iPad Mini 2 Retina vs iPad Mini 6th Gen

Name: Apple iPad Mini 2 Retina
Brand: Apple
SKU: apple-ipad-mini-retina
Availability: InStock

Guide

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Guide

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Swappasaurus says...

The iPad mini 2 and the iPad mini (6th gen) were released roughly 6 years apart. The iPad mini 2 was released in November 2013, and the iPad mini (6th gen) was released in September 2021. The 6th gen iPad mini specs are superior to the iPad mini 2 specs, and includes an 8.3” Liquid Retina display with True Tone, an Apple A15 Bionic chip with Neural Engine, up to 256GB of storage, Touch ID in the power button, a USB-C connector, WiFi 6, and 5G connectivity on the cellular model.

Price Comparison

iPad Mini 2 Retina

Low price:

$51

Avg price:

$90

How much does iPad Mini 2 Retina cost?

iPad Mini 6th Gen

Low price:

$319

Avg price:

$466

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

iPad Mini 2 Retina vs iPad Mini 6th Gen Pricing

iPad Mini 2 Retina prices start at $51, 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 2. Key specs for the iPad mini 2 include a 7.9” Retina display, an Apple A7 chip, and up to 128GB of storage. The iPad mini 2 also features stereo speakers, two microphones, WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, a 5MP wide-angle rear camera, a 1.2MP FaceTime HD front camera, a Lightning connector, and 4G connectivity on the cellular model. Key specs for the iPad mini (6th gen) include an 8.3” Liquid Retina display with True Tone, an Apple A15 Bionic chip with Neural Engine, and up to 256GB of storage. The iPad mini (6th gen) also features landscape stereo speakers, two microphones, WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.0, a 12MP wide-angle rear camera, a 12MP ultra-wide-angle front camera with Center Stage, a USB-C connector, and Touch ID in the top power button. The iPad mini (6th gen) also supports the 2nd-generation Apple Pencil and 5G connectivity on the cellular model.

Size

Size	iPad Mini 2 Retina	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 2 measures 7.87” (H) x 5.3” (W) x 0.29” (D) and features a 7.9” display size. 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 2 weighs 0.73 pounds and the WiFi + Cellular model weighs 0.75 pounds. The WiFi-only iPad mini (6th gen) weighs 0.65 pounds and the WiFi + Cellular model weighs 0.66 pounds.

Camera

Camera	iPad Mini 2 Retina	iPad Mini 6th Gen
Primary		12.0 MP
Resolution		4000x3000

The iPad mini 2 has a 5MP wide-angle rear camera and a 1.2MP FaceTime HD front camera. To compare, the iPad mini (6th gen) has a 12MP wide-angle rear camera and a 12MP ultra-wide-angle front camera with support for Center Stage.

Screen

Display	iPad Mini 2 Retina	iPad Mini 6th Gen
Resolution		1488x2266
Screen Size		210 mm 8.3 in
Pixels Per Inch	ppi	327 ppi

The iPad mini 2 features a 7.9-inch LED-backlit multi-touch Retina display with IPS technology. The iPad mini 2 display specs include a resolution of 2048 x 1536 at 326 pixels per inch, an SDR max brightness of 400 nits, and a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating. In comparison, the iPad mini (6th gen) features an 8.3-inch LED-backlit multi-touch Liquid Retina display with IPS technology. The iPad mini (6th gen) display specs include 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 6th gen iPad mini display is also fully laminated with an anti-reflective coating and supports wide color (P3), True Tone, and the 2nd-generation Apple Pencil.

Battery

Battery	iPad Mini 2 Retina	iPad Mini 6th Gen
Capacity	mAh	5034 mAh
Longevity	hours	10 hours
USB		USB-C

The iPad mini 2 has a 23.8-watt-hour battery, and the iPad mini (6th gen) has a 19.3-watt-hour battery. The battery capacities for both models allow for up to 10 hours of battery life when on WiFi or up to 9 hours of battery life when on cellular. The iPad mini 2 charges via the Lightning connector and with a Lightning to USB charging cable. The iPad mini (6th gen) charges via the USB-C connector and with a USB-C charging cable.

Processing

Processor	iPad Mini 2 Retina	iPad Mini 6th Gen
CPU		Apple A15 Bionic APL1007 / APL1W07

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Color Choices

iPad Mini 2 Retina

Available in 3 colors:

Black
White
Silver

Which iPad Mini 2 Retina 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 2 Retina vs iPad Mini 6th Gen Colors

The iPad Mini 2 Retina and iPad Mini 6th Gen have completely different color choices. The iPad Mini 2 Retina offers three color choices: Black, Silver, and White. The iPad Mini 6th Gen sports four different color choices: Starlight, Pink, Gray, and Purple.

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The iPad mini 2 is available in two colors, and the iPad mini (6th gen) is available in four colors. The iPad mini 2 colors include Space Gray (with black bezels) and Silver (with white bezels), and the iPad mini (6th gen) colors include Space Gray, Starlight, Pink, and Purple.

Storage Options

iPad Mini 2 Retina

Choose from 4 storage options:

16GB
32GB
64GB
128GB

Which iPad Mini 2 Retina 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 2 Retina vs iPad Mini 6th Gen Storage

The iPad Mini 6th Gen introduces one new storage option not found on the iPad Mini 2 Retina: 256GB. Both the iPad Mini 2 Retina 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 2 Retina.

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The iPad mini 2 is available with 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, or 128GB of storage space, and the iPad mini (6th gen) is available with 64GB or 256GB of storage space.