iPlay 70 Mini Ultra: The Most Cost-Effective 8-Inch Gaming Tablet

Compact devices have always been popular for their portability and convenience. Mobile devices are meant to be used on the go, and making them too large can compromise their usability. Audio Coupe understands this well and continues to produce 8-inch tablets, which have been selling remarkably well.

The newest upgrade is the iPlay 70 Mini Ultra, an enhanced version of the iPlay 70 Mini. It’s currently one of the most cost-effective 8-inch gaming tablets on the market. Priced under $275 in Japan, the price is expected to be similar in other countries. While it’s not positioned as a flagship device, it delivers excellent value for money.

In terms of design, the iPlay 70 Mini Ultra keeps things simple — no flashy RGB lights or gimmicks. The camera module is positioned to avoid interfering during gaming. It offers 256GB of internal storage, expandable up to 1TB via microSD card.

The USB-C port supports USB 3.1, allowing connection to external displays for gaming. The tablet has stereo speakers placed at the top to ensure the sound remains clear and unobstructed. Although it lacks a fingerprint scanner, this is common even in higher-end tablets like the Lenovo Legion Y700. However, the absence of a headphone jack might disappoint some users.

The display is a 144Hz LCD panel with a 120Hz touch sampling rate and a peak brightness of 500 nits. On paper and in practice, it is comparable to the Lenovo Legion Y700. The screen’s aspect ratio makes it great for watching videos, and the bezels are notably thinner compared to the iPad Mini.

When it comes to performance, the iPlay 70 Mini Ultra is equipped with the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 processor — not the 7 Gen 3 or 7s Gen 3. This chip rivals the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, delivering excellent mid-range performance, similar to what’s found in phones like the OnePlus Nord 4. It handles even demanding games smoothly.

For example, Genshin Impact runs without issues, even after 20 minutes of heavy gameplay, with no noticeable thermal throttling. While it may not hit the absolute highest frame rates, its performance is impressive for its price point.

In terms of thermal performance, the tablet does a decent job, although it’s slightly less power-efficient compared to the Legion Y700. The frame rate graph during games like Zenless Zone Zero may show some dips, but those are usually tied to game loading times or transition effects, not the tablet’s hardware. During intense combat or heavy visual effects, occasional stutters can happen, but reducing graphic settings can significantly boost frame rates.

Battery life is a known compromise with mid-range chips. Despite its 7,300mAh battery, extended gaming sessions drain the battery quickly — a common limitation among compact gaming tablets.

The tablet supports 20W charging, but the actual charging input tends to hover around 17 watts, meaning the charging time isn’t particularly fast. Ideally, a 30W input would improve this aspect.

Compared to larger, more powerful tablets, compact devices like the iPlay 70 Mini Ultra have one major advantage: they are comfortable to use without an external controller. The 8-inch gaming tablet market is quite small, with few competitors aside from the Lenovo Legion Y700 and the iPad Mini series.

When compared to the iPad Mini 6, the iPlay 70 Mini Ultra offers superior gaming performance. While the iPad’s A16 chip is technically stronger, its poor thermal management and conservative gaming optimization make its performance less impressive.

The iPlay 70 Mini Ultra also boasts a higher screen-to-body ratio, a 144Hz display, and more aggressive tuning for gaming. The upcoming iPad Mini 7 with the A17 Pro chip will be faster in benchmarks, but it’s also significantly more expensive — one iPad Mini 7 could cost as much as two iPlay 70 Mini Ultras.

From a pricing perspective, the iPad Mini 6 is its closest competitor, making the iPlay 70 Mini Ultra an even more attractive choice. Audio Coupe has consistently released well-designed, budget-friendly products, and even though the compact tablet market is small, they continue to deliver affordable and practical models.

The iPlay 70 Mini Ultra stands out as Audio Coupe’s first mini tablet to provide well-rounded, powerful performance. For gaming and general entertainment, it fills an important niche in the mid-range 8-inch tablet category and comes highly recommended for budget-conscious gamers.