Almost four years after the release of the iPad mini 4, Apple released its successor — the iPad mini 5. While the market for small tablets has relatively died down, the more powerful iPad mini 5 should find a few takers. Interested in knowing how the iPad mini 5 differs from the iPad mini 4? Read our comparison to find out.
Externally, the iPad mini 5 might look the same as the iPad mini 4 but it is a massive upgrade internally which puts its performance on par with the likes of the iPhone XS and 2018 iPad Pro. But that refresh comes in the form of a higher price tag as well.
iPad mini 5 vs iPad mini 4: What’s the Difference
Design and Display
- The iPad mini 5 and iPad mini 4 have the same dimensions — 203.2 x 134.8 x 6.1mm. The new iPad mini is heavier by a gram — 300.5gms vs 299gms — but that’s a difference most people are likely never going to notice.
- Both mini iPads feature a 7.9-inch display.
- However, the iPad mini 5 features a newer Retina Display panel with True Tone and Wide color display.
- It is also laminated to the cover glass and features an anti-reflective coating which the iPad mini 4 lacks.
Chipset, Storage, and Apple Pencil Support
- The iPad mini 5 packs a 3x more powerful CPU and a 9x more powerful GPU than the iPad mini 4.
- While the iPad mini 4 packs a 20nm A8 chip, the iPad mini 5 features Apple’s latest 7nm A12 Bionic chip.
- This is the same chip that’s found inside the iPhone XS and iPhone XR.
- It has a dedicated Neural engine to speed up machine learning tasks.
- The new iPad mini is available in 64GB and 256GB storage options.
- The older iPad mini was available with up to 128GB storage space.
- The iPad mini 5 has support for 1st gen Apple Pencil.
- iPad mini 4 does not support Apple Pencil.
Connectivity
- iPad mini 4 and iPad mini 5 both feature Lightning connector.
- They also come with Touch ID.
- The iPad mini 5 comes with significantly faster Wi-Fi ac and gigabit LTE support.
- Both iPads lack support for Smart Keyboard.
- The iPad mini 5 packs Bluetooth 5.0 while iPad mini 4 has Bluetooth 4.0.
Camera
- The iPad mini 5 comes with an upgraded 8MP f/2.4 shooter at the rear.
- It supports Live Photos and is capable of recording Full HD videos.
- The iPad mini 4 also features an 8MP camera but it is an older sensor.
- The iPad mini 5 features a 7MP camera at the front.
- The iPad mini 4 packs a mere 1.2MP FaceTime camera.
Battery
- There’s no word on battery capacity yet but the iPad mini 5 and iPad mini 4 both promise up to 10 hours of battery life.
- The new iPad should offer slightly better battery life due to a more efficient chip and other components.
Pricing
- This is an area where the iPad mini 4 and iPad mini 5 greatly differ.
- The iPad mini 4 was available from $249.
- The iPad mini 5 starts from $399.
The higher price tag of the iPad mini 5 is definitely going to turn off a lot of interested folks. For someone willing to spend $399 on the iPad mini 5, extending the budget and buying the $499 10.5-inch iPad Air will make more sense.
