Specifications: 6.39-inch amoled display (2340 x 1080 pixels) with 19.5:9 aspect ratio, Snapdragon 855, 6/12GB RAM, 128/256GB storage, 48MP f1.8 + 12MP f2.2 (telephoto) dual rear camera, 20MP f2.0 front camera, dual SIM slots, stereo speakers, USB Type-C, in-display fingerprint scanner, 4G with VoLTE, WiFi ac, Bluetooth 5.0, 4,000mAh battery, Android 9.0, 205 grams
Pros: Built like a tank, gorgeous oled display, fantastic performance, game-focused software features, fast in-display fingerprint scanner, loud stereo speakers, dual RGB LED light strips, good battery life, 27W fast charge support, stock Android OS Cons: Large top/bottom bezels make the phone bigger, nonexpandable storage, camera tends to over-sharpen images, no OIS for camera, phone gets hot after 45 minutes of gaming, no headphone jack
It was in 2018 that we first heard the name Black Shark — a gaming focused smartphone backed by Xiaomi. It offered top-of-the-line specs at an unbelievable price and got rave reviews from a majority of the tech media. Now the company is launching a second generation which has upgraded hardware and new software features.
Gaming smartphones tend to be large and heavy and the Black Shark 2 is no exception. It weighs a hefty 205 grams and even though the 8.8mm thickness seems normal, it feels bulky when held in the hand. The primary reason for this is the cooling tech inside the body: they have included a large copper plate, liquid cooling pipe and a layer of graphene to keep the phone cool during gaming. Even though it is fat, the phone scores on the cool quotient with its build quality and appearance. It has a metal unibody with RGB light strips on both sides and stylish sections of glass to break up the monotony.
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Most people who saw and held it could immediately call it out as a gaming device. Up front is a gorgeous 6.4-inch, full HD amoled display with HDR support. It has an aspect ratio of 19.5:9 without a notch. This means it has a chin at the bottom and a fat bezel on top which makes it taller compared to other smartphones with similar size displays. Thankfully it’s well-balanced but the size might be a turn off for some. Saving grace is the amoled display. It offers vibrant colours and perfect blacks making it a joy to play games and consume content.
<p>Gaming smartphones tend to be large and heavy and the Black Shark 2 is no exception.<br></p>
Black Shark claims this phone has the world’s lowest latency touch at 43.5ms and a 240Hz touch report rate. This does makes a visible difference during FPS shooter games. Your touch input is received faster which can give you a split-second advantage. In addition, the phone also has a pressure sensitive display — it can differentiate between a tap and a press (similar to 3D Touch on iPhone). With this feature, you can map two extra buttons in your game to the pressure sensitive area and get the benefit of extra virtual buttons during gaming.
It’s a neat feature to have but we would have preferred ultra-sonic trigger buttons like Asus’ ROG or Nubia Red Magic 3. Hardware specifications are top notch as expected: Snapdragon 855, 6/12GB DDR4X RAM, 128/256GB UFS 2.1 storage and a 4,000mAh battery. We faced no problems playing any of the available games at highest possible settings.
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Thanks to stock Android interface, navigation and multi-tasking is also a breeze. Battery life is good too. With an hour of gaming, it will last you a full day with around 15% battery to spare. It supports 27W fast charging and a fast charger is included in the box. It goes from 0 to 60% in 30 minutes of charging. Software optimisation is where the Black Shark 2 shows off gaming skills. A dedicated hardware key launches ‘Shark Space’, the gaming area.
Shark Space lets you organise and launch your games, manage incoming notifications as well as view phone performance. You even get options to optimise frame rate, lock brightness and improve in-game audio. You access a Game Dock by swiping in from the right corner — the dock lets you enable floating windows for frame rates and temperature, manage notification prompts and setup Master Touch (their name for pressure sensitive touch). When you start a game, you can access advanced features with Gamer Studio.
Not all innovative tech is launched by big brands. Crowdfunding is a great way that small companies with big ideas can get the cash they need to get started.
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Not all innovative tech is launched by big brands. Crowdfunding is a great way that small companies with big ideas can get the cash they need to get started.ET rounds up some of his current favourite..
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A multi-screen computer setup offers several advantages for work and play. This is easy to do in your home or at the office but what about when you’re travelling or working out of a café? For such instances, Taihe Gemini is a portable 15.6-inch touchscreen display which weighs just 900 grams. You can get it in full HD (touchscreen) or 4K (non touch) resolution and it has a metal kickstand design to prop up at any viewing angle. Depending on the version you choose, it can have HDMI, USB Type-C, mini DisplayPort, 3.5mm audio and multiple USB ports (UHD variant only) for connectivity. You don’t have to worry about power because the Gemini has a built-in battery for up to 5 hours of backup. You can use it in landscape or portrait mode with your laptop, phone or console in mirror mode or as a second display. It’s currently on Kickstarter and the full HD variant is for US$ 219 while the 4K variant is US$ 299 with shipping estimated to begin in May 2019.
(Image: www.kickstarter.com)
A multi-screen computer setup offers several advantages for work and play. This is easy to do in your home or at the office but what about when you’re travelling or working out of a café? For such i..
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Only when you get a good laptop stand will you realize the difference it makes in terms of ergonomics. Trouble is, laptop stands are large and heavy — you don’t really want to add that weight to your existing laptop, especially if you move around a lot. MOFT is the world’s first invisible laptop stand that sticks to your laptop without adding much bulk. It’s made using polyurethane and fiberglass — you shouldn’t notice the 3mm thickness and 65 gram weight at all. It can be adjusted to raise the laptop up by 2 to 3.2-inches. MOFT works with laptops with up to 15.6-inch screens and uses removable glue to attach/detach without leaving residue. You can get it in four colours: gold, rose gold, silver & grey. At the time of writing, it has already been 22535% funded on Indiegogo. You can get your order in for US$ 19 with delivery in April 2019.
(Image: www.kickstarter.com)
Only when you get a good laptop stand will you realize the difference it makes in terms of ergonomics. Trouble is, laptop stands are large and heavy — you don’t really want to add that weight to you..
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It may look like a fat whiteboard marker but Zanco’s Smart Pen is actually several devices in one. They claim it’s the world’s thinnest mobile phone (it’s a feature phone but has a 0.96-inch colour display). It also has physical number and navigation buttons. Other features include a nano SIM slot, microSD slot for storage, 3.5mm jack, built-in dual mics, a call receiver speaker, loudspeaker, front camera and rear camera. For connectivity, it has Bluetooth 3.0 using which it can connect with a smartphone and act as Bluetooth headset. Not to forget, it also works as a touchscreen stylus, a laser pointer, voice recorder, Mp3/Mp4 player and has a voice changer feature. Battery life is about 6 hours on a single charge. At the time of writing, the project has already been funded and you can pre-order one for US$ 59 + shipping with delivery expected in April 2019.
(Image: www.kickstarter.com)
It may look like a fat whiteboard marker but Zanco’s Smart Pen is actually several devices in one. They claim it’s the world’s thinnest mobile phone (it’s a feature phone but has a 0.96-inch colour ..
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If you want a 100-inch or larger screen using a projector, you would need one of those heavy, bulky devices that consume a lot of power. The Piqo pocket projector changes this notion by projecting a 240-inch screen from a 2-inch size cube that weighs only 210 grams! It has full HD resolution, 200 lumens brightness (most pocket projectors only do 100 Lumens) and even has automatic keystone adjustment so that you get the best possible picture. It has HDMI input, 3.5mm audio out, a microSD card slot, USB port for media playback, plus WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity. There are touch controls on top, built in speakers, a quad core processor, 16GB internal storage and a 5-hour battery life. Moreover, the projector is Android powered — you can install apps from Google Play Store and watch content without connecting any device. At the moment, the projector is available for an early bird price of US$ 349 on Indiegogo (Rs 25,000 approx.) with delivery expected in May 2019.
(Image: www.piqoprojector.com)
If you want a 100-inch or larger screen using a projector, you would need one of those heavy, bulky devices that consume a lot of power. The Piqo pocket projector changes this notion by projecting a ..
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With mobile gaming on an all-time high (thanks to games like PUBG), there is a lot of interest in smartphone gaming accessories. There are gaming docks and controllers available, but nothing looks quite like the Muja gaming pad. It sticks to the back of your phone using suction cups, connects over Bluetooth and is compatible with iOS and Android. This design ensures that the phone does not overheat. The touchpad is divided into four zones which can be customized for any controls. You get front as well as rear controls which is handy for FPS games. Muja has a built-in 450mAh battery which should last about 56 hours of gameplay on a single charge. The company behind the gamepad, HandScape Inc, will be offering it at a 50% discount compared to standard retail price when it goes live for funding in February 2019 on Indiegogo.
(Image: www.indiegogo.com)
With mobile gaming on an all-time high (thanks to games like PUBG), there is a lot of interest in smartphone gaming accessories. There are gaming docks and controllers available, but nothing looks q..
Gamer Studio lets you manage performance levels, display settings (HDR, custom colours), screen touch sensitivity, speaker output, manage network (set game to priority, limit background traffic), vibration feedback and strength. There is also a Ludicrous Mode in performance settings which can be used to push the processor to deliver the maximum possible performance. Access to such a wide variety of features is any mobile gamer’s dream come true.
Trouble is, even with all the cooling tech inside, Black Shark 2 heats up significantly after about 45 minutes of gaming. Any phone becomes hot after gaming but we had to put this one down after 45 minutes because it was alarmingly hot.
Camera performance is mixed bag. While it has a 48MP primary camera, the software tends to over-sharpen the photos resulting in a loss of detail. The presence of telephoto lens and 2x optical zoom is great, but the lack of optical image stabilisation is a big letdown. In our usage, we concluded that the rear camera is good enough only in a well-lit environment. Front camera was a pleasant surprise — the 20MP sensor took crisp photos with natural colours and the portrait mode delivers great edge detection. Considering that gamers use the front camera while streaming, having a good front camera is a big benefit.
Some of the other features that impressed us include the unbelievably fast in-display scanner (one of the best we have seen), loud stereo speakers and fast face unlock. What we didn’t like was the lack of expandable storage and missing headphone jack.
At the asking price, Black Shark 2 definitely impresses on its performance and we love the gaming software features. Trouble is, it’s no longer the only gaming phone in this price segment. For a lower price, the Nubia Red Magic 3 offers similar specifications, larger display with 90Hz refresh rate, 5,000mAh battery, ultrasonic shoulder buttons and runs cooler thanks to the built-in fan + liquid cooling.
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