Review: Redmagic Astra is a near-perfect compact Android tablet, complete with OLED

Ben Schoon | Jul 18 2025 - 6:05 am PT

The Android tablet market was devoid of decent options for a long time, but we’re finally seeing new options pop up. Lenovo’s Legion Tab is what really garnered attention earlier this year, but after spending a few weeks with the Redmagic Astra, I think it’s clear that this is a near-perfect version of a compact Android tablet, thanks in large part to its specs and OLED display.

Redmagic Astra is, at its core, a gaming tablet, and it has the hardware to back that up. Let’s start with the physical design.

This compact Android tablet features a fully metal chassis that, for a gaming-centric device, still has a pretty subdued design. The “Eclipse” color of my unit just looks like an iPad Mini when the screen is turned off, and from the back the only think that really stands out is the “transparent” window that has the Redmagic logo, some faux internals, the camera/flash, and the fan. Of course, all with some (controllable) RGB. The metal is an absolute fingerprint magnet, though.

It’s not a design that screams “I’m a gaming tablet!” at you, but also not one that completely forgoes what it is. Lenovo’s Legion Tab still has a more subdued design, but Redmagic isn’t far off here.

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Redmagic Astra is also remarkably thin at 6.9mm, making it feel even more compact compared to Lenovo’s tablet.

But there are two big hardware standouts. Firstly, there’s the inclusion of a fingerprint sensor. Functionally, it’s not the best sensor I’ve used, but its existence alone is reason to be happy. Too many Android tablets are relying on worthless face unlock instead of using real biometrics, so Astra already has a leg up on most of the competition if only because I don’t need to type in my password every time I use the tablet or a secure app.

The other big deal is the display.

The 9.06-inch display comes in at 2400×1504, already being a sharp panel for its size, but OLED is the real kicker. The deep blacks and consistency of an OLED display contribute to a display that’s just way better than the one in the Lenovo Legion Tablet, and many other tablets on the market today. And there’s no real compromise either. You’re still getting 165Hz refresh rate, as well as up to 1,600 nits in the high-brightness mode. It’s a stellar display, whether you’re just watching movies or using this for gaming.

When it comes to gaming, you’ve got plenty of power available.

Under the hood, this tablet is powered by Snapdragon 8 Elite paired with at least 12GB of RAM and with 256GB of storage. Upgrades to that include 16GB/512GB and 24GB/1TB. I spent my time with the mid-tier 16GB/512GB option, and to say I’ve been pleased with the experience is an understatement.

Games fly, with Fortnite and Fall Guys – my usual benchmarks – going off without a hitch. Fortnite was able to keep a consistent 90fps even at high settings, while Fall Guys and basically everything else I tested running as smoothly as I’d expect from a device with these specs.

Battery life is also very solid. You’ll see the battery drop during gameplay, of course, but the 8,200 mAh battery has plenty of life to give. It does drain a tiny bit faster than expected at times, though. On a 10-hour flight with the Astra being used for movies with Bluetooth headphones, I landed with about 30% left in the tank. That was less than I expected, but not exactly bad either.

Then, there’s the actual software. I was ready for this to be the disappointment of Redmagic Astra, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that Redmagic’s skin is pretty light. Android 15 is available out of the box and it’s relatively clean. There are some minor homescreen and settings tweaks but, for the most part, it just feels like a “normal” Android build. There’s not much bloatware either.

On the flip side, the software policy isn’t great. Redmagic promises “regular” updates every 1-2 months for 3 years, and only a single major Android OS upgrade. That’s borderline unacceptable at this point, and deserves to be a dealbreaker for many.

The only place you really feel that this is a “gaming tablet” is when you flip the physical switch into the “Game Lobby.” This is a dedicated gaming UI that surfaces your games. It’s a whole experience, and perhaps the one part of the software that I avidly dislike – which is why I’m glad the physical switch can be remapped to other functions. It’s full of text tickers that shouldn’t exist, tons of wasted space, and gaudy UI design. The only purpose it really serves is to give you quick access to other gaming optimization tools, such as the fan controls, touch sampling rate adjustments, and performance settings. I found the “Balance” performance just fine for everything, but “Rise” puts everything into high gear, assuming you can find an Android game power-hungry enough to actually need that.

While on this note, we’ll circle back to the built-in fan. This cooling aspect is actually pretty nice for a gaming tablet in my eyes, and did indeed help keep the tablet cooler to the touch. Is it 100% necessary? Not at all, but it’s nice to have if you’re a devout mobile gamer. The fan cleverly routes air through the side-mounted speakers (which, in themselves, sound pretty good), so you can literally feel the air moving through the tablet.

The only thing I wish Redmagic did better here was in the accessory department.

One area I’ll definitely give Lenovo’s tablet points is what comes in the box. Not only do you get a free screen protector, but also a really good case. And the case selection for Astra is, at the moment, pretty scarce. The official case won’t be available until August either. Redmagic does have an official screen protector, but it’s a very overpriced $25 add-on. Not worth it when you can get third-party options for a fraction of that.

But, a few negative points aside, I think Redmagic Astra is as close to perfect as I can ask for in this form factor. The hardware is good, the software is clean, and the display is gorgeous. The bigger dealbreaker in my mind is the update policy, as spending $549+ on a tablet that will be out of date for most of its lifespan is just not acceptable. I hope Redmagic revisits this because, genuinely, I consider this an essentially perfect compact Android tablet in nearly every other way.

If you’re interested in Redmagic Astra, it’s available now through the company’s website starting at $549.