iPad Mini Specs: Does It Hold Up Well in 2021?
The current generation of iPad Mini is also referred to as iPad Mini 5 or the 5th generation. Even if it was released back in Match 2019, the iPad Mini specs have not aged one bit. Apple treats its tablets similarly to how it treats its laptops. It does not release a new version each year like with the iPhones. Instead, iPads stay around for a few years before a new version is released with different hardware.
Today, in 2021, the iPad Mini still remains a great compact tablet with good performance, excellent battery life, and a very smooth running iOS.
1. Platform
The iPad Mini 5th gen uses the Apple A12 Bionic chipset with a Hexa-core CPU. It is the same platform that was used in the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR. It manages to hold well even today as iOS is very well optimized on the iPad Mini. It also uses the Apple G11P GPU. The GPU is more than capable of running modern games and GPU-intensive applications.
2. Display
Despite being their smallest tablets, Apple did not skimp on the display. It is a 7.9-inch display with a 70% screen-to-body ratio. The resolution stands at 1536×2048 pixels which means a 324 ppi density. It is also scratch-resistant and comes with an oleophobic coating. Even if the display technology is a bit older, the IPS LCD screen on the iPad Mini is the best in class for 8-inch tablets.
3. RAM and Storage
The iPad Mini comes in two storage configurations. There is a version with 64 GB of internal chipset storage and the one with 256 GB. Both of them have 3 GB of RAM. There is no microSD card slot thus storage cannot be expanded. The 3 GB of RAM is more than enough to run modern applications without getting the system to feel sluggish due to low memory.
4. Battery
According to the iPad Mini specs, a full charge will last for about 10 hours of continuous use. The 5124 mAh battery should be enough even for power users. On standby, it can last for up to a week without having to charge the tablet.
5. Connectivity
There are several versions of the iPad Mini. There is Wi-Fi only which does not have a SIM card slot and no GPS and there is the Cellular version that has Wi-Fi, GPS, and supports 4G. Both of them have Bluetooth 5.0, but no NFC. Also, the iPad Mini comes with a 3.5 mm jack for headphones. These days, it is uncommon to find devices with a headphone jack. Having one on the iPad Mini is a major plus since there are a lot of users that have high-end headphones with a jack audio cable.
6. Camera
The iPad mini has a selfie camera. It may look odd for someone to take a selfie with a camera but the iPad Mini allows you to do so. The camera is a single 7 MP sensor with an f/2.2 aperture. It offers clear shots even in poor lighting conditions, offering the same image quality as we would find on an iPhone X or XR. The iPad Mini specs for the camera may not be impressive for some but for the average user, it should be enough.