Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Pro: Official teaser image of Asus ROG Phone 2 rival
Xiaomi has unveiled a teaser image of its Black Shark 2 Pro gaming phone. It clearly shows us a new revamped design for the souped-up smartphone.
The image (which you can see above) shows glowing green lines against a black background, forming two vertical bars. The shapes look very similar to the pattern found on the back of the previous device, so we think it’s our first peek at the appearance of the Black Shark 2 Pro. The main difference would be a more streamlined look, along with the new green colour scheme.
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The key feature of this updated handset remains the Snapdragon 855 Plus processor, a revamp of the premium Snapdragon 855 that you can find on flagships such as the OnePlus 7 Pro, the Sony Xperia 1, and of course the original Xiaomi Black Shark 2. We were very impressed by the affordability and battery power of this device, so we hope that the Pro version will capitalise on these advantages.
The launch date of July 30 will put it right up against a key competitor, in the Asus ROG Phone 2, which is set for a July 23 release. The official specs for this device have been confirmed; it will also feature a Snapdragon 855 Plus chip, along with a fine-tuned Adreno 640 GPU. The screen measures 6.590 inches, and is an industry first as a 120Hz AMOLED.
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Both phones will have to compete against the Razer Phone 2 for command of mobile gamers’ wallets. That handset has the older Snapdragon 845 chip, and while its screen can match the 120Hz refresh rate, it is an LCD rather than OLED.
There’s plenty of competition in the market for dedicated gaming mobiles, so the Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Pro will have to impress to tand out. We reckon they should improve the frame rate from 60Hz in order to go toe-to-toe with the best devices around.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
