ASUS went pretty crazy when they launched the ROG Phone. It packs some serious hardware and an aggressive gamer design to reflect its power.
However, the ASUS ROG Phone is not the only device in the emerging gaming smartphone category. This device is joined by the Xiaomi Black Shark in attempting to lure- n the industry’s current favorite market — the gamers.
Just like the ASUS ROG Phone, the Xiaomi Black Shark also packs powerful hardware inside and an edgy design that might appeal to its prospected market.
So the question is, which between these two smartphones has the potential of dominating the market? Can the Xiaomi Black Shark retain its crowd-favorite status? Or will ASUS’ expertise in both the smartphone and gaming world allow them to steal the crown from Xiaomi? Go ahead and check out our ASUS ROG Phone versus Xiaomi Black Shark specifications and features comparison below to figure that out.
See also: Razer Phone vs ASUS ROG Phone: Specs Comparison
| ASUS ROG Phone | Xiaomi Black Shark | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Android 8.1 Oreo ROG Gaming UI | Android 8.0 Oreo JOY UI |
| SIM | Single SIM | Dual SIM Dual Standby |
| Display | 6-inch FHD+ AMOLED display 2160 x 1080 resolution ~402ppi 18:9 aspect ratio 90Hz refresh rate 1ms response time 108.6% DCI-P3 color gamut HDR | 5.99-inch FHD+ IPS 2160 x 1080 resolution ~403ppi 18:9 aspect ratio 97% DCI-P3 coverage |
| Processor | 2.96GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 octa-core Vapor Chamber Cooling | 2.8GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 octa-core Liquid Cooling |
| GPU | Adreno 630 | Adreno 630 |
| RAM | 8GB | 6GB / 8GB |
| Storage | 64GB /128GB UFS 2.1 non-expandable | 64GB / 128GB UFS 2.1 non-expandable |
| Front Camera | 8-megapixel | 20-megapixel f/2.2 |
| Rear Camera | 12-megapixel + 8-megapixel (120-degree wide-angle) Phase detection autofocus LED flash | 12-megapixel (Wide, f/1.8) + 20-megapixel (Telephoto, f/1.8) dual-pixel sensor PDAF LED flash |
| Security | Fingerprint scanner | Fingerprint scanner Facial recognition |
| Audio | Stereo front speaker DTS Headphone:X 7.1 virtual surround | Stereo front speakers |
| Connectivity | 4G LTE WIFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ad, 2×2 MIMO WiGig 802.11 ad wireless display support Bluetooth 5.0 GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS< BeiDou NFC Custom USB port on the side (supports USB 3.1, DisplayPort 1.4, 15w fast charging) | HSPA+ 4G LTE WiFi 802.11 ac, WiFi hotspot Bluetooth 5.0 Dual-band NFC GPS, A-GPS USB Type-C |
| Others | 2x Ultrasonic AirTriggers Compatible with ASUS mobile gaming accessories | Dedicated Gamepad |
| Dimensions | 158.8 x 76.2 x 8.6mm | 161.6 x 75.4 x 9.3mm |
| Weight | 200g | 190g |
| Colors | Black | Polar Night Black Sky Gray |
| Battery | 4,000mAh battery non-removable ASUS HyperCharge | 4,000mAh Non-removable Quick Charge 3.0 |
| Price | TBA | 6GB/64GB: Php31,000 8GB/128GB: Php36,000 |
Being the fresh newcomer, we were actually expecting the ASUS ROG Phone to completely beat the Xiaomi Black Shark. But it turns out, Xiaomi’s offering was still able to keep pace with the ROG Phone.
Well, If you think about it, the two belongs in the same generation. That’s the reason they pretty much have the same specs all around. The two are equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset. Although ASUS has the edge because their offering has an overclocked version of the CPU and GPU.
Both devices also have unique cooling technologies. The ASUS ROG Phone uses a Vapor Chamber cooling, while the Black Shark uses liquid cooling. These are serious thermal management solutions, which we usually see in desktop PCs and laptops.
Both phones also have spacious memory and an ultra-fast UFS 2.1 storage. They also share the same 4,000mAh battery capacity, which should be enough to last long hours of gaming.
The Xiaomi Black Shark pulls away in the camera department. It sports a 20-megapixel selfie camera, while at the back is a 12-megapixel and 20-megapixel dual camera setup.
On the other hand, the ASUS ROG Phone only has an 8-megapixel shooter on the front and a 12-megapixel + 8-megapixel dual camera configuration on the back.
But other than that, the ASUS ROG Phone did everything else better. For starters, it sports a better and faster screen. ASUS used an AMOLED panel on this thing — which has an impressive 90Hz refresh rate, 108.6% DCI-P3 coverage, and HDR support.
Meanwhile, the display found on the Xiaomi Black Shark is slightly boring. It has a 5.99-inch IPS panel with 97% DCI-P3 coverage. No high refresh rate screen and all the other bells and whistles of other gaming smartphones.
In addition, the ASUS ROG Phone offers a lot of cool new features on the gaming side of things. It has two of what ASUS calls as Ultrasonic AirTriggers, which basically acts like trigger buttons.
ASUS also announced a slew of gaming accessories that are made specifically for the ROG Phone. There’s a cooling fan attachment, a gamepad with a secondary screen, and more.
It would be safe to say that the ASUS ROG Phone is the ultimate winner. However, we still have one major information that’s missing — the price. As of writing, the Xiaomi Black Shark is being sold in the Philippines for a starting price of Php31,000.
We’re pretty sure that ASUS’ offering would be priced way higher than that, considering all the extra features that it has to offer. Let’s just wait and see if ASUS chooses to be reasonable with the ROG Phone’s pricing. If not, the second best option is the Xiaomi Black Shark.