Released at the end of March 2021, the 4 Pro is the latest in the Black Shark line of phones aimed specifically at gamers. We look here at how well it performed in our Display protocol tests.
Key display specifications:
- 6.67-inch Super AMOLED display
- Resolution: 1080 x 2400 (395 ppi)
- Aspect ratio: 20:9
- Refresh rate: 144 Hz
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G chipset
About DXOMARK Display tests: For scoring and analysis in our smartphone and other display reviews, DXOMARK engineers perform a variety of objective and perceptual tests under controlled lab and real-life conditions. This article highlights the most important results of our testing. Note that we evaluate display attributes using only the device’s built-in display hardware and its still image (gallery) and video apps at their default settings. (For in-depth information about how we evaluate smartphone and other displays, check out our articles, “How DXOMARK tests display quality” and “A closer look at DXOMARK Display testing.”)
Test summary
Scoring
Sub-scores and attributes included in the calculations of the global score.
Black Shark 4 Pro
95
display
77
Samsung Galaxy S24+
Best: Samsung Galaxy S24+ (163)
93
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Best: Google Pixel 8 Pro (164)
100
Samsung Galaxy S23 (Snapdragon)
Best: Samsung Galaxy S23 (Snapdragon) (162)
138
Honor Magic6 Pro
Best: Honor Magic6 Pro (159)
114
Samsung Galaxy S24+
Best: Samsung Galaxy S24+ (170)
118
OnePlus Open
Best: OnePlus Open (163)
Please be aware that beyond this point, we have not modified the initial test results. While data and products remain fully comparable, you might encounter mentions and references to the previous scores.
Position in Global Ranking
163
rd
2. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
155
7. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5
152
11. Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
149
11. Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
149
11. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5
149
16. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (Snapdragon)
148
16. Samsung Galaxy S23 (Snapdragon)
148
20. Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus (Snapdragon)
146
23. Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
145
28. Samsung Galaxy A55 5G
141
30. Honor Magic4 Ultimate
140
43. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Snapdragon)
136
46. Samsung Galaxy S22+ (Exynos)
135
51. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4
134
51. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Exynos)
134
51. Samsung Galaxy A35 5G
134
51. Vivo X80 Pro (MediaTek)
134
58. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4
133
58. Samsung Galaxy S22 (Snapdragon)
133
58. Samsung Galaxy S22 (Exynos)
133
58. Vivo X80 Pro (Snapdragon)
133
65. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon)
131
65. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Exynos)
131
69. Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Snapdragon)
130
76. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G
129
76. Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon)
129
85. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G
128
85. Samsung Galaxy S23 FE
128
85. Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G (Exynos)
128
90. Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
127
97. Vivo X70 Pro (MediaTek)
125
97. Vivo X60 Pro 5G (Snapdragon)
125
113. Oppo Reno6 Pro 5G (Snapdragon)
123
113. Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G (Exynos)
123
113. Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus 5G
123
118. Apple iPhone SE (2022)
122
118. Motorola Edge 30 Pro
122
124. Samsung Galaxy A54 5G
120
128. Motorola Edge 40 Pro
118
131. Motorola Razr 40 Ultra
117
135. Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
116
140. Motorola Edge 20 Pro
111
140. Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
111
144. Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
110
150. Xiaomi Redmi K50 Gaming
107
152. Nubia RedMagic 6 Pro
105
153. Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
104
160. Microsoft Surface Duo
99
162. Nubia RedMagic 7 Pro
97
163. Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro 5G
95
171. Samsung Galaxy A22 5G
74
172. Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
69
174. Lenovo Legion Phone 2 Pro
60
Position in Premium Ranking
43
rd
3. Samsung Galaxy S23 (Snapdragon)
148
9. Samsung Galaxy S22 (Snapdragon)
133
9. Samsung Galaxy S22 (Exynos)
133
12. Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Snapdragon)
130
19. Vivo X70 Pro (MediaTek)
125
19. Vivo X60 Pro 5G (Snapdragon)
125
25. Oppo Reno6 Pro 5G (Snapdragon)
123
47. Lenovo Legion Phone 2 Pro
60
Pros
- The device feels smooth when playing video games, when scrolling through pictures in the gallery, and when browsing the web.
- The device is very reactive when jumping forward and backward in a video.
- Touch is accurate over the screen, especially along borders and in corners.
Cons
- Device lacks brightness in most tested conditions.
- An orange cast is often visible in most conditions and colors can be oversaturated.
- HDR10 video generally lacks contrast, especially on dark tones.
- Aliasing is visible.
The Black Shark 4 Pro is a gamer’s phone and is well-suited for that purpose, thanks to its smooth feel and accurate touch during play. However, its overall lack of readability (especially outdoors), its imperfect color accuracy, and its HDR10 playback performance make it less suitable as an all-purpose device.
Brightness vs Contrast comparison (0 Lux)
Brightness vs Contrast comparison (30 000 Lux)
The device has mostly correct brightness indoors but can be slightly dim in low light, with darker shades lacking detail.
Readability indoors, from left to right: Black Shark 4 Pro, Asus ROG Phone 5, Lenovo Legion Phone 2 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Exynos): The Black Shark device is a bit on the dark side, but still readable.
(Photo credit: DXOMARK; for illustration only)
Outdoors, the Black Shark is barely readable, especially in sunlight:
Readability under direct sunlight, from left to right: Black Shark 4 Pro, Asus ROG Phone 5, Lenovo Legion Phone 2 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Exynos)
(Photo credit: DXOMARK; for illustration only)
As for color, an orange cast is often visible in Black Shark 4 Pro images.
Color rendering indoors, Black Shark 4 Pro, Asus ROG Phone 5, Lenovo Legion Phone 2 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Exynos)
(Photo credit: DXOMARK; for illustration only)
The device struggles somewhat with color reproduction fidelity, as shown in the left-hand chart of measurements taken at 0 lux in the sRGB color space. The center of each circle is the target color; anything outside the circle represents a noticeable color difference. The further the tip of the arrow is outside of the circle, the more a user will notice the difference between the color on the display and the original color of the source material.
The scatter chart on the right, which illustrates the white point color shift when holding the Black Shark 4 Pro at different angles, reveals that the device alternates quickly between blue and pink as the angle changes.
Black Shark 4 Pro, color fidelity at 0 lux in the sRGB color space
Black Shark 4 Pro, scatter graph of white point on angle
The Black Shark 4 Pro’s overall brightness is slightly low, and contrast is flat-out low when watching HDR10 videos, with dark details appearing flat. There is noticeable desaturation as well as a green cast that affects skin tone rendering.
Video rendering, clockwise from top left: Black Shark 4 Pro, Asus ROG Phone 5, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Exynos), Lenovo Legion Phone 2 Pro
(Photo credit: DXOMARK; for illustration only)
The Black Shark 4 Pro shows some frame drops at 30 and 60 fps; however, it does not show any frame duplications and appears sharp. As for touch, while the device is quite accurate when gaming, it is not accurate in the gallery app when placing two fingers on the screen and moving the right one to zoom in. It is quite smooth when browsing, when scrolling, and when gaming.
In terms of artifacts, ghost touches sometimes occur in landscape mode, but judder is well managed, especially at 30 and 60 fps. Flicker is not disturbing. The Black Shark 4 Pro is well adapted to a comfortable gaming experience despite the noticeable aliasing.
Aliasing closeup, Black Shark 4 Pro
(Photo credit: DXOMARK; for illustration only)
Aliasing closeup, Black Shark 4 Pro
(Photo credit: DXOMARK; for illustration only)
Aliasing closeup, Black Shark 4 Pro
(Photo credit: DXOMARK; for illustration only)
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