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Apple iPad mini 3 vs Apple iPad mini 2 vs Apple iPad mini: size and specs comparison

By Peter Kostadinov

Updated: Oct 16, 2014, 2:14 PM

7comments

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.


Apple iPad mini 3	Apple iPad mini 2	Apple iPad mini

Design

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

Display

Size
7.9-inch	7.9-inch	7.9-inch
Resolution
1536x2048px, 324 PPI	1536x2048px, 324 PPI	768x1024px, 162 PPI
Technology
IPS LCD	IPS LCD	IPS LCD
Screen-to-body
71.82 %	71.82 %	71.82 %
Colors
16 777 216	16 777 216
Features
Oleophobic coating, Ambient light sensor	Oleophobic coating, Ambient light sensor	Oleophobic coating, Ambient light sensor

Hardware

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
RAM
1GB (LPDDR3)	1GB (LPDDR3)	0.5GB (DDR2)
Internal storage
128GB	128GB	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)

Battery

Capacity
6350 mAh	6471 mAh	4440 mAh
Type
	Li - Polymer	Li - Polymer

Camera

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
1920x1080 (Full HD) (30 fps) Time-lapse video, EIS, Video calling	1920x1080 (Full HD) (30 fps) Time-lapse video, EIS, Video calling	1920x1080 (Full HD) (30 fps) Time-lapse video, EIS, Video calling
Front
1.2 MP, Video capture: 1280x720 (HD) (30 fps)	1.2 MP, Video capture: 1280x720 (HD)	1.2 MP, Video capture: 1280x720 (HD)

Connectivity & Features

Bluetooth
4.0	4.0	4.0
WLAN
802.11 a,b,g,n,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
USB
Lightning	Lightning	Lightning
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
Sensors
Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass	Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass	Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass
Other
Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync, AirDrop	Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync, AirDrop	Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync, AirDrop

Multimedia

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

Cellular

4G (FDD)
Bands 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(AWS-1), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 13(700 c), 17(700 b), 18(800 Lower), 19(800 Upper), 20(800 DD), 25(1900+), 26(850+)	Bands 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(AWS-1), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 13(700 c), 17(700 b), 18(800 Lower), 19(800 Upper), 20(800 DD), 25(1900+), 26(850+)	Bands 4(AWS-1), 17(700 b)
3G
Bands 5(850), 8(900), 4(1700/2100), 2(1900), 1(2100)	Bands 5(850), 8(900), 2(1900), 1(2100)	Bands 1(2100), 2(1900), 5(850), 8(900)
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

Phone Features

Notifications
Flight mode, Silent mode	Flight mode, Silent mode
Other features
Voice commands, Voice recording	Voice commands, Voice recording

Regulatory Approval

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

Buyers information

MSRP
$ 729	$ 829	$ 659
In The Box
Lightning to USB Cable, USB Power Adapter	Lightning to USB Cable, USB Power Adapter	Lightning to USB Cable, USB Power Adapter

Availability

Officially announced
Oct 16, 2014	Oct 22, 2013	Oct 23, 2012

See the full Apple iPad mini 3 vs Apple iPad mini 2 vs Apple iPad mini specs comparison or compare them to other phones using our Phone Comparison tool

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View Full Bio

Peter, an experienced tech enthusiast at PhoneArena, is captivated by all things mobile. His impartial reviews and proficiency in Android systems offer readers valuable insights. Off-duty, he delves into the latest cryptocurrency trends and enjoys sci-fi and video games.

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