iPad Mini 3 vs iPad Mini 6th Gen

Name: Apple iPad Mini 3
Brand: Apple
SKU: apple-ipad-mini-3
Availability: InStock

Guide

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Guide

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Swappasaurus says...

The iPad mini 3 was released in October 2014 and the iPad mini (6th gen) was released in September 2021. The 6th gen iPad mini has notable improvements over the iPad mini 3, including an 8.3” Liquid Retina display with True Tone, an Apple A15 Bionic chip with Neural Engine, up to 256GB of storage, USB-C, and a 12MP ultra-wide-angle front camera with Center Stage.

Price Comparison

iPad Mini 3

Low price:

$84

Avg price:

$99

How much does iPad Mini 3 cost?

iPad Mini 6th Gen

Low price:

$319

Avg price:

$435

What's the best iPad Mini 6th Gen price?

iPad Mini 3 vs iPad Mini 6th Gen Pricing

iPad Mini 3 prices start at $84, which is cheaper than the iPad Mini 6th Gen low price of $319.

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Specs Comparison

The iPad mini (6th gen) is more advanced than the iPad mini 3. Some of the improved specs include an 8.3” Liquid Retina display with True Tone, an Apple A15 Bionic chip with a Neural Engine, and up to 256GB of storage space. In comparison, the iPad mini 3 specs include a 7.9” Retina display, an Apple A7 chip, and up to 128GB of storage. Additional specs for the iPad mini (6th gen) include a 12MP wide-angle rear camera, a 12MP ultra-wide-angle front camera with Center Stage, USB-C, Touch ID in the power button, landscape stereo speakers, WiFi 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.0, support for the 2nd generation Apple Pencil, and 5G connectivity on the cellular model. Additional specs for the iPad mini 3 include a 5MP wide-angle rear camera, a 1.2MP FaceTime HD camera on the front, a Lightning connector, a home button with Touch ID, stereo speakers, WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, and 4G connectivity on the cellular model.

Size

Size	iPad Mini 3	iPad Mini 6th Gen
Width		135 mm 5.3 inches
Height		195 mm 7.7 inches
Depth		6 mm 0.3 inches
Weight		293 g 10.3 ounces

The iPad mini 3 measures 7.87” (H) x 5.3” (W) x 0.29” (D) and features a 7.9” display size. The WiFi-only iPad mini 3 weighs 0.73 pounds and the WiFi + Cellular model weighs 0.75 pounds. In comparison, the iPad mini (6th gen) measures 7.69” (H) x 5.3” (W) x 0.25” (D) and features an 8.3” display size. The WiFi-only iPad mini (6th gen) weighs 0.65 pounds and the WiFi + Cellular model weighs 0.66 pounds.

Camera

Camera	iPad Mini 3	iPad Mini 6th Gen
Primary		12.0 MP
Resolution		4000x3000

The iPad mini 3 has a 1.2MP FaceTime HD camera on the front and a 5MP wide-angle camera on the back. In comparison, the iPad mini (6th gen) has a 12MP FaceTime HD camera on the front and a 12MP wide-angle camera on the back. The iPad mini (6th gen) front-facing camera also supports Center Stage.

Screen

Display	iPad Mini 3	iPad Mini 6th Gen
Resolution		1488x2266
Screen Size		210 mm 8.3 in
Pixels Per Inch	ppi	327 ppi

The iPad mini 3 features a 7.9-inch Retina display with a resolution of 2048 x 1536 at 326 pixels per inch, an SDR max brightness of 400 nits, and a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating. The iPad mini (6th gen) features an 8.3” Liquid Retina display with a resolution of 2266 x 1488 at 326 pixels per inch, an SDR max brightness of 500 nits, and a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating. The iPad mini (6th gen) display also supports True Tone, wide color (P3), and is fully laminated with an anti-reflective coating.

Battery

Battery	iPad Mini 3	iPad Mini 6th Gen
Capacity	mAh	5034 mAh
Longevity	hours	10 hours
USB		USB-C

The iPad mini 3 is powered by a 23.8-watt-hour battery and the iPad mini (6th gen) is powered by a 19.3-watt-hour battery. These battery capacities of the iPad mini 3 and the iPad mini (6th gen) can provide up to 10 hours of battery life when on WiFi or up to 9 hours of battery life when on cellular. The iPad mini 3 charges via the Lightning connector and a Lightning to USB charging cable, and the iPad mini (6th gen) charges via a USB-C connector and a USB-C charging cable.

Processing

Processor	iPad Mini 3	iPad Mini 6th Gen
CPU		Apple A15 Bionic APL1007 / APL1W07

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Color Choices

iPad Mini 3

Available in 5 colors:

White
Gold
Gray
Gray
Silver

Which iPad Mini 3 color should you buy?

iPad Mini 6th Gen

Available in 4 colors:

Gray
Pink
Purple
Starlight

Which color iPad Mini 6th Gen is the most popular?

iPad Mini 3 vs iPad Mini 6th Gen Colors

The iPad Mini 3 introduces three new colors not found in the iPad Mini 6th Gen color palette: Starlight, Pink, and Purple. Both the iPad Mini 3 and iPad Mini 6th Gen share one color: Gray. However, the iPad Mini 3 does away with Gold, Gray, Silver, and White, previously seen on the iPad Mini 6th Gen.

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The iPad mini 3 is available in Space Gray, Silver, and Gold. The Space Gray model has a black bezel on the front, and the Silver and Gold models have a white bezel on the front. The iPad mini (6th gen) is available in four colors, which include Space Gray, Starlight, Pink, and Purple.

Storage Options

iPad Mini 3

Choose from 4 storage options:

16GB
32GB
64GB
128GB

Which iPad Mini 3 storage should I buy?

iPad Mini 6th Gen

Choose from 2 storage options:

64GB
256GB

Which storage iPad Mini 6th Gen is the most popular?

iPad Mini 3 vs iPad Mini 6th Gen Storage

The iPad Mini 6th Gen introduces one new storage option not found on the iPad Mini 3: 256GB. Both the iPad Mini 3 and iPad Mini 6th Gen share one storage option: 64GB. However, the iPad Mini 6th Gen does not have options for 32GB, 128GB, and 16GB, as seen on the iPad Mini 3.

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The iPad mini 3 is available with 16GB, 64GB, or 128GB of storage space, and the iPad mini (6th gen) is available with 64GB or 256GB of storage space.