iPad Mini 3 vs iPad Mini 5th Gen

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 vs iPad Mini 5th Gen Pricing
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 | 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 | 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.
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 | 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.
Color Choices
iPad Mini 3
Available in 5 colors:
-
White
-
Gold
-
Gray
-
Gray
-
Silver
iPad Mini 5th Gen
Available in 3 colors:
-
Gold
-
Gray
-
Silver
iPad Mini 3 vs iPad Mini 5th Gen Colors

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
iPad Mini 5th Gen
Choose from 2 storage options:
-
64GB
-
256GB
iPad Mini 3 vs iPad Mini 5th Gen Storage

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.
iPad Mini 3 vs iPad Mini 5th Gen Reviews
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