RedMagic Astra Gaming Tablet Review: More Than An iPad Mini Alternative

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Many mobile gamers shun tablets, as they're often too large to be easily carried in your pocket. However, that does not mean that a tablet cannot be a great gaming device. After all, its large screen and even larger battery capacity mean that you can get a more immersive experience and a much longer time playing on the go. However, there are only a few dedicated gaming tablets on the market, so you might be hard-pressed to find one.

Now, Redmagic is known for making some of the most powerful Android gaming phones, but it has also ventured into the gaming tablet space in 2023 with the Redmagic Nova. This year, the gaming hardware company launched a smaller but more powerful alternative to the Nova with the Redmagic Astra. This tablet is about the size of an iPad mini, but features a powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC, a 16Hz OLED screen, and a massive battery that will let you play games for several hours at a time.

All these specifications are great on paper, and other users say that it could be one of 2025's best tablets. But how does the Astra gaming tablet hold up in real-world use? Redmagic reached out to us and sent us the Redmagic Astra Gaming tablet so that we can test it out. I used it as my primary gaming device for more than a couple of weeks, and this is how it went.

The first thing I noticed about the Redmagic Astra is its form factor. Its 9.06-inch screen means that it's going to be larger than a smartphone and won't be easily pocketable. However, it's a lot smaller than my 13-inch iPad Air (and even my older 9.7-inch iPad 6), making it so much more convenient to slip into my bag and carry it with me wherever I go. Because of this, it doesn't feel awkward to hold with my two hands while gaming compared to my larger tablet or even the base iPad 11 we reviewed earlier this year.

It's slightly heavier than my phones, coming in at 371.69 grams (around 13 ounces), whereas my iPhone 14 Pro Max or Samsung S24 Ultra just weighed around 302 grams (around 10.5 ounces) with their cases on. Still, I'm impressed by the thin bezels that Redmagic put on the Astra. It has an amazing 9.010% screen-to-body ratio, which makes it similar to other premium devices like the 13-inch iPad Air and feels more immersive than the similarly-sized iPad mini (with its 'paltry' 77.4% screen-to-body ratio).

Jowi Morales/SlashGear

The screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass, so I felt confident sliding it into my bag or the rather large pocket of my trousers without worrying it would get scratched or broken. The body itself is also made with a premium aluminum frame, making it a joy to hold without a case. However, it can get a bit slippery at times, especially when my hands are dry, so I'd still recommend getting a case to help keep it safe.

Of course, you'd want high-end hardware that can keep up with the latest games if you're getting a gaming tablet, and the Redmagic Astra does not disappoint. The Snapdragon 8 Elite powering this tablet achieved 3,102 points in single-core and 7,291 points in multi-core operations with Geekbench 6. By comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, Xiaomi 15, and OnePlus 13, all powered by the same chip, did not break 3,000 points in single-core testing. The tablet falls behind these flagship devices when it comes to multi-core processing, though.

These numbers are hard to quantify, though, so we also put it through some demanding games like Real Racing 3 and found that the tablet can easily run at the highest settings. Redmagic even proves the tablet's performance with the info overlay, showing the tablet hitting a consistent 165 Hz, even with multiple vehicles and collisions on the racing field. I also played Call of Duty at the maximum setting, and the tablet didn't struggle at all.

Even though I pushed the tablet's performance playing my favorite titles for around an hour, it didn't feel hot to the touch at all. I used a thermal camera to check its temperature after gaming, and it still hovered at 35 degrees Celsius (around 95 degrees Fahrenheit), which is still cooler than my skin temperature of 37.6 degrees Celsius (around 99.7 degrees Fahrenheit), making it quite comfortable even after long gaming sessions.

Another thing that makes Redmagic's gaming gear stand out is its focus on adding fans to its phones and tablets. This delivers extra stability for the Astra, so that performance does not suffer due to thermal throttling. Despite having a built-in fan, you wouldn't hear it working, even at its maximum setting. This is a welcome change from the older Redmagic gaming phones, which can make quite a racket when their fan runs at full tilt.

It is difficult to quantify the effect of the cooling fan while gaming, but I saw the results more clearly when I ran the Wild Life Extreme Stress Test benchmark on the tablet. It scored 95% on stability, meaning it only lost 5% of its performance after running a heavy load that pushes it to its limits for 20 minutes. It also attained a similar stability score with the Solar Bay Extreme Stress Test using demanding ray tracing workloads to see how well it would run after continuous benchmarking.

The fan also turns on when you're charging the device, helping its battery stay cool while it's charging. The tablet running hot while it's charging isn't really an issue, but keeping the temperature low does help extend its life. It also has a charge separation feature, wherein the tablet will use power directly from the USB-C port instead of charging the battery. This will help keep the temperature down and is useful if you're playing while the tablet is plugged into a power outlet or a power bank.

The addition of the fan means we won't get IP68 water and dust protection, but I'd gladly trade that for the improved performance. Besides, Redmagic still achieved an IP54 rating for the Astra, which should be good enough to protect it in most situations.

My favorite feature on the Redmagic Astra is its screen. The gaming tablet's 9.06-inch display doesn't just have a high refresh rate — it also uses OLED technology, meaning it offers crisp and vibrant colors. So, whether I play a competitive e-sport title or just wish to spend some time enjoying a cinematic Android game on my tablet, I know that it will be a visual delight thanks to its display. This also makes it a great device for watching movies and TV shows, which is made a lot better by the larger screen (compared to my phone).

And even though OLED screens aren't known for their brightness (compared to Mini LED and other display technologies), this gaming tablet hits a peak brightness of 1,600 nits. I've seen this in action when I did not have any difficulty seeing the screen even as I played games under direct sunlight.

The Redmagic Astra has a resolution of 2,400 x 1,504 pixels, giving us a 16:10 screen resolution that's fit for many modern games, while also making it perfect for Netflix and other streaming services. This means that the display is about 3.6 megapixels, just a hair under the 3.7 megapixels of 1440p monitors. It also has a pixel density of 313 ppi, meaning everything that we'll see on its screen would be perfectly sharp. This blends well with its 165 Hz refresh rate, so we do not get any blurring even in the thick of action.

Sounds and music are just as important to gaming as visuals, and the Redmagic Astra does not disappoint when it comes to volume. This gaming tablet is considerably louder than my larger 13-inch iPad Air, which kind of surprised me a bit. This is actually useful for several competitive games, as it alerts me to opponents approaching from outside my view, like when I'm sniping targets while playing Battle Royale on "Call of Duty: Mobile."

Jowi Morales/SlashGear

Audiophile gamers will not appreciate its audio quality, though, as it does not have the quality that Apple has achieved on its tablets. It feels like I'm listening to a radio from the 1990s or early 2000s when I'm playing my favorite music tracks, but it's good enough to overlook when you're watching a movie or playing a game. It is even less important if you use Bluetooth earbuds. Unfortunately, the gaming tablet does not have a 3.5 mm jack to physically plug in your gaming headphones, so you'll either need a USB-C to 3.5 mm audio adapter (which is just one of the USB-C adapters you can buy) or use USB-C headphones for the privilege of private listening with the Redmagic Astra.

Most tablets do not come with great cameras, and this is also apparent on this gaming gadget. The Redmagic Astra comes with a single rear-facing 13-megapixel camera that can record 4K video up to 30 fps. This means that it doesn't have an optical zoom function, and you'll immediately see this the moment you attempt to bring your subject closer. The photo starts losing details when you press 2x on the camera app, and the edges start to get blurry when you zoom in up to 5x. Everything becomes a mess when you go to its maximum 10x digital zoom, even with AI enhancement.

Jowi Morales/SlashGear

Still, the tablet's camera is good enough for capturing day-to-day memories, especially under well-lit conditions. However, the image quality takes a hit when you take images in dim and dark areas, with the tablet's AI processing becoming apparent as you lose the fine details of the photo. We also get a 9-megapixel front camera, which works well under ideal lighting. But, just like the main camera, it struggles the moment the scene introduces challenging lighting conditions.

Jowi Morales/SlashGear

This would be a major sticking point if the Astra were competing against the best phone cameras of 2025. But because this is a gaming-focused tablet, the okay camera quality will be good enough for most of its users, who likely have smartphones with excellent photography chops in their pockets anyway.

Gaming is quite demanding when it comes to battery power, and Redmagic delivered with its 8200 mAh dual-cell battery. I ran the PCMark Work 3.0 battery life benchmark test on the gaming tablet at 100% battery, and it took the tablet 5 hours and 39 minutes to go below 20%. Note that this was done at full brightness and 100% volume, with the device running different loads, including web browsing, video editing, writing, photo editing, and data manipulation. This means you can use the Astra gaming tablet to binge-watch TV shows for six hours and not worry about its battery.

Going beyond benchmarks, I've never had to charge the tablet while playing games on the tablet daily. Even during my day off, where I spent most of my time playing "GTA: San Andreas" on the tablet, I didn't have to charge it until I had to go to bed. So, if I have a full charge in the morning, I do not have to worry about charging this tablet throughout the day. This makes it perfect for traveling and long flights, and I don't even have to fumble with a power bank halfway through the day.

And if you do run out of juice, Redmagic claims that you can get it from empty to 100% in 71 minutes, with the tablet telling fast chargers that it can accept a maximum of 80 watts. I tested this claim, and, indeed, I was able to fill the battery in a little over an hour. Furthermore, the USB-C port placement, although a bit asymmetrical, is perfect for charging the tablet while gaming. It's located near the upper-right-hand corner, meaning it won't be in the way when you're gaming in either landscape or portrait mode.

Just like the other Redmagic gaming phones, the Astra comes with the game space feature you can activate with the slide switch. You can also turn it on manually in Android's quick settings drawer if you decide to reprogram the switch (I changed to turning on silent mode to make it more useful, similar to my iPhone 14). The Game Space feature puts all of the games on your tablet in one place and has several plug-in features that will give you an advantage in matches. For example, you can turn on Crosshair so that the tablet will always display it, no matter what state your character is in. There's also the Hunt plug-in, which applies a filter to your entire screen, making it easier to see opponents.

You also get easy automatic screen recording, so you don't have to go through the somewhat tedious process of using other apps for screen recording on Android. Game Space lets you do that with a single tap, allowing you to focus on your game while capturing highlights. The Game Space Center also lists how long you've been gaming on the tablet and which games you play the most, making it easier to monitor if you've been overdoing it with your gaming.

Honestly, most casual gamers like me would have little to no use for Game Space. But if you're a content creator or a competitive player, you will appreciate the capabilities that it unlocks, helping you get the most out of the Redmagic Astra.

There are not that many tablets available on the market, with Apple overwhelmingly owning more than half of the market. So, it can be quite hard to find a decent Android alternative to every iPad model in 2025. Nevertheless, whether you're a gamer or not, the Redmagic Astra is the best Android alternative to the iPad mini. The only thing that the smallest tablet from Apple has going for it is iPad OS; otherwise, it falls behind this gaming tablet in every other metric.

This has a larger screen and a better screen-to-body ratio while still keeping a similar form factor. And while it might be more than 70 grams heavier than the iPad mini, the difference is still negligible in the largest scheme of things. You also get a better OLED screen (vs. the iPad's IPS LCD), plus a longer battery life.

In fact, I used to not care about tablets despite owning a couple for work. I've always thought that they were too large for casual gaming, and iPadOS (and macOS, in general) just does not have the options found in Windows. But since I got my hands on the Redmagic Astra, I found myself preferring it over my phones when I'm playing. I found that the 9.06-inch screen is the perfect balance between screen real estate and portability, and I don't even notice the tablet's shortcomings when I'm engaged with my favorite games.

And sure, this feels like a step back for a lifelong PC gamer. But its portability, ease of use, and the introduction of interesting titles on Android have made me a believer in mobile gaming.

The Redmagic Astra is now available on the Redmagic website with a starting price of $550 for the 12 GB + 256 GB option. The 16 GB + 512 GB model we tested costs approximately $700, while the even more powerful 24 GB + 1 TB model will set you back around $900. 

This is actually a steal as the comparable iPad mini starts at $500 for their 128 GB model. If you want more storage in an iPad mini, you'll have to pay $600 for 256 GB or $800 for 512 GB as of late 2025.

As of publish time for this review you can purchase this tablet on the Redmagic website (and may be able to find it on Amazon if you're lucky).You can pick between two color options — the silver Starfrost or the black Eclipse. You can also get it with accessories, like the Redmagic Astra case, to help improve your grip, or one of a variety of gaming controllers for Android if you want to retain the console experience. But whether you're a hardcore gamer or simply want a tablet that you can play games on during your free time, I recommend the Redmagic Astra quite highly.