You definitely remember the gaming brand Black Shark, which introduced several generations of gaming smartphones. We’ve tested a few of them in our editorial office too, and you can read the review of the latest one via the link below. According to the latest information, though, this brand no longer belongs to the Chinese Xiaomi ecosystem. It was acquired by the well-known Chinese company Tencent.
Black Shark is no longer under Xiaomi
If we look into the recent history, we’ll find that the Xiaomi brand was financially linked to Black Shark. Black Shark was born back in 2017 in China as a start-up, with the goal of making uncompromising gaming smartphones. And it was the Chinese giant that entered this project as a lead investor and took over 46% of the total shares of this young company.
Lei Jun, CEO of Xiaomi, announced this move in 2018. As part of the alliance that was formed in India, the result became the final product we know as Xiaomi Black Shark 2. In practice, it’s a very similar business model to the one used by Chinese brands like Huawei and Honor.
Some users may have been confused by leaks about the upcoming Black Shark Helo device. The reality is that this smartphone was a sponsored device that never reached global production and sales in Europe. On the other hand, Xiaomi didn’t abandon the production of gaming smartphones under its own brands. For example, we got the Redmi K40 Gaming Edition, and POCO F4 is also in the works.
Tencent plays a big role
With the new year, we could also see a new statement from the Xiaomi brand: “Xiaomi and Black Shark are two different corporations with independent production lines, sales, marketing, and R&D division.”
This statement points to a clear separation of the two Chinese brands compared to the past. As we learned from a well-known Chinese source, MyDrivers, Tencent plays a very important role in this case. This company is behind services like WeChat, or famous gaming titles like League of Legends, and it also has links to the Nubia gaming brand.
A new extended reality division
This time, Tencent decided on a major, 100% investment specifically in the gaming brand Black Shark, which it is taking under its wing with this step. Both sides confirmed this connection, including Tencent Holdings president Ren Yuxin. We don’t yet know the company’s exact plans for this gaming brand, but it’s obvious that the main goal is to profit from technologies for future use in its own projects.
Tencent will also have to deal with regulations from the Chinese government, but based on what we know, we can deduce that the Black Shark brand, or at least part of it, will continue producing and selling its gaming smartphones. However, there should also be a new division focused on developing and advancing technologies related to extended reality and virtual reality. This transaction will finally separate it from Xiaomi.
Do you like gaming smartphones from the Chinese brand Black Shark? Would you consider buying this device? You can freely share your impressions and opinions with us below in the discussion under the article. Also follow our group on Facebook: Xiaomi Planet – a place for true Xiaomi fans and also our Xiaomi Planet portal to learn more.
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