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.
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 |
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, 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 |
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 |
| 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) |
Battery
| Type | ||
|---|---|---|
| 6350 mAh | 6471 mAh, Li - Polymer | 4440 mAh, 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 | ||
| 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 |
Connectivity & Features
| Bluetooth | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| WLAN | ||
| a,b,g,n,dual-band Multiple antennas, MIMO, Hotspot 802.11 a, b, g, n | a,b,g,n,dual-band Multiple antennas, MIMO, Hotspot 802.11 a, b, g, n | 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 |
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
| 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 |
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 |
Availability
| 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
or compare them to other phones using our
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