A New Gaming Phone on the Way for Black Shark? Let’s Set the Record Straight

After a period of silence, they have started talking again about Black Shark – the gaming brand from Xiaomi – thanks to the debut of a new tablet with Snapdragon. The launch has sparked a series of rumors and enthusiasts have begun to wonder whether the time is ripe for the launch of a new gaming smartphone. Is there still hope for the famous Chinese manufacturer, especially beloved by long-time Mi Fans?

Black Shark at Work on a New Gaming Smartphone: True or False? The Answer Comes from an Insider

Unfortunately the answer is negative and comes from Digital Chat Station: the well-known insider debunks any rumors circulating in the previous days on the Asian social network Weibo. At the moment there is no concrete evidence supporting Black Shark’s return to the Gaming Phone segment.

As we hinted at in the opening, the debut of Black Shark Gaming Tablet has sparked various rumors, aided by a solid hardware. The device was launched in February in Global markets with the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 and an 8.8″ display at 144 Hz: a compact and reliable solution, which drew attention especially for the presence of Qualcomm.

In fact the company, after halting smartphones, has released several tablets but all with Unisoc or MediaTek. Still, it seems that for now there are no plans for a phone.

In the past Black Shark was known as Xiaomi’s gaming brand, but now the company operates completely independently, also highlighted by the software (no HyperOS, but pure Android). Lei Jun’s company would still remain the main investor even though the relationship has changed compared to the golden years.

What Does the Future Hold for Us?

The farewell of Black Shark from the Gaming Phone world arrived in 2022 and in this deep dive we discussed the reasons behind this choice. If we had to share a personal opinion, it is very likely that we will not see phones bearing the famous shark brand again. By now the mobile gaming sector has radically changed and only one name remains.

REDMAGIC continues on its path with some success, and yet today brands like ROG Phone have reached the end.

The reasons would be many, but we could sum it all up in a twofold consideration: smartphone gaming is no longer exclusive and the perception of gaming phones has changed.

In the past the Gaming Phone was a device with unique features, rear triggers, high refresh rates, advanced cooling systems and a distinctive and recognizable aesthetic (often with sharp lines, rear covers with raised elements, futuristic looks, and so on).

Today almost all smartphones can be used for gaming: there are various next-generation chipsets optimized for gaming, whether flagship SoCs or mid-range. The amount of RAM/storage has increased and the move to formats like LPDDR5 and UFS 4.0 has brought high performance even on “modest” phones – of course, always within certain limits.

A practical example: our POCO F7 cost about 230€ in the 12/512 GB configuration and we play without issues both on demanding titles (like Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail) and lighter games. It also runs GameHub and a good portion of our Steam library.

POCO F7 maintains an aesthetics that nods to gaming, with a somewhat futuristic look (please bear with this remark). But there are now phones with classical designs and gaming-specific characteristics, so objectively Gaming Phone has become even more of a niche product than before.

Translated: why would a manufacturer make gaming smartphones for a niche audience when they can make a “normal” phone that can appeal to everyone and offer great performance for gaming?

These considerations could explain at least in part why Black Shark’s return to the gaming smartphone market sounds rather unlikely – unless there is a sensational twist, perhaps aiming at smartphones with traditional aesthetics (a choice far from the brand’s spirit).