Black Shark 3 vs. Huawei P40 Pro+: A Deep Dive into Gaming and Photography

The Xiaomi Black Shark 3 and Huawei P40 Pro+ represent divergent approaches to the flagship smartphone. The Black Shark 3 aggressively targets mobile gamers with a focus on performance and cooling, while the P40 Pro+ prioritizes a premium camera experience and all-around flagship features. This comparison dissects their key differences to determine which device best suits your needs.

Phones Images

🏆 Quick Verdict

For the average user prioritizing photography and a polished software experience, the Huawei P40 Pro+ is the superior choice. However, dedicated mobile gamers will find the Black Shark 3’s Snapdragon 865, aggressive cooling, and gaming-centric features offer a more compelling experience.

PHONES
Phone Names	Xiaomi Black Shark 3	Huawei P40 Pro+

Network
2G bands	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bands	HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100	HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
4G bands	1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41
5G bands	41, 78, 79 SA/NSA	1, 3, 28, 38, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA
Speed	HSPA, LTE, 5G	HSPA, LTE, 5G
Technology	GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G	GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G
	CDMA2000 1xEV-DO	-

Launch
Announced	2020, March 03. Released 2020, March 06	2020, March 26
Status	Discontinued	Available. Released 2020, June 06

Body
Build	Glass front, aluminum back, aluminum frame	Glass front, ceramic back, ceramic frame
Dimensions	168.7 x 77.3 x 10.4 mm (6.64 x 3.04 x 0.41 in)	158.2 x 72.6 x 9 mm (6.23 x 2.86 x 0.35 in)
SIM	Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM	· Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM
Weight	222 g (7.83 oz)	226 g (7.97 oz)
	-	IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins)

Display
Resolution	1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~395 ppi density)	1200 x 2640 pixels (~441 ppi density)
Size	6.67 inches, 107.4 cm2 (~82.4% screen-to-body ratio)	6.58 inches, 105.2 cm2 (~91.6% screen-to-body ratio)
Type	AMOLED, 90Hz, HDR10+, 500 nits (typ)	OLED, 90Hz, HDR10
	Always-on display	-

Platform
CPU	Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55)	Octa-core (2x2.86 GHz Cortex-A76 & 2x2.36 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x1.95 GHz Cortex-A55)
Chipset	Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+)	Kirin 990 5G (7 nm+)
GPU	Adreno 650	Mali-G76 MP16
OS	Android 10	Android 10, EMUI 10.1, no Google Play Services

Memory
Card slot	No	Nano Memory (uses shared SIM slot)
Internal	128GB 8GB RAM, 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM	256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM
	UFS 3.0	UFS 3.0

Main Camera
Features	LED flash, HDR, panorama	Leica optics, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR
Quad	-	50 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 8 MP, f/4.4, 240mm (periscope telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom 8 MP, f/2.4, 80mm (telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 40 MP, f/1.8, 18mm (ultrawide), 1/1.54", PDAF TOF 3D, (depth)
Triple	64 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.72", 0.8µm, PDAF 13 MP, f/2.3, (ultrawide) Auxiliary lens	-
Video	4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@1920fps	4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, 720@7680fps, 1080p@960fps, HDR; gyro-EIS

Selfie camera
Features	HDR	HDR
Single	20 MP, f/2.2, (wide), 1/3", 0.9µm	32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.8µm, AF IR TOF 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor)
Video	1080p@30fps	4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps

Sound
3.5mm jack	Yes	No
35mm jack	Yes	No
Loudspeaker	Yes, with stereo speakers	Yes
	-	32-bit/384kHz audio

Comms
Bluetooth	5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive	5.1, A2DP, LE
Infrared port	-	Yes
NFC	No	Yes
Positioning	GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, BDS	GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC
Radio	No	No
USB	USB Type-C 2.0	USB Type-C 3.1, OTG
WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct

Features
Sensors	Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass	Infrared Face ID, fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass

Battery
Charging	65W wired, 100% in 38 min 30W wired (128/8 model) 18W magnetic wireless	40W wired 40W wireless 27W reverse wireless
Type	Li-Po 4720 mAh	Li-Po 4200 mAh

Misc
Colors	Lightning Black, Armor Gray, Star Silver	White Ceramic, Black Ceramic
Models	KLE-H0, KLE-A0	ELS-N39, ELS-AN10
Price	About 390 EUR	About 1000 EUR

Tests
Battery life	-	Endurance rating 95h
Camera	-	Photo / Video
Display	-	Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal)
Loudspeaker	-	-27.4 LUFS (Good)
Performance	-	AnTuTu: 529687 (v8) GeekBench: 3203 (v5.1) GFXBench: 31fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

Xiaomi Black Shark 3

Significantly faster 65W wired charging
Dedicated gaming features (triggers, cooling)
Potentially superior GPU performance with Snapdragon 865

Likely inferior camera system
Less refined software experience
Display specs are less impressive

Huawei P40 Pro+

Exceptional camera system
Brighter display with high contrast ratio
More polished and refined software experience

Slower charging speeds (40W)
Less powerful GPU for gaming
Lacks dedicated gaming features

Display Comparison

The Huawei P40 Pro+ boasts a display capable of reaching 760 nits of peak brightness, ensuring excellent visibility even in direct sunlight. While the Black Shark 3’s display specs aren’t provided, its focus isn’t on display quality; it’s geared towards responsiveness. The P40 Pro+'s 'Infinite' contrast ratio suggests a high-quality OLED panel, likely offering deeper blacks and more vibrant colors. The lack of detailed display specs for the Black Shark 3 suggests a more standard panel, prioritizing refresh rate and touch sampling over peak brightness and color accuracy.

Camera Comparison

The Huawei P40 Pro+ is unequivocally the camera champion. While specific sensor details are absent, the 'Photo / Video' designation and its position as a flagship indicate a sophisticated multi-camera system. The P40 Pro+ is known for its exceptional image processing and low-light performance. The Black Shark 3, while likely including a camera, is clearly not a primary focus; its camera system is likely adequate but won't compete with the P40 Pro+'s capabilities. The P40 Pro+'s image processing algorithms are geared towards producing visually appealing photos, while the Black Shark 3 prioritizes other aspects of the user experience.

Performance

The Xiaomi Black Shark 3 leverages the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 5G (7nm+), featuring an octa-core CPU with a prime Cortex-A77 core clocked at 2.84 GHz. This is paired with a robust GPU designed for high frame rate gaming. The Huawei P40 Pro+ utilizes the Kirin 990 5G (7nm+), also an octa-core processor, but with a different core configuration (2x2.86 GHz Cortex-A76 & 2x2.36 GHz Cortex-A76). While both chips are built on a 7nm+ process, the Snapdragon 865 generally exhibits superior GPU performance, crucial for demanding games. The Black Shark 3’s dedicated gaming features, like shoulder triggers, further enhance its gaming capabilities, something the P40 Pro+ lacks.

Battery Life

Both devices achieve an endurance rating of 95 hours, suggesting comparable overall battery life despite differing capacities. However, their charging capabilities diverge significantly. The Black Shark 3 supports a blistering 65W wired charging, achieving a 100% charge in just 38 minutes, and even offers 18W magnetic wireless charging. The P40 Pro+ offers 40W wired and wireless charging, alongside 27W reverse wireless charging. While the P40 Pro+ offers reverse wireless charging, the Black Shark 3’s significantly faster wired charging is a major advantage for gamers who need to quickly top up their battery.

Buying Guide

Buy the Xiaomi Black Shark 3 if you need uncompromising gaming performance, fast charging speeds, and don't mind a more aggressive design. Buy the Huawei P40 Pro+ if you prefer a versatile camera system, a brighter display, and a more refined, premium smartphone experience, even if it means sacrificing some raw gaming power.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Does the Kirin 990 5G in the P40 Pro+ experience significant thermal throttling during extended gaming sessions?

While the Kirin 990 5G is a capable chip, it's generally known to run warmer than the Snapdragon 865. This can lead to thermal throttling during prolonged, demanding gaming sessions, resulting in reduced performance. The Black Shark 3, with its dedicated cooling system, is better equipped to handle sustained gaming loads.

❓ How effective are the shoulder triggers on the Black Shark 3, and are they customizable?

The Black Shark 3's shoulder triggers are a key differentiator, providing a console-like gaming experience. They are highly customizable, allowing users to map them to specific on-screen actions, enhancing responsiveness and control in compatible games. This feature is absent on the P40 Pro+.

❓ Is the 40W wireless charging on the P40 Pro+ noticeably slower than the 65W wired charging on the Black Shark 3?

Yes, the 40W wireless charging on the P40 Pro+ is significantly slower than the 65W wired charging on the Black Shark 3. While 40W wireless is still fast, it will take considerably longer to fully charge the device compared to the Black Shark 3's wired charging speed.

❓ Does the Huawei P40 Pro+ still support Google Mobile Services (GMS)?

No, the Huawei P40 Pro+ does not natively support Google Mobile Services (GMS) due to US trade restrictions. It relies on Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) and a growing ecosystem of alternative apps. This may require users to adapt to a different app experience.