iPad Air, iPad Mini (Retina) specs vs. iPad 4, iPad Mini specs
Trying to determine if the new iPads are worth an upgrade? Our handy charts will clearly show the differences between the new tablets and last year's models.
Apple's pair of refreshed tablets -- the iPad Air and iPad Mini with Retina Display -- have a lot more in common with each other than you may think.
The Air completely replaces last year's fourth-generation iPad, its most relevant new features being the faster A7 processor, a new iPad Mini-inspired design, and coming in at a light 1 pound.
Clearly, the second-generation Mini got more elbow grease out of the two. It receives a higher-resolution Retina Display, which ups the pixel density by quite a bit. It also benefits from Apple undercutting the original Mini with the now ancient -- by CPU standards -- A5 chip. As a result, the new Mini gets a healthy upgrade with the A7 processor, but it doesn't come cheap. The new starting price for the Retina Mini is $70 more than the original price of the Mini and $100 more than the Mini's new $299 -- for 16GB -- price.
The following charts should help better illustrate what's new and what's changed from last year's iPad crop to this year's reboots.
iPad Air | iPad 4 | ||
---|---|---|---|
Wi-Fi capacity and price | 16GB ($499), 32GB ($599), 64GB ($699), 128GB ($799) | 16GB ($499), 32GB ($599), 64GB ($699), 128GB ($799) | |
Wi-Fi and cellular | 16GB ($629), 32GB ($729), 64GB ($829), 128GB ($929) | 16GB ($629), 32GB ($729), 64GB ($829), 128GB ($929) | |
Colors and material | Silver, space gray; aluminum | Black, white; aluminum | |
Dimensions | 9.4 x 6.6 x 0.29 inches | 9.5 x 7.3 x 0.37 inches | |
Weight | 1 pound (Wi-Fi); 1.05 pounds (cellular) | 1.44 pounds (Wi-Fi); 1.46 pounds (cellular) | |
Display | 9.7 inch IPS; 2,048x1,536 pixels (264ppi) | 9.7 inch IPS; 2,048x1,536 pixels (264ppi) | |
Processor | A7 chip (64-bit architecture); M7 motion coprocessor | Dual-core A6X chip | |
GPU | Unconfirmed | Quad-core PowerVR SGX554MP4 | |
Rear camera | 5-megapixel camera; 1080p HD video | 5-megapixel camera; 1080p HD video | |
Front-facing camera | 1.2-megapixel; 720p HD | 1.2-megapixel; 720p HD | |
RAM | Unconfirmed | 1GB | |
Battery life | Up to 10 hours Wi-Fi, 9 hours cellular | Up to 10 hours Wi-Fi, 9 hours cellular | |
SIM | Micro-SIM | Micro-SIM | |
Connector | Lightning | Lightning |
iPad Mini with Retina Display | iPad Mini | ||
---|---|---|---|
Wi-Fi capacity and price | 16GB ($399), 32GB ($499), 64GB ($599), 128GB ($699) | 16GB ($329), 32GB ($429), 64GB ($529) | |
Cellular and price | 16GB ($529), 32GB ($629), 64GB ($729), 128GB ($829) | 16GB ($459), 32GB ($559), 64GB ($659) | |
Colors and material | Space gray, silver; aluminum | Black, white; aluminum | |
Dimensions | 7.87 x 5.3 x 0.28 inches | 7.87 x 5.3 x 0.28 inches | |
Weight | 0.68 pound (Wi-Fi); 0.69 pound (cellular) | 0.73 pound (Wi-Fi); 0.75 pound (cellular) | |
Display | 7.9-inch IPS; 2,048x1,536 pixels (326ppi) | 7.9-inch IPS; 1,024x768 pixels (163ppi) | |
Processor | A7 chip (64-bit architecture); M7 motion coprocessor | Dual-core A5 chip | |
GPU | Unconfirmed | Dual-core PowerVR SGX543MP2 | |
Rear camera | 5-megapixel camera; 1080p HD video | 5-megapixel camera; 1080p HD video | |
Front-facing camera | 1.2-megapixel; 720p HD | 1.2-megapixel; 720p HD | |
RAM | Unconfirmed | 1GB | |
Battery life | Up to 10 hours Wi-Fi, 9 hours cellular | Up to 10 hours Wi-Fi and cellular | |
SIM | Micro-SIM | Micro-SIM | |
Connector | Lightning | Lightning |