The Vava 4K projector has a lot going for it, which is all the more surprising for its humble beginnings, having been crowdfunded during development. It's now proving to be one of the best projectors on the market today.
As an ultra-short throw laser projector, you’re getting a massive picture (up to 150 inches) while only having to place it a few inches away from a wall or screen. As a 4K HDR projector, too, you’re getting highly detailed images and a rich color spectrum – beautifully powered by a 2,500 lumens peak brightness lens, ensuring pixels pop and shine with color. (You are settling for 8-bit HDR, rather than 10-bit, though.)
The smart platform is somewhat secondary here, with an old iteration of Android TV and a couple of big-name apps (Netflix, Hulu) nowhere to be seen. But with Vava’s mix of bright 4K images, impactful color, and ultra short-throw picture – all packaged in a gorgeously sleek design – it's a brilliant choice for a new home projector. And it won’t cost you the earth, either.
Price and availability
This Vava UST projector retails at $2,799 in the US, though the Vava website is currently running a $100 discount promotion with the code ‘JULY100’. It does ship to the UK, though you may need to supplement its smart OS with a localized streaming stick, given its US-centric operating system.
It’s a good sight cheaper than our best projector pick, the $6,000 LG HU85LA CineBeam, though a touch more expensive than its runner up, the HU80KSW. You’re probably paying a similar amount, or not too much less, for an equivalently performing television with 60W audio – and all in all you’re getting a level of performance worth the asking price.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Design and features
Very stylish
Soft fabric mesh
Poor app layout
The Vava 4K projector certainly has a winning appearance. With soft edges, an inoffensive white/gray coloring, and a soft fabric mesh covering the front and sides, it’s one projector that should fit in easily with the decor. (Dimensions are 533 x 368 x 107mm, if you need to measure it up with your counter, too.)
Most of the blemishes on the casing – say, for the vents at the projector’s sides – are out of view and kept away from the front of the model. As with most projectors, ports are hidden at the back, facing the wall, which is great for a clean appearance, though any jutting cables or streaming sticks can prevent the projector getting more than around 5 inches from the wall, though you shouldn’t need to get any closer.
Vava tells us a distance of 7.2 inches results in a 100-inch image, with a total range of 80-150 inches, depending how close you place the projector to the wall. It should go without saying that, if you don’t have an 80-inch patch of wall to spare in your home, this projector isn’t right for you.
A motion detection system also ensures that, if you peer over the top of the projector (as we did during testing), the picture will cut out and be replaced by a warning sign, asking you not to look directly into the lens (you know, like you’re not meant to stare right at the sun?).
(Image credit: TechRadar)
The ports at the rear include three HDMI 2.0 ports, with one support eARC for connecting an external soundbar (if you wish to). There are also audio input and output ports, for connecting to a wider audio setup or using the Vava projector as a speaker from another device source. There’s an Ethernet port, too, for connecting to the internet, S/PDIF, and a single USB port.
The remote is also sleek, with an identical two-tone color scheme and a minimal button layout, including volume, home, back, menu, power, mute, and navigation buttons. The Vava logo is inscribed at the bottom end of the remote, and identical upside down, which is a pleasing touch. It requires two AAA batteries (included, as is a cleaning cloth for the projector lens).
You’ll find a relatively basic Android 7.1 operating system, despite there being an Android 10 OS for smart TVs these days. It’s mostly simple to use, though, with a home menu that lists HDMI inputs (very handy) as well as the App Store, File Manager, and Multi-Screen (for casting). There is a huge amount of app support, including (but not limited to) Disney Plus, Now TV, YouTube TV, JustWatch, Syfy, Amazon Prime Video, AMC, Showtime, BBC News, ESPN, iflix, Deezer, DC Universe, HBO Go, HBO Now, and HBO Max.
The main issue here is that more commonly used apps aren’t listed first, making it difficult to comb through the hundreds of options to find what you’re after. You can organize via name, date added, star rating, or number of downloads, but a little more curation would have been helpful here. Note that you won’t find Netflix or Hulu on here either, though.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Picture quality
4K projection
2.500 lumens brightness
Limited HDR
The Vava 4K projector boasts a peak brightness of 2,500 lumens, which is what we’d expect for this price point (the ‘peak’ being the brightest that individual sections of the projection can go).
While some truly high-end models, like the Epson LS100, offer up to 4,000 nits, the Vava projector is certainly capable of bright and vivid images. (The specs for the projector cite 6,000 lumens for the light source, but what’s important is the brightness of the image on the wall or screen itself.)
As ever with a projector of this brightness, it can struggle to show shadow detail when playing in light environments – especially in summer, and in rooms with a lot of outside light leakage. When viewing dark scenes, a dark environment is pretty necessary, but mostly the Vava projector manages admirably to offer an impactful picture.
HD images look rich and detailed, even on the larger end of the Vava projector’s 80-150-inch picture. Upscaling an HD/SDR stream of Black Panther feels seamless, with smooth motion on both opening shots on a basketball court and an aerial assault on a convoy of trucks. Colors are distinct, and clearly benefit from the brightness of the projection, too, especially with the purple and blue skies of the ‘spirit plane’.
To test out 4K/HDR we turned to The Shape of Water on 4K Blu-ray, and found the level of detail still up to scratch, befitting the Ultra HD resolution of the source. For a movie so subsumed in deep, verdant greens, these colors didn’t come across quite as forcefully as those closer to blue, which appear to be more prominent.
You won’t find a proper wide color gamut here – just Rec.709, which means you only get 8-bit color depth, rather than the 10-bit color depth that HDR10 is capable of. The colors are still noticeably improved over SDR, but it’s disappointing to see HDR hardware restricted on this basic metric.
We recommend setting Brightness to High rather than Standard to up the impact of color, though you will make the fans work a bit harder in the process.
Frozen II(Image credit: TechRadar)
Audio performance
60W speakers from Harman Kardon
Detailed sound
No Dolby Atmos
The Vava projector doesn’t slump in the sound department, either. With an integrated 60W soundbar, courtesy of audio specialists Harman Kardon, you’re getting some decent heft and detail for a projector.
The soundbar consists of only two 30W drivers, so you’re not getting a hugely varied separation of channels, but the sound is still rich and detailed. In the opening scenes of The Incredibles, the lively score rushes to the forefront, and then subtly rumbles underneath the action as the blare of police sirens and revving engines emerge. The smashed glass of a window, the distant tick of an explosive off camera; all these minute details come across clearly. Not with the depth of a proper 5.1 speaker setup, but certainly with adequate impact for a movie night in. An additional subwoofer might be a good investment, though, to get more of lower frequencies across.
You won’t get Dolby Atmos here, but it does support Dolby Audio and dts-HD formats, which are a start.
There’s also Bluetooth connectivity, meaning you can use these 60W speakers to play music from other source devices like a smartphone. Keep in mind that a regular Bluetooth speaker won’t have to compete with the noise of a projector fan, though.
Should I buy the Vava 4K projector?
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Buy it if...
You want a massive projection. With a maximum image size of 150 inches, your films and sports matches can truly go super-size, all while retaining a quality picture.
You want quality audio thrown in. The Vava 4K projector comes with 60W audio from Harman Kardon, ensuring you’re not skimping on sound to get a large picture.
You don’t want a TV taking up space. The Vava projector isn’t overly small, but its demure design means it won’t dominate the living room, and it certainly doesn’t take up as much wall space as a television when not in use.
Don't buy it if...
You have a lot of light leakage. If your living room struggles to keep out light sources, you may struggle to see a huge amount of detail in the picture – even if this Vava 4K projector does better than most on that front.
You’re on a tight budget. The Vava projector’s $2,799 retail price will seem pretty steep to some, and you’ll be able to get a decently specced television for about half the price – even if that means missing out on the projection size, high brightness, and 60W soundbar included here.
You’re a keen gamer. Projectors famously struggle with input lag, and you won’t have a competitive advantage here. (We're told by Vava that input lag is between 70-120ms.)
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The MacBook Pro 15-inch 2019 received the incremental changes in internals as well as some new features that cements its status as an excellent professional laptop. And, in a time when all these impressive Windows laptops have raised the stakes in the Ultrabook category, it’s certainly given Windows users more than enough reasons to switch to macOS and Apple the win it needed
Perhaps because Apple was saving its major updates for the MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019), which came out shortly after, the MacBook Pro 15-inch 2019 has none of that massive redesign we’ve been waiting for. That makes it feel somewhat like an iteration of its predecessor. Still, it does come with more powerful specs and a much improved keyboard, which are both welcome updates for MacBook Pro owners with a 2017 or older MacBook.
In other words, there’s not a lot of updates here to make it worth the upgrade for newer MacBook Pro owners, even if it is a bit cheaper. If you’re one of them, you might be better off with the 16-inch model. Otherwise, MacBook Pro 15-inch 2019 is just the update you’ve been waiting for, especially if you want to stick to that 15-inch form factor.
The MacBook Pro (2019) is a laptop aimed at professionals(Image credit: Future)
Spec sheet
Here is the 15-inch MacBook Pro (2019) configuration sent to TechRadar for review:
CPU: 2.4GHz Intel Core i9 processor (octa-core, up to 5.0GHz) Graphics: AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 RAM: 32GB (2,400MHz DDR4) Screen: 15.4-inch, 2,880 x 1,800 Retina display (backlit LED, IPS, 500 nits brightness, wide color P3 gamut) Storage: 4TB SSD Ports: 4x Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C), 3.5mm headphone jack Connectivity: 802.11ac Wi-F, Bluetooth 5.0 Camera: 720p FaceTime HD webcam Weight: 4.02 pounds (1.83kg) Size: 13.75 x 9.48 x 0.61 inches (34.93 x 24.07 x 1.55cm; W x D x H)
Price and availability
The MacBook Pro 15-inch (2019) is available in two main configurations (which you can further customize to better suit your needs and budget). First, there’s an option with a 2.6GHz 6-core 9th generation Intel Core i7 processor, Radeon Pro 555X with 4GB of GDDR5 memory, 16GB 2400MHz DDR4 RAM and 256GB SSD storage for $2,399 (£2,399, AU$3,499/AED9,999).
Then, there’s a model equipped with a 2.3GHz 8-core 9th generation Intel Core i9 processor, Radeon Pro 560X with 4GB of GDDR5 memory, 16GB DDR4 memory and 512GB SSD storage for $2,799 (£2,799, AU$4,099/AED11,679/R44,999).
In the US and Australia, this price compares favorably with last year’s base model, which sold for $2,399 (£2,349, AU$3,499) and came with a 2.2GHz, 6-core 8th generation Intel Core i7 CPU, Radeon Pro 555X GPU, 16GB of DDR4 memory and a 256GB SSD. That’s basically the same spec, aside from the updated processor and GPU.
While the US and Australia essentially get an upgrade for free, UK readers will have noticed a price increase. This is due to Apple bringing UK prices into line with US dollars, so for Apple, £1 = $1. Now, for anyone with even a passing familiarity of exchange rates, you’ll know that this is a fairly raw deal for the UK. However, keep in mind that the US price doesn’t include tax, whereas the UK price does.
As we stated earlier, all the MacBook 2019 models can be configured to add more powerful components if you want – and can afford – them.
In fact, the model Apple sent us to review is something you’d have to configure yourself. It’s the highest-end model, so it comes equipped with an 8th generation Intel Core i9 processor with 8 cores and a 2.4GHz clock speed (5.0Ghz boost), 32GB RAM, AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 with 4GB of HBM2 memory and 4TB of SSD storage for $5,149 (£4,914, AU$7,859, AED21,549).
This means if you want to buy the model we’ve tested here, then you’re going to need to spend a lot of money. Still, at least there are lower-priced options, and the base MacBook Pro 15-inch (2019) compares favorably with the Razer Blade Pro 17 (2019), one of the latest Windows laptops trying to win professionals away from Apple. That sets you back $2,499.99 (£2,399.99, AU$4,299) for the base model with a 6-core 9th generation Intel processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 graphics card.
Comparing the two, we’d give the edge to the MacBook Pro 15-inch (2019) as a pure productivity device, taking into consideration the specs, build quality and (slightly) lower price.
Looks familiar? That's because it has the same design as last year's model(Image credit: Future)
Design
If you’ve ever seen or used a MacBook Pro, then you already know what the MacBook Pro 15-inch (2019) looks like. The last time the series got a considerable design change was back in 2016 with the addition of the Touch Bar, and the 2019 model looks – at least on the outside – pretty much the same as the previous models.
This is great news for anyone who believes that the MacBook Pro aesthetic is pretty much on point. On the other hand, it will disappoint anyone who is looking for a fresh new look.
So, the MacBook Pro 15-inch (2019)’s dimensions are 13.7 x 9.48 x 0.61-inches (34.92 x 24.07 x 1.55), basically the same as last year’s model, and is slightly smaller than MacBook Pros launched before 2016’s refresh. The new MacBook Pro 15 also weighs 4.02 pounds (1.83kg) – which, again, is exactly the same as last year’s model.
Color-wise, you’re again restricted to the choice of merely two – Space Gray and Silver. Port-wise, you’ll have four Thunderbolt 3/USB-C ports (two on each side of the laptop) as well as an audio jack port – a rarity on an Apple device these days.
Ports are limited to four Thunderbolt 3 ports and a headphone jack(Image credit: Future)
While some people will appreciate the minimalism of only having four Thunderbolt ports – which are fast and versatile (as they are compatible with many connection types and can also double as charging ports) – for many other people, the lack of variety in ports is an irritation, especially on a product that’s meant at professionals.
Anyone who relies on older peripherals like mice, keyboards or external hard drives will need to invest in an adapter. This can lead to a cluttered look, and it’s an additional cost – as Apple doesn’t include an adapter. That’s somewhat disappointing, especially when you’re already spending so much money on a laptop, and many of its competitors now include an adapter – take Acer’s new Swift 7, for example.
Now, one of the explanations for the lack of ports is so that Apple can keep the thin design of the MacBook 2019 line. We’d counter that first of all, if you’re looking for a productivity machine, you want something that lets you work with the tools you depend on with minimum fuss. That’s more important than having an outrageously thin laptop.
Secondly, the Razer Blade Pro 17 (2019) showcases how to have a slim laptop (its dimensions are 15.55 x 10.24 x 0.78-inches, which isn’t a lot larger than the MacBook Pro, especially considering it has a 17-inch display) and still have all the essential ports. It has an Ethernet, two USB 3.2, two USB-C 3.2, a 3.5mm audio jack, HDMI 2.0B and an SD card reader. That’s the kind of port selection that many people – particularly photographers – would find extremely useful and convenient.
It’s also worth keeping in mind that whenever you’re charging the MacBook Pro or any MacBook 2019, one of those valuable Thunderbolt ports is unavailable, basically cutting the number of ports down to three.
The screen remains bright and vibrant(Image credit: Future)
As with previous MacBook Pros (and other Apple devices), there is also no way to open up the MacBook Pro 15-inch (2019) and fix or upgrade its parts without voiding the warranty. While many people are ok with that, it does mean that you’re at the mercy of Apple (and Apple approved vendors) if something goes wrong. And, you can forget about adding more RAM or a bigger hard drive to extend the life of your expensive purchase.
Going back to the Razer Blade Pro 17 (2019) for a moment, that machine allows for comparatively effortless upgrading of RAM and storage, with an additional storage slot for another SSD if you need it. While many people may not make use of this, it still makes it a more tempting prospect for professionals who want to get the most future-proof laptop they can.
The 15.4-inch screen is inherited from last year’s – which is not a bad thing as the Retina display remains stunning-looking with a 2,880 x 1,800 resolution. There’s also support for the DCI-P3 color space, which is critical for video editors. The True Tone feature, which makes colors on the screen look more vibrant and realistic (although, it’s at the expense of accuracy) is also included – and this can be switched on or off depending on your preferences (and needs).
Generally, however, the design of the line of MacBook 2019 model refreshes offer nothing new. If you love the look of the MacBook, this will be music to your ears.
The Touch Bar is back again with the 2019 model(Image credit: Future)
Keyboard
Since the introduction of the 2016 MacBook Pros, which brought the ‘butterfly’ switch mechanism to the laptops’ keyboards, there have been quite a few complaints about the keyboards malfunctioning, particularly if debris (like crumbs or dust) end up between the keys.
Last year, in an attempt to fix the issue, Apple installed a silicone membrane to block debris from causing havoc. However, it didn’t really work. News that some keyboards were flawed justifiably bothered anyone investing a considerable sum in Apple’s newest laptops.
On the upside, the MacBook 2019 models of the Pro have once again received improvements. While the keyboard still uses the butterfly switches, Apple said that it has switched the materials used with the mechanism to lessen the probability of the keys getting stuck or becoming unresponsive when pressed, the two main problems previous keyboards had.
Apple hasn’t been too transparent on the particular details of the changes it has made to the keyboard. During our tests, we didn’t experience any issues. However, we didn’t with previous models either.
While the change is welcome, it’s still too bad that Apple hasn’t radically altered the design of the keyboard to guarantee that those issues never occur again. The fact that it includes the new MacBook 2019 models, the Pro included, in its Keyboard Service Program, which will replace a faulty keyboard free of charge, sort of implies that Apple hasn’t completely fixed the issue. Hopefully, any issues with the MacBook Pro 15-inch (2019)’s keyboards will prove infrequent.
The keyboard itself doesn’t feel significantly different to use – perhaps somewhat softer to type on than non-membrane keyboards, but it’s mostly business as usual. So, nice large keys that are easy to hit and comfortable to type on.
They’re also backlit for using in dimly-lit environments, and there’s the Touch Bar, a thin glass touchscreen that stretches along the top of the keyboard, displaying context-sensitive buttons on its 2,170 x 60 resolution screen. These buttons change depending on the application or task that you’re performing, created to give you fast shortcuts for a more seamless workflow.
You’ve possibly made up your mind about how valuable (or not) the Touch Bar is if you’ve used earlier MacBook Pros. We quite like it, and since its unveiling in the 2016 model, more apps are taking advantage.
Touch ID lets you log in with your fingerprint(Image credit: Future)
Next to the Touch Bar sits a fingerprint scanner for quickly and securely logging in to the computer as well as authorizing payments. It's quick and easy to set up, and accurately reads your fingerprint and logs you in without fuss - something that many fingerprint readers on laptops fail to do.
The touchpad also remains unchanged – large, responsive and does its job well, if you want to skip the use an external mouse.
In all, we cautiously welcome the updates Apple has made to the keyboard – and time will tell if they are enough to thwart any more problems. However, we wish Apple did more to eliminate any such doubts – though that would undoubtedly involve a major overhaul of the keyboard.
Here’s how the 15-inch MacBook Pro (2019) performed in our suite of benchmark tests:
Cinebench CPU: 3,142 points Graphics: 129.63 fps Geekbench 4 Single-Core: 5,829; Multi-Core: 30,478 Battery Life (TechRadar movie test): 7 hours and 36 minutes
As you’d imagine with a brand-new MacBook Pro with the kind of specs we were sent, the MacBook Pro 15-inch (2019) runs smoothly, with macOS 10.14 feeling fast and responsive when doing daily tasks.
Of course, you’d be doing a laptop of this level a disservice if you only use it for run-of-the-mill stuff like web browsing and writing emails. Even with the more challenging and intensive workloads we’ve tried it with – such as transcoding high definition video files – the MacBook Pro 15-inch (2019) handles them without breaking a sweat.
Just like last year’s model, we noticed that the MacBook Pro 15-inch (2019) does get pretty toasty during particular tasks – and you can feel that heat behind the keys as you type. The MacBook Pro’s fans are also prone to kicking in, and while you can hear them whirring away, they aren’t too disrupting.
Performance is good, as expected(Image credit: Future)
When it comes to the raw stats of our benchmark results, you can tell how much of an upgrade this year’s high-end version is over last year’s.
In the Cinebench CPU benchmark, the MacBook Pro 15-inch (2019) scores 3,142 – a large bump over the 2018’s 1,057. The Geekbench 4 processor benchmark shows another big leap over last year’s model, with a single core score of 5,829 (vs 5,542) and a multi-core score of 30,478 (vs 23,431).
Therefore, in the processor department, the new MacBook Pro 15-inch (2019) is undeniably an upgrade. Graphics also get a boost, with the high-end AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 with 4GB of HBM2 in the 2019 model scoring 129.63 FPS in the Cinebench benchmark, next to the 102.28 fps that the 2018 model’s AMD Radeon Pro 560X delivered.
But, there are also some things you should keep in mind regarding these benchmark results. First, synthetic benchmark results are a good gauge of the raw power of a device, but they don’t precisely tell the whole story.
If you liked the look of previous MacBook Pros, you'll love the latest version(Image credit: Future)
Our time with the MacBook Pro 15-inch (2019) left us in no doubt that this is a very powerful laptop, but then so is the 2018 model. Honestly, if you own last year’s model and are happy with its performance, don’t dump it for this model just because of marginally higher numbers.
Another important thing to keep in mind about these benchmark results is that these numbers are for the maxed-out MacBook Pro 15-inch (2019) Apple sent us. Unless you have the money to shell out and require that kind of power, you won’t be using the exact same MacBook 2019 iteration of the Pro as us. If you want these results, then prepare to spend a lot for it.
Battery life
With the more powerful internals fitted in this year’s model, the battery life seems to have taken a bit of a hit, with the laptop lasting only 7 hours and 36 minutes during our battery tests that involves looping a 1080p video at 50% brightness and volume.
That’s still about the length of a full workday, and you may manage to squeeze out a bit more juice by toggling some settings and turning off unnecessary features. However, you’ll be wise to carry around the MacBook Pro’s charger just in case you do run out of battery.
If you’re performing more intensive tasks – such video rendering – then you’ll definitely want to plug the laptop in.
Apple claims the MacBook Pro 15-inch (2019) can handle 10 hours of wireless internet browsing, which seems to be its default claim for MacBook Pros these days. While we didn’t see the battery last quite that long during our tests, it still lasts longer than some of its Windows-based rivals, particularly the Razer Blade Pro, which has embarrassingly low battery life – though that’s probably due to its origins as a gaming laptop.
Where the MacBook Pro 15-inch (2019) shines at compared to Windows laptops – as with earlier models – is how long it lasts on standby, with Apple claiming up to 30 days of standby time. This means you can shut the lid of the MacBook Pro 15-inch (2019) without fully turning it back off, and even after a few days, when you open it back up, there will still be battery to work with.
We found this to be the case, although we didn’t get an opportunity to test the full 30-day claim. It’s a commendable feat especially seeing that a Windows laptop, when closed, still drains its battery ridiculously fast.
Want the most powerful MacBook ever? This is the one to get(Image credit: Future)
Verdict
So, is the MacBook Pro 15-inch (2019) worth paying for to upgrade from the 2018 model? Definitely not, but then no one should expect that.
Still, if you do have an aging MacBook Pro – especially one that came before the 2016 refresh – then you should consider upgrading to this year’s model. Admittedly, it’s only a minor upgrade in the grand scheme of things, but it still makes it the most powerful MacBook 2019 has to offer.
The addition of Intel’s latest 8-core processors does make a big difference to the performance of the MacBook Pro 15-inch (2019). If you’re considering buying one, we recommend this option, not only for the boost in performance, but also future-proofing as well, as you won’t feel the need to upgrade for a substantial amount of time.
However, if you already own a more recent MacBook Pro, don’t feel like you’re missing out if you don’t get this version. The spec bumps just aren’t drastic enough to make your current MacBook Pro archaic.
Goose VPN is a Netherlands-based privacy provider with some appealing features and products.
Goose has a compact network of 25 countries. Most are in Europe and North America, but there are also servers in Australia, Hong Kong, India, Japan and Singapore (20 support P2P.)
A wide range of apps cover Windows, Mac, iOS and Android, while a Chrome extension runs everywhere, and there are bonus setup instructions for many other devices and platforms.
Unusually, there's no arbitrary device limit. That puts Goose VPN ahead of big names like ExpressVPN (which limits you to five simultaneous connections) and NordVPN (six), although a few providers, including Windscribe and Surfshark, also have no limits.
Support is available 24/7/365 via live chat and email. That's not provided by some minimum wage third-party based halfway around the world, either – Goose says it doesn't outsource support, which gets a thumbs-up from us.
A monthly billed account is priced at $12.99, similar to CyberGhost, ExpressVPN, HideMyAss and VyprVPN.
Paying for a year upfront cuts the cost to a very reasonable $4.99 and the two-year plan is an effective $2.99 a month.
As we write, the lifetime plan costs a one-off $139, only marginally cheaper than NordVPN's three-year product ($125.64.)
Although there are some cheaper deals around – Surfshark’s two-year plan is priced at $1.99 a month, for instance – Goose VPN beats most of the competition.
Goose does score in another area, though: the first month comes free, the best trial period we've found. You must hand over your payment details, but you're not billed until the first 30 days are up. If there are problems, just close your account from the website and there's nothing to pay.
Goose also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, but you only qualify for this if you've transferred less than a tiny 100MB of data. As Goose offers a month for free, anyway, we're not going to complain, but it's worth keeping in mind. Do all your testing in the free month, because unless you've not been able to connect at all, you're unlikely to qualify for the money-back guarantee.
Privacy and logging
Goose boasts of its 'no log policy' at the top of the website, but if you've ever gone VPN shopping you'll know every provider does the same, even when it's not entirely true. That's why it's always a good idea to drill down into the small print and discover what's really going on.
The Privacy Policy explains that Goose doesn't log users' internet activities – "for example, websites visited, DNS-search results, emails sent and received, usernames or entered passwords, etc."
Even better, the policy goes on to cover session data, explaining that the service doesn't store your originating IP address, or any information about the VPN servers you use within a session.
The only data logged is the bandwidth use per account. That's not uncommon, though, and it can't on its own compromise your privacy.
There's more good news when the policy points out that Goose owns and manages its own network, giving it much greater control over how the servers are set up and operated.
While browsing the small print, we noticed an interesting fair use policy. Instead of vague warnings about ‘excessive usage’, Goose spells out the point where customers cross the line: when "a user utilizes more than 1% of the entire Goose network’s bandwidth".
If a single user hogs that much bandwidth then we'd expect there to be problems, but even then, the company is fair, saying only that the user "will be approached by Goose to reduce the use, or to make a higher payment."
Overall, Goose does a good job of describing its procedures, with plenty of detail-- but it's still not quite enough. We'd like to see Goose follow TunnelBear, NordVPN and others in putting its systems through a privacy audit to verify its no-logging credentials.
Goose VPN has apps for mobile, desktop and even browser extensions(Image credit: Goose VPN)
Apps
Getting started with Goose VPN is simple. Hand over your email address, enter your payment details (don't worry, you're not billed until the trial month is up) and your account is immediately created. We grabbed the Windows client, downloaded and installed it within a couple of minutes.
This is the user interface of Goose VPN's Windows app(Image credit: Goose VPN)
The client opens with a simple window which displays your connection status, default protocol, and the current location shown in text and on a map.
Other locations are displayed in a list, along with icons indicating P2P-friendly or specialist streaming servers. There's no Favorites system so you may have to scroll to find your most commonly used servers.
Choose a connection and you're able to connect and disconnect with a click. Connection times were reasonable during our tests, and native Windows desktop notifications make it completely clear when you're protected, and when you're not.
Switching servers is easy and natural; just choose a new location and the client closes any previous connection, and starts a new one.
You can select your preferred VPN protocol from Goose VPN's settings(Image credit: Goose VPN)
The client window displays the current protocol, which by default is chosen automatically to be the best option for your location and server. This was generally IKEv2 during our review, but a Protocol tab in the Settings dialog allows you to set OpenVPN, IKEv2, L2TP or even the old and insecure PPTP as your preferred protocol for all situations.
The client does a good job of setting up native Windows connections (PPTP, L2TP, IKEv2); encryption is required, credentials aren't saved unnecessarily, unnecessary networking layers are ditched to reduce any security risks.
Goose VPN's OpenVPN configuration is more mixed. It's good to see the client using solid AES-256-CBC encryption. It's not so good to see connections don't use server certificate authentication, which gives an opportunity for an attacker to intercept traffic by pretending to be a Goose VPN server. It's a theoretical risk and not one you're likely to encounter, but it's also one which doesn't affect most VPNs, and there's no reason you should be exposed to it here.
You can also enable a kill switch in the settings menu(Image credit: Goose VPN)
The only significant additional feature is a built-in kill switch to automatically block internet access if the VPN drops, reducing the chance of an identity leak.
Unfortunately the kill switch had some problems in our tests(Image credit: Goose VPN)
We found this worked well at blocking internet access when the VPN went down, but there were sometimes consequences later; the client crashed once, then it wouldn't reconnect, and we were left unable to get online. The solution isn't difficult - just restart your PC - and, hopefully, this will happen so rarely that you won't mind. But it's not an issue we see with the best VPNs, and it leaves us wondering what other networking issues the client might have.
Goose VPN's mobile apps are almost identical to their desktop counterparts(Image credit: Goose VPN)
The Android app has an almost identical interface to its desktop cousin, with the same static map, location list and Connect/Disconnect button. You can connect in two or three taps, and switching servers is just as easy – tap a new location in the list and the app automatically closes the current connection, before initiating a new one.
The only real disappointment here is the Settings dialog. This has no auto-connect options, no choice of protocols, no kill switch, DNS control or anything else you might want from a mobile VPN app. Instead, there's just a single option: to allow you to choose from the full list of servers, or to have the app select the best one automatically. There's nothing wrong with that, but we'd rather Goose VPN had given us some of the more standard options, first.
GooseVPN was able to give us access to US Netflix but it failed to do so with BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+(Image credit: Netflix)
Performance
Goose VPN boasts that it can help you "access all websites... wherever you are", maybe allowing you to view content you wouldn't usually be able to see.
Our unblocking tests says this isn't true, at least not often. Goose enabled streaming US Netflix content, but it failed with BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+.
Goose VPN performed quite well in our speed tests(Image credit: Ookla)
Performance was much better, with download speeds of 65-68Mbps on our 75Mbps UK test line, and a capable 40-60Mbps from UK to US connections.
We then re-ran our speed tests from a European data center with a fast 300Mbps connection, giving us a better idea of just how fast the service could go. And the answer was 'very', at an excellent 190-200Mbps.
The successes carried on right to the end of the review, too, with multiple privacy checks finding Goose correctly blocked all DNS and WebRTC leaks.
Final verdict
An unusual VPN, below average in some key areas (features, unblocking), but with enough plus points to make it interesting (free month, no device limits, high peak speeds, can be cheap.) Could be worth a try for less demanding users.
Untied is a personal tax app that’s been designed to help the self-employed organize their financial affairs and be well prepared come tax-filing time. With simplicity at its core, Untied aims to connect you to your bank accounts, allow you to quickly and efficiently tag income and expenses and, ultimately, let you submit your tax return correctly and on time.
The service is app-based, so it’s got all of the tools for sorting taxes and other financial tasks on the go, rather than needing to sit at a desktop machine or laptop. Convenience and ease of use appear to be the main appeal with the ‘UK’s personal tax app’, as Untied describes itself.
You can enjoy an edition of Untied for free but Essential is best(Image credit: Untied)
Pricing
The Untied personal tax app is focused on UK users, so pricing is available in pounds only. There are three different package options on offer, with a free Starter edition that comes with a decent spread of functions. It allows you to connect up to three bank accounts, tag income and expenses and also work with up to two income streams.
These can include self-employment income up to £85k, property income up to £85k, PAYE salary income, dividend income and bank interest too. The real-time tax estimation works on this free version, while it's also possible to export data as a PDF.
Next up, the Essential package is £11.99 per month (free for the first 3), which comes with everything in the Starter bundle. It adds the ability to connect unlimited bank accounts, intelligent tagging, all supported income streams, journey logging, tax optimisation and the freedom to submit your tax return directly to HMRC. There’s priority support too.
A Gig worker edition of Untied is the other option, which is £6 per month (free for the first 3 months) and is aimed at the more occasional freelancer who might not need the more advanced tools and features found in the Essential edition.
The Untied works out ongoing tax calculations on the fly (Image credit: Untied)
Features
With simplicity at its root, Untied comes with plenty of features aimed at reducing the time you take to stay on top of your finances. It’s possible to add as many bank accounts as you like, tag income and expenses as well as log mileages for work-related travel. The app works dynamically, so you can get real-time updates on how your finances are faring. At the end of the tax year you can subsequently use the data that’s been accumulated by Untied to file a return to HMRC.
The Untied app has been nicely designed for both iOS and Andro(Image credit: Untied)
Ease of use
It’s all about the app when it comes to using Untied and the designers have done a great job with it. The interface is simple to navigate, everything is logically laid out and there don't appear to be any major sticking points. You can get the app for iOS and Android.
The full app offers the ability to link to bank accounts, logs mileage dynamically and comes with several other features that require very little in the way of input to work. If you’ve got little inclination to explore those features, or a light workload, you can opt for the Untied package, which is aimed at gig-type freelancers. However, what is hugely beneficial is that you can submit a tax return to HMRC from either one.
The Untied website has a solid knowledge base for any queries(Image credit: Untied)
Support
If you’ve signed up for the Essential package then Untied comes with priority support. Outside of that there’s a very good and easily searchable knowledge base that will take you through the many features found inside Untied. There’s also a contact form that lets you to send them an email and include any attachments if necessary.
Untied also features a chat-bot style helper, which can be used to find answers to queries, or you can ask your own question if it isn’t covered by the database. Meanwhile, the Untied blog proves useful for getting a little more background on the app and how it works for users.
Untied is wonderfully simple if you like to use apps for the bulk of your chores(Image credit: Untied)
Final verdict
Untied is a fine proposition for anyone in the UK who carries out freelance work for a living and needs to submit a tax return to HMRC at the end of the financial year. The way the app works dynamically on your mobile device ensures that you always get an up to date picture of your incomings and expenses, while the resulting calculation prior to filing time cuts down on bookkeeping faff.
The app has been well designed and the price point is affordable. That said; the free option is one to think about if you’ve got very straightforward or basic accounting needs. For a little bit of outlay though you’re better off going for the paid-for edition and enjoying all of those beneficial features, including the ability to link and sync with your bank accounts.
Let’s use the Black Shark 3 to play ‘Xiaomi bingo’, seeing which of the common attributes of the Chinese phone brand are on offer with this handset from its gaming-focused sub-brand.
Fairly top-end specs? Check. A price tag that’s lower than other devices with similar specs? Check. Surprisingly good camera? Check. An operating system full of bloatware with a few big issues? Nope – and that’s one feature we’re happy to find is missing.
Black Shark has previously downplayed its relationship to Xiaomi, but that seems more a PR stance than a reflection of any divide between the companies. The Black Shark 3 is a Xiaomi phone in the best way possible, and there’s a lot to like about it – if you’re an avid mobile gamer, that is.
The Black Shark 3 is a great phone for the mobile gamer: between its top-end processor, oodles of RAM, large screen, and game launcher app that uses optimizations to maximize performance, people who find themselves spending most their phone time playing Fortnite, Call of Duty Mobile and other such titles will be more than happy with what they’re getting here.
The Black Shark 3 arguably leans a little too hard into the ‘gamer’ aesthetic though, just like the Black Shark 2. It comes in black or chrome colors, its rear is shaped like a large ‘X’ adorned with LED accents, and when you activate the dedicated Shark Space mode for optimized gaming performance a massive shark appears on your screen – so if you’re not a serious mobile gamer, or you are but you just don’t want to advertise the fact to the world, you might not like this phone.
We were also impressed by the Black Shark 3’s camera capabilities – we picked up the phone expecting it to be good for gaming, but we were blown away by how it was also good for photography.
It can’t compete with the best camera phones out there, but it doesn’t fall far short, thanks to vibrant pictures, snappy autofocus, accurate background blur effects for portraits and smart optimizations; it’s just a shame that there’s no telephoto lens or dedicated macro mode.
While the Xiaomi Black Shark 3 is definitely worth checking out, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention its contemporary, the Nubia Red Magic 5G. That gaming phone has very similar specs but it’s different in two key ways: it has a 144Hz max screen refresh rate, much better for gaming than the Black Shark’s maximum of 90Hz, and in most regions it’s also a bit cheaper.
Xiaomi Black Shark 3(Image credit: Future)
Still, the Black Shark 3 has a lot to recommend it, especially to avid photographers and fans of the Shark Space gaming mode, so if you’re in the market for a great gaming phone, read on.
There’s also a Black Shark 3 Pro coming which has a bigger screen, faster charging and physical trigger buttons on the side, which will be an even better phone for gaming, but it won’t be light on your wallet.
Xiaomi Black Shark 3 price and availability
Price starts at $599 / £539
Available from mid-2020
Black Shark 3 Pro coming
There are two Black Shark 3 release dates as the two models, differentiated by RAM and storage space, were released at different times in June 2020, with the Black Shark 3 Pro available later in the year.
If you want the Black Shark 3 with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage, which we tested, you’ll be paying $599 / £539 (around AU$950, although based on precedent we don’t expect it to launch in Australia). The 12GB RAM and 256GB version of the phone costs $729 / £649 (roughly AU$1,150).
The phone comes in black or gray variants, but the gray one isn’t available in the 12GB/256GB combo, so if you want this specced-up version you’ll have to buy a black phone.
Xiaomi Black Shark 3(Image credit: Future)
For context the Nubia Red Magic cost $579 / £539 (around AU$910), so in the US it’s cheaper than the Black Shark 3 and it’s on a par in most other countries. We’re also expecting that two other gaming-focused phones – the Asus ROG Phone 3 and Lenovo Legion – will cost a similar amount when they’re released, although at time of writing those phones haven’t been officially announced.
There are a range of optional-extra peripherals you can buy to add to your Black Shark 3: the FunCooler and FunCooler Pro are devices you attach to your device to keep it cool while you’re gaming, and there’s also a magnetic charging cable that lets you power up your phone without using the USB-C port (more on this later), a left-hand-side gamepad for the device (but not a right one, curiously), plus various cases, headphones, and more.
Each of these will set you back a bit, although no more than non-Black Shark equivalents.
Design
Pretty big device
Big X on back, and LEDs too
Dedicated Shark Space toggle
The Black Shark 3 is a chunky phone, so avoid it if you’re looking for something compact that you can easily carry around in a pocket.
It measures 168.7 x 77.3 x 10.4mm, so it’s one of the thickest phones around, as well as tallest, if only by a couple of millimeters. At 222g it’s one of the heaviest handsets too. Still, it doesn’t compare to the even bigger Pro model, so this isn’t the biggest phablet you can buy.
Needless to say, a phone this big can be a little hard to carry about – it was a noticeable presence in trouser pockets, and when we put it in shallower shorts pockets it was constantly poking out the top, so this is a phone you may want to keep in your jacket or bag. The phone is also a little hard to hold one-handed, unless you’ve got big hands, with the power button out of easy reach for example.
Xiaomi Black Shark 3(Image credit: Future)
On the left edge of the phone is the volume rocker; on the right side, at the very top – and way out of reach without a fair bit of hand-shuffling – is the power button, and at the very bottom is the toggle to enter Shark Space, which we’ll look at in detail in the Software section of this review. On the bottom is the USB-C port, and on the top is a 3.5mm headphone jack.
There’s an in-screen fingerprint scanner here too, and (unlike the power button) this feels like it should be pretty easy to reach for most people.
We had an odd problem with the headphone jack – when we put the phone into pockets (top-first, as we feel is the normal fashion) the port would frequently pick up bits of fluff and scraps of tissue, and on several occasions we had to use the SIM tray tool to dig this out.
We’ve never had to do this with a phone before, and we’d guess it had something to do with the placement of the jack combined with the size of the phone (and perhaps the state of our trouser pockets).
The edges of the phone aren’t rounded, like on most phones, but are angular, meeting at a ridge that runs around the middle of the handset. It’s not necessarily uncomfortable to hold, but a device with rounded edges might feel better in the hand to many people.
As mentioned, the rear of the phone has the distinctive ‘X’ shape, which is an evolution on the design we’ve seen on the back of previous Black Shark phones. A triangular camera bump protrudes slightly from the upper part of this design, housing the three lenses and flash in a rather subtle way, while a mirror-image bump at the bottom of the phone houses a magnetic pin for a charging peripheral you can buy separately (more on that in the Charging section).
Xiaomi Black Shark 3(Image credit: Future)
The Black Shark 3’s rear also sports three LEDs - two small ones at the foot of the camera bump and the top of the lower bump, and a larger one housed in the Black Shark logo. You can assign different functions to these – for example, they can light up red when the phone is charging, or flash green and blue when you’re gaming. We’re big fans of the fact that when you’re listening to music the LEDs flicker with cyan and violet patterns, making it look like they’re ‘dancing’ to your tunes.
The design on the back may scream ‘gamer’ rather loudly, but we’d argue that it isn’t obnoxious, as is the case with the aforementioned Nubia Red Magic 5G or the Asus ROG phones, and the black version we tested looks pretty understated and sleek – it would certainly outshine some of its rivals in a fashion contest.
Display
6.67-inch AMOLED screen
2K resolution
90Hz refresh rate
The Black Shark 3 has a fairly big display – as 6.67-inch AMOLED screen it’s on the large side (even in 2020, when we’ve seen a number of palm-stretching phones), but is dwarfed by its 7.1-inch Pro sibling.
The screen resolution is 1080 x 2400 (or 2K), so while it doesn’t reach the 2.5K resolution of some non-gaming phones, like the Samsung Galaxy S20 and Oppo Find X2, it still looks good. Colors look punchy, which is great for the many games that rely on a bright art style, although we did feel the max screen brightness was a little low.
The Black Shark 3 has a max screen refresh rate of 90Hz, which you can dial back to 60Hz to save battery if you want. This is a little lower than the 120Hz some phones have, and a good bit lower than the 144Hz of the Nubia Red Magic 5G, so people wanting the super-smooth scrolling experience that high refresh rates bring may want to look elsewhere. Saying that, not all games actually let you utilize super-high refresh rates in any meaningful way at the moment, your gaming experience will only be hampered if you’re playing the games that support 144Hz or 120Hz.
Xiaomi Black Shark 3(Image credit: Future)
As with previous Black Shark phones, the Black Shark 3 doesn’t have a notch or ‘punch-hole’ cutout for the front facing camera, instead housing it in a slender bezel above the screen. This results in the entire screen space being reserved for gaming, although given that most punch-holes are obscured by your thumbs when you’re gaming anyway a punch-hole wouldn’t have been terrible here.
Xiaomi has made a noticeable push towards including always-on displays in its 2020 phones; the Black Shark 3 is the latest to get this feature, and you can opt for a range of designs to adorn the screen when you’re not using the phone.
Unlike the always-on displays on some other devices, though, you can’t check your notifications from the always-on display beyond seeing the app icon, or change music tracks when listening, so it’s arguably a little less useful than it could be.
Cameras
64MP main, 13MP ultra-wide, 5MP depth-sensing camera
Surprisingly good photos
Pictures often look very bright
The Black Shark 3 has a 64MP f/1.8 main camera, which is teamed with 13MP f/2.3 ultra-wide and 5MP f/2.2 depth-sensing snappers. As we’ve mentioned, we were pretty impressed with the pictures we took on the phone, given this isn’t a handset that’s designed with photography as its main focus, but it makes sense given we were also impressed by pictures taken on the Black Shark 2.
Before we talk about image quality though, it’s worth briefly touching on what the camera app is like to use. Switching between modes is seamless, autofocus is quick and generally pretty accurate, and in general the app felt very easy to use.
Xiaomi Black Shark 3(Image credit: Future)
It was a little harder to zoom, as when you pinch your fingers no zoom bar appears to help you adjust the zoom setting – you just have to hope you can get the right level of zoom with your fingers. Similarly there’s a virtual button in the camera app for using the ultra-wide camera, you don’t just pinch your fingers to activate it like on every other device, and this took a little getting used to.
Pictures we took looked sharp, with particularly impressive-looking depth of field, likely thanks to the (relatively) high-res depth camera which can implement accurate-looking artificial background blur. This made the phone feel great for taking macro pictures, which made the most of the depth-of-field, but also snaps of subjects too.
Colors didn’t ‘pop’ noticeably, so users of Samsung or Apple phones might be a touch disappointed, but they were far from dim. In fact, images in general seemed very bright, sometimes curiously so: we took a few pictures at dusk – and in modes other than Night mode – that looked like they were taken during the day.
This brightness effect was most noticeable when using Portrait mode, as this mode seemed to boost brightness and reduce contrast to artificial-looking levels, and seemed to struggle with dynamic range more than ‘standard’ mode.
We’d guess there’s some overzealous post-processing going on here, and we preferred the naturalistic style of the standard photo mode. Saying that portrait snaps are far from bad, especially when taken during the day when extra brightness wasn’t too noticeable.
Image 1 of 2
Standard mode(Image credit: Future)
Image 2 of 2
Night mode(Image credit: Future)
The Black Shark 3 was best at taking pictures during the day and in well-lit environments, but it certainly wasn’t a slouch in low-light scenarios either. Because of the keen image-brightening, pictures taken in low-light settings with the dedicated night mode weren’t that much different to snaps taken in standard mode, but there was a touch more detail at times.
Video mode lets you capture recordings up to 4K/60fps, so not quite the 8K available on some phones, but few people will mind. There’s also 1980fps slow-mo, which is twice as slow as the equivalent mode on most phones, but it can only record a very short burst of video, so we didn’t feel able to make the most of this feature.
The front-facing camera is a 20MP f/2.2 snapper, and pictures again showed good detail, but the keen image lighting clearly kicked into effect in Portrait mode again. Backgrounds also looked a little too blurred for our liking, but you can adjust the strength of the blur effect when you’re taking a picture, or after you’ve taken one, so we can’t criticize it much.
Selfies taken in the standard mode didn’t have this effect though, so we came to prefer it.
Camera samples
Image 1 of 10
A standard picture taken in a low-light setting(Image credit: Future)
Image 2 of 10
The same picture but taken in ultra-wide mode(Image credit: Future)
Image 3 of 10
A picture captured in Portrait mode(Image credit: Future)
Image 4 of 10
A selfie taken in standard mode(Image credit: Future)
Image 5 of 10
A selfie taken in Portrait(Image credit: Future)
Image 6 of 10
Candid cats benefit from the brightness bossting(Image credit: Future)
The standard mode makes things look startlingly bright(Image credit: Future)
Image 9 of 10
A picture of a cat taken on the standard mode(Image credit: Future)
Image 10 of 10
The same shot as before, but in Portrait mode(Image credit: Future)
Performance
Snapdragon 865 chipset
5G-compatible
Pretty good benchmark results
As the Xiaomi Black Shark 3 is a gaming phone, ultimately it’s going to be judged on how well it runs games, and that’s largely (but not solely) down to performance.
The phone has a Snapdragon 865 processor from Qualcomm, which at the time of release (and likely until 2021) is the best chipset available to Android phones, and which you’ll also find in all the top phones of the year. It’s paired with 8GB RAM in the version of the phone we tested for the review – and mentioned, there’s also a 12GB version available.
When we put the phone through a multi-core benchmark test it returned a score of 3042. That puts it just a hair above the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus, which scored 3034, and just below the Sony Xperia 1 II at 3085, but noticeably below the OnePlus 8 at 3401 and iPhone 11 Pro Max at 3424.
Despite the Black Shark 3 not providing the best processing power among current phones, that’s still a good score, and the phone is plenty powerful enough for gaming.
When playing games on the phone – and especially in the Shark Space mode, which we’ll get to – games were quick to load and always defaulted to the highest graphics settings, and we rarely encountered issues with even the most demanding games.
Xiaomi Black Shark 3(Image credit: Future)
We tested a large selection of games on the phone – a bigger range than we normally would, as this is a gaming phone after all – and popular shooters like Fornite and Call of Duty Mobile, mobile ports like GTA: San Andreas, and less-demanding games like Clash of Clans and Mario Kart Tour all ran flawlessly.
The large screen and faster frame rate also enhanced the look of games, although after an extended bout of gaming the phone did heat up quite a bit.
With all this processing power on board for gaming, the phone is easily capable of less-demanding tasks too like opening social media apps, editing photos and navigating the menus.
The Black Shark 3 is a 5G-compatible phone, as all Snapdragon 865 phones are, and while 5G connection is still too sporadic in most areas to properly test out 5G gaming, it’ll likely be enhanced by the fact the phone has more antennae than most, so that when you’re gripping the phone while gaming your hands won’t completely block out data signals.
Software
Android 10
JoyUI overlay
Icon to show where you just pressed
The Xiaomi Black Shark 3 runs Android 10, with JoyUI, a version of Xiaomi’s MIUI, laid over the top. In terms of appearance, JoyUI looks a lot like MIUI, with icons designed with cooler colors and rounded edges, but it’s better than that Android ‘fork’ in two key ways.
First, JoyUI comes without the unnecessary pre-installed apps, otherwise known as bloatware, that Xiaomi phones typically have. There were one or two apps on the Black Shark 3 that we didn’t touch, like Player Manual and Cleaner (the latter would be useful, but it’s already available through the Security app on the home screen), but we didn’t mind them too much, and we expect some users will like them.
Second, JoyUI has an app drawer, so if you swipe up you’ll find a scrollable list of all the apps you have installed, so you can easily hide them away from the home screens if you want without relegating them to some distant corner of your phone. In addition, you can sort this app drawer into categories like Communication and Entertainment, which makes it even cleaner and easy to use.
Xiaomi Black Shark 3(Image credit: Future)
Swiping through the Black Shark 3 feels smooth and easy, thanks in equal parts to the powerful processor, 90Hz screen and clean layout of the software.
There’s an interesting feature in the Black Shark 3 software in that, when you press or swipe the screen a small circle appears when you pressed, which remains visible for a while. The purpose of this isn’t clear; we found it somewhat useful while playing games, as it showed us that we were frequently pressing in the wrong place to open menus in certain games, but not everyone will care for it, and we couldn’t find a way to turn it off.
Shark Space gaming mode
Optimization mode for gaming
Hides notifications
Easy access to games
It’s time now to talk about Shark Space, the gaming mode that helps to make the Black Shark 3 such a great gaming phone. You can turn this on by flicking the aforementioned switch on the side of the phone, which opens up the Shark Space app.
Shark Space contains a carousel of all your installed games, so you can easily choose what you want to play and boot it up, and the mode has a range of settings that you can adjust to enhance your gameplay. You can choose to auto-reject calls, hide notifications, and tweak different settings to better optimize the phone for gaming.
When using Shark Space, gaming really does feel better – we noticed that the phone’s battery lasted longer gaming when we used the gaming mode than if we didn’t, not having notifications constantly getting in the way was useful, and the mode lets you easily map controls if you’re using a gamepad peripheral.
Xiaomi Black Shark 3(Image credit: Future)
We had to get into the habit of booting up Shark Space ourselves though, as not many phones have dedicated gaming software, and lots of those that do have it automatically turn on when you boot up a game. If you’re buying the Black Shark 3 purely as a gaming phone you might find it easier to remember, though.
Battery life
4,720mAh battery
Easy lasts a day unless you're gaming frequently
Snappy wired charging
The Black Shark 3 has a 4,720mAh battery – we’d say around 4,500mAh is typical for a phone of this size, although perhaps mobile gamers might want a bit more juice.
We were impressed with the battery performance for average everyday use – so a fair amount of music streaming, regular social media checking, and some gaming here and there. Starting from full, we ended most days with about 30% charge left – and on one day we had a full 50% left – so we’d see this phone lasting you well into a second day if you’re not using it frequently.
Obviously, if you’re going to be doing a lot of intensive gaming your mileage could vary quite a bit, depending on how frequently you play, and what kinds of games you’re playing. Suffice to say, the Black Shark 3’s battery life can take quite a hit when you use it for extended gaming sessions, although that’s to be expected.
For example, half an hour of PUBG Mobile drained the battery by roughly 10%, while generally Call of Duty: Mobile and Mario Kart Tour were less demanding, while Fortnite depleted the battery faster.
We’d estimate that we went through 10%-25% of the Black Shark 3’s charge per hour of gaming, depending on the title, which of course won’t guarantee you a full day of general use if you’re playing for a few hours.
Xiaomi Black Shark 3(Image credit: Future)
Black Shark has clearly identified this issue though, and you can buy a magnetic charger to use instead of the regular one that comes in the box. This charger connects to a pin on the back of the phone, and charges the device while you’re gaming, rather than you having to plug in a USB-C cable.
The magnetic cable is a little easier to ignore while you’re gaming than a big cable sticking out the phone, so some may prefer it to the USB-C cable – but it’s an additional outlay, and is very slow at charging your phone.
From 0%, the Black Shark 3 took an hour to power up to 25% using the magnetic cable. This feels very slow by today’s fast-charging standards, and we’d imagine that for some games it won’t actually add to the charge of the device while you’re gaming, just offset the power you’re using.
If you plug the USB-C cable in instead, the 30W charging is a lot snappier, and we’d generally recommend charging your phone this way unless you really want to use the magnetic pin and the few perks it brings. There’s no wireless charging option though.
Should I buy the Black Shark 3?
Xiaomi Black Shark 3(Image credit: Future)
Buy it if
You want a gaming phone
The Black Shark 3 is designed for mobile gamers, and it's great for that audience. The software and hardware work together well, and you’ll have a hard time finding a device that’s better for gaming.
You like a good camera
The Black Shark 3 is better for taking pictures than you’d expect, particularly when it comes to depth-of-field effects and macro photography, although it’s not flawless.
A clean UI appeals to you
We found JoyUI a clean OS with few pain points, so if you’re a user of ‘stock’ Android, iOS, or a few of the other cleaner operating systems out there, you’ll be happy with what you find here.
Don’t buy it if
You’re not a mobile gamer
If you don’t frequently play intensive mobile games you’re not really in the core market for this device, and aside from gaming the Black Shark 3 doesn’t offer much that other phones can’t do as well or better.
You have small hands or pockets
The Black Shark 3 is a beast of a phone in terms of size, and if you like to use your phone one-handed, or you don’t want a device that’ll fill your entire pocket, you might find it too big.
You’d be ashamed to be seen with a phone that looks like that
The Black Shark 3 has a unique look, and given that many non-gaming Android devices share a similar, relatively prosaic design, it certainly stands out. However between that big rear ‘X’, the LED lights, and the angular edges, it may not stand out in the right way for everyone.
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