Xiaomi Black Shark 2

“There's an alternative point of view - the Black Shark 2 is an attractively priced flagship that just happens to have a very flashy design and a few cool gaming-boosting features. The single camera at the back of its nubia rival means its not as well rounded and gives the Xiaomi phone a potential spot in the sun. And lets not forget that the Black Shark 2 runs stock Android - there aren't many of those with the Snapdragon 855 at this price point.”

“This gaming phone impresses on many levels: not only is it a super-powerful device for gaming, with great optional controller integration (sold separately) and a hyper-responsive screen, its design is a well-considered flagship alternative with great software too. If only it had a 2K 120Hz screen, better speakers and top-tier cameras, then it'd be near perfect for gamers.”

“The Black Shark 2 is an affordable gaming phone that's big on personality and performance. Its modern design and significant footprint make it an awkward daily driver, and perhaps it is best left to those who have vermin to kill.”

“Black Shark’s application of this sort of tech is still mostly a gimmick. Its utility will vary depending on what games you like to play, and you won’t get much use out of it if you’re already an ace at playing games on a touchscreen. But personally, it was revelatory. Instead of logging onto Twitter every few minutes, for a lack of anything better to do on my phone, I actually felt the rare pull to play a mobile game.”