The Black Shark 4S Pro was released in mid-October 2021. In this short review, we compare its results in our comprehensive Display protocol tests with that of the Black Shark 4 Pro, released in March 2021.
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 (5 nm) 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 4S Pro
95
display
77
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Best: Google Pixel 8 Pro (162)
93
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Best: Google Pixel 8 Pro (164)
101
Samsung Galaxy S23 (Snapdragon)
Best: Samsung Galaxy S23 (Snapdragon) (162)
137
Huawei P40 Pro
Best: Huawei P40 Pro (155)
114
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5
Best: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 (168)
118
Xiaomi Mix Fold 2
Best: Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 (161)
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

150
th
3. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5
152
6. Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
149
6. Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
149
6. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5
149
11. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (Snapdragon)
148
11. Samsung Galaxy S23 (Snapdragon)
148
13. Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus (Snapdragon)
146
16. Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
145
21. Honor Magic4 Ultimate
140
34. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Snapdragon)
136
37. Samsung Galaxy S22+ (Exynos)
135
42. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4
134
42. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Exynos)
134
42. Vivo X80 Pro (MediaTek)
134
48. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4
133
48. Samsung Galaxy S22 (Snapdragon)
133
48. Samsung Galaxy S22 (Exynos)
133
48. Vivo X80 Pro (Snapdragon)
133
54. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon)
131
54. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Exynos)
131
58. Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Snapdragon)
130
65. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G
129
65. Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon)
129
74. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G
128
74. Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G (Exynos)
128
78. Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
127
85. Vivo X70 Pro (MediaTek)
125
85. Vivo X60 Pro 5G (Snapdragon)
125
101. Oppo Reno6 Pro 5G (Snapdragon)
123
101. Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G (Exynos)
123
105. Apple iPhone SE (2022)
122
105. Motorola Edge 30 Pro
122
111. Samsung Galaxy A54 5G
120
115. Motorola Edge 40 Pro
118
118. Motorola Razr 40 Ultra
117
122. Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
116
127. Motorola Edge 20 Pro
111
127. Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
111
131. Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
110
137. Xiaomi Redmi K50 Gaming
107
139. Nubia RedMagic 6 Pro
105
140. Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
104
147. Microsoft Surface Duo
99
149. Nubia RedMagic 7 Pro
97
150. Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro 5G
95
158. Samsung Galaxy A22 5G
74
159. Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
69
161. Lenovo Legion Phone 2 Pro
60
Position in Premium Ranking

41
st
2. Samsung Galaxy S23 (Snapdragon)
148
8. Samsung Galaxy S22 (Snapdragon)
133
8. Samsung Galaxy S22 (Exynos)
133
10. Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Snapdragon)
130
17. Vivo X70 Pro (MediaTek)
125
17. Vivo X60 Pro 5G (Snapdragon)
125
23. Oppo Reno6 Pro 5G (Snapdragon)
123
45. Lenovo Legion Phone 2 Pro
60
Pros
- The device feels smooth when playing video games, scrolling through pictures in the gallery, or browsing the web.
- The device is very reactive when jumping forward and backward in a video.
- Touch is accurate over the entire screen, especially along borders and in corners.
Cons
- Device lacks brightness in most tested conditions.
- An orangeish 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 4S Pro’s Display protocol performance is almost identical to that of the older Black Shark 4 Pro. The only noteworthy difference is that the 4S Pro does a slightly better job of managing dark tones in HDR10 videos, thereby gaining a point over the 4 Pro in that category. However, it should be noted that neither the 4S Pro nor the 4 Pro manages video dark tone rendering very well.
Video dark tone management, Black Shark 4S Pro (top) and Black Shark 4 Pro (bottom); the 4S Pro’s better management can be readily seen in the bark of the tree on the left (click on the image and then zoom in).
(Photo credit: DXOMARK; for illustration only)
As all other scores and associated comments are the same for the 4S Pro as for the 4 Pro, please consult our review of the Black Shark 4 Pro for more details about the two devices’ performance in all other categories.
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