 2 in detail so stay tuned for our detailed verdict on the device.Black Shark 2 with pressure-sensitive display launched in India starting at Rs 39,999Xiaomi Black Shark 2 India launch highlights: Prices start at Rs 39,999 while the top-end variant costs Rs 49,999