We just got word on the Malaysian availability of the Black Shark 3S. Set to arrive here next week on 8 September, the gaming smartphone will retail from RM3,199 on our shores. That’s slightly more than what its predecessor was going for at launch (RM2,799), thought you do get a number of neat upgrades with the new device.

Two variants of the Black Shark 3S will be offered in Malaysia. The base model with 128GB of storage and 12GB of RAM – that’s 4GB more RAM than the original Black Shark 3 – costs RM3,199, while the 256GB variant with the same amount of RAM retails at RM3,499. Essentially, you’re paying extra RM300 to get twice the amount of storage.

Anyway, compared to the previous model, the Black Shark 3S is actually not all that different. Aside from its more generous RAM and storage capacities, the refreshed model also features a faster 120Hz panel. In comparison, its predecessor only had a 90Hz screen. It’s a small upgrade, yes, but it definitely makes the phone more appealing to mobile gamers.

Aside from that, the panel of the Black Shark 3S itself is still a 6.67-inch 2400 x 1080 AMOLED display, so you can expect to get vibrant colours and deep blacks; these are qualities we’ve come to expect from OLED screens. On top of that, the 270Hz touch sampling rate of the display is retained as well to minimise any form of input lag.

Another noteworthy upgrade the Black Shark 3S got is the updated JoyUI 12 software: it adds screen mirroring capability to the gaming smartphone. This is done via the device’s USB-C port, and while the feature is only offered on the 3S at the moment, we imagine the Black Shark 3 (as well as the Pro model) will also receive the JoyUI 12 update in the future.

In the performance department, the Black Shark 3S retains its predecessor’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset. Of course, it would’ve been great if it was updated with the newer Snapdragon 865+ SoC – which has 10% faster CPU and GPU – but there’s no denying that the regular Snapdragon 865 processor can still deliver a respectable level of performance.

Other specifications of the Black Shark 3S include a generous 4,720mAh battery with 65W fast charging, a triple camera system (64MP f/1.8 primary + 13MP f/2.3 ultra-wide angle + 5MP f/2.2 depth), a 20MP f/2.2 selfie camera, an in-screen fingerprint sensor, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The Black Shark 3S will be available for purchase exclusively on Shopee from 8 September onwards at 12AM in two colours: Crystal Blue and Skyfall Black. The first 50 customers to purchase the gaming phone will also get RM850 worth of gifts, including a carrying case, the Black Shark FunCooler, a one-year screen crack protection, a RM100 Shopee voucher, as well as a “mystery merchandise.”

If you’re not the first 50, the next 50 buyers will also get RM850 worth of goodies. These items are similar to the aforementioned freebies, but the carrying case is swapped out for a Black Shark Gamepad 2.0 (left side) and a Gamepad 3.0 Holder.