It's been nearly a year since the original RedMagic Astra blasted my eyeballs, and rumors have been swirling around a second generation for some time. RedMagic has now confirmed that the RedMagic Gaming Tablet 5 Pro (Astro 2 to you and me) will be hitting Chinese markets in June, and we usually see these devices roll out across the world a few weeks after that initial splash.
The brand announced its timeline alongside the launch of its new RedMagic 11S Pro gaming phone, with the tablet getting its own mention on Weibo. The accompanying graphic highlights the tablet's June release date, matching that of its predecessor. The original still remains one of the best gaming tablets on the market, so there's some big boots to fill here.
The world of compact gaming tablets is certainly heating up. Their compact designs make them easily compatible with more of the best mobile controllers for better emulation settings, while also keeping them portable day to day. That's not to say these are weedy imitators, though. The original was the real deal.
It received 4.5/5 stars in my review, largely down to its excellent display, luxury feel, and impressive performance. The new RedMagic Astra 2 is set to double down on these benefits, though specs are still only rumored for now.
RedMagic hasn't confirmed any specific details, but many are expecting the new device to offer up a faster 185Hz refresh rate on its OLED display (up from 165Hz on the original) and an upgraded Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. It remains to be seen whether the new device will match the original's turbo-fast LPDDR5T RAM, with many rumors pointing to a step back to LPDDR5X.
If RedMagic does revert, it'll have the new Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 5 breathing down its neck. The similarly compact tablet is slated to launch with the same LPDDR5T RAM as the original Astra.
For now, the original device is a little difficult to get hold of. The brand is currently out of stock on its own site, potentially due to RAM shortages or potentially to make way for the new device (or both).
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For more portable options, check out the best gaming handhelds and best retro handhelds we've tested so far.
