I tested an Android tablet that rivals the iPad mini — and its OLED display won me over

The RedMagic Astra 2 could easily be mistaken for an iPad mini thanks to its compact 9-inch design and rounded corners. However, under the hood, it’s powered by one of Snapdragon’s fastest mobile processors and paired with more RAM than in many other laptops. All of that makes for an excellent and very portable gaming tablet.

With dual USB-C ports, you can charge the Astra 2 with a mobile game controller attached or even connect the tablet to a monitor or TV for a big-screen gaming experience. Speaking of gaming, there’s a physical switch on the side that activates RedMagic’s dedicated Game Space launcher. Oh, and if that wasn’t enough, you can also run full PC games from Steam right on the tablet using the company’s optional Game Hub app.

Then there’s the screen. With a 185Hz OLED panel, the Astra 2 isn’t just fast, but it delivers stunning visuals with deep blacks and excellent picture quality overall.

I’ve been using the Astra 2 as my daily driver for the past two months — both at home and while traveling — and this compact but almost overpowered gaming tablet hasn’t let me down yet, even if it can be a little rough around the edges at times. My RedMagic Astra 2 review will help you decide if this is the best tablet for your needs or if it’s worth sacrificing raw performance for a more budget-friendly alternative.

RedMagic Astra 2: Cheat Sheet

• What is it?A compact Android tablet with high-end specs for gaming.
• Who is it for?For people who want the best mobile gaming experience on a tablet, as well as for Android users who want a small tablet like the iPad mini.
• What does it cost?The RedMagic Astra 2 starts at $699, or you can get an upgraded version with more memory and storage for $799.
• What do we like?Its compact size and premium design, the integrated fingerprint scanner in the power button, the gorgeous 185Hz OLED screen, and that it has dual USB-C ports and the performance of its Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor.
• What don’t we like?The tablet’s premium price, that it doesn’t come with any extra accessories, how RedMagic OS feels clunky and that the main, full-featured USB-C port isn’t centered.

RedMagic Astra 2: Specs

RedMagic Astra 2: The Ups

From its premium build and powerful components to its stunning OLED display, the Astra 2 isn’t just another budget Android tablet. Instead, it feels even better than Apple’s iPad mini in hand while delivering a console-like experience if you want it.

At 8.15 x 5.28 x 0.27 inches, the Astra 2 is slightly larger than the iPad mini to account for its 9.06-inch display versus the latter’s 8.3-inch panel. With an anodized aluminum frame, rounded corners, and a glossy screen, this Android tablet instantly feels premium.

On the left side — assuming you’re holding the tablet in landscape mode — there’s a power button with an integrated fingerprint scanner next to a set of speaker grilles. When holding the Astra 2 this way, I really like how my index finger rests right on the top edge, which makes securely logging in

Then on the right side, there’s a full-featured USB-C port next to the other set of speaker grilles. One thing that sets the Astra 2 apart from other tablets is the red toggle switch across from its volume rocker. Called the Competitive Key, switching it on lets you jump from your Android home screen right into RedMagic’s GameSpace launcher, but more on that later. There’s also a second USB-C port for charging the device or connecting accessories centered along the bottom edge.

It’s only when you flip the Astra 2 over that you realize this isn’t an iPad mini or even your standard, compact Android tablet. At the top of the device, there’s a 3D vapor chamber for cooling, complete with customizable RGB lighting and a glass strip on top so you can see everything. Then on the right edge, there’s a 13MP camera.

While this design choice might not be for everyone, I really like it. You get just a touch of gamer flair while knowing that, yes, this tablet is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip. If this chipset sounds familiar, that’s because it powers many of the best phones, including the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, the OnePlus 15, and even the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8.

Deep blacks and faster frames

Despite all that power under the hood, the Astra 2’s display immediately steals the show when the tablet is powered on. With symmetrical 4.9mm bezels on all sides, you see more of the screen than on the iPad mini 7, which has thicker 8.5–9mm bezels and a 3:2 aspect ratio. At a resolution of 2400 x 1504, you also get a bit more screen real estate to work with, though Apple just barely wins on pixel density at 326 vs 316 pixels per inch.

The Astra 2 also features a 16:10 aspect ratio, which results in less letterboxing when watching TV shows and movies. Although I don’t normally watch movies on a tablet, I made an exception while testing the Astra 2 thanks to its stunning OLED display.

While watching Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings to get ready for Avengers: Doomsday, the darker, nighttime fight scenes in Macau stood out for their rich, deep blacks, while the lush greenery of Ta Lo in the latter half of the film really popped.

Thanks to the Astra 2’s full-featured USB-C port, I also connected a pair of the best smart glasses, the Viture Pro 2, and watched several films on the tablet during a flight home from Berlin. As with Samsung’s DeX, RedMagic lets you use the tablet’s display as a trackpad while wearing display glasses, though it lacks some of the polish of Samsung’s implementation, with written directions hardcoded across the screen.

You can’t crank up movies and TV shows past 60Hz, but with games it’s a different story. There are quite a few of the best Android games that let you play at a higher 120Hz or 144Hz, or on the Astra 2, which has an 185Hz refresh rate. Given I’m more of a PC gamer, though, RedMagic’s Astra 2 has another really cool trick up its sleeve.

A tablet-sized console

The Astra 2 is nothing if not a highly versatile gaming tablet. Sure, you can play all the most demanding Android games, from Zenless Zone Zero and Wuthering Waves to Genshin Impact and Fortnite, with ease and all the settings turned up. However, that’s far from your only way to play.

Just like how you can dock the Nintendo Switch 2, if you have one of the best monitors with USB-C in, you can get a one-cable, big-screen gaming experience with the Astra 2. Likewise, with a device like the Genki Covert Dock 3, you can connect the tablet to a TV.

With the Astra 2 connected to my Innova CB32U1 monitor, I toggled the Astra 2’s Competitive Key and got a full-fledged game launcher on my display, and I could also use the tablet simultaneously. All of the games you have installed appear in RedMagic’s Game Space, and you can also stream games from your PC or consoles using their respective remote play apps.

Although it didn’t come pre-installed on my review unit, I was able to get the full AAA experience locally after downloading RedMagic’s GameHub app. That’s right, with GameHub installed and your Steam or Epic Games account linked, you can play many of the best PC games

I loaded up a few and played my go-to game, the skateboarding sim Session, along with Valve’s Portal 2 at 50–60 fps without having to turn down their settings too much. The experience wasn’t perfect, and getting to the main menu in Metro Exodus took much longer than I expected. Still, being able to play the PC games you already own on your Android tablet is much better than being limited to mobile games, especially when big ports like Resident Evil 4 or Death Stranding are only available on Apple’s iPadOS.

RedMagic Astra 2: The Downs

The Astra 2 is an impressive Android tablet that easily rivals Apple’s iPad mini, but it’s not without its downsides. From a very premium price for a smaller tablet to a USB-C port that isn’t quite in the right place, there are certainly some kinks RedMagic needs to iron out before a potential follow-up.

Full-featured but off-center

Two is always better than one, and that’s especially true for USB-C ports on a device like the Astra 2. That way, you can play and charge at the same time or even use a wired keyboard and mouse while emulating PC games in the GameHub app. However, there’s just one problem: these dual USB-C ports aren’t identical.

While the USB-C port on the right side of the Astra 2 is a 3.2 Gen 2 port with DisplayPort out, the one on the underside of the tablet is a slower, less capable USB 2.0 port. Normally, this wouldn’t be a problem, and on my Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3 with an identical dual-port setup, it isn’t. However, the Astra 2’s more powerful USB-C port is located in a very awkward place.

Now that many of the best mobile game controllers support smaller tablets like the Astra 2 or iPad mini, my first instinct was to attach one on either side of RedMagic’s tablet.

Unfortunately, instead of being centered, the more powerful USB-C port is located above the speaker grille on the right side. With my Razer Kishi Ultra connected, a good portion of the Astra 2 hangs below the controller, similar to the screen lip on the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+. However, while that handheld gaming PC’s screen extends slightly, almost half of the Astra 2’s display was positioned below my telescopic controller.

You see similar setups when people try to put a telescopic game controller on one of the best foldable phones. I just never expected to have to deal with something like this on a tablet specifically made for gaming — and mobile gaming at that.

A steep investment without the extras

At $699 for the base model or $799 for the version with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, the Astra 2 is certainly a premium Android tablet. If mobile gaming is your thing and you want to play on a larger screen, or if you want a very future-proof tablet, the Astra 2 could be worth it.

After paying $549 for the Legion Tab Gen 3 back in 2025, before RAMageddon hit, it makes sense that RedMagic had to raise the price of the Astra 2. With components getting more expensive, launching it at $499 for the base model, as the company did with the Astra 1, no longer makes sense.

What surprised me, though, was how little was in the box. Of course, I got the tablet itself and a charging cable, but I was disappointed I didn’t find any other extras beyond a few stickers. For comparison, the Legion Tab Gen 3 included a folio case with a removable magnetic front cover and a glass screen protector.

Apparently, Lenovo has also become a bit more stringent with included freebies in the Tab Gen 5, likely to keep costs down. Still, I would have loved to see a case with a built-in stand included with the Astra 2, especially since you can’t comfortably use a mobile game controller with it because of that off-center USB-C port.

RedMagic Astra 2: Verdict

The RedMagic Astra 2 is certainly an outlier among Android tablets. For starters, it has a compact, portable 9-inch design with true flagship power under the hood. Its 185Hz OLED display makes whatever content you’re watching or playing stand out in the best way. You also get dual USB-C ports and a fingerprint scanner integrated directly into its power button for secure, seamless logins.

While the off-center, full-featured USB-C port is a bit of a bummer, along with the Astra 2’s higher price, the device still feels exceptionally premium in hand. Still, I would have loved to have a case in the box and for RedMagic to work out a few of the kinks in its proprietary Android launcher.

If you want the versatility of a tablet that’s also highly portable and a gaming experience that’s almost on par with one of the best PC handhelds, the Astra 2 can’t be beat. It’s one of the best Android tablets I’ve tried yet, and while using it, I didn’t miss my iPad mini at all.