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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.
Apple iPad mini 3 vs Apple iPad mini 2 vs Apple iPad mini
| Display | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Display size | 7.9 inches | 7.9 inches | 7.9 inches |
| Resolution | 2048 x 1536 pixels | 2048 x 1536 pixels | 1024 x 768 pixels |
Pixel density
Pixel density - The pixel density of a display represents the number of pixels over an area of one inch. It’s measured in “pixels per inch”, or ppi. The higher the number, the more detailed and good-looking the display is. | 324 ppi | 324 ppi | 162 ppi |
Technology
Technology - There are two main screen technologies currently used in phones and tablets: LCD and AMOLED. The former usually features a light source and liquid crystals, while the latter is based on organic light-emitting diodes. Newer LCD variations like IPS-LCD and Super-LCD allow for very accurate color reproduction and very wide viewing angles, where no significant image quality loss is observed. Current AMOLED screens differ in such a way that they can exhibit much more saturated colors (sometimes too much) and incredibly high contrast levels, which is due to black color being completely black in AMOLED displays. | IPS LCD | IPS LCD | IPS LCD |
Screen-to-body ratio
Screen-to-body ratio - Shows what part of the frontal area of a phone its screen occupies. | 71.82 % | 71.82 % | 71.82 % |
| Colors | 16 777 216 | 16 777 216 | 16 777 216 |
| Camera | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rear | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Main camera | 5 megapixels | 5 megapixels | 5 megapixels |
| Autofocus, Back-illuminated sensor (BSI) | Autofocus, Back-illuminated sensor (BSI) | Autofocus, Back-illuminated sensor (BSI) | |
| Specifications | Aperture size: F2.4; Focal length: 32 mm | Aperture size: F2.4; Focal length: 33 mm | Aperture size: F2.4; Focal length: 33 mm |
| Software Features | Digital image stabilization, Touch to focus, Face detection, Self-timer, Digital zoom, Geo tagging, Exposure compensation, HDR, Panorama | Digital image stabilization, Touch to focus, Face detection, Self-timer, Digital zoom, Geo tagging, Exposure compensation, HDR | Face detection, Digital zoom, Digital image stabilization, Touch to focus, Geo tagging, Exposure compensation, HDR |
| Video recording | 1920x1080 (1080p HD) (30 fps) | 1920x1080 (1080p HD) (30 fps) | 1920x1080 (1080p HD) (30 fps) |
| Recording format | H.264, MOV | H.264, MOV | H.264, MOV |
| Features | Time-lapse video, Digital image stabilization, Video calling | Time-lapse video, Digital image stabilization, Video calling | Time-lapse video, Digital image stabilization, Video calling |
| Front | 1.2 megapixels | 1.2 megapixels | 1.2 megapixels |
| Video capture | 1280x720 (720p HD) (30 fps) | 1280x720 (720p HD) | 1280x720 (720p HD) |
Partners
| 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 g) the average is 18.4 oz (525 g) | 12.03 oz (341 g) the average is 18.4 oz (525 g) | 11.01 oz (312 g) the average is 18.4 oz (525 g) |
| Materials | Main body: Aluminum | Main body: Aluminum | Main body: Aluminum |
Biometrics
Biometrics - Features and sensors that replace a traditional PIN or password as means of identification when unlocking your device. | Fingerprint (swipe) |
| Hardware & Performance | |||
|---|---|---|---|
System chip
System chip - Most modern handsets use an advanced chip that includes many of the device’s hardware modules like the processor, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and sometimes even the wireless radio. This field shows what particular system chip (or System-on-a-Chip) is used in the phone. | Apple A7 | Apple A7 | Apple A5 |
Processor
Processor - The processor is the main computing component of a phone and is a major factor when it comes to the overall speed of the device. Some more powerful smartphones use dual-core and quad-core processors designed to deliver greater performance. | Dual-core, 1300 MHz, Cyclone, 64-bit | Dual-core, 1300 MHz, Cyclone, 64-bit | Dual-core, 1000 MHz, ARM Cortex-A9 |
GPU
GPU - The graphics processor is important for the smooth operation of the system and especially in games and other applications that may involve complex graphics and animations. | PowerVR G6430 | PowerVR G6430 | PowerVR SGX543MP2 |
Memory
Memory - System memory, or RAM memory is the type of memory that the device uses to temporarily store data from the OS or currently-running apps. The more RAM available to the device, the better the performance will be when multiple or heavier programs are running. | 1 GB | 1 GB | 0.5 GB |
| Type | LPDDR3 | LPDDR3 | DDR2 |
Internal storage
Internal storage - Bigger storage capacity allows you to keep more content saved onto your device, such as more applications, photos or video. Games and video content typically take up the biggest amount of storage space. | 128 GB | 128 GB | 64 GB |
| 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) |
| Battery | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Capacity
Capacity - The bigger, the better! However, battery capacity is not the only factor that has an effect on battery life. Those include the chipset in use, the software running on the device, as well as the consumer's unique usage pattern. | 6350 mAh | 6471 mAh | 4440 mAh |
| Cellular | |||
|---|---|---|---|
CDMA
CDMA - Code Division Multiple Access. A technique of multiplexing, also called spread spectrum, in which analog signals are converted into digital form for transmission. For each communication channel, the signals are encoded in a sequence known to the transmitter and the receiver for that channel. The foremost application is digital cellular phone technology from QUALCOMM that operates in the 800MHz band and 1.9GHz PCS band. CDMA phones are noted for their excellent call quality and long battery life. | 800, 1900 MHz | 800, 1900 MHz | |
| GSM | 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz | 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz | 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz |
| UMTS | 850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz | 850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz | 850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz |
| LTE (FDD) | Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26 | Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26 | Bands 17, 4 |
| Data | LTE, HSPA, UMTS | LTE, HSPA, UMTS | LTE Cat 3 (100/50 Mbit/s), HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, UMTS |
| Multimedia | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen mirroring | TV-out | TV-out | TV-out |
| Shopping information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| MSRP price | $ 729 | $ 829 | $ 659 |
