Oppo's Pad Mini doesn't hide its inspiration, but there could be at least one major upgrade

Oppo is working on a compact premium Android tablet, thought to be called the Oppo Pad Mini. The new tablet will rival the iPad mini, with an official tease from the company suggesting that we're getting closer to launch.

Oppo's plans seem to include the 13.5-inch Oppo Pad 5 Pro – a replacement for the Oppo Pad 3 Pro – with this smaller 8.8-inch tablet coming in to give users something more compact, but without scrimping on the specs.

The company has shared an official teaser for the new tablet on Weibo (via The Verge), suggesting that you can lose yourself in a book while waiting at the airport. It's a whimsical video that doesn't tell us much about the tablet itself.

There have been a number of leaks surrounding this tablet, with Digital Chat Station sharing many of the core specs on Weibo.

It's said that it will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, with an 8,000mAh battery and 67W charging.

The Oppo Pad Mini will have an 8.8-inch OLED display, offering 144Hz. The display will set this tablet apart from rivals, because OLED screens aren't that common, except on the most premium devices. It's also said to have a 3:2 aspect, so better suited for reading.

It's thought to be 5.39mm thick and weigh 279g. That makes it thinner and lighter than the iPad mini, with a slightly larger display, but using OLED might make it superior for gaming and watching movies on the move.

It's thought that the Oppo Pad Mini will launch in China within the coming weeks – a date of 21 April has been suggested – but there's no indication of whether it will be seen outside of China.

There's been an uptick in premium Android tablets recently and it could be that we see this device launching from OnePlus at some point in the future. We'll have to keep our fingers crossed, because this sounds like a compact powerhouse.