Mobile gamers looking to upgrade their gear might have a hard time picking a new device as there are new gaming smartphones in the market, namely, the ASUS ROG Phone 5, Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2, and the Black Shark 4. We initially had our ROG Phone 5 vs. Black Shark 4 spec comparison, which was then followed by the Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2 vs. ASUS ROG Phone 5, but now we are pinning the three against each other. Now let’s see which smartphone is the one for you!
| Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2 | ASUS ROG Phone 5 | Black Shark 4 |
|---|---|---|
| 6.92-inch (2460 x 1080) AMOLED display, 388ppi, HDR10+ | 6.78-inch (2448 x 1080) AMOLED display, 395ppi, HDR10+ | 6.67-inch (2400 x 1080) AMOLED display, 395ppi, HDR10+ |
| 144Hz refresh rate, 720Hz touch sampling | 144Hz refresh rate, 300Hz touch sampling rate | 144Hz refresh rate, 720Hz touch sampling rate |
| Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus | |
| Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G CPU |
| Adreno 660 GPU | Adreno 660 GPU | Adreno 650 GPU |
| 12GB, 16GB, 18GB LPDDR5 RAM | 8GB, 12GB, 16GB LPDDR5 RAM | 6GB, 8GB, 12GB LPDDR5 RAM |
| 256GB, 512GB UFS 3.1 | 128GB, 256GB UFS 3.1 | 128GB, 256GB UFS 3.1 storage |
| Dual-rear cameras: • 64MP OmniVision OV64A F.19 main • 16MP F2.2 ultra-wide | Triple rear cameras: • 64MP Sony IMX686 (main) • 13MP (ultra-wide) • 5MP (macro) | Triple rear cameras: • 48MP F1.79 (main) • 8MP F2.2 (ultra-wide) • 5MP F2.4 (macro) |
| 44MP Samsung GH1+ F2.0 front camera (pop-up) | 24MP F2.5 front camera | 20MP F2.0 front camera |
| Dual-SIM | Dual-SIM | Dual-SIM |
| 5G, 4G LTE | 5G, 4G LTE | 5G, 4G LTE |
| WiFi 6 | WiFi 6E | WiFi 6 |
| Bluetooth 5.2 | Bluetooth 5.2 | Bluetooth 5.2 |
| NFC | NFC | NFC |
| 2x USB-C | 2x USB-C | USB-C |
| GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BEIDOU, Galileo, QZSS | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BEIDOU, Galileo, QZSS, NavIC | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BEIDOU, Galileo, QZSS |
| Fingerprint scanner (in-display) | Fingerprint scanner (in-display) | Fingerprint scanner (side mounted) |
| Dual front speakers (7-magnet stereo speaker w/ dual smart amplifier), Dolby Atmos | Dual front-facing speakers by Dirac (7-magnet stereo speaker w/ Cirrus Logic amplifier) | Stereo speakers |
| 3.5mm headphone jack | 3.5mm headphone jack | |
| Quad microphone w/ noise reduction technology | Quad microphones with ASUS Noise Reduction Technology | Triple microphone w/ noise reduction technology |
| Octa-Trigger (Quad Ultrasonic Shoulder keys, Dual Capacitance keys, Dual Force Touch sensor) | AirTrigger 5, Grip press | Physical pop-up gaming triggers |
| Dual HaptiX – Dual X-Axis Haptic Vibration Linear Motors | Haptic Audio | |
| RGB Lighting | RGB Lighting | |
| ZUI 12.5 (Android 11) | ROG UI (Android 11) | JOYUI 12.5 (Android 11) |
| 5,500mAh (2,750mAh x2) battery w/ 65W (single), 90W (dual) fast charging | 6,000mAh battery w/ 65W fast charging | 4,500mAh battery w/ 120W fast charging |
| Integrated Cooling System: • Passive cooling components • Vapor Chamber liquid cooling • Twin Turbo-Fan Cooling System | Aero ActiveCooler 5 accessory | Two-layer liquid cooling system |
| 176 x 78.5 x 9.9 mm (12.56 mm mid) | 173 x 77 x 9.9 mm | 163.83 x 76.35 x 9.9mm |
| 259 g | 239 g | 210g |
| Ultimate Black, Titanium White | Phantom Black, Storm White | Mirror Black, Pale Grey |
Summary of advantages
Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2:
• Largest screen
• Highest RAM option
• Highest storage option
• Highest ultra-wide camera resolution
• Highest front camera resolution
• Octa-Trigger
• Built-in cooling system
ASUS ROG Phone 5
• Gorilla Glass Victus
• WiFi 6E
• Largest battery
Black Shark 4
• Physical Gaming Triggers
• Most powerful charging rate
• Cheapest price
Table of Contents
Display
All three devices deliver great visuals and deep blacks due to their HDR10+ AMOLED screens at 144Hz screen refresh rate but, in terms of size, the Legion Phone Duel 2 places first, with the ROG and Blackshark coming in at 2nd and 3rd, respectively. In terms of Touch Sampling rate, the ROG Phone 5 runs at 300Hz, which is inferior to the 720Hz touch sampling rate for both of its competitors.
When taking build into accountability, the ROG Phone 5 is equipped with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus for both the front and back of the device. On the other hand, the Legion Phone Duel 2 has the previous-gen Corning Gorilla Glass 5 equipped. All devices have a premium feel to their build, but the ASUS ROG Phone 5 and the Legion Phone Duel 2 gain a plus for their protective features.
Chipset
The Legion Phone Duel 2 and the ROG Phone 5 both sport the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G chipset and the Adreno 660 GPU, which has an advantage over the Black Shark 4’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 860 5G chipset and Adreno 650 GPU.
RAM and Storage
The device that runs first in this department is the Legion Phone Duel 2 for its RAM options of 12GB, 16GB, and 18GB. The ROG Phone 5 follows with its RAM options of 8GB, 12GB, and 16GB. The Black Shark 4 has smaller options at 8GB and 12GB.
The storage category is also ruled by the Legion Phone Duel 2 at 512GB, with its other competitors settling with a storage capacity of up to 256GB. Although the Black Shark 4 falls behind, it can be debated that its price will also be lower compared to the two other devices.
Cameras
The category for versatility in terms of cameras shines upon the ROG Phone 5 and the Black Shark 4 due to their triple-camera configurations— the ROG Phone 5, however, has more pixels for both its main and ultra-wide lens compared to the Black Shark 4. Despite its lack of cameras, the Legion Phone Duel 2 stomps the selfie camera department with almost double its pixel rate at 44MP front camera compared to the 24MP and 20MP of the ROG Phone 5 and Black Shark 4, respectively.
Connectivity and Features
Similar in function yet different in features. The difference between the three devices lies within Wi-Fi connectivity, RGB lighting, speakers, and extra touch keys. The ROG Phone 5 has the advantage of having Wi-Fi 6E, an extension of WiFi 6 for 6GHz band utilization, and faster throughput than the Legion’s and Black Sharks’ WiFi 6.
The Black Shark, Legion, and ROG phones are stylish and sleek, but the latter two include their own RGB lighting on the device.
In terms of dual front speakers, the Legion Phone Duel 2 is backed with Dolby Atmos, while the ROG Phone 5 is backed by Dirac with a Cirrus Logic amplifier. The case of the Black Shark 4 doesn’t seem to have any special speakers, so it could be basic stereo speakers.
The Black Shark 4 boasts its physical gaming triggers that pop up out of the device, while the Legion Phone Duel 2 has its Octo triggers located at the side and back of the device. Meanwhile, the ROG Phone 5 has its air triggers.
Battery
The ROG Phone 5 takes all the marbles in battery capacity at 6,000mAh with 65W fast charging.
The Legion Phone Duel 2 comes next with a 5,500mAh battery with 65W and 90W fast charging for single and dual.
Once again, the Black Shark 4 comes last at 4,500mAh battery capacity but bites back at the competition with its 120W fast charging.
Cooling System
As you may have noticed, phones tend to heat up when under heavy loads, like graphics-intensive games. That’s why these gaming devices have their own cooling technology.
The ROG Phone 5 has its Aero ActiveCooler 5 accessory to aid with the heat, while the Black Shark 4 has its two-layer liquid cooling system. The Legion Phone Duel 2, however, is the coolest one here with its built-in cooling system. It has passive cooling components and a vapor chamber liquid cooling area. To help dissipate the heat, it uses an intake fan to bring cool air in and an exhaust fan to blow the warm air out.
Prices
| Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2 | ASUS ROG Phone 5 | Black Shark 4 |
|---|---|---|
| (12GB + 256GB) - PHP 39,995 | (8GB + 128GB) - PHP 39,995 | (6GB + 128GB) - PHP 24,950 |
| (16GB + 512GB) - PHP 49,995 | (16GB + 256GB) - PHP 49,995 | (8GB + 128GB) - PHP 26,990 |
| (12GB + 128GB) - PHP 29,990 | ||
| (12GB + 256GB) - PHP 34,990 |
Which one to get?
These are all powerful devices with their own pros and cons, but overall, the Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2 packs the most pros among the three. At a PHP 39,995 (12GB + 256GB) and PHP 49,995 (16GB + 512GB), you get a device with the largest screen at 6.9-inch, 512GB of storage, and a built-in cooling system. Not forgetting its octa-triggers, highest ultra-wide and front camera resolution.
If you want a cheaper option, the Black Shark 4 is the one for you. It still is equipped with the fastest charging rate at 120W, physical, pop-up gaming triggers, and comes at the starting price of PHP 24,950 for its (6GB + 128GB) variant—with several other options for you to choose from.
Now, if you want a smartphone with Gorilla Glass Victus protection, the latest WiFi 6E connectivity, and a large 6,000mAh battery, the ASUS ROG Phone 5 is your pick. Note that it has the same price as the Legion Phone Duel 2 at PHP 39,995 (8GB + 128GB) but with lower RAM, and PHP 49,995 (16GB + 256GB), but with lower storage.
If you can fork over the extra moolah, go for either the Legion Phone Duel 2 or the ASUS ROG Phone 5, but take note of their pros and cons and pick the features that suit you best. On the other hand, if budget is really an issue, you won’t go wrong with the Black Shark 4.
So, which is your pick from these smartphone beasts? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
