Xiaomi launched its gaming smartphone subrand today with the Black Shark coming to lead the charge. It is an entirely new device with customized hardware to bring out the best gaming performance out of a handset, including a new type of cooling system, new ISP, the latest Snapdragon 845 and a massive 4,000 mAh battery.

A 5.99” 18:9 IPS LCD with Full HD+ resolution and 97% DCI-P3 coverage takes the front. The Snapdragon 845 chip comes with the usual Kryo 385 cores and Adreno 630 GPU. For optimal performance, Xiaomi equipped the phone with a multi-stage integrated liquid cooling system that brings the CPU temperature 8° C down.

The phone does not have a microSD slot, but comes in two versions – 6 GB RAM + 64 GB internal storage or 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage. The image processing chip onboard is new by MEMC that brings sharper colors and overall smooth performance when needed.

The Black Shark has one speaker, but the earpiece acts as a second one for a Biso stereo sound. The mic of the phone is gaming-oriented with the ability to provide simple usage of voice calls and radio chat during the game without interfering with the gameplay. The body of the phone is in an X-shape for a better grip, and the frame is also utilized as an antenna.

You can attach a Black Shark Gamepad that is similar to what Nintendo did with the Switch. The first 50,000 buyers will get it for free. It has a 340 mAh battery on its own and can connect via Bluetooth. There is also a dedicated “Shark” button on the left side that lets you devote all hardware resources to your game so you get all the available performance.

The phone has Android Oreo, topped with JOY UI, which is a custom launcher that shares some of its apps with Xiaomi’s MIUI.

There is a dual camera on the back of the Black Shark – 12 MP f/1.75 + 20 MP f/1.75 with 6P lens and a dual-LED flash. The pixel size of the first is 1.25 µm, while the other sensor has 1 µm pixels. The selfie camera has an identical 20MP sensor but slower f/2.2 lens.

  
Promo images of the Blackshark Gamepad

The phone is available for pre-order on JD.com until April 20, and then it will be available for purchase in either Polar Night Black or Sky Gray. The roomier memory variant (8GB RAM/128GB storage) costs CNY3,499, which is €452/$557. The 6/64 GB version is CNY2,999 which translates to €387/$477, making it the cheapest Snapdragon 845 phone up to date. The Black Shark Gamepad is sold separately for CNY179 (€23/$28).