Apple iPad mini 3 vs Apple iPad mini 2 vs Apple iPad mini: size and specs comparison
Apart from treating us to a refreshed iPad, Apple also announced the iPad mini 3 with Retina today. Powered by the same old A7 chipset that can be found inside the iPad mini 2, there are just a few differences between the new and the old generations of Apple's munchkin tablets. Apart from a slightly improved camera features and Touch ID on board, it's hard to say that the iPad mini 3 is a worthy upgrade over the iPad mini 2.
Are these a a good enough reason for an upgrade? This is an especially relevant question for those who don't care about the rest of the goodies that are on board, especially Apple Pay. We asked ourselves the same question, so we decided to roll our sleeves and make a brief specs comparison between the three generations of small iPad tablets.
Check the comparison below and form your own opinion whether you should upgrade or not.
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| Apple iPad mini 3 | Apple iPad mini 2 | Apple iPad mini |
| Dimensions | ||
|---|---|---|
| 7.87 x 5.30 x 0.30 inches 200 x 134.7 x 7.5 mm |
7.87 x 5.30 x 0.30 inches 200 x 134.7 x 7.5 mm |
7.87 x 5.30 x 0.28 inches 200 x 134.7 x 7.2 mm |
| Weight | ||
| 12.03 oz / 341.0 g | 12.03 oz / 341.0 g | 11.01 oz / 312.0 g |
| Materials | ||
| Back: Aluminum | Back: Aluminum | Back: Aluminum |
| Biometrics | ||
| Fingerprint (swipe) | ||
| Keys | ||
| Right: Volume control, Other | Right: Volume control, Other | Right: Volume control, Other |
| Colors | ||
| Gold, Gray | Black, Gray, Silver, White | Black, White |
| Size | ||
|---|---|---|
| 7.9-inch, 71.82% screen-to-body | 7.9-inch, 71.82% screen-to-body | 7.9-inch, 71.82% screen-to-body |
| Type | ||
| IPS LCD | IPS LCD | IPS LCD |
| Resolution | ||
| 1536x2048px, 324 PPI | 1536x2048px, 324 PPI | 768x1024px, 162 PPI |
| Colors | ||
| 16 777 216 | 16 777 216 | |
| Features | ||
| Oleophobic coating, Ambient light sensor | Oleophobic coating, Ambient light sensor | Oleophobic coating, Ambient light sensor |
| System chip | ||
|---|---|---|
| Apple A7 | Apple A7 | Apple A5 |
| Processor | ||
| Dual-core 1300 MHz Cyclone | Dual-core 1300 MHz Cyclone | Dual-core 1000 MHz ARM Cortex-A9 |
| GPU | ||
| PowerVR G6430 | PowerVR G6430 | PowerVR SGX543MP2 |
| Memory | ||
| 1GB (LPDDR3)/128GB 1GB/16GB 1GB/64GB |
1GB (LPDDR3)/128GB 1GB/16GB 1GB/32GB 1GB/64GB 1GB/128GB |
0.5GB (DDR2)/64GB 0.5GB/16GB 0.5GB/32GB 0.5GB/64GB |
| OS | ||
| iOS (12.x, 11.x, 10.x, 9.x, 8.x) | iOS (12.x, 11.x, 10.x, 9.x, 8.x, 7.x) | iOS (9.x, 8.x, 7.x, 6.1, 6.x) |
| Type | ||
|---|---|---|
| 6350 mAh | 6471 mAh, Li - Polymer | 4440 mAh, Li - Polymer |
| Rear | ||
|---|---|---|
| Single camera | Single camera | Single camera |
| Main camera | ||
| 5 MP (Autofocus, BSI sensor) Aperture size: F2.4 Focal length: 32 mm |
5 MP (Autofocus, BSI sensor) Aperture size: F2.4 Focal length: 33 mm | 5 MP (Autofocus, BSI sensor) Aperture size: F2.4 Focal length: 33 mm |
| Video recording | ||
| 1080p (30 fps) Time-lapse video, EIS, Video calling | 1080p (30 fps) Time-lapse video, EIS, Video calling | 1080p (30 fps) Time-lapse video, EIS, Video calling |
| Front | ||
| 1.2 MP Video capture: 720p (30 fps) |
1.2 MP Video capture: 720p | 1.2 MP Video capture: 720p |
| Bluetooth | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| WLAN | ||
| dual-band Multiple antennas, MIMO, Hotspot 802.11 a, b, g, n | dual-band Multiple antennas, MIMO, Hotspot 802.11 a, b, g, n | dual-band Hotspot 802.11 a, b, g, n |
| USB | ||
| Lightning | Lightning | Lightning |
| Sensors | ||
| Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Ambient light sensor | Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Ambient light sensor | Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Ambient light sensor |
| Location | ||
| GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning | GPS, A-GPS, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning | GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning |
| Other | ||
| Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync, AirDrop | Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync, AirDrop | Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync, AirDrop |
| Headphones | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | 3.5mm jack | 3.5mm jack |
| Speakers | ||
| Multiple speakers | Multiple speakers | Multiple speakers |
| Features | ||
| Album art cover, Background playback | Album art cover, Background playback | Album art cover, Background playback |
| Screen mirroring | ||
| TV-out | TV-out | TV-out |
| Additional microphone(s) | ||
| Yes | Yes | |
| LTE Bands | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26 | 4, 17 |
| 3G Bands | ||
| 5, 8, 4, 2, 1 | 5, 8, 2, 1 | 1, 2, 5, 8 |
| Data Speed | ||
| LTE, HSPA, UMTS | LTE, HSPA, UMTS | LTE Cat 3 (100/50 Mbit/s), HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, UMTS |
| SIM type | ||
| Nano SIM | Nano SIM | Nano SIM |
| Notifications | ||
|---|---|---|
| Flight mode, Silent mode | Flight mode, Silent mode | |
| Other features | ||
| Voice commands, Voice recording | Voice commands, Voice recording | |
| FCC approval | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date approved: Oct 16, 2014 FCC ID value: BCGA1600 | Date approved: Apr 15, 2013 FCC ID value: BCGA1490 | Date approved: Oct 23, 2012 FCC ID value: BCGA1454 |
| Measured SAR | ||
| Simultaneous Transmission: 1.29 W/kg | Body: 1.19 W/kg Simultaneous Transmission: 1.30 W/kg |
Body: 1.19 W/kg Simultaneous Transmission: 1.55 W/kg |
| Officially announced | ||
|---|---|---|
| Oct 16, 2014 | Oct 22, 2013 | Oct 23, 2012 |
| Prices (MSRP) | ||
| $729 | $829 | $659 |
See the full
Apple iPad mini 3 vs Apple iPad mini 2 vs Apple iPad mini specs comparison
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