The iPad Mini has become a popular choice for people looking for a tablet that is a bit bigger than a smartphone to provide a bigger visual, but small enough to be lightweight. The original iPads are great too, only that they are too big for some people. The iPad Mini has provided the users a lighter option, and the device keeps on improving from version to version. Here's a short comparison between two iPad Mini generations of LTE models to see how Apple improved the popular device:
"Apple iPad Mini 3" vs "Apple iPad Mini 4" Body, Display
These latest iPad Mini release which is the "Apple iPad Mini 4 was not made exactly identical to its predecessor, the "Apple iPad Mini 3". So any case accessory that is compatible with the "Apple iPad Mini 3" won't fit the "Apple iPad Mini 4" like a glove. The "Apple iPad Mini 3" measures 7.87 x 5.30 x 0.30 inches, while the "Apple iPad Mini 4" measures 8 x 5.31 x 0.24 inches. The "Apple iPad Mini 3 LTE" weighs 11.68 oz while the "Apple iPad Mini 4 LTE" weighs 10.55 oz. Both device use nano sims for their data.
Screen-wise, the specs are the same. Both has an LED backlit IPS LCD display with 7.9 inches screen. The resolutions are also the same, which is 1536 x 2048 pixels and 324 pixels per inch density. Both devices are covered by oleophobic coating. The only difference the two iPad Minis have over each other is their screen to body ratio. The "Apple iPad Mini 3" has 71.7%, the "Apple iPad Mini 4" has 70.6%.
"Apple iPad Mini 3" vs "Apple iPad Mini 4" Platform, Memory
Both iPad Minis are upgradable to iOS 9.1, but the "Apple iPad Mini 3" runs iOS 8.1 from the box and the "Apple iPad Mini 4" initially runs iOS 9. The "Apple iPad Mini 3" is powered by the Apple A7 chipset, dual core 1.3 GHz Cyclone CPU, and PowerVR G6430 GPU. The "Apple iPad Mini 4" on the other hand is powered by the Apple A8 chipset, dual core 1.5 GHz Typhoon CPU, and PowerVR GX6450 GPU.
For the memory, both devices come in three usual Apple variants of 16/64/128 GB. The "Apple iPad Mini 3" has 1 GB RAM and the "Apple iPad Mini 4" has 2 GB RAM. And as usual, no card slot is available in these two Apple devices.
"Apple iPad Mini 3" vs "Apple iPad Mini 4" Cameras, Battery
The "Apple iPad Mini 4" is a clear improvement of its predecessor, and this is visible in the two gadgets' cameras. The "Apple iPad Mini 3" has a 5 MP rear cam while the "Apple iPad Mini 4" has an 8 MP primary camera. However, the latest release wasn't able to do anything about the 1.2 MP front cam of the "Apple iPad Mini 3", the same megapixel figures are retained, only that the new one has HDR.
The "Apple iPad Mini 3" and the "Apple iPad Mini 4" both come with non removable batteries - the "Apple iPad Mini 3" with a Li Po 6470 mAh battery, and the "Apple iPad Mini 4" with a Li Ion 5124 mAh battery. Both Minis can last up to 10 hours of multimedia talk time.
"Apple iPad Mini 3" vs "Apple iPad Mini 4" Features, Colors
Both come with fingerprint sensor, accelerometer, gyro, and compass. And like the latest Apple devices, the "Apple iPad Mini 3" and the "Apple iPad Mini 4" come with Siri assistance and iMessaging.
The "Apple iPad Mini 3" come in the colors of Space Gray/Black, Silver/White, and Gold. The "Apple iPad Mini 4" on the other hand come in Space Gray, Silver and Gold colors.
"Apple iPad Mini 3" vs "Apple iPad Mini 4" Prices, Conclusions
These two Minis belong to the same price group, so there's still time to lose your hopes that new releases make the older generations decrease in cost, because Apple do not believe in such things. According to GSMarena, the "Apple iPad Mini 3" costs around 320 Euro while the "Apple iPad Mini 4" costs around 360 Euro. So to summarize the improvements the "Apple iPad Mini 4" has over the "Apple iPad Mini 3", the "Apple iPad Mini 4" has an improved internals (chip, CPU, GPU), and it also has a bigger RAM and better rear cam. Clearly, the "Apple iPad Mini 4" is a better option, considering that the price difference isn't at all significant.
