I’ve been using Android’s iPad Mini OLED for months, and it’s the better tiny tablet

For months, I have been using Android's Redmagic Astra 2 tablet and I believe it is a better option than Apple's new iPad Mini with an OLED display. The Redmagic Astra 2, which is a gaming-focused Android tablet, matches or even surpasses the new iPad Mini in several ways. The Redmagic Astra 2 features a 9.04-inch OLED display, which is slightly bigger than Apple's 8.5-inch display.

Despite being a bit thicker and heavier, the Redmagic Astra 2's display is stunning, offering vivid colors, deep blacks, and impressive peak brightness at 1,600 nits. One significant advantage the Astra 2 has over the iPad Mini is its 185Hz refresh rate, which is a dramatic improvement over Apple's refusal to include a 120Hz refresh rate in their latest model.

In terms of performance, the Redmagic Astra 2 is packed with Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and 12GB of RAM, making it incredibly speedy and capable of handling demanding tasks with ease. The tablet is equipped with a liquid cooling loop and fan, ensuring that it remains cool even during intensive gaming sessions. The battery life is impressive, lasting up to a week with minimal drain, even when gaming for hours on end. The Astra 2's aluminum body is 6.9mm thick and features an IP54 rating for dust and water resistance.

While the Astra 2 lacks stylus support, it does offer customizable hardware and software options. The tablet defaults to a gaming mode, which can be tailored to various functions, such as muting the device or activating the flashlight. The software interface is not as clean as Apple's, but it is far from being a heavy iOS clone. It even includes useful features like lockscreen widgets.

Comparing the prices, Apple's iPad Mini with an OLED display starts at $799, while the Redmagic Astra 2 is priced at $749 for the 12GB/256GB model, and $849 for the 512GB model. Despite the slight price difference, the Redmagic Astra 2 offers a compelling package, especially considering the superior display, refresh rate, and battery life. Overall, I would recommend giving the Redmagic Astra 2 a try if you are looking for a high-quality, feature-rich tablet.