iPad Mini vs iPad Mini 6th Gen

Name: Apple iPad Mini
Brand: Apple
SKU: apple-ipad-mini
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.9 (16 reviews)

Guide

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Guide

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Swappasaurus says...

Apple released the iPad mini (1st gen) in November 2012 and released the iPad mini (6th gen) in September 2021. The 6th generation iPad mini features notable improvements as compared to the 1st generation iPad mini including a larger and higher resolution 8.3” Liquid Retina display, an Apple A15 Bionic chip, and up to 256GB of storage, as well as a new exterior design and new color options.

Price Comparison

iPad Mini

Low price:

$40

Avg price:

$70

How much does iPad Mini cost?

iPad Mini 6th Gen

Low price:

$228

Avg price:

$331

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

iPad Mini vs iPad Mini 6th Gen Pricing

iPad Mini prices start at $40, which is cheaper than the iPad Mini 6th Gen low price of $228.

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Specs Comparison

The iPad mini (1st gen) key specs include a 7.9-inch display, a dual-core Apple A5 chip, and up to 64GB of storage. The 1st generation iPad mini spec list also includes a home button for navigation, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, a Lightning connector, a built-in speaker, a microphone, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a rear-facing 5MP iSight camera, and a front-facing 1.2MP FaceTime HD camera. The iPad mini (6th gen) key specs include an 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display, an Apple A15 Bionic chip with Neural Engine, and up to 256GB of storage. The 6th generation iPad mini spec listing also includes Touch ID in the power button, WiFi 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, landscape stereo speakers, dual microphones, a 12MP wide-angle rear camera, a 12MP ultra-wide-angle (122-degree FOV) front camera with Center Stage, and support for the 2nd generation Apple Pencil.

Size

Size	iPad Mini	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

Measurements for the iPad mini (1st gen) are as follows: 7.87” (H) x 5.3” (W) x 0.68” (D) with a 7.9” display size. The iPad mini (6th gen) measures 7.69” (H) x 5.3” (W) x 0.25” (D) with an 8.3” display size. The WiFi-only iPad mini (1st gen) weighs 0.68 pounds and the WiFi + Cellular model weighs 0.69 pounds. The iPad mini (6th gen) is slightly lighter, with the WiFi-only model weighing 0.65 pounds and the WiFi + Cellular model weighing 0.66 pounds.

Camera

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

The 1st generation iPad mini has a 1.2MP FaceTime HD camera on the front and a 5MP iSight camera on the back. In comparison, the 6th generation iPad mini has a 12MP wide-angle camera on the back and a 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera on the front. The front-facing camera on the iPad mini (6th gen) has a 122-degree field of view and supports Center Stage.

Screen

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

The iPad mini (1st gen) features a 7.9” Retina display with a resolution of 1024 x 768 at 163 pixels per inch 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. Additional features for the 6th generation iPad mini display include True Tone, wide color (P3), an anti-reflective coating, a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating, a 500 nits max brightness, and support for the 2nd generation Apple Pencil.

Battery

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

The iPad mini is equipped with a 16.3-watt-hour battery and the iPad mini (6th gen) is equipped with a 19.3-watt-hour battery. The iPad mini (1st gen) and the iPad mini (6th gen) battery capacities 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 (1st gen) charges via the Lightning connector paired with a Lightning to USB charging cable, and the iPad mini (6th gen) charges via the USB-C connector with a USB-C charging cable.

Processing

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

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Color Choices

iPad Mini

Available in 3 colors:

Black
White
Silver

Which iPad Mini 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 vs iPad Mini 6th Gen Colors

The iPad Mini and iPad Mini 6th Gen have completely different color choices. The iPad Mini 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 (1st gen) is available in Slate and Silver. The Slate model has a black bezel around the display and the Silver model has a white bezel around the display. The iPad mini (6th gen) color options include Space Gray, Starlight, Pink, and Purple.

Storage Options

iPad Mini

Choose from 3 storage options:

16GB
32GB
64GB

Which iPad Mini 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 vs iPad Mini 6th Gen Storage

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

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The iPad mini (1st gen) is available with 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of storage, and the iPad mini (6th gen) is available with 64GB or 256GB of storage.