iPad Air 2 vs iPad Air and iPad Mini 2 vs iPad Mini 3

Now that the iPad Air 2 and the iPad Mini 3 have been launched, its time to take a quick comparative look at how these two models measure up against the previous models. While the iPad Air 2 promises to deliver faster and much improved performances compared to the iPad Air, the older model is a very capable tablet on its own. And with Apple announcing deep price cuts on the older models, it makes sense to evaluate if the new device improvements are truly significant to make that upgrade worthwhile.  For example, if playing GPU intensive games are very important to you, you might want to make that switch over to the Air 2.

As far as the iPad Mini 3 goes, its practically the same device as the iPad Mini Retina (also called iPad Mini 2) and the only reason you may want to make the move is if you are interested in Touch ID or a gold colored device. Either way, here is a quick comparison chart showing whats improved and what’s not between the iPad Air 2 vs iPad Air and the iPad Mini 2 vs iPad Mini 3.

iPad Air 2 vs iPad Air

Tech  Specs	iPad Air 2	iPad Air
Display	Retina Display 9.7 inch LED Backlit Multi-touch display with IPS technology 2048×1536 resolution at 264 ppi Fingerprint resistant oleophobic coating Fully laminated display Antireflective coating	Retina Display 9.7 inch LED Backlit Multi-touch display with IPS technology 2048×1536 resolution at 264 ppi Fingerprint resistant oleophobic coating
Weight	WiFi: 437 grams WiFi+Cellular: 444 grams	WiFi: 469 grams WiFi+Cellular: 478 grams
Dimensions	240 mm x 169.5 mm x 6.1 mm (9.4 inches x6.6 inches x.24 inch)	240 mm x 169.5 mm x 7.5 mm (9.4 inches x6.6 inches x.29 inch)
Chip	A8X Chip with 64-bit architecture and M8 motion coprocessor	A7 Chip with 64-bit architecture and M7 motion coprocessor
Touch ID	Fingerprint identity sensor	–
Facetime HD camera	1.2 MP photos 720p HD video Facetime video calling Face detection Back illumination	1.2 MP photos 720p HD video Facetime video calling Face detection Back illumination
iSight camera	8 MP photos Autofocus Face detection Back illumination 5-element lens Hybrid IR filter f/2.4 aperture HDR photos Panorama Burst mode	5 MP photos Autofocus Face detection Back illumination 5-element lens Hybrid IR filter f/2.4 aperture HDR photos Panorama
Video Recording	Tap to focus while recording Video stabilization Face detection Back illumination 3x video zoom Time lapse video Slo-mo video	Tap to focus while recording Video stabilization Face detection Back illumination 3x video zoom Time lapse video
WiFi & Cellular	802.11a/b/g/n/ac dual channel 2.4GHz and 5 GHz MIMO Bluetooth 4.0 technology GSM/EDGE CDMA EV-Do Rev.A and Rev.B UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA LTE Data only	802.11a/b/g/n/ac dual channel 2.4GHz and 5 GHz MIMO Bluetooth 4.0 technology GSM/EDGE CDMA EV-Do Rev.A and Rev.B UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA LTE Data only
SIM	Nano SIM	Nano SIM
Connector	Lightning Connector	Lightning Connector
Battery	Up to 10 hours	Up to 10 hours
Sensors	Touch ID Three-axis gyro Accelerometer Ambient light sensor Barometer	Three-axis gyro Accelerometer Ambient light sensor
Capacity & Price WiFi	16GB: $499 64GB: $599 128GB: $699	16GB: $399 32GB: $449
Capacity & Price WiFi+Cellular	16GB: $629 64GB: $729 128GB: $829	16GB: $529 32GB: $579

iPad Mini 2 vs iPad Mini 3

Tech  Specs	iPad Mini 3	iPad Mini 2
Display	Retina Display 7.9 inch LED Backlit Multi-touch display with IPS technology 2048×1536 resolution at 326 ppi Fingerprint resistant oleophobic coating	Retina Display 7.9 inch LED Backlit Multi-touch display with IPS technology 2048×1536 resolution at 326 ppi Fingerprint resistant oleophobic coating
Weight	WiFi: 331 grams WiFi+Cellular: 341 grams	WiFi: 331 grams WiFi+Cellular: 341 grams
Dimensions	200 mm x 134.7 mm x 7.5 mm (7.87 inches x5.3 inches x.29 inch)	200 mm x 134.7 mm x 7.5 mm (7.87 inches x5.3 inches x.29 inch)
Chip	A7 Chip with 64-bit architecture and M7 motion coprocessor	A7 Chip with 64-bit architecture and M7 motion coprocessor
Touch ID	Fingerprint identity sensor	–
Facetime HD camera	1.2 MP photos 720p HD video Facetime video calling Face detection Back illumination	1.2 MP photos 720p HD video Facetime video calling Face detection Back illumination
iSight camera	5 MP photos Autofocus Face detection Back illumination 5-element lens Hybrid IR filter f/2.4 aperture HDR photos Panorama	5 MP photos Autofocus Face detection Back illumination 5-element lens Hybrid IR filter f/2.4 aperture HDR photos Panorama
Video Recording	Tap to focus while recording Video stabilization Face detection Back illumination 3x video zoom Time lapse video	Tap to focus while recording Video stabilization Face detection Back illumination 3x video zoom Time lapse video
WiFi & Cellular	802.11a/b/g/n/ac dual channel 2.4GHz and 5 GHz MIMO Bluetooth 4.0 technology GSM/EDGE CDMA EV-Do Rev.A and Rev.B UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA LTE Data only	802.11a/b/g/n/ac dual channel 2.4GHz and 5 GHz MIMO Bluetooth 4.0 technology GSM/EDGE CDMA EV-Do Rev.A and Rev.B UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA LTE Data only
SIM	Nano SIM	Nano SIM
Connector	Lightning Connector	Lightning Connector
Battery	Up to 10 hours	Up to 10 hours
Sensors	Touch ID Three-axis gyro Accelerometer Ambient light sensor	Three-axis gyro Accelerometer Ambient light sensor
Capacity & Price WiFi	16GB: $399 64GB: $499 128GB: $599	16GB: $299 32GB: $349
Capacity & Price WiFi+Cellular	16GB: $529 64GB: $629 128GB: $729	16GB: $429 32GB: $479