(Image credit: Oppo)

Oppo will be releasing its iPad mini rival on 21 April, offering a compact but premium Android tablet. With an expected 8.8-inch OLED display, the Oppo Pad Mini has seen plenty of leaks recently, building anticipation for what could be a breakthrough device.

There aren't a huge number of compact tablets in this space, with the iPad mini being the most obvious, and the Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 5 a recent addition.

The details of the launch come from Oppo directly, via its Weibo channel. Although the focus appears to be on China, it is listed as a "global launch" suggesting that everyone will get access to it.

The Oppo Pad Mini will widen the range of choices, with previously-leaked specs setting this up as a premium device. Starting with the display, it's thought that it will have an 8.8-inch OLED display, beating Apple to the OLED update, and offering a 144Hz refresh rate, ideal for gamers.

This display is thought to be a 3:2 aspect, which can be a little better for viewing websites or reading, but it's less efficient when it comes to watching traditional movies.

Elsewhere, we're looking at flagship hardware, with Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 at its heart, along an 8,000mAh battery and 67W charging.

The weight of 279g and the 5.39mm thickness means it will be thinner and lighter than the iPad mini too, while it should all be wrapped in an aluminium shell.

At the moment, most of the premium rivals are 11-inch models - there's the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11, the OnePlus Pad 3, Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro and Honor MagicPad 4 for example, but this smaller format should be great for those who want something more portable.

The killer factor will be the price: the iPad Mini costs £499 / €549 and the Lenovo tablet is around the same price point. But those 11-inch tablets I mentioned are around this price too – so will Oppo be able to undercut and offer a cheaper route to premium tablet goodness?