Xiaomi Black Shark Helo, the nth gaming phone, is finally official! With all the handsets launched until now, gaming devices do not seem just a temporary trend, but they are here to stay. If you are a gamer and you are looking for the best gaming smartphone at the moment, Xiaomi Black Shark Helo, Razer Phone 2 and Asus ROG Phone are the best choices for you with gaming-centric designs and specs. Here is an in-depth comparison.

 

Xiaomi Black Shark Helo vs Razer Phone 2 vs Asus ROG Phone

Xiaomi Black Shark Helo Razer Phone 2 Asus ROG Phone
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT 160 x 75.2 x 8.7 mm, 190 grams 158.5 x 79 x 8.5 mm  158.8 x 76.2 x 8.7 mm, 200 grams
DISPLAY 6.01 inches, 1080 x 2160p (Full HD+), 402 ppi, AMOLED 5.72 inches, 1440 x 2560p (Quad HD), 513 ppi, IGZO IPS LCD  6.0 inches, 1080 x 2160 pixels, 403 ppi, 18:9 ratio, AMOLED
PROCESSOR Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, octa-core 2.8 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, octa-core 2.8 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, octa-core 2.8 GHz
MEMORY  6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 10 GB RAM, 256 GB 8 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD dedicated slot  8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 512 GB
SOFTWARE Android 8 Oreo Android 8.1 Oreo  Android 8.1 Oreo
CONNECTIVITY Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS  Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ad, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS
CAMERA Dual 12 + 20 f/1.8 and f/1.8
20 MP f/2.2 front camera		 Dual 12 + 12 MP f/1.8 and f/2.6
8 MP f/2.0 front camera		 Dual 12 + 8 MP f/1.8
8 MP f/2.0 front camera
BATTERY 4000 mAh, Fast Charging with Quick Charge 3.0 4000 mAh, Fast Charging with Quick Charge 4+  4000 mAh, Fast Charging with Quick Charge 4.0
ADDITIONAL FEATURES Dual SIM slot, LED logo and strips IP67 certification, RGB illuminated logo  Pressure sensitive zones, water resistance

Design

As said above, Xiaomi Black Shark Helo, Asus ROG Phone and Razer Phone 2 all feature a gaming-centric design, so they are not exactly for you if you like elegant phones. The one with the soberest and refined design is Razer Phone 2, which I would pick as I like black and elegant devices. And I also like it because it is water-resistant with the IP67 certification.

 

Display

Razer Phone 2 would be my choice even when it comes to the display quality. It has the screen with the highest resolution, it has a high brightness and it even has the highest refresh rate which is the most important thing for games. That is why I prefer this display, but note that Asus ROG Phone is able to provide more satisfying colors due to its wide color gamut and the HDR technology.

 

Specs & Software

While Razer Phone 2 looks more attractive for its display, Asus ROG Phone and Xiaomi Black Shark Helo have a superior hardware. While the first is the only device which has an overclocked Snapdragon 845 chipset, the second is the world’s first smartphone which comes with 10 GB of RAM (in its most expensive version only). Given that we still had no chance to try the new Xiaomi flagship, we still can not tell you which has better performance.

 

Camera

At least on the paper, the most interesting camera department belongs to Xiaomi Black Shark Helo. It boasts two sensors on the back, both with a bright f/1.8 aperture. Further, the dual camera is able to perform 2x optical zoom. However, I have to try it personally to make a definitive conclusion.

 

Battery

As they all have the same capacity, there will not be so much difference between the battery life of these devices. So, we suggest you not to choose your gaming phone by basing on the battery life; all of them can last long on a single charge.

 

Price

Asus ROG Phone is my favorite handset of the trio and it is the winner of this comparison as it boasts amazing performance, a pretty nice display and it supports important gaming accessories thanks to its secondary USB-C port. But Xiaomi Black Shark Helo has the best value for money because the company just launched it in China for just $505, while Asus ROG Phone and Razer Phone 2 cost $969/€850 and $1026/€900, respectively.

 

Xiaomi Black Shark Helo vs Razer Phone 2 vs Asus ROG Phone: PROs and CONS

Xiaomi Black Shark Helo

PROs

  • 10 GB RAM
  • More affordable price
  • Big battery
  • Stereo speakers

CONS

  • Worse display

Razer Phone 2

PROs

  • Best display
  • Great hardware and cooling system
  • DAC dongle and stereo speakers
  • Big battery, fast charging, and wireless charging
  • Water resistant

CONS

  • Bezels

 

Asus ROG Phone

PROs

  • Great hardware + cooling system
  • Stereo speakers
  • Outstanding display
  • Big battery and fast charging

CONS

  • Higher price

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