Back in April Xiaomi-backed Black Shark launched its first gaming smartphone. The eponymous debut device has already got a sequel, but it is not going to be called the Black Shark 2, instead it will be known as the Black Shark Helo.
The powerful new device is based upon the current flagship Qualcomm smartphone favourite, the Snapdragon 845 SoC. Black Shark keeps this processor ticking along comfortably by implementing "double-row heat pipes and partition cooling technology". It claims that its solution results in 6x CPU maximum frequency running time compared to a bare chip. The manufacturer will offer a generous choice of RAM/storage combinations from 6GB to 8GB to 10GB of LPDDR4x RAM, and from 128GB to 256GB of built-in UFS 2.1 storage.
Black Shark has kitted out the Helo with an AMOLED screen with a 6-inch diagonal. It sports a resolution of 1080 × 2160 pixels, a max brightness of 430 nits, support for DCI-P3 and sRGB colour gamuts and HDR visuals. Notch haters - the Helo doesn't have a notch.
Other product highlights are as follows:
- Rear 12 MP + 20 MP cameras with AI scene detection
- Stereo speakers with dedicated audio processor
- Three microphone which facilitate stereo recording and noise cancellation
- 4,000mAh battery with AI power management
- RGB lighting zones with AI effects
- 3D glass front and metal chassis
- USB Type-C port
If you compare the older model with the new you will see quite a few changes in the look and layout of the device. For gamers the new double wing gamepad option will likely be more warmly welcomed than the previous gen single sided-only design. Other gaming features to bolster the Black Shark Helo are the Shark Space app store, Gamer Studio tech tweaks and customisations app, and the Shark Time AI games recording and sharing app.
The three configurations being made available are priced at 3,199 RMB ($460 / £355) for the 6GB RAM model with 128GB storage, and at 3,499 RMB ($500 / £390) for the 8GB RAM model with 128GB storage. However, we don't know the price of the version with 10GB of RAM and 256GB of storage as yet. If you are interested in a Helo and aren't visiting China you will likely have to pick one of these up online.
