A new contender is emerging in portable gaming, as high-performance tablets begin to draw attention away from traditional handheld consoles. Devices like the Game Boy, PSP, Nintendo Switch, and Steam Deck have long defined the category, but a new esports-focused tablet from Red Magic could push things in a different direction.
A Shifting Portable Gaming Market
The broader market is expanding quickly. Industry forecasts estimate the global mobile and tablet gaming segment will reach $119.9 billion in 2026, up from $101.25 billion in 2025—an 18.4% increase. At the same time, newer hardware like the Nintendo Switch 2 and Steam Deck OLED reflects growing demand for portable systems that can handle more demanding games.
Each of those devices still comes with trade-offs. The Switch 2 reportedly offers around 3–6 hours of battery life, while the 640g Steam Deck can be cumbersome for extended use. Smartphones, on the other hand, are easier to carry but limited by smaller screens and less comfortable controls. Red Magic appears to be targeting this gap with what it calls a “9-inch golden size.”
Leaked Specs and Design Details
Based on leaked engineering unit specifications, the Red Magic Gaming Tablet 5 Pro focuses on pushing performance and usability across several areas.
The display is a 9-inch OLED panel with a 2400×1504 resolution, paired with a 185Hz refresh rate and a 1200Hz touch sampling rate. That puts it ahead of the Switch 2’s 120Hz and the Steam Deck OLED’s 90Hz, at least on paper—particularly for fast-paced games. The design is fully flat, with the camera module integrated into the body to avoid protrusions that can interfere with gameplay in landscape mode.
Under the hood, the tablet is said to run on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen5 chip, built on a third-generation Oryon CPU architecture with improved NPU performance. Cooling is handled by what’s described as the first tablet liquid-cooling circulation system, combining a liquid-metal vapor chamber with an 18,000 RPM fan. The company claims this setup can lower temperatures by 5–8°C during heavy gaming, helping reduce thermal throttling.
Memory and storage configurations are expected to go up to 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. The device will also integrate ByteDance’s Doubao large language model, marking its first deep integration into a gaming tablet. While details are still unclear, possible uses include real-time gameplay assistance, voice controls, and post-match analysis.
Design, Battery, and Charging
The tablet is expected in three finishes: Tritium Transparent Silver Wing, Tritium Transparent Dark Night, and Zenith Gold Legend. It also features a customizable RGB light strip on the back.
Battery capacity is listed at around 8,300mAh, with support for 80W fast charging. It also includes bypass charging, which powers the motherboard directly instead of the battery during gameplay, helping manage heat when plugged in.
Pricing and Positioning
The previous Red Magic Esports Tablet 3 Pro launched at 3,999 RMB. Despite rising component costs, industry estimates suggest the 12GB + 256GB version of the Gaming Tablet 5 Pro could start at the same price, with potential subsidies bringing it closer to 3,500 RMB.
That would place it between the Lenovo Y700 (around 3,000 RMB) and the iPad Pro (around 6,000 RMB), positioning it as a performance-focused option aimed at mobile esports players.
Three Paths for Portable Gaming
Portable gaming hardware is increasingly splitting into distinct categories. Nintendo’s Switch line emphasizes exclusive titles and hybrid home use. Valve’s Steam Deck focuses on bringing PC game libraries into a portable format. Red Magic, meanwhile, appears to be targeting maximum performance within the mobile gaming ecosystem.
Red Magic Gaming Phone Product General Manager Jiang Chao has indicated the tablet could launch in China between April and May 2026. Final details, including pricing and availability, are expected to be confirmed closer to release.
For players focused on titles like Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, and Peacekeeper Elite, this device is shaping up as one to watch.
Days before Huawei’s April 20 launch event, live images of the Pura X Max have surfaced online — and the wide-folding phone looks every bit as ambitious in person as it did on paper.
A design that makes a statement
The leaked shots show the Pura X Max in glossy white, and the back panel is where things get interesting. Rather than a conventional camera island, Huawei has divided the rear into three distinct zones — a bold camera section at the top, flanked below by two panels: one with vertical lines, one with horizontal. It’s a geometric approach that gives the device a visual identity you won’t mistake for anything else.
The camera housing itself is a large pill-shaped module carrying three lens rings — an upgrade over the first-generation model. The center ring holds two lenses, with LED flashes positioned on either side. Notably, the entire camera section takes up roughly a third of the back panel, making it the clear focal point of the design.
HUAWEI branding sits on the vertical-line panel, while a small XMAGE logo is embedded just beneath the camera pill — subtle, but present. The frame appears to be metal throughout.
Pocket-sized power, tablet-sized screen
Folded, the Pura X Max fits comfortably in one hand. Open it up, and you’re looking at something closer to a mini tablet — with a clean, clutter-free home screen on both the main display and the cover panel. No visual noise, just usable space.
What we know so far
The Pura X Max is already listed for pre-sale on Huawei’s VMall with five color options and four RAM and storage configurations. The full reveal is just days away on April 20.
Based on these first real-world photos, Huawei appears to have built something that holds up outside of a studio shoot. We’ll know everything else very soon.
A complete list of devices and a schedule are already available, and Xiaomi’s Android 16 update is official. HyperOS 3 is scheduled to launch in October.
Xiaomi’s Android skin receives a few new improvements from HyperOS 3, including:
Xiaomi claims you won’t have to wait long, so there’s a good deal to look forward to.
In October, HyperOS 3 will begin to roll out on the Xiaomi 15T series, with the Xiaomi 15 following shortly after. After that, the rollout lasts until March 2026. The following is Xiaomi’s schedule, which may change over time.
Xiaomi HyperOS 3 (Android 16) Rollout Schedule
October/November 2025
Phones
Xiaomi 15T Pro
Xiaomi 15T
Xiaomi 15 Ultra
Xiaomi 15
Xiaomi MIX Flip
REDMI Note 14 Pro+ 5G
REDMI Note 14 Pro 5G
REDMI Note 14 Pro
REDMI Note 14
POCO F7 Ultra
POCO F7 Pro
POCO F7
POCO X7 Pro Iron Man Edition
POCO X7 Pro
POCO X7
Tablets
Xiaomi Pad Mini
Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro
Xiaomi Pad 7
Wearables
Xiaomi Watch S4 41mm (Available now)
Xiaomi Smart Band 10 Glimmer Edition (Available now)
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are still a few weeks away, but if you want to finish your holiday shopping early, there are a ton of great tech discounts readily accessible right now.
In this single guide, we’ve compiled all of the finest early Black Friday discounts on everything from tablets and TVs to smartphones and watches.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is currently $200 off, and several of our favorite smart home devices are currently up to 50% off. Naturally, we anticipate seeing additional deals in the upcoming weeks.
If you didn’t find anything today, stay reading to see what else is currently available, and bookmark this page since we’ll keep adding fresh offers to it up to the start of Black Friday.
PHONES
The following is only a small sample of the many Android phones that retailers are discounting ahead of Black Friday. For a larger list of offers, take a look at our guide to thebest early Black Friday/Cyber Monday phone deals.
Kicking things off is this deal that slashes a whopping $200 off the unlocked Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. This phone is peak Android technology, with a built-in stylus, some outstanding camera tech, and the customized Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip.
Similar to the Pixel 7a deal we just mentioned, Amazon will hook you up with a FREE pair of Galaxy Buds Live earbuds when you purchase an unlocked Galaxy A54 5G. That’s a value of $120, but if you don’t need earbuds, you can still save $40 when you buy the phone alone.
Looking for a phone with a built-in stylus? The Moto G Stylus 5G is one of the better options if you don’t want to break the bank, featuring a 5,000mAh battery, great camera, and a vibrant 120Hz display. Right now, Amazon is slashing $100 off the price of the phone, bringing it down to just $299.99.
Buy the 256GB version of the super-balanced Galaxy S23 Plus and you’ll get a straight $200 dropped off your purchase at Best Buy. The retailer will also throw in a free month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
Buy the innovative Galaxy Z Fold 5 directly from Samsung and you’ll be eligible to receive up to $1,000 off with trade-in, plus a free S Pen slim case (a $99.99 value). They’ll also give you $180 off the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro if you want to bundle the phone with a sweet pair of earbuds.
The fitness trackers and smartwatches that are now on sale at retailers in advance of Black Friday are just a few examples. Check out our guide to the greatest Black Friday smartwatch deals for a longer range of offerings (so far).
The Galaxy Watch 4 Classic might be a few years old, but with a 30% discount, who’s complaining? More powerful and slightly more traditional-looking than the standard Watch 4, the Classic boasts some stainless steel heft and a real rotating bezel that we absolutely love.
Right now you can snag a Fossil Gen 6 smartwatch for $179, which is an epic price reduction of 40%. This hybrid timepiece boasts an efficient Qualcomm chip, loads of activity-tracking features, and great battery life with super-fast charging.
It’s far from cheap, but the Garmin epix (Gen 2) is a great choice if you can afford it, with a rugged stainless steel construction, unique map features, and outstanding battery life. Right now you can soften the blow of the big purchase with a sweet $250 discount at Amazon.
Although the price might drop lower when Black Friday hits next month, you can buy a Pixel Watch through Amazon today and save an epic 30% on the LTE version of the watch in Silver.
Stylish, versatile, and feature-packed, the Vivoactive 4 reigns as one of the best intro smartwatches for most people, and now you can get your very own at the discounted price of $279.95.
The tablets below are just a few of the many that are now on sale from shops in advance of Black Friday. See our guide to the top early Black Friday tablet bargains for a longer list of offerings.
The top pick in our list of best Android tablets, the Galaxy Tab S8 Plus comes complete with a large 12.4-inch AMOLED display, an ultra-efficient Snapdragon processor, and software support through 2027. Right now, you can snag one of these tablets and save 145 bucks!
Despite being a few years old, the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus still performs with the best of them, thanks to a Snapdragon 865+ processor, vibrant 12.4-inch AMOLED display, and an included S Pen stylus. Now pair those specs with a 41% discount and you’re looking at a truly fantastic deal.
The Galaxy Tab A8 is a mid-range tablet with a few surprising specs, such as a Snapdragon processor and massive 7,040mAh battery. Amazon is currently dropping a nice 24% off the price of the tablet, making now a great time to buy.
The following is only a small sample of the many smart TVs that retailers are discounting ahead of Black Friday. For a larger list of offers, take a look at our guide to the best Black Friday Android TV deals.
Nowadays, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a 65-inch smart TV for any less than $500, and yet that’s exactly what’s happening with this awesome pre-Black Friday deal. Head to Best Buy now and you’ll save $160 on the Class C350 Series TV from Toshiba, a versatile entertainment machine with 4K upscaling and immersive DTS Virtual: X audio.
If you’re a Prime member, head to Amazon now and you can save a whopping 45% on this 32-inch 2-Series Fire TV. Sure, it’s not the most feature-packed smart TV in the world, but it gives you access to all of your favorite streaming services in 720p HD with Dolby Digital Plus audio, and most importantly, it only costs $110.
For a limited time, Best Buy is dropping a full $1,000 off the price of the Class S90C Tizen TV from Samsung. This entertainment powerhouse boasts AI-powered 4K upscaling, immersive Object Tracking Sound, and more.
Okay, yes, this isn’t a smart TV, but a 50% discount on a Fire TV streaming stick is no joke. For just $20, this device gives you instant access to all of your favorite streaming services in Full HD, plus you’ll get an Alexa Voice Remote and six months of MGM Plus for 100% free.
Head to Amazon now and you can get a whopping 48% off this 55-inch 4-Series Fire TV. That’s a bigger discount than the TV received during Prime Day! This model delivers vibrant picture in 4K UHD resolution with HDR10 and HLG, plus you get four HDMI and six months of MGM Plus for free.
The day after Thanksgiving, or Black Friday, is November 24, however many businesses start advertising their sales as early as late October or the first week of November. So that you don’t have to wait to uncover the finest tech discounts, we’re keeping track of all the best deals as soon as they become available.
Should purchase now or to hold out until Black Friday?
If you find something now for a record low price, you might want to take advantage of the offer since it’s unlikely that the price will fall further lower once Black Friday arrives. Of course, we’ll inform you in our bargain guides if we believe you should purchase or not.
On August 10th, Xiaomi plans to launch the Mi Pad 5 tablet series in China. The Xiaomi Mi Pad 5 will be released alongside the Mi Mix 4 in China on August 10th, according to the company’s official Weibo account.
Last month, renders and details for the Xiaomi Mi Pad 5 were leaked. The renders revealed the tablet’s design ahead of time. The Mi Pad 5 has now debuted on Geekbench, which is a recent development. The hardware characteristics of the Mi Pad 5 are revealed in the benchmark listing ahead of its introduction tomorrow.
Further Details
The Xiaomi Mi Pad 5’s model number is M2105K81AC, according to rumors. The Mi Pad 5 will be powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 870 chipset with Adreno 650 GPU, according to the Geekbench listing. The Mi Pad 5 will have 6GB of RAM and come pre-installed with Android 11. In the Geekbench test, the tablet scored 997 points in the single-core and 3181 points in the multi-core tests, respectively. The Mi Pad 5 is expected to include a 10.95-inch IPS LCD 120Hz display, according to earlier leaks. The Mi Pad 5 is believed to have a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for added security.
A dual-camera arrangement could handle the optics department of the Mi Pad 5. A 20MP primary camera and a 13MP secondary camera may be found on the back of the phone. An 8720mAh battery might be used to power the entire package. The Mi Pad 5 is expected to feature 65W fast charging. Last month, the Mi Pad 5 with model number M2105K81AC was certified by 3C. The Mi Pad 5’s 65W fast charging support was revealed through the 3C certification. In related news, the Smart Pen that will be included with the tablet has received FCC approval. The Smart Pen’s schematics were revealed via the FCC listing before its release. The device is capable of carrying out functions such asiOS transfers.
Apart from the Keyboard case, Weibo users have seen renders of the forthcoming tablet. The Mi Pad 5 will include a dual-camera configuration, according to the renders. In addition, the Mi Pad 5 will be available in three color variants, according to the image released on Weibo: Black, White, and Green.
Details such as pricing will be known upon release.
Summing Up
Xiaomi has raised expectations for the Mi Pad 5 ever since surpassing Samsung. It has become a worthy contender as a smartphone manufacturer and other tech devices. Users cannot wait for its latest venture. The Chinese-based company has been appealing to the masses with a budget-friendly phone with premium features. We can’t wait to see what else is in store for the tech giant.
