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
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Best: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max (160)
93
Huawei Mate 50 Pro
Best: Huawei Mate 50 Pro (163)
101
Samsung Galaxy S23 (Snapdragon)
Best: Samsung Galaxy S23 (Snapdragon) (162)
137
Huawei P40 Pro
Best: Huawei P40 Pro (155)
114
OnePlus 9
Best: OnePlus 9 (165)
118
Vivo X Fold
Best: Vivo X Fold (158)
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

117
th
2. Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
149
4. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (Snapdragon)
148
4. Samsung Galaxy S23 (Snapdragon)
148
6. Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus (Snapdragon)
146
8. Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
145
11. Honor Magic4 Ultimate
140
18. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Snapdragon)
136
21. Samsung Galaxy S22+ (Exynos)
135
24. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4
134
24. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Exynos)
134
24. Vivo X80 Pro (MediaTek)
134
27. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4
133
27. Samsung Galaxy S22 (Snapdragon)
133
27. Samsung Galaxy S22 (Exynos)
133
27. Vivo X80 Pro (Snapdragon)
133
32. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon)
131
32. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Exynos)
131
36. Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Snapdragon)
130
42. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G
129
42. Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon)
129
48. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G
128
48. Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G (Exynos)
128
51. Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
127
57. Vivo X70 Pro (MediaTek)
125
57. Vivo X60 Pro 5G (Snapdragon)
125
73. Oppo Reno6 Pro 5G (Snapdragon)
123
73. Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G (Exynos)
123
77. Apple iPhone SE (2022)
122
83. Samsung Galaxy A54 5G
120
91. Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
116
96. Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
111
100. Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
110
105. Xiaomi Redmi K50 Gaming
107
107. Nubia RedMagic 6 Pro
105
108. Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
104
114. Microsoft Surface Duo
99
116. Nubia RedMagic 7 Pro
97
117. Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro 5G
95
125. Samsung Galaxy A22 5G
74
126. Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
69
128. Lenovo Legion Phone 2 Pro
60
Position in Premium Ranking

34
th
1. Samsung Galaxy S23 (Snapdragon)
148
5. Samsung Galaxy S22 (Snapdragon)
133
5. Samsung Galaxy S22 (Exynos)
133
7. Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Snapdragon)
130
11. Vivo X70 Pro (MediaTek)
125
11. Vivo X60 Pro 5G (Snapdragon)
125
17. Oppo Reno6 Pro 5G (Snapdragon)
123
38. 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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