iPad Mini vs. the new (and newer) iPad: what’s different?
By Daniel Cooper posted Oct 23rd 2012 3:10PM
We’ve all known that iPad prototypes of every shape and size reside inside Apple’s design lab, but few of us believed we’d ever see one on store shelves. Of course, when the rumor machine leapt into top gear, it seemed that Apple had relaxed its legendary stance on “tweener tablets.” Now Tim Cook and chums have whipped the covers from the iPad Mini, it’s time to delve inside.
Given that this is an entirely new product from the company, we thought we’d stack it up against the third and fourth generation iPads — the latter coming out just seven months after we threw down cash on the former. That way, we can identify what compromises and concessions have been made to squeeze the iPad experience into a smaller body. Join us after the break to to take part in the stats extravaganza, but excuse us if we’re a little distracted — we’re still suffering from concussion where Apple kicked all of us third-generation iPad owners in the teeth.
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iPad Mini
iPad (Early 2012)
iPad (late 2012)
Display
7.9-inch LED-backlit IPS LCD
9.7-inch LED-backlit IPS LCD
9.7-inch LED-backlit IPS LCD
Resolution
1,024 x 768
2048 x 1536
2,048 x 1,536
Pixel Density
163 ppi
264 ppi
264 ppi
CPU
1 GHz dual-core Apple A5
1GHz dual-core Apple A5X
1GHz dual-core Apple A6X
Graphics
PowerVR SGX MP4+ (tbc)
PowerVR SGX MP4+
PowerVR SGX MP4+
Memory
512MB (tbc)
1GB
1GB
Storage
16GB / 32GB / 64GB
16GB / 32GB / 64GB
16GB / 32GB / 64GB
Front Camera
1.2-megapixel
VGA (640 x 480)
1.2-megapixel
Rear Camera
5-megapixel f/2.4 AF
5-Megapixel AF
5-Megapixel f/2.4 AF
Cellular
GSM or CDMA, HSPA+ / LTE
3G, HSPA+, DC-HPA, 4G LTE (AT&T, Verizon)
GSM or CDMA, HSPA+ / LTE
WiFi
Dual-Band 802.11 a/b/g/n
802.11 a/b/g/n
Dual-Band 802.11 a/b/g/n
Bluetooth
4.0
4.0
4.0
Accelerometer
3-axis
3-axis
3-axis
Gyroscope
3-axis
3-axis
3-axis
Dimensions (WiFi)
200 x 134.7 x 7.2mm
241.2 x 185.7 x 9.4 mm
241.2 x 185.7 x 9.4 mm
Dimensions (Cellular)
200 x 134.7 x 7.2mm
241.2 x 185.7 x 9.4 mm
241.2 x 185.7 x 9.4 mm
Weight (WiFi)
308 grams (0.68 pounds)
652 grams (1.44 pounds)
652 grams (1.44 pounds)
Weight (Cellular)
312 grams (0.69 pounds)
662 grams (1.46 pounds)
662 grams (1.46 pounds)
Battery
16.3-watt-hour lithium polymer
42.5-watt-hour lithium polymer
42.5-watt-hour lithium polymer
Ports
Lightning, 3.5mm headphone
30-pin, 3.5mm headphone
Lightning, 3.5mm headphone
Location (WiFi)
WiFi, Digital Compass
WiFi, Digital Compass
WiFi, Digital Compass
Location (3G / LTE)
aGPS, GLONASS, Cellular, WiFi
aGPS, 3G, 4G, Digital Compass, WiFi
aGPS, GLONASS, Cellular, WiFi
Minimum Price
$329 WiFi-only, $459 Cellular
$499 WiFi-only, $629 Cellular
$499 WiFi-only, $629 Cellular
Details accurate at launch
The rest is here: iPad Mini vs. the new (and newer) iPad: what’s different?
