Asus ROG Phone vs Xiaomi Black Shark Helo vs Razer Phone 2: Top gaming phones compared

Gaming phones are making a big comeback. Asus’ ROG Phone is the latest phone to launch in India. Globally, the phone competes with Xiaomi’s Black Shark Helo and Razer Phone 2.

Comparison of top gaming smartphones in the world. (Asus/Razer/Xiaomi)

With games like PUBG Mobile and Fortnite becoming popular, companies like Asus, Razer and Xiaomi are reviving the gaming smartphones.

Gaming accessories major Razer has already launched two generations of its gaming smartphone - the Razer Phone. Xiaomi also ventured into this market with the launch of Black Shark and Black Shark Helo which packs mammoth 10GB of RAM. Asus also launched its first gaming smartphone, the ROG Phone earlier this June.

Asus ROG Phone launched in India on Thursday, making it the first of its kind to enter the Indian market. Here, we compare the Asus ROG Phone, Razer Phone 2 and Xiaomi Black Shark Helo - the top gaming smartphones available.

Design, display

Asus ROG Phone features a 6-inch AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate. Razer Phone has a higher 120GHz refresh rate on its 5.72-inch Quad HD display. Xiaomi's Black Shark Helo offers a 6.01-inch AMOLED display with full HD+ resolution resolution. All three phones have an aspect ratio of 18:9.

Design wise, Asus ROG Phone and Black Shark Helo have a more distinct look with several elements. Asus ROG Phone is wrapped in 2.5D Gorilla Glass 6 up front and 3D Gorilla Glass 5 at the rear. Black Shark Helo is fancy with its customizable RGB lights for calls and notifications. It features a matte back with X-type antenna for better connectivity.

Razer Phone 2 has a more subtle look and can even pass off as a normal looking phone. It comes in a "classy mirror back" and rugged satin finish which will be available later.

Gaming features

Asus ROG Phone is equipped with a three-layer cooling system inside along with an AeroActive Cooler for additional cooling. Asus ships the accessory along with the ROG Phone. The Razer Phone 2 also has a vapor-chamber cooling system for intensive gaming. Xiaomi has integrated liquid-cooling system on the Black Shark Helo which is said to be 20 times more effective than traditional cooling.

Performance

Under the hood, all three phones run on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 845 processor. Asus ROG Phone has a customised Snapdragon 845 speed-binned up to 2.96GHz.

In terms of memory, Asus ROG Phone offers 8GB of RAM with up to 512GB of inbuilt storage. It also offers users with 100GB of Google Drive storage. Black Shark Helo packs the biggest 10GB of RAM with storage options up to 128GB. Razer Phone 2 has 8GB of RAM but a lesser 64GB of storage. It however offers expandable storage up to 1TB.

Asus ROG Phone is fuelled by a 4,000mAh battery with support for Qualcomm Quick Charge 4.0. Black Shark Helo also has a 4,000mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0. Razer Phone 2 offers Quick Charge 4.0+ and wireless charging with its 4,000mAh battery.

All three smartphones feature its respective logos at the rear. (Asus/Razer/Xiaomi)

All three smartphones feature its respective logos at the rear. (Asus/Razer/Xiaomi)

Camera

In the photography department, Asus ROG Phone sports a 12-megapixel Sony IMX363 sensor and an 8-megapixel 120-degree secondary camera. It has an 8-megapixel selfie camera. The Razer Phone 2 has dual 12-megapixel cameras with OIS, PDAF and 4K video recording. It features an 8-megapixel f/2.0 aperture front camera. Black Shark 2 also has a dual-camera setup of 12-megapixel and 20-megapixel with f/1.75 aperture. The smartphone houses a 20-megapixel front camera with f/2.2 aperture.

Accessories

Asus has the most number of accessories for its ROG Phone. It offers a Gamevice controller, mobile desktop dock, WiGig display dock, professional dock and twinview dock. These accessories don't ship with the box and have to be purchased separately. Asus has however integrated ultrasonic AirTriggers on the ROG Phone which give haptic feedback for additional controls while gaming.

Xiaomi has its Gamepad for the Black Shark Helo which comes with the box. It has a control stick and tactile buttons. Razer Phone 2 doesn't have any dedicated gaming accessory.

Price

Asus ROG Phone launched in India at ₹69,999. Razer Phone 2 sells at $799.99 in the US which translates to roughly ₹56,000. Xiaomi's Black Shark Helo starts at £409 in the UK which would be approximately ₹37,000.