Forget Apple and Samsung, RedMagic’s new gaming tablet is a performance beast

After months of anticipation, we’ve finally seen the reveal of the RedMagic Astra, the Android brand’s latest gaming tablet. Thanks to an equivalent version launching in China a few weeks ago, we already had a pretty good idea of what specs to expect, but now that it’s official, we’re very excited about the gaming potential of this relatively moderately priced offering.

As a successor to the RedMagic Nova, a top pick from our guide to the best gaming tablets, the Astra launches with some exciting upgrades. Most notable is the 9.06-inch 165Hz OLED display, a serious improvement on the Nova’s LCD screen, offering more depth in terms of on-screen blacks and colors and ultra-smooth gaming visuals. Then, there’s the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset at the heart of the device, which should offer top-tier performance in even the most demanding picks from our guide to the best Android games, including popular options such as Honkai Star Rail and PUBG Mobile.

Of course, it’s not much good having the best of the current crop of mobile processors on board without sufficient cooling tech to keep the tablet from overheating in your hands. Fortunately, the Astra has that covered with its ICE-X cooling system. We know from our experience reviewing RedMagic phones, such as the 10S Pro and the 10 Air, that the brand excels at thermal management, so we’re expecting the same from this tablet. If all that wasn’t impressive enough, the Astra also packs a massive 8,200mAh battery, which means you should be able to spend all day playing the best mobile games without reaching for your charger.

If you want to pick up the RedMagic Astra, early access kicks off on July 15, before general sales open up the next day on July 16. There are three configurations to pick from, including a 12+256GB model for $549 / £439, a 16+512GB version for $699 / £559, or the top-of-the-line 24GB+1TB storage monster for $899 / £739. In terms of colorways, you can opt for either Eclipse or Stafrost, except for the 24GB+1TB configuration, which only comes with Eclipse. For the full details, head over to the official RedMagic site.

If you want to know more about the RedMagic Astra, be sure to keep an eye out for our full review in the coming days. Until then, be sure to check out some more great gaming hardware with our guides to the best gaming phones and the best handheld consoles. Or, for our thoughts on another portable powerhouse, check out our Nintendo Switch 2 review.