These days, mobile gaming is continually on the rise. This has prompted a higher demand for capable smartphone devices, yet still affordable enough not to put a hole in your pockets.
In today’s spec comparison, we’ll be talking about the Xiaomi Black Shark 2 and the Black Shark 2 Pro. These two gaming phones are now available for purchase in select Mi stores in the Philippines: SM Megamall, SM North Edsa and SM Mall of Asia.
Let’s start talking about the base unit, the Xiaomi Black Shark 2. Since it’s a gaming smartphone, it’s only right that it has a Liquid Cooling 3.0 system. Perfect for Hardcore gaming sessions. The Black Shark 2 has 3 variants to choose from: there’s a 128GB/6GB, 128GB/8GB and a 256GB/12GB variant.
The second phone in the list is the Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Pro, the Pro version of the Black Shark 2. Obviously, this one has upgraded features over the vanilla model. The Pro version is available in 128GB/8GB and 256GB/12GB variants
You might be wondering, how does the Pro model really better than the non-Pro one? Is the price difference between the two phones justified? Which one of the phones should you get? These are the questions we’re going to answer in this Xiaomi Black Shark 2 vs Black Shark 2 Pro Spec Comparison.
| Xiaomi Black Shark 2 | Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Android 9 Pie MIUI 10 | Android 9 Pie MIUI 10 |
| SIM | Dual SIM | Dual SIM |
| Display | 6.39-inch FHD+ AMOLED 2340 x 1080 pixel resolution ~403ppi 108.9% DCI-P3 430-nits 34.7ms latency HDR | 6.39-inch FHD+ AMOLED 2340 x 1080 pixel resolution ~403ppi 108.9% DCI-P3 430-nits 34.7ms latency HDR |
| Processor | 2.84GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 octa-core Liquid Cooling 3.0 | 2.96GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ octa-core Liquid Cooling 3.0 |
| RAM | 6GB/8GB/12GB | 8GB/12GB |
| GPU | Adreno 640 | Adreno 640 |
| Storage | 128GB/256GB UFS 3.0 non-expandable | 128GB/256GB UFS 3.0 non-expandable |
| Front camera | 20-megapixel f/2.0 | 20-megapixel f/2.0 |
| Rear Camera | 48-megapixel (f/1.8, Sony IMX 586) + 12-megapixel (2x telephoto, f/2.2) PDAF LED flash | 48-megapixel (f/1.8, Sony IMX 586) + 12-megapixel (2x telephoto, f/2.2) PDAF LED flash |
| Audio | Stereo speakers No headphone jack | Stereo speakers No headphone jack |
| Security | In-display fingerprint scanner Face unlock | In-display fingerprint scanner Face unlock |
| Connectivity | 4G LTE WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 2×2 MIMO Bluetooth 5.0 GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS USB Type-C | 4G LTE WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 2×2 MIMO Bluetooth 5.0 GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS USB Type-C |
| Others | RGB lighting Proprietary accessories | RGB lighting Proprietary accessories |
| Dimensions | 163.61 x 75.01 x 8.77mm | 163.61 x 75.01 x 8.77mm |
| Weight | 205g | 205g |
| Colors | Black Silver Blue | Electric Black Ice Gray Blue Blue Orange Purple |
| Battery | 4,000mAh 27W fast-charging support | 4,000mAh 27W fast-charging support |
| Price | 6GB/128GB: Php22,990 8GB/128GB: Php23,990 12GB/256GB: Php28,990 | 8GB/128GB: Php27,990 12GB/256GB: Php33,490 |
As you can see from the table above, the two phones are fairly similar to each other and differ only in some areas.
Probably the main and only difference between the two phones is their processor. The Xiaomi Black Shark 2 is packing a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor compared to the more powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus of the Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Pro.
Display-wise, the two phones are similar as they both have 6.39-inch FHD AMOLED screens.
Even if they differ in terms of the processor, their are relatively GPUs are the same. The two phones have an Adreno 640 GPU. Although the one on the Snapdragon 855 Plus is overclocked to deliver better performance.
On the aspect of cameras, both phones are running a dual-rear camera set up of 48-megapixel and 12-megapixel while having a 20-megapixel camera at the front.
Related
- Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Pro price in the Philippines revealed
- Xiaomi Black Shark accessories launched in the Philippines
On the memory side, the standard Black Shark 2 model will come in 3 variants. Namely; 128GB/6GB RAM, 128GB/8GB RAM and a 256GB/12GB RAM. While the Pro Black Shark 2 Model will come in 2 variants only which are 128GB/8GB RAM and a 256GB/12GB RAM. It’s a tie between the two, although the 6GB model of the Black Shark 2 allows you to get it at an even cheaper price
Battery wise, they’re both packing a 4,000mAh battery along with a 27W Fast Battery charging feature. Aside from the following features, they are also similar in some minor details such as having USB Type-C port, in-Display fingerprint scanner, face unlock and support for gaming peripherals.
Lastly, pricing wise, you can expect a small increase between the base and Pro units. The Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Pro starts at Php22,990 for the 6GB/128GB model, Php23,990 for 8GB/128GB, and Php28,990 for the 12GB/256GB.
Meanwhile, the Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Pro already starts at 8GB/128GB model for Php27,990, while the 12GB/256GB retails for Php33,490.
Overall, Xiaomi has provided its customers with great options by releasing different memory and RAM versions of the phone. Both devices are already powerful enough to deliver top-notch performance in basic tasks and gaming. So you can either save money and get the Black Shark 2, or get the Black Shark 2 Pro if money is not an issue.