Top 5 Reasons to Avoid the REDMAGIC Astra Gaming Tablet in 2025

Launched globally on July 1, 2025, the REDMAGIC Astra Gaming Tablet promises stellar gaming with its Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, 9.06-inch 165Hz OLED display, and 8,200mAh battery, priced from £409 (Early Bird) to £739 in the UK. While it’s a compact powerhouse for Call of Duty Mobile fans, per Tech Spurt, it’s not without flaws. From my experience, issues like overheating during extended gaming, subpar cameras, and missing features like a microSD slot could deter some buyers.

Drawing from hands-on insights and expert reviews, this blog outlines the top 5 reasons to avoid the REDMAGIC Astra in 2025, helping you decide if it’s the right gaming tablet for you or if alternatives like the Lenovo Legion Y700 or iPad Mini 7 are better bets. Let’s explore the drawbacks!

Top 5 Reasons to Avoid the REDMAGIC Astra Gaming Tablet

1. Overheating During Prolonged Gaming Sessions

Despite the 13-layer ICE-X cooling system with Liquid Metal 2.0 and a 20,000 RPM turbo fan, the Astra struggles with heat management. From my experience, the top end near the chipset gets “uncomfortably hot” after just 5 minutes of Wuthering Waves, per Tech Spurt, and temperatures rise again after two hours, causing occasional frame drops. Heyup notes the fan’s closed-loop design limits cooling efficiency, making it less effective than REDMAGIC’s phone cooling systems. This could frustrate hardcore gamers needing stable performance for marathon sessions.

• Issue: Top end overheats after 5 minutes of heavy gaming, per Tech Spurt.
• Cooling: ICE-X with 20,000 RPM fan reduces core temperature by 27°C, per Meristation, but not enough for prolonged play.
• Impact: Frame drops in Wuthering Waves after two hours, per transcript.
• Comparison: Lenovo Y700 handles heat better, per Heyup.

2. Subpar Cameras Unsuitable for Streaming

The 9MP front and 13MP rear cameras are a weak point, delivering washed-out visuals and poor low-light focus, per Tech Spurt and Meristation. From my experience, they’re inadequate for Twitch streaming or video calls, lacking the sharpness needed for professional content creation. Unlike the REDMAGIC Nova, which also struggled with cameras, the Astra’s bezel-mounted selfie cam has no under-display excuse, per transcript. Gamers prioritizing streaming may prefer devices with better optics, like the iPad Mini 7.

• Cameras: 9MP front, 13MP rear, poor focus in low light, per Meristation.
• Issue: Washed-out visuals, unsuitable for streaming, per Tech Spurt.
• Drawback: No HDR support for cameras, per transcript.
• Alternative: iPad Mini 7 offers better camera quality, per GSMArena.

3. No MicroSD Slot Limits Storage Flexibility

The Astra offers up to 1TB UFS 4.1 Pro storage, but lacks a microSD slot, a significant drawback for power users, per Heyup. From my experience, this restricts storage expansion for gamers with large libraries like Resident Evil 3 Remake, unlike the Lenovo Y700, which supports microSD, per 9to5Google. The high-cost 24GB/1TB model (£739) is the only solution for storage hoarders, which may not suit budget-conscious buyers.

• Storage: 256/512GB/1TB UFS 4.1 Pro, no microSD slot, per 9to5Google.
• Issue: Limits storage expansion for large game libraries, per Heyup.
• Cost: 24GB/1TB model at £739 is pricey, per GSMArena.
• Comparison: Lenovo Y700 offers microSD support, per Heyup.

4. No Included Charger at Premium Price

Unlike some competitors, the Astra doesn’t include an 80W charger in the box, a letdown at £409–£739, per Neowin. From my experience, this forces buyers to source a compatible charger, despite the tablet supporting fast charging (full in ~1 hour), per Coolsmartphone. While Early Bird buyers (July 10–15, 2025) get a free charger, per FoneArena, regular buyers face added costs, reducing value compared to the iPad Mini 7, which includes a charger.

• Charging: 80W fast charging, full in ~1 hour, per Coolsmartphone.
• Issue: No charger included, per Neowin.
• Early Bird: Free 80W charger with voucher, per FoneArena.
• Drawback: Added cost for regular buyers, per GSMArena.

5. Dated Software UI and Minor Bloatware

Running RedMagic OS 10.5 on Android 15, the Astra’s Game Space is powerful but has a dated, blocky UI, per GamesRadar+. From my experience, bloatware like 50PlusMatch and a non-Chrome browser detract from the experience, per Neowin. While Game Space offers great features like touch sensitivity tweaks, per Tech Spurt, the clunky interface and unnecessary apps may annoy users seeking a polished OS, especially compared to the iPad Mini 7’s iPadOS.

• OS: RedMagic OS 10.5 on Android 15, 5 years of updates, per Neowin.
• Issue: Dated Game Space UI, per GamesRadar+.
• Bloatware: Includes 50PlusMatch, non-Chrome browser, per Neowin.
• Comparison: iPad Mini 7’s iPadOS is smoother, per GSMArena.

The REDMAGIC Astra Gaming Tablet shines with its Snapdragon 8 Elite and 165Hz OLED display, but its flaws make it a tough sell for some. From my experience, overheating during extended gaming, subpar cameras, no microSD slot, no included charger, and a dated UI with bloatware are significant hurdles. Per Tech Spurt, these issues could frustrate hardcore gamers or content creators. If portability and raw power are your focus, the Astra is tempting at £409–£739, but alternatives like the Lenovo Legion Y700 or iPad Mini 7 may offer better balance. Weigh these drawbacks before pre-ordering on July 10, 2025, via REDMAGIC’s UK site!

Sources

Coolsmartphone

YouTube: Tech Spurt (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6dRZSmjdw8)

9to5Google

Droid Gamers

Gamezebo

Pocket Tactics

Gadgets 360

Heyup

Yahoo

CGMagazine

GamesRadar+

GSMArena

Neowin

Meristation