Modèle : BSM4 (Réf : BSPAD7AIR / EAN13 : 6977541631922)
Écran : 12.1 pouces LCD IPS, 2.5K (1600 x 2560 pixels), 90 Hz, 500 nits
Processeur : MediaTek Helio G200 (6 nm · Octa-Core · 2.2 GHz) / Mali-G57 MC2
Batterie & Connectivité : 10000 mAh, charge 33W | 2G/3G/4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2
Dimensions & Poids : 279.2 x 181 x 7.45 mm | 574.9 g | Android 16 (Mises à jour : 5 ans)
Prix : 239,90 € TTC (Version européenne avec chargeur et étui dans la boîte)The French spec sheet above originates from product listings released simultaneously on October 22, 2026, by French retailer PhoneDroid and the Black Shark Global store for model BSM4. Officially branded as the Black Shark Pad Air 7, this 12.1-inch tablet skipped a domestic debut in China, heading straight to European retail shelves with an MSRP of €239.90 (approximately $270 USD) inclusive of VAT.
The initial promotional imagery released by Black Shark presents a stark contrast to the brand’s heritage. The backdrop features a speeding train window, where the Pad Air 7 rests on a tray table docked into a magnetic keyboard folio. On screen lies an open document titled “New Project Plan Proposal,” while a 4G reception icon sits quietly in the top-right status bar. A gaming hardware maker built on aggressive gamer aesthetics has shed its mechanical plating and RGB LEDs to capture the overseas market for mobile productivity and streaming media.
Image: Black Shark’s official visual showcases the Pad Air 7 editing office documents on a train tray table, devoid of any gaming cues. Source: Black Shark Global
Stripping RGB Lights and Snapdragon Silicon: €239 for Train Tray Tables
Looking through Black Shark’s historical portfolio, aggressive X-shaped metal ridges, pulsing green LEDs, and magnetic shoulder triggers defined its industrial design language. On the BSM4 Pad Air 7, every single one of these esports hallmarks is gone. The tablet features a clean, unibody matte metal chassis in deep charcoal grey, bearing only a minimalist, non-illuminated “BLACK SHARK” wordmark in the center. The rear camera island has been reduced to a simple rounded-square module housing a single 16 MP lens and an LED flash. With dimensions of 279.2 × 181 × 7.45 mm and weighing 574.9 grams, it also carries an IP53 rating for dust and splash resistance.
Occupying the front of this 7.45 mm slim chassis is an expansive 12.1-inch IPS LCD panel. Delivering a 2560 × 1600 resolution (2.5K in a 16:10 aspect ratio), it supports a 90 Hz adaptive refresh rate and reaches up to 500 nits of peak brightness. Compared to last year’s 11-inch predecessor, the 12.1-inch diagonal provides roughly 21% more viewable area. Total pixel count surges from FHD+ (1920 × 1200) at 2.3 million up to 4.09 million—a 78% increase in screen fidelity. An 8 MP front camera is centered along the horizontal bezel, while spring-loaded pogo pins along the bottom edge allow snap-on connection with an official keyboard cover.
Image: The Pad Air 7 adopts a flat metal backplate, centering an 8 MP webcam on the long edge for landscape video conferencing. Source: Black Shark Global
Its audio and multimedia setup is equally tailored for frequent flyers and streaming enthusiasts. Symmetrical cutouts house a quad-speaker acoustic system. On the software side, it ships with stock Android 16 out of the box, complete with full Google Mobile Services (GMS) and Widevine L1 DRM certification. In the European market, tablets lacking Widevine L1 are restricted to standard definition 480p on platforms like Netflix and Disney+. Securing this certification alongside the quad speakers allows the 2.5K display to actually deliver full 1080p HD streaming.
Image: Dual speaker grilles on each flank prevent hands from muffling audio during landscape media playback. Source: Black Shark Global
Helio G200 with 4G LTE: Prioritizing Battery Life Over Frame Rates
Judging by the traditional performance yardsticks of gaming hardware, the Pad Air 7’s silicon choice might raise eyebrows among spec enthusiasts. Powering the tablet is MediaTek’s octa-core Helio G200 processor. Built on TSMC’s 6 nm node, the CPU pairs two 2.2 GHz Cortex-A76 performance cores with six Cortex-A55 efficiency cores. Graphics are handled by a dual-core Mali-G57 MC2, accompanied by 8 GB of physical RAM, 128 GB of internal storage, and microSD expansion up to 2 TB.
In the mobile silicon landscape of 2026, the Cortex-A76 microarchitecture is an established entry-level mainstay. Its single-core throughput and graphics horsepower are not meant for high-framerate rendering in demanding titles like Genshin Impact or Wuthering Waves. However, the chip fulfills engineering utility on a different axis: modest BOM costs, mature 6 nm power efficiency, and a natively integrated 4G LTE cellular modem.
Black Shark reallocated the component budget saved on processor costs into battery capacity and cellular hardware. The Pad Air 7 packs a 10,000 mAh battery with 33W wired fast charging alongside a physical SIM slot. It supports European 2G/3G/4G LTE bands, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, and GPS/A-GPS satellite positioning. On trains or in airport terminals away from reliable Wi-Fi, ubiquitous 4G connectivity and a massive 10,000 mAh battery matter far more to real-world screen time than synthetic GPU scores.
8.8 Inches for Gaming, 12.1 Inches for Commuters: A Dual-Track Lineup
Does Black Shark’s recurring release of lightweight productivity tablets mean the brand is abandoning gaming hardware? A look across its current four-tablet European portfolio reveals an intentional dual-track roadmap.
| Model (Internal Codename) | European Price (incl. VAT) | Screen Size & Specs | Processor & Process | RAM / Storage | Battery & Charging | Cellular | Dimensions / Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pad Air 7 (BSM4) | €239.90 | 12.1” 2.5K (2560×1600) 90Hz | MediaTek Helio G200 (6nm) | 8GB / 128GB | 10000mAh / 33W | 4G LTE | 7.45mm / 574.9g |
Pad 7 Pro (BSM3) | €219.90 | 11.0” FHD+ (1920×1200) 120Hz | MediaTek Helio G100 (6nm) | 6GB / 256GB | 8800mAh / 18W | 4G LTE | 7.65mm / 513.0g |
Pad 7 (BSM1) | €169.90 | 11.0” FHD+ (1920×1200) 90Hz | MediaTek Helio G88 (12nm) | 6GB / 128GB | 7700mAh / 18W | 4G LTE | 8.10mm / 505.0g |
Gaming Tablet (BSG1) | €399.90 | 8.8” 2.5K (2560×1600) 144Hz | Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 (4nm) | 12GB / 256GB | 7300mAh / 20W | Wi-Fi 6 Only | 7.90mm / 341.5g |
This matrix illustrates a distinct separation of use cases. Black Shark concentrates hardcore competitive gaming into the €399.90 Black Shark Gaming Tablet (codename BSG1). With an 8.8-inch one-hand-friendly footprint, 341.5 g weight, and 144 Hz display, it is powered by a 3.0 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 (SM8635) and 12 GB of RAM, dropping cellular modems altogether. Competitive mobile gamers demand minimal wrist fatigue and sustained frame pacing; holding a 12-inch slab unsupported for 30 minutes quickly causes muscular strain.
Meanwhile, across the volume-driving €170 to €240 price bracket, Black Shark leverages three Pad 7 iterations to build out a complete lineup of 4G big-screen slabs. Displays step up from 11 inches to 12.1 inches, battery packs expand from 7,700 mAh to 10,000 mAh, and processors uniformly tap MediaTek’s G-series 4G platforms. High-performance gaming tablets preserve the brand’s enthusiast credibility, while sub-€240 4G slabs capture volume in mass consumer channels abroad.
Entry-Level 6nm SoC on a 2.5K Canvas: A Divisive Trade-Off
This combination of a spacious display, large battery, and modest chipset has sparked split reactions across overseas tech reviews and retail discussions.
Critics point to the tension between high display resolution and limited GPU bandwidth, as well as pricing overlap within the family. Pushing a 2560 × 1600 canvas requires rendering 4.096 million pixels per frame. Driven at 90 Hz, the dual-core Mali-G57 MC2 leaves little headroom when handling split-screen multitasking animations. Furthermore, its sibling Pad 7 Pro (BSM3) costs €20 less at €219.90 while offering a 120 Hz refresh rate and twice the onboard storage at 256 GB. The Pad Air 7 trades that for the 12.1-inch 2.5K panel, 8 GB of RAM, and 33W charging, but drops base storage back to 128 GB. In addition, French regulatory filings register an Indice de réparabilité score of 3.14 out of 5, signaling that heavily glued unibody assemblies remain less accommodating for DIY battery replacements.
Supporters argue that European retail dynamics paint a very different picture. In Europe, Apple and Samsung virtually monopolize the large-screen tablet tier. Cellular-equipped options like the 12.4-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE+ 5G or 13-inch iPad Air cellular routinely retail north of €600. In the €200 to €250 tier, mainstream brands typically offer only 10.4- to 11-inch Wi-Fi-only models, often having eliminated bundled charging bricks. Black Shark bundles a 12.1-inch screen, 4G LTE, and a 10,000 mAh battery for €239.90 tax-included, along with a 33W charger, a protective folio in the retail box, and a commitment to 5 years of software updates in compliance with EU ecodesign regulations.
This technical debate highlights the pragmatic playbook of specialized hardware brands navigating global expansion. Hardcore gaming smartphones and dedicated esports tablets serve a niche, cost-intensive audience that struggles to sustain global retail turnover on its own. By holding enthusiast mindshare with an 8.8-inch Snapdragon handheld and addressing the underserved sub-€250 big-screen 4G market with the 12.1-inch Pad Air 7, Black Shark is trading gaming prestige for broader adoption among commuters and multimedia consumers.
Reference links:
- Notebookcheck: Black Shark’s 12.1-inch tablet launches globally with 4G LTE
- PhoneDroid: Black Shark Pad Air 7 Fiche Technique & Prix Europe
- Black Shark Global: Black Shark Pad Air 7 Official Specifications
