REDMAGIC Gaming Tablet 3 Pro vs REDMI K Pad: Small Tablet Showdown

The market of performance small tablets has long belonged to iPad mini, but the sales of iPad mini are still very bleak compared with large tablets, let alone domestic performance tablets? And this year belongs to the outbreak period of domestic performance small tablets, and more manufacturers will enter this track next. Today we bring you a comparison of two newly released tablets REDMI K Pad and REDMAGIC 3 Pro in gaming scenarios.

1 Look at the parameters first, the two have completely different configurations

Through the parameter comparison above, you can see REDMI K Pad and REDMAGIC 3 Pro have no identical points in configuration. Although both focus on performance, their understanding of small tablets is very different. Due to limited space, the author will not cover everything, only focus on gaming scenarios.

2 Cool or simple? The system is also different

In appearance design, REDMAGIC Gaming Tablet 3 Pro and REDMI K Pad, though both belong to small-screen tablet camp, differ significantly in style and detail processing, showing different orientations of e-sports attributes and practicality.

REDMAGIC Gaming Tablet 3 Pro continues the iconic “e-sports aesthetics” of the REDMAGIC series, overall design full of tech sense and recognition. It adopts a full-metal integrated body, with a glass-covered transparent “window” at the upper back panel, where you can directly see the internal decorative circuits, brand logo, and cooling fan, combined with matte and glossy metallic logo collision. It adopts a flush rear camera design, no protrusion, solving the “rocking” problem when placed. The middle frame is right-angled but rounded, avoiding sharp hand feeling, button layout considers horizontal grip — volume and power keys on upper left, Type-C port on right upper middle frame, avoiding palm area. The power button integrates fingerprint recognition, and the iconic “gaming key” is present.

REDMI K Pad goes simple and practical, adopting full-metal integrated body without plastic frame. Its design is clean, back cover only prints new REDMI logo at corner, beside 13MP single camera is an oval patch marked “GammaAntenna,” built-in WiFi antenna for both signal and design. Buttons distributed on both sides near camera, narrow side for power key, long side for volume key, edges CNC-processed with silver line. No fingerprint unlock, only 2D face unlock.

Not only appearance, their gaming function designs are completely different.

REDMAGIC’s game space function is comprehensive and practical. It has a huge game library covering multiple categories, supporting high-speed download, background running, and categorized collections. Performance optimization provides power saving, balanced, and e-sports modes, automatically allocating resources, reducing background interference, and monitoring temperature, CPU, memory in real time. Rich auxiliary functions include one-click recording, screenshot, customizable buttons, some models support motion-sensing operation. Players can change theme skins, wallpapers, icons, adjust side shortcut bar order. Built-in community for sharing strategies, skills, and quick team-up with real-time voice.

REDMI’s functions are much fewer, only an AI pick-up feature for Genshin Impact (not available in Bilibili client). Unlike phones, REDMI tablets cannot have a side-slide toolbox.

Overall, REDMAGIC Gaming Tablet 3 Pro emphasizes e-sports genes with transparent design and detail optimization, while REDMI K Pad offers minimalist texture and practical layout for balanced experience.

3 How about the screen? OLED or LCD?

Like iPad mini, REDMI K Pad uses LCD, but its resolution and refresh rate are far better. REDMAGIC uses OLED screen. Which should be chosen?

For gamers, screen quality is even more important than performance.

OLED screen advantages: self-luminous pixels allow independent control, no backlight beads occupying space, narrower bezels, higher brightness, better contrast, faster response. REDMAGIC narrowed bezels to 4.9mm with equal-width four sides, more harmonious and premium visually. But in eye protection dimming, LCD is better, though REDMAGIC supports quasi-DC dimming. For clarity, REDMI performs better with higher resolution and PPI, no graininess.

In conclusion, REDMI is better in clarity and display, REDMAGIC has advantage in narrow bezels and aesthetics.

4 Hand feel? Weight or battery?

Author believes portability is main reason for small tablets. Market tablets grow bigger, neither portable nor good for gaming. So how should small tablets balance size and weight?

In portability, REDMI is better. Sizes are close, REDMI smaller. REDMI lighter by 44g. REDMAGIC has larger screen, bigger battery, higher power.

Charging tests:

REDMAGIC Gaming Tablet 3 Pro  Charging Test

REDMI K Pad Charging Test

REDMAGIC 80W faster, charging 27% in 5 minutes. Quick energy refill enhances gaming.

REDMI slower but has dual ports, side port avoids blocking hands in landscape. REDMAGIC has only one upper port. Both support bypass charging, REDMI’s Plus version feeds system and slowly charges battery simultaneously.

Overall, REDMAGIC offers more battery capacity but heavier, while REDMI is better in hand feel and portability.

5 Dimensity or Snapdragon? Passive or active cooling?

REDMAGIC Gaming Tablet 3 Pro uses Snapdragon 8 Supreme, REDMI K Pad uses Dimensity 9400+, both top-tier. Benchmarks close to 2.8 million. Cooling strategy differs: REDMAGIC uses active + passive with dual-layer VC, composite liquid metal 2.0, 20000 RPM fan. But fan only accelerates internal airflow, not as effective as phones. REDMI uses passive, with centered SoC design for more even heat distribution, cooler to hold.

30 minutes Genshin Impact test:

Both similar in FPS, REDMI cooler to hold.

6 Conclusion

Overall, whether design, performance tuning, screen, or system ecosystem, REDMAGIC Gaming Tablet 3 Pro and REDMI K Pad show domestic performance small tablets’ exploration. The former fits hardcore gamers with e-sports features and active cooling; the latter fits daily users with portability and balance.

This wave of new domestic small performance tablets breaks iPad mini’s dominance, offering more choices. In this branch track, performance is no longer the sole dimension, but a complex matrix with design, interaction, and system ecosystem.

The future small tablet market is worth looking forward to, with domestic brands finding their own opportunities in the field neglected by iPad mini.