The Black Shark 4 is a gaming‑oriented Android smartphone developed and marketed by Xiaomi under its Black Shark sub‑brand. It was officially announced in March 2021 and released in several markets worldwide later that year.
Design and Build
The device features a 6.67‑inch AMOLED display with a 144 Hz refresh rate, a resolution of 2400 × 1080 pixels, and a 20:9 aspect ratio. The front housing incorporates a circular punch‑hole cut‑out for the front‑facing camera and retains a matte, textured back panel intended to improve grip during gaming sessions. The phone is constructed from a combination of anodized aluminum and reinforced polycarbonate.
Hardware
- System‑on‑chip: Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 (8 nm)
- CPU: Octa‑core Kryo 585 (1 × 3.2 GHz, 3 × 2.42 GHz, 4 × 1.8 GHz)
- GPU: Adreno 650
- RAM: 8 GB or 12 GB LPDDR5 (depending on variant)
- Internal storage: 128 GB or 256 GB UFS 3.1 (non‑expandable)
- Battery: 4500 mAh lithium‑polymer, supporting 120 W fast charging (Xiaomi’s HyperCharge)
- Cooling: Integrated “sand‑wich” liquid‑metal cooling system with a vapor chamber to dissipate heat during intensive gameplay
- Cameras: Rear – dual‑camera setup (64 MP primary sensor with f/1.9 aperture, 8 MP ultra‑wide sensor); Front – 20 MP sensor housed in the punch‑hole.
- Audio: Dual stereo speakers with Dirac HD Sound support; retains a 3.5 mm headphone jack, a feature uncommon among flagship smartphones at the time.
Software
The Black Shark 4 ships with Android 11 overlaid by Xiaomi’s Joy UI 12.5, which includes a suite of gaming‑focused features such as customizable game profiles, network acceleration, and physical shoulder‑button triggers (magnetic “Shark Touch” buttons) that can be attached to the device for enhanced control.
Variants
The primary model is the Black Shark 4; a higher‑specification “Black Shark 4 Pro” was released concurrently, offering a larger 6.8‑inch display, higher peak brightness, and additional RAM/storage options. Both models share the core Snapdragon 870 platform.
Market Position and Reception
Positioned as a mid‑range competitor to other gaming phones such as the Asus ROG Phone 5 and the Lenovo Legion Phone 2, the Black Shark 4 received generally positive reviews from technology publications. Reviewers highlighted its high‑refresh‑rate display, rapid charging capability, and effective thermal management as strengths. Criticisms focused on the relatively modest camera performance compared with non‑gaming flagships and the absence of wireless charging. Pricing at launch varied by region but was typically positioned between US $599 and US $699 for the base configuration.
Successor
The Black Shark 5 series, announced in early 2022, succeeded the Black Shark 4, featuring upgraded processors (Snapdragon 8 Gen 1) and additional display and camera improvements.
References
Information compiled from publicly released specifications by Xiaomi, launch announcements, and contemporaneous reviews from reputable technology media outlets (e.g., GSMArena, The Verge, Android Authority).
