The RedMagic Astra Is the Best Gaming Tablet You Can Purchase

8.0/ 10
SCORE

RedMagic Astra Tablet

Pros

• Sturdy, compact design good for journey
• Excellent 165Hz OLED show
• High-end Qualcomm chip delivers prime efficiency
• Lots of gaming-specific options

Cons

• No microSD slot for enlargement
• No software program replace ensures
• No included equipment
• Mediocre gaming battery life

Earlier this 12 months, I examined Lenovo’s 8-inch Legion Tab Gen 3 gaming pill to see the way it held up as a small gaming pill towards the iPad Mini. Spoiler alert: It did fairly effectively. But shortly after testing that pill, gaming phone-maker RedMagic reached out to ask if I needed to check its new gaming pill, the 9-inch Astra.

After just a few weeks of testing, I can safely say that whereas Lenovo’s little pill continues to be glorious, the Astra beats it in a few key areas. The most vital of them is efficiency: It’s simply flat-out quicker than the Legion Tab. On the opposite hand, the Lenovo is a greater possibility as a small, general-purpose Android pill that is additionally nice for gaming (and it is repeatedly inexpensive than the Astra, too). However, if gaming options and efficiency, in addition to a standout design, are what you care most about, the RedMagic Astra is value paying a premium for.

Flagship {hardware}

I totally loved the Legion Tab’s design, and it satisfied me of the advantages of your complete kind issue. Even as somebody who enjoys cell gaming, I actually do not like carrying round a large cellphone all over the place I’m going, so having one thing that is large enough to recreation on with out being as huge as an iPad or Galaxy Tab, and particularly a laptop computer, is fairly nice.

Though barely bigger, the Astra nonetheless completely suits that in-between house for me. It has a 9-inch display, however RedMagic packed it right into a small, smooth pill that may actually slot in my again pocket. The design is paying homage to the iPad Mini with its spherical edges and flat sides, however the bezels are symmetrical and solely 4.9mm extensive, slimmer than the iPad Mini’s, which makes Apple’s littlest pill look outdated.

There’s additionally a fingerprint sensor within the energy button, which is kind of welcome, particularly contemplating different extra premium tablets just like the OnePlus Pad 3 (and even the Legion Tab) haven’t got one. The front-facing digital camera helps face unlock (just for the pill itself) and, at 9 megapixels, is completely fantastic for streaming or video chatting.

The single rear 13-megapixel digital camera is appropriate, however not rather more than that. It’s fantastic if you could use it, however RedMagic has by no means been identified for its nice cameras, and that definitely applies right here as effectively.

RedMagic is thought for packing its gadgets with all the newest top-of-the-line specs you might need, and the Astra continues that pattern. It’s powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, as much as 24GB of LPDDR5x RAM and as much as 1TB of UFS 4.1 storage. The base mannequin with 12GB of reminiscence and 256GB of storage is $549 and just like what you’d get within the $550 Legion Tab Gen 3 (although the Legion repeatedly goes on sale for around $100 less). I examined a $699 model of the Astra with 16GB of reminiscence and 512GB of storage. The maxed-out Astra with 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage is a hefty $899.

Complementing the Qualcomm processor is RedMagic’s personal gaming chip, the RedCore R3 Pro. The thought is that the R3 Pro arms a number of the gaming-specific duties from the primary chipset to assist preserve peak efficiency and preserve the Snapdragon 8 Elite from throttling down sooner.

The 9.1-inch OLED show reveals off all of your favourite video games with a 2,400×1,504-pixel decision (331 ppi) and a fantastically easy 165Hz refresh price. It additionally will get as much as 1,600 nits peak brightness, which is greater than brilliant sufficient if you end up caught within the solar. I’d say it is among the finest screens I’ve seen on a pill and incredible for any recreation. (By comparability, the iPad Mini’s display has a pixel density of 326 ppi). 

Powering all of that is an 8,200-milliampere-hour battery with help for as much as 80-watt quick charging. I simply bought by way of a number of days of use with this pill, which included an hour or two of gaming and one other hour or two of fundamental utilization. On CNET’s YouTube streaming take a look at, it averaged 10 hours, 32 minutes, which is nice, however you will not get that whereas gaming solely. The solely draw back is that there is no such thing as a charger within the field, though it is best to be capable to get quick charging with most 80-watt chargers.

Soundwise, the twin DTS:X Ultra audio system sound fairly good for a small pill. Of course, you don’t get the room-filling sound from the 4 audio system on the iPad Pro, however that’s additionally a a lot bigger and rather more costly machine. The Astra’s audio system are fantastic for gaming or streaming, however for FPS video games or these the place each noise issues, you’ll need some good gaming headphones.

One odd design selection

RedMagic made a fairly odd design selection with the Astra by offsetting the USB-C port towards the highest of the pill. This means the facility button is now located immediately throughout from the USB-C port, so when you attempt to use a USB-C controller, you’ll possible hit the facility button when taking the controller on and off. I did expertise this in my testing, and whereas it was annoying, I wouldn’t say it’s sufficient to maintain me from shopping for it. It didn’t occur as soon as I had the controller on, and Bluetooth controllers clearly gained’t have this situation. (RedMagic would most likely admire you dropping an additional $129 for its Bluetooth gamepad anyway.)

Also, when utilizing a controller, the pill now sits farther down and turns into a bit unbalanced. Again, this wasn’t a deal-breaker for me as I ended up resting the pill on the desk or my lap, and it virtually turned even higher for me, so I didn’t have to carry it as a lot. Your mileage might fluctuate right here, and I do perceive how uncomfortable it may be for some, however I’d say do not knock it until you attempt it.

I requested RedMagic why it used this structure, and an organization consultant mentioned the top-mounted USB-C retains the charging cable from getting in the best way of your arms whereas it’s charging, so you’ll be able to nonetheless play whereas plugged in with none points. That is smart to me and has been one of many points I’ve had whereas gaming on telephones or different tablets. Also, the side-mounted energy button is offset to work with many third-party gaming controllers which have buffer zones to keep away from unintentional activation. I’d even be prepared to guess that regardless that it is a gamer-focused pill, the client information RedMagic has reveals that much more folks play and not using a controller than with one.

All the efficiency you might need

As you may count on from the spec sheet, this factor simply flies by way of something you throw at it. Aside from gaming, I used it as a traditional pill as effectively, which included shopping, researching new vehicles (I bought rear-ended, in order that’s been enjoyable), some YouTube and emails. As anticipated, every thing I did was easy and quick. No points.

Obviously, having the ability to play the very best video games easily is a essential a part of efficiency, however RedMagic is all about supplying you with the best possible gaming expertise doable on a cell machine.

All the preferred video games I attempted ran nice on the highest doable framerates. I constantly hit 120 frames per second on Call of Duty: Mobile, and RedMagic has promised excessive refresh help for different common video games, together with PUBG, Delta Force and League of Legends.

RedMagic’s Game Center software program even means that you can enhance body charges in supported video games like Genshin Impact. On cell, Genshin at the moment solely natively helps 60fps, however the Astra can enhance the body price to 120fps by way of the Game Center software program.

Also, with its high-speed wi-fi, streaming video games by way of Game Pass or PlayStation Remote Play ran effectively, making the Astra a really all-around cell gaming powerhouse.

Is it full overkill for most individuals? Absolutely. Is it nonetheless ridiculously enjoyable? Heck sure.

Fast software program, however do not count on updates

I used to be pleasantly stunned with the Astra’s out-of-the-box software program expertise. Even just some years in the past, RedMagic’s software program was nonetheless very closely skinned and seemed like one thing out of a foul sci-fi film. Recently, the corporate considerably toned down its software program expertise, and now, it is truly fairly usable.

However, there’s a first rate quantity of bloatware, however most of it is simply eliminated, and the remainder of it’s a fairly clear construct of Android. Apart from the Game Space, it is not too totally different from what you’d discover on most some other Android pill today. There are just a few translation errors scattered round, however it’s definitely rather more usable than it was even only a couple years in the past. RedMagic deserves some credit score for the way a lot progress it is made.

Where it nonetheless falls woefully behind, nonetheless, is on updates. The Astra runs on Android 15, and to be trustworthy, I would not count on any main platform updates. From my previous expertise with RedMagic gadgets, you will get some safety updates over the subsequent two or three years, and there is a probability you will get stunned with a platform replace, however the firm makes no assure of it, so do not maintain your breath.

That’s not a deal breaker for me, as that is primarily meant to be a gaming and leisure machine and never one thing I’d use for banking or something private. As lengthy as main new video games that come out within the subsequent few years run on it — they usually virtually definitely will — I’m not too upset in regards to the lack of updates. The firm completely must do higher about it, however I would not let that cease you from shopping for it.

Also, when you’re searching for an entire package deal of equipment within the field, you will be disillusioned. As I discussed earlier, there isn’t any charger included, however RedMagic will sell you one for $29.90. A display protector and folio case can be found, too, for $24.90 and $39, respectively, however they appear to promote out of them shortly. And, whereas the Astra does have lively pen help, RedMagic does not at the moment have a pen as an adjunct, although one is predicted to be obtainable. This is the place the Lenovo Legion Tab has a bonus as a result of there’s a charger, display protector and folio case included with the pill, and you may get a pen from Lenovo for about $40. It may not have the Astra’s efficiency, however it’s a higher deal on this sense.

Best option to recreation on the go

As of proper now, I’ve not examined some other small pill that is higher for gaming than the RedMagic Astra. The Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3 has final 12 months’s specs, an outdated design and just one configuration. If yow will discover it on sale, it is value it, however at $549, the Astra is hands-down the higher possibility.

The iPad Mini has enormous bezels and nowhere close to the facility of the Astra, plus it is dearer. And you are caught in Apple’s ecosystem, which has its personal set of issues. The increased configurations of the Astra, together with the one I examined, are costly, and you continue to must pay additional for any equipment in order for you them. But when you’re all in on cell gaming, there is no such thing as a higher machine for it proper now than the Astra.