iPad 3 vs iPad 8th Gen

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The iPad (3rd generation) was released in March 2012, and the iPad (8th generation) was released in September 2020. The 3rd generation iPad features include a 9.7” Retina display, a dual-core Apple A5X chip, and up to 64GB of storage. The 8th generation iPad features include a 10.2” Retina display, an Apple A12 Bionic chip with 64-bit architecture and Neural Engine, and up to 128GB of storage.

Price Comparison

iPad 3 vs iPad 8th Gen Pricing

iPad 3 prices start at $61, which is cheaper than the iPad 8th Gen low price of $134.

Specs Comparison

The iPad (3rd generation) specs include a 9.7” Retina display, an Apple A5X chip, up to 64GB of storage, a 5MP iSight rear camera, a VGA-quality FaceTime front camera, and a 30-pin dock connector. The 3rd generation iPad hardware feature set also includes WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, a built-in speaker, a microphone, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a micro-SIM card tray with assisted GPS with GLONASS on the WiFi + Cellular model. The iPad (8th generation) specs include a 10.2” Retina display, an Apple A12 Bionic chip with Neural Engine, up to 128GB of storage, an 8MP rear camera, a 1.2MP FaceTime HD front camera, a Lightning connector, and a home button with Touch ID. The 8th generation iPad hardware feature set also includes WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2, stereo speakers, dual microphones, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a nano-SIM card tray with GPS and GNSS on the WiFi + Cellular model.

Size

The iPad (3rd gen) measures 9.50” (H) x 7.31” (W) x 0.37” (D) and features a 9.7” display size. The WiFi-only iPad (3rd gen) weighs 1.44 pounds and the WiFi + Cellular model weighs 1.46 pounds. The iPad (8th gen) measures 9.8” (H) x 6.8” (W) x 0.29” (D), with a 10.2” display size. The WiFi-only iPad (8th gen) weighs 1.08 pounds and the WiFi + Cellular model weighs 1.09 pounds.

Size and Weight: iPad 3 vs iPad 8th Gen
Size iPad 3 iPad 8th Gen
Width 174 mm 6.9 inches
Height 251 mm 9.9 inches
Depth 8 mm 0.3 inches
Weight 490 g 17.3 ounces

Camera

The 3rd generation iPad features a 5MP iSight camera on the back and a VGA-quality FaceTime camera on the front. The 8th generation iPad features an 8MP camera on the back and a 1.2MP FaceTime HD camera on the front.

Cameras: iPad 3 vs iPad 8th Gen
Camera iPad 3 iPad 8th Gen
Primary 8.0 MP
Resolution 3264x2448

Screen

The iPad (3rd gen) features a 9.7-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen Retina display with a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating, and a native resolution of 2048 x 1536 at 264 pixels per inch. The iPad (8th gen) features a 10.2-inch LED-backlit multi-touch Retina display with a native resolution of 2160 x 1620 at 264 pixels per inch and a maximum brightness of 500 nits. The 8th gen iPad display also features a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating and support for the 1st gen Apple Pencil.

Screen and Display: iPad 3 vs iPad 8th Gen
Display iPad 3 iPad 8th Gen
Resolution 1620x2160
Screen Size 259 mm 10.2 in
Pixels Per Inch ppi 265 ppi

Battery

The iPad (3rd gen) features a built-in 42.5-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery, and the iPad (8th gen) features a built-in 32.4-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery. The 3rd gen and the 8th gen battery capacities allow for up to 10 hours of battery life on the WiFi-only model and up to 9 hours of battery life on the WiFi + Cellular model. The 3rd gen iPad uses a 30-pin dock connector for charging and the 8th gen iPad uses a Lightning connector for charging.

Battery and Charging: iPad 3 vs iPad 8th Gen
Battery iPad 3 iPad 8th Gen
Capacity mAh 8686 mAh
Longevity hours 10 hours
USB Lightning

Processing

Processing: iPad 3 vs iPad 8th Gen
Processor iPad 3 iPad 8th Gen
CPU Apple A12 Bionic APL1081 / APL1W81 (T8020)

Color Choices

iPad 3

Available in 3 colors:

  • Black
  • White
  • Gray

iPad 8th Gen

Available in 3 colors:

  • Gold
  • Gray
  • Silver

iPad 3 vs iPad 8th Gen Colors

The iPad 3rd generation is Silver in color with an option to get a White or Black bezel on the front around the display. The iPad 8th generation is available in Silver, Gold, and Space Gray. The Silver and Gold models have a White bezel and the Space Gray model has a Black bezel.

Storage Options

iPad 3

Choose from 3 storage options:

  • 16GB
  • 32GB
  • 64GB

iPad 8th Gen

Choose from 2 storage options:

  • 32GB
  • 128GB

iPad 3 vs iPad 8th Gen Storage

The iPad (3rd gen) is available with 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of storage space, and the iPad (8th gen) is available with 32GB or 128GB of storage.

Reviews

iPad 3

5 reviews 4.6 stars

iPad 8th Gen

25 reviews 5.0 stars

iPad 3 vs iPad 8th Gen Reviews

Users rate the iPad 3 with 4.6 stars, compared to the iPad 8th Gen with 5.0 of 5.0 stars.

More Comparisons


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