The next generation of gaming smartphones was revealed just recently courtesy of Xiaomi and ASUS ROG. What we’re talking about is the Black Shark 2 Pro and ROG Phone 2. Let’s see which one is better in term of key smartphone aspects, shall we? Let’s begin!
Here are their detailed specs:
| Specification | Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Pro | ASUS ROG Phone 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.39-inch FHD+ (2340 x 1080) AMOLED display, 403ppi, 60Hz | 6.59-inch FHD+ (2340 x 1080) 19.5:9 AMOLED display, 391ppi, 120hz |
| Display Features | 240Hz touch-sensing | - HDR 10 - 240Hz touch-sensing |
| Glass Protection | - | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 |
| CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ 2.96GHz octa-core | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ 2.96GHz octa-core |
| GPU | Adreno 640 | Adreno 640 |
| RAM | 8GB, 12GB RAM | 12GB |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB UFS 3.0 storage | 256GB/512GB UFS 3.0 |
| MicroSD | - | - |
| Rear Camera | 48MP F1.8 IMX586 + 12MP F2.2 dual rear cameras | 48MP F1.79 IMX586 + 13MP 125-degree ultra-wide |
| Front Camera | 20MP F2.0 front camera | 24MP F2.0 front camera |
| SIM | Dual-SIM card | Dual-SIM card |
| LTE | 4G LTE | 4G LTE |
| WiFi | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | - Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ad |
| NFC | - | Yes |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| GPS | Dual-Band GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS | Dual-Band GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS |
| Audio | 1W Speaker | -Dual front-facing stereo speakers with smart amplifier -24-bit/192KHz Hi-Res audio -DTS Headphone:X™ 7.1 virtual surround-sound -Qualcomm aptX High-definition Bluetooth wireless audio |
| 3.5mm audio port | - | Yes |
| Port | USB 2.0 Type-C | 3x USB 3.1 Type-C |
| Biometrics | -Fingerprint scanner (In-display) -Face Unlock | -Fingerprint scanner (In-display -2x AirTrigger 2.0 -2x Advanced vibration -Face Unlock |
| Other features | - Direct touch liquid cooling system 3.0 - Master Touch 2.0 | -GameCool vaper-chamber cooling system w/ detachable AeroActive Cooler II - Aero Case - ASUS RGB Lighting Support - ASUS Armoury Crate - ASUS Aura Sync support - ROG Kunai Gamepad - TwinView Dock II |
| OS | Black Shark OS (Android 9 Pie) | ROG UI (Android 9 Pie) |
| Battery | 4,000mAh battery w/ 27W fast charging | - 6,000mAh battery with HyperCharge technology - 30W Quick Charge 4.0 - 10W Reverse charging |
Here are the advantages of each smartphone:
Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Pro
- Faster screen response
- Master Touch 2.0
- More affordable
- Larger screen size
- Higher refresh rate
- HDR 10
- Corning Gorilla Glass 6
- Larger storage option
- Higher front camera resolution
- NFC
- Better audio setup
- 3.5mm audio port
- More features and accessories for gaming
- Larger battery capacity
- Reverse charging capability
Both gaming smartphones have their awesome designs that scream “gaming.” Which one looks better would depend on your preference, so I’ll let you choose this one.
Moving to the display, both come with an AMOLED panel that shares the same 240Hz touch-sensing feature. However, Xiaomi boasted that it has a 34.7ms screen response speed, which is faster than the ROG Phone 2’s 49ms.
The main difference for the display is that the ROG Phone 2 has a 120Hz refresh rate, which makes a significant difference when it comes to the gaming experience. Moreover, the former sports Gorilla Glass 6, which provides better screen protection.
For performance, you’ll get the latest and top-of-the-line flagship gaming chipsets from Qualcomm, which is the Snapdragon 855+. This chip has a higher clock speed that lets gaming phones like the ROG Phone 2 and Black Shark 2 Pro provide a very smooth gaming experience. Also, both of them sports 12GB of RAM, which is more than enough to smoothly run even the most resource-heavy mobile games to date. If you’re worried about the thermals, don’t worry as both have liquid cooling systems.
For the cameras, both are equipped with a Sony IMX 586 sensor, accompanied by a secondary sensor. For the front shooter, the ROG Phone 2 has a higher resolution. However, we can’t determine yet which one has a better photo quality since it’s not all about the number of megapixels. We’ll know more once we get our hands on both devices.
Feature-wise, the ROG Phone 2 has better audio thanks to its dual stereo speakers and the existence of the 3.5mm audio port. It also has NFC, which is a viable device for digital payments. The two AirTrigger 2.0 haptic buttons located at the right side of the device makes way for a more comfortable shooting game experience. Not only that, but it also comes with various accessories that further enhance a person’s gaming and viewing experience. A unique feature of the Black Shark 2 Pro is its Master Touch 2.0 where you can customize the left and right areas of your screen to do specific commands inside the game.
Between the ROG Phone 2 and the Black Shark 2 Pro, the former wins in terms of battery performance. The former comes with a whopping 6,000mAh battery with HyperCharge technology as well as a 30W QuickCharge 4.0 technology and 10W reverse charging. The latter’s offering isn’t bad either with its 4,000mAh capacity and 27W fast charging. It’s just that ASUS’s creation is better when it comes to battery life and the speed that you can use it again when upon charging it.
Here are the prices of each smartphone:
- Black Shark 2 Pro 12GB + 128GB – CNY 2,999 (~PHP 22,150)
- Black Shark 2 Pro 12GB + 256GB- CNY 3,499 (~PHP 25,843)
- ASUS ROG Phone 2 12GB + 128GB – CNY 5,999 (~PHP 44,357)
Pricing-wise, this is automatically Black Shark 2 Pro’s win. However, if we look at all the advantages above, the ROG Phone 2’s hands down.
What do you guys think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
How can I bay the Asus rog phone 2 and how much is it
local brand vs premium brand lmao
so sad… the actual price will go up 2x or 3x here in the philippines
I go for Xiaomi BlackShark. 19k difference is way to much.