The Black Shark 5 Pro is a flagship gaming smartphone engineered to deliver top-tier performance and an immersive gaming experience.
- Magnetic Pop-Up Triggers – Mechanical shoulder triggers provide a true console-like gaming experience, retracting seamlessly when not in use.
- Esports-Level Performance – Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 with advanced cooling, ensuring ultra-smooth gameplay and minimal throttling.
- 144Hz OLED Display – A super-responsive 6.67-inch OLED panel with a 720Hz touch sampling rate for lightning-fast reactions.
- 120W HyperCharge – Get a full charge in just 15 minutes, keeping you in the game longer without long downtimes.
- Dual Symmetrical Stereo Speakers – DXOMARK #1 Audio rating with dual linear speakers and spatial sound enhancement for immersive gameplay and media consumption.
- AI Triple-Camera System – A 108MP main sensor with 4K HDR recording, making it one of the best gaming phones for photography as well.
- Advanced “Anti-Gravity” Cooling System – A dual vapor chamber cooling system prevents overheating during extended gaming sessions.
- Shark Space 4.0 Gaming Mode – Dedicated gaming software optimizes performance, blocks distractions, and customizes RGB lighting for an enhanced experience.
Key Features and Uses
Gaming Triggers: Utilize the physical pop-up gaming triggers for precise control in games. They can also be customized for other functions like taking screenshots or freeing up RAM
Dual VC Liquid Cooling: Featuring two large vapor chamber (VC) plates covering 100% of core components, this “SANDWICH” cooling structure enhances heat dissipation efficiency, ensuring stable performance during extended gaming sessions.
120W Hyper Charge: The device supports two charging modes—Ultimate Mode, achieving a full charge in just 15 minutes, and Even Mode, which balances heat dissipation and charging speed, completing a full charge in 24 minutes. A 120W Hyper Charge Power Adapter and 6A USB-C Cable are included.
144Hz E-Sports Display: The 6.7-inch OLED screen with a 144Hz refresh rate and 10-bit color depth delivers ultra-smooth visuals and vibrant colors, enhancing both gaming and multimedia experiences.
Master Tuned Audio: Achieving the top position in DXOMARK’s audio rankings, the Black Shark 5 Pro delivers exceptional sound quality through its flagship speakers and a four-driver chip audio system, enhanced by advanced audio algorithms and expert tuning.
108MP Main Camera: For the first time in a Black Shark gaming phone, a 108MP camera is employed, capturing ultra-clear photos and videos. The Audio Zoom feature dynamically tracks and amplifies the voice of the subject during recording.
JOYUI 13 Features: Dive into the Black Shark’s custom gaming interface based on MIUI. It has special gamer-oriented features like Shark Space and Game Studio to manage and enhance your gaming sessions.
RAM Expansion: Make use of the RAM expansion feature to boost virtual memory, giving you smoother multitasking and gaming performance.
Game Controllers: Pair your Black Shark 5 Pro with external gaming accessories like the Black Shark Fun Cooler or game controllers for an even better experience.
Customizable RGB Lighting: Customize the RGB lighting on the back of the phone to create a personal aesthetic or get alerts for notifications.
Battery Care Mode: Activate Battery Care Mode to protect your battery’s health over time and maintain optimal charging cycles.
Screen Recording & Streaming: Use screen recording and streaming capabilities to share your gameplay with friends or audiences on platforms like YouTube or Twitch.
Personalized Themes: Customize your phone’s appearance using themes and wallpapers to match your style or mood.
Secure Privacy Settings: Explore the privacy options to keep your data safe and manage app permissions effectively.
AI-Assisted Features: Explore built-in AI capabilities for optimizing your device’s performance. This includes smarter resource allocation during gaming, and enhanced photo and video editing with AI tools.
Productivity Enhancements: Leverage the phone’s performance for multitasking with resource-intensive apps such as video editing tools, or project management apps like Trello or Notion.
FABTASTIC OR NOT?
✅ Pros
✔ Exceptional Gaming Performance – Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset and up to 16GB of RAM, ensuring smooth gameplay even in demanding titles.
✔ 144Hz AMOLED Display – Buttery-smooth visuals with HDR10+ support, making it ideal for gaming and media.
✔ Gaming Triggers – Magnetic pop-up triggers provide enhanced precision and a competitive edge in gameplay.
✔ Advanced Cooling System – Dual VC liquid cooling prevents overheating and maintains consistent performance during long gaming sessions.
✔ 120W Hyper Charge – Ultra-fast charging delivers 50% in just a few minutes, minimizing downtime.
✔ Versatile Cameras – 108MP primary camera with sound source zoom for high-quality photos and videos.
✔ Custom Software (JOYUI 13) – Gamer-focused features like Shark Space and Game Studio optimize performance.
✔ Immersive Audio – DXOMARK #1-ranked speakers with advanced tuning for a rich audio experience.
⚠️ Cons
ℹ️ Battery Capacity – Despite fast charging, the 4650mAh battery might not last all day for heavy gamers.
ℹ️ Heat Management – The device can still generate noticeable heat during prolonged gaming sessions.
ℹ️ Custom Software Bugs – Some users report occasional glitches with JOYUI 13.
ℹ️ Weight & Bulk – At 220g, it may feel heavy for long gaming or casual use.
ℹ️ Limited Availability – Gaming accessories may be hard to find in certain regions.
ℹ️ Price – As a premium gaming phone, it might be expensive for non-gamers.
The Black Shark 5 Pro is a fantastic choice for gamers and tech enthusiasts, but whether it’s “fabtastic” depends on your needs. It excels in gaming performance with its Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, 144Hz AMOLED display, and innovative gaming triggers. Features like 120W fast charging and advanced cooling systems make it a powerhouse for intense gaming sessions.
However, it has some drawbacks, such as limited battery capacity for heavy use, occasional software glitches, and a gamer-centric design that might not appeal to everyone. If you’re a dedicated gamer or someone who values high performance, it’s a strong contender. For everyday use, there might be better-rounded smart phone options.
Detailed Specs
| Category | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Processor & GPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 + SDX55, 3.0GHz (Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ premium-tier processor) Qualcomm® Adreno™ 730 GPU |
| RAM & ROM | 8GB+128GB (LPDDR5, 6400MHz, UFS 3.1) 12GB+256GB (LPDDR5, 6400MHz, UFS 3.1) |
| Color | Nebula White, Stellar Black |
| Dimension | Height: 163.83 mm Width: 76.35 mm Depth: 9.9 mm Weight: About 220 g |
| Battery & Charging | 4650mAh (Dual Batteries) Non-removable 120W Fast Charging Standard USB Type-C |
| Rear Cameras | Main: 108MP, f/1.75, 7P lens, LED Flash Wide-angle: 8MP, f/2.2, 120° Wide Angle Macro: 5MP, f/2.4 Supports PDAF Autofocus, HDR, Portrait Mode, AI Cam, Documents Mode, Dynamic Mode, Panorama Mode |
| Front Camera | 20MP 4-in-1, f/2.45, 5P lens Supports Face Retouching, Portrait Mode, 1080p 60fps Video Recording, Slow-mo (1080p@120fps, 240fps, 960fps) |
| Display | 6.67-inch OLED, 20:9 Full Screen Peak Brightness: 1300 nits Resolution: 1080 × 2400, 394 PPI Contrast Ratio: ≥60000:1, DCI-P3 111% TYP Supports Eye-Protection Mode, MEMC, Image Enhancement |
| Network | Dual Nano SIM SIM-1 & SIM-2: 5G NR SA & NSA, TD LTE, FDD LTE, WCDMA, CDMA, GSM Cannot support CDMA on both SIMs at the same time Supports Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax (2.4G & 5.0G), 2×2 MIMO, MU-MIMO, Wi-Fi Display, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Hotspot Bluetooth 5.0, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, LDAC |
| Supported Bands | LTE TDD: B34/B38/B39/B40/B41 LTE FDD: B1/B2/B3/B4/B5/B7/B8/B12/B17/B18/B19/B20/B26/B28 5G NR SA: n1/n3/n5/n8/n28 5G NR SA & NSA: n41/n77/n78/n79 |
| Navigation | GPS, AGPS, GLONASS, BEIDOU, Galileo, QZSS |
| Sensors | Gravity Sensor, Ambient Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Gyroscope, Compass, Fingerprint Sensor, ForceTouch Sensor, Shark Eye |
| Video Formats | Supports 3GP, MP4, FLV, AVI, ASF, WEBM, 3G2 |
| Audio | DXO TOP1 Symmetric Speakers, 3.5mm Audio Jack Supports MP3, AMR, FLAC, AAC, WAV, OGG, WMA, APE, AIFF |
| Image Formats | PNG, GIF, JPG, BMP, WEBP, WBMP |
| Inbox Items | Black Shark 5 Pro, 120W Fast Charge Power Adapter, USB Type-C Data Cable, SIM Tray Ejector, Protective Case, Screen Protector, Quick Start Guide |
| Colours Available | Nebula White and Stellar Black |