It's been two years since the original iPad mini made its debut. Last year the mini underwent some dramatic changes, evolving from a smaller iPad alternative with dated hardware into the more powerful iPad mini 2 with Retina display featuring updated hardware on par with the larger iPad. This year, however, Apple's new iPad mini 3 comes with only a few modest upgrades, including Apple's Touch ID fingerprint security technology, a new mobile payment system called Apple Pay, and Apple's latest iOS 8 operating system.
A compact alternative
The smaller size of the original iPad mini is what set it apart from Apple's standard iPad. Apple wanted to deliver the same concept and features of their larger tablet but in a more compact package. This concept hasn't changed over the years and still remains the same today as it was back then.
Apple's iPad mini 3 comes with the same compact unibody design and physical features as the original mini —it's small, slim, simple, and stylish. The shell of the iPad mini 3 is constructed of the same light-weight but durable high-grade aluminum that we have seen previously. And on the front of the iPad mini 3 is the iconic and familiar thin-bezeled iPhone inspired face that the original iPad mini and the iPad mini 2 was known for.
Retina display technology
Apple's high-resolution Retina display has been one of the more popular iPad features since its debut on the iPad 3. However, this important feature was missing on the original iPad mini, but Apple remedied the situation last year by including the Retina display on the iPad mini 2.
The Apple iPad mini 3 sports the same display tech as last year —a 9.7-inch (200mm) Retina display with a 2048x1536 resolution. The Retina display on the iPad mini 3 packs an impressive 3.1 million pixels with a 326 pixels-per-inch density, and is double the resolution of the original iPad mini. So, you can expect the same high standard of display quality on the iPad mini 3 that the iPad mini 2 was known for.
Hardware configuration
Last year's iPad mini 2 brought with it more than just a Retina display, it also came with some much needed hardware upgrades. Apple added their 64-bit A7 chipset and doubled the system memory which gave the mini a serious performance bump, increasing the processing power by four times, and the graphics power by eight times that of the original iPad mini.
Apple's iPad mini 3 features the same hardware specs as the iPad mini 2. At the core of the mini 3 you have Apple's A7 chip with PowerVR G6430 graphics processor, Apple's M7 motion coprocessor, and a gigabyte of system RAM. The iPad mini 3 also comes with the same size battery as the iPad mini 2, offering a 10 hour battery life.
Cameras on the iPad mini 3 are also the same as last year. On the rear of the iPad mini 3 you have a 5 megapixel iSight with autofocus and supporting 1080p video. And on the front of the mini 3 is a 1.2 megapixel FaceTime cam with face detection.
Apple iPad Mini 3 Specs:Check the sale price for the Apple iPad Mini 3 on Amazon.com
Brand: Apple
Series: iPad mini 3
Release Date: October, 2014
Dimensions: 7.9x4.30x0.30in
Weight: 0.73lbs (331g)
Display: 7.9in (200mm) Retina
Resolution: 2048x1536, 326ppi
Processor: Apple A7 dual-core 1.3 GHz
Graphics: PowerVR G6430
Memory: 1 GB DDR3
Storage: 16, 64, & 128 GB
Camera: 5 MP iSight, 1.2 MP FaceTime
Wireless: Dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n + MIMO Wi-Fi, Cellular, Bluetooth 4.0
Networks: AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon
Battery: 6,471 mAh Lithium-Ion
Operating System: Apple iOS 8.1
Touch ID fingerprint security
Apple's Touch ID fingerprint recognition technology made its debut last year on the iPhone 5S and has now become a feature available on the iPad mini 3. Touch ID encrypts and securely stores your fingerprint locally, allowing you to unlock the iPad mini 3 with just the touch of your finger. You can also use Touch ID to authenticate and approve of purchases from the App Store, iTunes, and iBooks Stores, as well as make payments via the iPad mini's new Apple Pay feature.
Checkout with Apple Pay
Apple Pay is a new mobile payment system which debuted on the iPhone 6. Just like on the iPhone, Apple Pay allows you to store your credit or debit card information securely on the iPad mini 3. However, Apple Pay works a little differently on the iPad mini 3, which is limited to in-app purchases and doesn't support retail purchases like the iPhone does. After all, who wants to lug an iPad into the store just to make a payment? Despite this notable difference, however, Apple Pay on the iPad mini 3 allows for quick in-app checkouts and works much the same as it does on the iPhone 6.
Apple's iOS 8 mobile operating system
The iPad mini 3 comes with Apple's latest iOS mobile operating system. Apple's iOS 8 offers a number of new updates and enhancements over last year's iOS 7. New features include predictive typing with QuickType, interactive notifications, iCloud photo library, iCloud Drive, Family sharing, and Apple's new Health app.
Apple iPad Mini 3 ReviewsRead these and other Apple iPad Mini 3 Reviews on Amazon.com
—"Love it! 5 Stars!"
—"Amazing Retina display!"
—"A great tablet for reading books."
—"Still the best small tablet on the market today!"
—"A nice upgrade from the first-generation iPad mini."
—"Impossibly thin, incredibly fast and beautifully designed."
