REVIEW: Leagoo Shark 1 – The Smartphone That Handles Everything Like a Shark

What does a man really want from a smartphone? A large display, long-lasting battery, fast performance, and a wide range of interfaces. And, of course, everything should be right at hand. Today, we introduce you to this Swiss Army knife of the smartphone world.

Leagoo has established itself as a manufacturer of quality budget smartphones, gaining recognition even in global markets. Previous models stood out for their extremely affordable price, solid build quality, and balanced features. Today, we take a closer look at Leagoo's flagship, the Shark 1.

The manufacturer markets this gadget as a men's smartphone, competing directly with devices like the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 and Meizu M2 Note. It boasts a dedicated audio amplifier chip, a quality camera, a high-capacity battery, an excellent display, and a fingerprint scanner. At first glance, this comparison seems ambitious, but in reality, the Shark 1 meets expectations and handles all tasks as well as, or even better than, its competitors. Let’s dive in.

Design and Packaging

The Shark 1 comes in a sleek black cardboard box. Inside, you'll find the smartphone and three smaller boxes containing a USB cable with a SIM ejector tool, a charger, and stereo earphones.

The phone features a non-removable design with a rectangular shape. The back edges are slightly beveled for comfort, and the corners are rounded. The entire front panel is protected by 2.5D curved glass. This design choice makes the device look slimmer than it really is and provides a comfortable grip.

The phone’s flat sides add a touch of strictness and serve as a continuation of the matte, full-metal back cover, except for two inserts at the top and bottom. The Shark 1 is available in three colors: gold, silver, and black.

The fingerprint scanner is located on the upper part of the back cover, positioned so that the index finger of any hand naturally rests on it. Below the scanner is the brand logo.

The display bezels are 3 mm on the sides and about 10 mm on the top and bottom, housing sensors and the earpiece. The buttons are on-screen, leaving the bottom edge clean.

The right edge houses the volume rocker above the power button.

The left side features a tray for two SIM cards and/or a microSD card, with an external cover matching the width of the buttons on the opposite side. The button placement is convenient for use with either hand.

The top edge includes a 3.5-mm audio jack and an infrared emitter, while the bottom edge features a microUSB port shifted to the right and a microphone.

Technical Specifications

Display

The Shark 1's screen dominates the front panel. Beneath Gorilla Glass 3 with 2.5D protection lies a high-quality IPS panel from LG Display. It measures 6 inches diagonally with a resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels, resulting in a pixel density of 368 ppi — more than adequate for everyday use in any scenario.

The display features anti-glare and oleophobic coatings that effectively repel fingerprints and minimize reflections from ambient light.

The image is bright, sharp, and free from color inversion at all viewing angles. Users can adjust color temperature, brightness, saturation, contrast, and sharpness via MiraVision technology accessible from the settings menu. The default "Standard" mode provides natural colors, while the "Vivid" preset caters to those who prefer more saturated hues similar to AMOLED displays.

Automatic brightness adjustment responds with slight delay to sudden lighting changes but functions reliably. The brightness level is sufficient for outdoor use, and the minimum brightness setting is gentle on the eyes in dark environments.

The touchscreen supports up to five simultaneous touches, offering responsive but not overly sensitive input.

Performance

The heart of the Leagoo Shark 1 is the energy-efficient MediaTek MT6753T processor clocked at up to 1.3 GHz, paired with a Mali-T720 GPU. Its 3 GB of RAM ensures smooth multitasking and fully utilizes the processor's capabilities. Of the 16 GB internal storage, approximately 10.8 GB is available to the user, expandable via a microSDXC card up to 64 GB, which can replace one SIM card in the hybrid slot.

The device handles the interface and apps smoothly, with no lag when switching screens or minimizing applications. It performs well in typical applications, including office software and web browsing.

The GPU supports Full HD video playback at 30–60 frames per second, both streaming online and playing local files.

Synthetic benchmark results confirm solid performance:

The performance level is sufficient for most games, including Lara Croft: Relic Run, Godfire: Rise of Prometheus, and World of Tanks Blitz.

Additional features include a fingerprint sensor and an infrared port. The fingerprint sensor is conveniently placed for accurate index finger placement and supports registering up to three fingerprints through proprietary software. It works quickly except when fingers are wet, in which case it becomes unresponsive.

The infrared sensor, combined with the ZaZa Remote app, transforms the smartphone into a universal remote control for home electronics and computer peripherals. Although the remote control app is somewhat bulky and heavy, it supports virtually all household devices.

Custom User Interface

The Shark 1 runs Android 5.1 with Leagoo OS 1.2, a proprietary skin that supports over-the-air (OTA) updates, including in the CIS region. The interface is a blend of design elements reminiscent of Huawei, ZTE, and other brands.

Users can choose from six built-in themes and set wallpapers for both locked and unlocked screens. The lock screen displays notifications and time.

App icons can be arranged individually or in folders across the main and right-scrollable home screens. Two additional screens to the left provide quick access to the photo gallery and stock music player.

The music player supports HotKnot Share for wireless music sharing with compatible devices and includes an equalizer with presets, manual frequency adjustment, and surround sound simulation.

The dialer and contacts app feature a one-handed mode, allowing the dial pad to shift to either the left or right edge, making it comfortable for both left- and right-handed users.

The on-screen navigation buttons (five in total) are customizable in terms of position, quantity, and visibility. The leftmost button collapses the key block, which can be restored with a swipe from the bottom; a similar swipe from the top hides it again. The rightmost button opens the notification shade. The "Home" button opens the main screen with a short press and recent apps with a long press. The "Menu" button accesses options for home screen settings, app manager, or main settings.

The device supports various gestures and motions, including swipes and drawing Latin letters on the screen. Unlocking can be done via fingerprint, swipe, or double tap.

For one-handed use, a smart on-screen button opens a quick command menu arranged in a rotating wheel, which can be placed anywhere on the screen.

Audio Quality

The Leagoo Shark 1 features a dedicated AWINiC K6 audio amplifier chip, also found in Huawei smartphones. The manufacturer claims sound quality comparable to the Meizu MX 4 Pro, but this is somewhat exaggerated; it does not quite match Cirrus Logic products.

Compared to the stock music player output via headphones, the Shark 1 delivers improved sound, especially in the bass frequencies, which feel fuller without overpowering other ranges. The sound is simple but balanced, with no distortion detected during frequency generator tests from 15 Hz to 20 kHz, and no noticeable audio dropouts.

Camera

The main camera sports a 13 MP Sony sensor with autofocus and dual LED flash, while the front camera has a 5 MP fixed-focus sensor. The camera can be launched not only via the standard icon but also by drawing the letter C on the locked screen or swiping from the bottom-right corner.

Photo shooting offers two settings modes and several common options: HDR, Panorama, Polygon View (animated object rotation), Motion Tracking (burst shooting + multi-exposure), PIP (combining images from front and rear cameras), Beauty Face (skin smoothing and enhancement), and Watermark (adding captions).

Panoramas can be shot in any orientation by moving the phone along any axis and viewed as static images or looped animations.

The professional photo mode includes grid overlay, brightness adjustment, and touch-to-shoot features.

The PRO button grants access to manual controls such as white balance, ISO sensitivity, exposure compensation, and scene mode selection.

By default, autofocus and exposure metering target the center, but users can tap to choose a new focus area. Holding a finger on the frame activates continuous tracking autofocus. Filters can be applied to photos and videos in real time.

HDR mode improves shots in challenging lighting but works best with static subjects. Like many Chinese smartphones, it produces excellent results.

The front camera captures selfies with good sharpness and accurate color reproduction.

The main camera records video up to Full HD resolution.

Wireless Connectivity

The device supports all necessary bands for global LTE and GNSS systems like GLONASS. Dual SIM slots both support LTE connectivity. Signal stability is excellent, with only occasional drops in underground metro tunnels.

Satellite acquisition is quick, taking less than 15 seconds on a cold start and 2–3 seconds on a warm start.

Battery Life

The Li-Pol battery is one of the Shark 1's standout features, boasting a massive 6300 mAh capacity. In benchmark tests, the battery lasted 10 hours and 5 minutes with the screen on in airplane mode under intensive load.

With moderate use, the phone can last up to three days. Using dual SIMs, 4G, GPS, Bluetooth, and active usage (like binge-watching TV series) typically yields 12–16 hours of continuous operation.

Playing World of Tanks Blitz for an hour at medium brightness drains about 13% of the battery, while watching Full HD videos with network connections active consumes around 7–8% per hour.

Fast charging is supported: the charger initially supplies 12 V, then 9 V, and reduces to standard 5 V after reaching 80% capacity. This allows the battery to reach approximately 50% charge within 30 minutes.

Conclusion

The Leagoo Shark 1 is a well-rounded device that outperforms many competitors in battery life. Its quality display, adequate performance, and ergonomic design make it an attractive option. Should you choose it? The decision is yours, but it’s definitely worth considering, especially at an affordable price of just $150. To purchase at this price, enter "FingerZone LEAGOO SHARK 1" in the "Leave message for this seller" field during checkout.

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