5 Android Tablets More Powerful Than The iPad Mini

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Apple introduced the iPad mini (A17 Pro), aka the iPad mini 7, in October 2024, fixing a "problem" it had with its iPad inventory. The iPad mini 6 was not powerful enough to handle Apple Intelligence, even though the tablet was a premium device, with prices starting at $499. The iPad mini 7's spec bump (processor, RAM, and storage) ensured the device would support Apple Intelligence, just like the more expensive iPad Air and iPad Pro. That said, Apple didn't give the iPad mini a more meaningful upgrade. 

The A17 Pro chip on the iPad mini 7 features a 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine. When it comes to performance, the iPad mini 7 scores 2,943 and 7,230 in single-core and multi-core Geekbench 6 CPU benchmarks. Unfortunately, the iPad mini 7's display is unchanged compared to its predecessor, an 8.3-inch LCD panel with a 2,266 x 1,488 resolution and 500 nits of brightness. Apple also recycled the iPad mini 6's 12-megapixel rear camera, though the new model supports Smart HDR 4 photography. On the front, there's a 12-megapixel Center Stage selfie camera. While Apple did not increase the starting price despite upgrading the iPad mini's performance, buyers looking for a more powerful tablet can find much better options on the Android side if they are ready to jump ship.

Launched in early 2025, the Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro isn't exactly a flagship device, as it features the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip instead of the regular Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 that powered several 2024 flagship Android phones. However, the 11.2-inch tablet offers decent performance (1,937 / 5,177 Geekbench 6 scores), and, as our Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro review showed, the device looks and feels a lot like an iPad, albeit an iPad Pro or Air, rather than a mini, as Xiaomi's device has a larger display. But with prices starting at $462 on Amazon, the Pad 7 Pro is a good alternative to the iPad Mini 7.

The tablet features a higher resolution panel (3,200 x 2,136) that supports up to 800 nits of brightness and a 144 Hz refresh rate (compared to 60 Hz for the iPad mini 7). Other hardware highlights include 8GB or 12GB of RAM, a 50-megapixel rear camera, a 32-megapixel selfie camera, and Wi-Fi 7 support (compared to Wi-Fi 6E for the mini). The Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro is just 6.2mm thick (compared to 6.3mm for the mini) but features a much larger battery (8,850 mAh vs. 5,034 mAh). The battery size comparison isn't necessarily fair, as Xiaomi's tablet is much larger; so it fits a larger battery.

Lenovo's Legion Tab Gen 3 is the closest in size to the iPad mini 7, featuring an 8.8-inch LCD screen with a 165 Hz refresh rate and a 2,560 x 1,600 resolution. Targeting gamers, the Legion Tab Gen 3 is a higher-end tablet than the Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro. It features the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor (2,226 / 6,986 Geekbench 6 scores), 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage, which is twice the storage of the base iPad mini 7. Other specs include a 6,550 mAh battery with 45W fast charging (only 20W charging for the iPad mini). Interestingly, the tablet features two USB-C ports, so users can plug in a charger and another accessory. One of the ports supports 10 Gb/s transfer speeds, matching the iPad mini 7. Wireless connectivity options include Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.

On the camera side, the Legion Tab Gen 3 features a 13-megapixel camera and an 8-megapixel selfie shooter, which aren't major upgrades over the iPad mini 7. Then again, Lenovo positioned the $399.99 ($529 on Amazon) tablet for "console-defying gaming" and entertainment, areas where it may outshine the iPad mini 7. The tablet features two speakers with Dolby Atmos support for a "cinematic sound" experience.

In addition to powerful specs, the Android tablet comes with a ColdFront Vapor Chamber that's 14% larger than the previous generation, for improved cooling. The iPad mini 7's chip has been known to overheat inside the iPhone 15 Pro models, an issue Apple fixed with the help of software.

Coming from Nubia's subsidiary RedMagic, the 9.06-inch Astra Android tablet is a full-fledged Android flagship, though it's also a device that targets gamers. The RedMagic Astra features the Snapdragon 8 Elite, the same processor that powers several 2025 Android flagships, including the Galaxy S25 models. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Geekbench 6 scores reach 3,071 (single-core) and 9,417 (multi-core), with both outperforming the iPad mini 7.

The RedMagic Astra features 12GB, 16GB, or 24GB of RAM, paired with 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB storage options. The 9.06-inch display is an OLED panel instead of LCD, and supports 2,400 x 1,504 resolution, 165 Hz refresh rate, and 1,600 nits peak brightness (up to 1,100 nits regular brightness). Like the Lenovo gaming tablet above, the Astra comes with advanced cooling, featuring a 13-layer ICE-X cooling system. An 8,200 mAh battery that supports fast charging powers the device.

The RedMagic Astra also features a unique design. The rear panel is mostly made of metal, but it features a transparent section that houses the rear-facing 13-megapixel camera. On the front, there's a 9-megapixel camera. Like the Legion tablet, the Astra's main purpose is gaming and entertainment, but the Android device should handle other day-to-day tasks even better thanks to the more powerful specs. The price is also a highlight. The 16GB/512GB variant retails for $649, while you'll have to pay $849 for the more packed 24GB/1TB option.

Since we mentioned a higher price point than the iPad mini 7, tablet buyers looking to spend a little extra for a flagship Android experience that's not focused on gaming may want to check out the OnePlus Pad 3. The 12GB/256GB configuration currently sells for $595 on Amazon (its list price is $699.99), which is $200 more expensive than Apple's iPad mini. But the OnePlus Pad 3 also features the same high-end Snapdragon 8 Elite chip as the RedMagic Astra tablet, making it a flagship-tier Android offering.

The OnePlus Pad 3 features a 13.2-inch LCD display with 3,392 x 2,400 resolution, 600 nits of brightness, and 144 Hz refresh rate. It has a 12,140 mAh battery that supports 80W charging speeds, and two cameras (13-megapixel main lens and an 8-megapixel selfie shooter). The tablet comes with an 8-speaker system, including four woofers and four tweeters, and two microphones. Connectivity-wise, the OnePlus Pad 3 supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and USB-C. The latter can handle USB 3.2 Gen 1 transfer speeds (5 Gb/s). All that technology is packed into a thin body (5.97mm), but the OnePlus Pad 3 weighs significantly more than the iPad mini (675 g vs. 293 g). The upside is the much larger battery and the 13.2-inch display.

Finally, Samsung's Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is currently the best possible iPad mini 7 alternative, though the tablet is neither small nor affordable. The $1,199.99 ($1,160 on Amazon) Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra has a 14.6-inch OLED display that's significantly larger than the iPad mini 7's 8.3-inch panel. The Ultra can satisfy the needs of tablet buyers who need a larger canvas for enjoying content or working. The screen supports a 120 Hz refresh rate, 2,960 x 1,848 resolution, and 1,600 nits peak brightness.

Unlike other Android tablet flagships in this list, the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra features MediaTek's Dimensity 9400+ chip, not the Snapdragon 8 Elite. Performance is slightly lower than Qualcomm's chip, with the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra scoring 2,628 and 8,638 in Geekbench 6 tests. That's slightly lower than the iPad mini 7 in single-core tests and slightly higher in multi-core performance. Samsung's 2025 flagship Android tablet comes with 12GB or 16GB of memory, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of storage, and supports microSD cards (up to 2TB). The Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra also ships with Android 16 out of the box (with One UI 8 on top), which should give buyers access to the latest Android and Galaxy AI features.

Other notable highlights that make the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra a much better choice than the iPad mini 7 are the 11,600 mAh battery (45W fast charging support) and the cameras: 13-megapixel and 8-megapixel cameras on the back and a 12-megapixel lens on the front. Finally, the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is just 5.1mm thick and is rated IP68 for dust and water resistance.

The iPad mini 7 is a small and powerful tablet. It's also relatively new. When looking for alternatives running Android, we first looked at performance, focusing on the Geekbench tests that are available for both iOS and Android devices. That meant we had to select some of the newest Android tablets that can match or exceed the iPad mini 7's performance. Display size was also a priority, though perfect matches to the iPad mini's screen aren't available from all Android vendors.

The cost was another important factor, as we started our search at price points similar to the iPad mini 7's starting price. Finally, we also looked at other hardware details that may be important to buyers, including base memory and storage, battery size and charging speed, screen size and brightness, sound, and cameras. We then chose the models that offered the best overall package.