iPad Mini 3 vs iPad Mini 5th 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 (5th gen) was released in March 2019. The iPad mini 3 and the iPad mini (5th gen) share a similar look and are both available in the same three colors, but the 5th gen model has several key improvements over the mini 3. Some of those improvements include True Tone, an Apple A12 Bionic chip with Neural Engine, and up to 256GB of storage. The iPad mini (5th gen) also has an improved camera setup and support for the 1st-generation Apple Pencil.

Price Comparison

iPad Mini 3

Low price:

$87

Avg price:

$97

How much does iPad Mini 3 cost?

iPad Mini 5th Gen

Low price:

$169

Avg price:

$255

What's the best iPad Mini 5th Gen price?

iPad Mini 3 vs iPad Mini 5th Gen Pricing

iPad Mini 3 prices start at $87, which is cheaper than the iPad Mini 5th Gen low price of $169.

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Specs Comparison

The iPad mini (5th gen) has several advantages as compared to the iPad mini 3. Key specs for the iPad min (5th gen) include a 7.9” Retina display with True Tone, an Apple A12 Bionic chip with Neural Engine, up to 256GB of storage, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, an 8MP wide-angle rear camera, a 7MP FaceTime HD front camera, and support for the 1st generation Apple Pencil. In comparison, the key specs for the iPad min 3 include a 7.9” Retina display, an Apple A7 chip, up to 128GB of storage, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, a 5MP wide-angle rear camera, and a 1.2MP FaceTime HD front camera. Shared specs include a Lightning connector, stereo speakers, two microphones, a home button with Touch ID, and 4G connectivity on the WiFi + Cellular models. The iPad mini 3 has a nano-SIM card slot, and the iPad mini (5th gen) has a nano-SIM card slot and supports eSIM.

Size

Size	iPad Mini 3	iPad Mini 5th Gen
Width		135 mm 5.3 inches
Height		203 mm 8.0 inches
Depth		6 mm 0.2 inches
Weight		301 g 10.6 ounces

The iPad mini 3 and the iPad mini (5th gen) measurements and weights are similar but vary from model to model. The iPad mini 3 measures 7.87” (H) x 5.3” (W) x 0.29” (D), and the iPad mini (5th gen) measures 8.0” (H) x 5.3” (W) x 0.24” (D). The WiFi-only iPad mini 3 weighs 0.73 pounds and the WiFi + Cellular model weighs 0.75 pounds. To compare, the WiFi-only iPad mini (5th gen) weighs 0.66 pounds and the WiFi + Cellular model weighs 0.68 pounds. The iPad mini 3 and the iPad mini (5th gen) feature a 7.9” display size.

Camera

Camera	iPad Mini 3	iPad Mini 5th Gen
Primary		8.0 MP
Resolution		3264x2448

The iPad mini 3 features a 1.2MP FaceTime HD front-facing camera and a 5MP wide-angle rear-facing camera. In comparison, the iPad mini (5th gen) features a 7MP FaceTime HD front-facing camera and an 8MP wide-angle rear-facing camera.

Screen

Display	iPad Mini 3	iPad Mini 5th Gen
Resolution		1536x2048
Screen Size		199 mm 7.9 in
Pixels Per Inch	ppi	324 ppi

The iPad mini 3 and the iPad mini (5th gen) feature a 7.9-inch Retina display with a resolution of 2048 x 1536 at 326 pixels per inch and a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating. The iPad mini 3 display supports an SDR max brightness of 400 nits, and the iPad mini (5th gen) supports an SDR max brightness of 500 nits. The iPad mini (5th 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 5th Gen
Capacity	mAh	5124 mAh
Longevity	hours	10 hours
USB		Lightning

The iPad mini 3 is equipped with a 23.8-watt-hour battery and the iPad mini (5th gen) is equipped with a 19.1-watt-hour battery. These battery capacities allow for up to 10 hours of battery life when on WiFi or up to 9 hours of battery life when on cellular, and both models charge via the Lightning connector and a Lightning to USB charging cable.

Processing

Processor	iPad Mini 3	iPad Mini 5th Gen
CPU		Apple A12 Bionic APL1081 / APL1W81 (T8020)

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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 5th Gen

Available in 3 colors:

Gold
Gray
Silver

Which color iPad Mini 5th Gen is the most popular?

iPad Mini 3 vs iPad Mini 5th Gen Colors

Both the iPad Mini 3 and iPad Mini 5th Gen share three colors: Silver, Gold, and Gray. However, the iPad Mini 3 does away with Gray and White, previously seen on the iPad Mini 5th Gen.

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The iPad mini 3 and the iPad mini (5th gen) are available in Space Gray, Silver, and Gold. The Space Gray models have a black bezel around the display, and the Silver and Gold models have a white bezel around the display.

Storage Options

iPad Mini 3

Choose from 4 storage options:

16GB
32GB
64GB
128GB

Which iPad Mini 3 storage should I buy?

iPad Mini 5th Gen

Choose from 2 storage options:

64GB
256GB

Which storage iPad Mini 5th Gen is the most popular?

iPad Mini 3 vs iPad Mini 5th Gen Storage

The iPad Mini 5th Gen introduces one new storage option not found on the iPad Mini 3: 256GB. Both the iPad Mini 3 and iPad Mini 5th Gen share one storage option: 64GB. However, the iPad Mini 5th 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 and the iPad mini (5th gen) are available with 64GB of internal storage. The iPad mini 3 is also available in 16GB and 128GB storage configurations, and the iPad mini (5th gen) is also available in a 256GB storage configuration.