The RedMagic Astra 2 has become the main Android name in comparisons with Apple's new OLED iPad mini. In a review published on October 26, 2026 by 9to5Google, the author describes RedMagic's gaming tablet as Android's equivalent of the iPad mini — and, in his opinion, the better small tablet. That verdict is classified here as OPINION: it belongs to the reviewer, not to a measured fact. The comparable numbers, however, give the debate real weight.
Display: 185 Hz versus 60 Hz
The Astra 2's strongest point, according to the review, is its display: a 9.04-inch OLED panel with a 185 Hz refresh rate and 1,600 nits of peak brightness. The new iPad mini has an 8.5-inch OLED display, a 5.4 mm body and weighs 255 g, but, according to the author, it still uses a 60 Hz panel — a difference he finds hard to justify in 2026. The Astra 2 is larger and thicker, at 6.9 mm, and it has no stylus support, an omission the review itself regrets.
Performance, battery and price
Inside, the Astra 2 runs Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 with 12 GB of RAM in the base model, an 8,300 mAh battery, two USB-C ports, liquid cooling with a fan and IP54 certification. In the United States it costs $749 for the 12 GB/256 GB version and $849 for the 16 GB/512 GB version, after a recent price rise cited by the review. In a like-for-like storage comparison, the iPad mini starts at $699, but reaches $799 with 256 GB and $999 with 512 GB — so the Astra 2 is cheaper at matching storage tiers.
Not the only Android rival
SSBCrack News's roundup also names the Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 5 as another gaming alternative, with the same Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, 12 GB of RAM and a 9,000 mAh battery, listed at $900 and on sale for $700. The trend on social media follows the same angle: unboxing posts and videos highlight the Astra 2 as a performance option for games, with the 185 Hz display and the 8,300 mAh battery among the most repeated arguments — a signal classified here as TREND, not as proof of superiority.
For anyone who wants a small, powerful Android tablet, the Astra 2 is now the most direct comparison to the iPad mini. For those already in Apple's ecosystem, who value stylus support or prefer a thinner, lighter body, switching remains an ecosystem decision, not just a spec-sheet one.
Sources: the 9to5Google review, the SSBCrack News roundup of alternatives to the new iPad mini and the PhoneArena specification comparison.
Image credit: photo of the RedMagic Astra 2 published by 9to5Google in its review of the tablet.
Transparency note: this article was produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence, based on public posts, including social media posts, and internet sources about the tablet. We recommend checking the original sources linked throughout the text to confirm details, specifications and prices.
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