Alldocube iPlay60 Mini Pro review: The iPad mini killer

Alldocube has made probably the best (for the money) 8inch tablet out there, and the ultimate couch device

Alldocube is a name you’ve probably never heard of, but in the world of Android tablets, they’ve slowly been building a name for themselves. They’re also one of the few manufacturers who hasn’t ignored the need for a smaller, 8 inch tablet.

What we love: It’s fast, easy to use and the screen is fantastic. Android 14 and face unlocking is useful.

Pause for thought: The only let down is the sound, which is terrible.

Buy the Alldocube iPlay60 Mini Pro on Amazon

Screen

First, the technical stuff – there’s an 8.4-inch IPS display with 1920 x 1200 resolution, 350 nits of brightness and a laminated screen for an enhanced viewing experience. What this actually means is the screen is kind of amazing for the price. It’s incredibly sharp and clear, and boasts deep blacks and really vivid colors. It’s particularly noticeable when you’re watching movies, and is just fantastic for the price, and far better than any of the competition save for the far more expensive iPad Mini. It comes with a screen protector already installed, and this is a slightly matte one that give you more fell as you move across the screen.

Design

It’s unashamedly a ripoff of the iPad, but in a blander grey color. It feels solid, although I dd notice a little more creaking than I’d expect when its flexed in any way, which makes putting tight fitting cases on a little stressful. However, it’s a pretty unassuming design.

It’s 202.7 x 126 x 7.9 mm and weighs 310g. It’s a little too big to fit in trouser pockets to fully replace your phone, but is definitely a take anywhere device that’ll fit in most fanny packs.

Battery life

The battery capacity has been upgraded to 6,050 mAh from the previous model, and it now supports faster 18W charging. I found this was good for a full day if I’m streaming/watching a lot of movies, or around three days of more casual use.

Software

The Mini 60 uses Android 14, and it’s pretty solid. I did have some issues with an unresponsive screen, but following a firmware update I haven’t seen the issue – so make sure you update.

Running Andoid means you get access to the Play Store, so there’s every type of app imaginable.

Alldocube has also not stuffed the device full of unwanted software, there’s a single Alldocube app which is basically a link to their site.

Tech specs

Overall

The Alldocube iPlay 60 Mini Pro is great. It’s fast enough for everything, the screen is amazing, and it’s only let down by awful sound. But as a couch or travel media device, it’s perfect – just pair it with some decent headphones.

What else to consider

Apple iPad Mini: Apple is one of the few major manufacturers to make a small tablet, and the iPad mini is heads above everything else here in terms of build quality, screen quality, ease of use (and price). However, it’s in need of an update, and Apple’s iPadOS software doesn’t feel quite right on the small screen, in fact it almost feels like the iOS we’re used to on phones would be a better fit here. The sound is fantastic, and phenomenal when compared to the disaster that is sound on the Headwolf and Alldocube devices. As a fully paid up Apple fanboy, I should love the iPad mini. But somehow it just doesn’t work for me – there’s still no WhatsApp iPad app, and it feels a little too close the the iPhone 15 Pro Max I use as my daily handset. 

Headwolf FPad 5 – we’ve got a full review here but in a nutshell it’s a very similar tablet, just with a much less impressive screen. Unless it’s on some amazing discounted offer, we’d pick the Alldocude iPlay 60 any day.

Alldocube iPlay50 Mini Pro NFE: First, be warned there are a LOT of different models of this tablet, ranging in price from $80 to over $150. I tried the Mini Pro NFE version with 256gb of RAM, which retails for about $155 on Amazon. It’s fantastic, and very, very similar to the 60. However, I experienced a lot of flexibility in the chassis in particularly when taking it in and out of its case. However, the screen is great, and it’s also often on sale – if you get a bargain, it’s probably a better bet that the Fpad5.

Amazon Fire HD8: It’s cheap. I picked up a refurbished model for just over $40, and they are always on heavy sale for prime Day. You’re limited to Amazon’s app store (although there are workarounds to add Google’s Play Store). The huge issue is that it’s slow – and not just quite slow, it’s tap on the screen and go and make yourself a cup of tea slow. But there’s actually a lot to love about the HD8 apart from its price. It feels great in the hand without a case thanks to a rubberised back I really wish the Fpad5 had, and for reading and watching the odd youtube video or Netflix show, it’s just about good enough.

Who am I?

Hi, I’m Mark Prigg and I’m a journalist who has been writing about and reviewing technology for over 25 years, at places like the Daily Mail, Travel + Leisure and Wired. Ever since I sat in the audience to watch Steve Jobs unveil the original iPad, I’ve been on a hunt for the perfect tablet, trying a plethora of devices.