Black Shark 3 could be the first phone with 16GB of RAM

The most RAM you can get in a smartphone right now is 12GB, but that could soon change, as the Black Shark 3 gaming phone from Xiaomi is rumored to boost that spec to 16GB.

That’s according to Sudhanshu (a leaker on Twitter with a reasonable track record). Of course, whether the Black Shark 3 will be the first phone to arrive with that much RAM depends on when it launches, but with the phone having been rumored for a while – and given that the Black Shark 2 launched in March 2019 – it’s likely that it will arrive soon, possibly at MWC 2020.

Whether or not the Black Shark 3 is first to 16GB, it should make good use of it, as gaming phones need all the power they can get – and with that much RAM, coupled with a top-end chipset (the Snapdragon 865 is likely), it could take us another step closer to console-type power on a phone.

• The Razer Phone 2 is a gaming phone rival
• As is the Asus ROG Phone 2
• Check out all the best gaming phones

The Black Shark 3 is also tipped to offer 5G connectivity, and that combined with the RAM boost could see the phone seriously undercut the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S20 range and even the OnePlus 8 Pro when they land, by offering 5G and heaps of power at a lower price point than those flagships.

Of course, the Black Shark 3 is also likely to sport a fairly aggressive 'gamer' aesthetic that may not appeal to everyone, but for those after a gaming phone specifically this could be the one to beat in early 2020.

If the Black Shark 3 does indeed arrive with 16GB of RAM, that suggests other high-end handsets probably won’t be far behind.

While this is still just a rumor, it’s the logical next step up from the current maximum of 12GB. So, while it will probably be overkill for most users, we’d expect some high-end phones to start offering it before the end of the year.

• Not after a gaming phone specifically? Check out the best phones

Via GSMArena