Apple now offers three models of the iPad fore sale in two sizes, the iPad Mini which features a 7.9 inch display and the iPad which features a 9.7 inch display, so what is the difference between iPad And iPad Mini?
The three models in this comparison consist of the iPad Mini, the iPad 2, and the iPad with Retina Display, and all three models have different price points, with the entry level iPad Mini retailing for $329 and the top end iPad retailing for $929.
There is quite a difference between iPad and iPad Mini in terms of hardware, and all models come in WiFi only and WiFi and Cellular versions with some offering 3G only and some offering 4G LTE.
iPad Mini – Difference Between iPad And iPad Mini
Lets start with the iPad Mini, which features a 7.9 inch LED backlit display with a resolution of 163 pixels per inch, processing is provided by a dual core Apple A5 processor and the iPad Mini features dual cameras.
On the front of the iPad Mini is a 1.2 megapixel FaceTime HD camera which can record video in 720p, it is designed to be used with Apple’s FaceTime video chat and also comes with a backside illuminated sensor and face detection.
The camera on the back of the iPad Mini is a 5 megapixel iSight camera, with auto-focus, face detection, a five element lens, a hybrid IR filter and an f/2.4 aperture, it also features backside illumination and can record full HD video in 1080p.
The iPad Mini features Apple’s new smaller Lightning connector as opposed to the older 30 pin connector, the battery on the iPad mini will give you up to 10 hours of web surfing, watching video or listing to music over WiFi and up to 9 hours of web surfing over cellular.
Apple’s iPad Mini also comes with their voice activated virtual assistant Siri, which can be used to send messages, set reminders, search the web and also perform a number of other functions.
Connectivity on the iPad Mini comes in the form of 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands and it also comes with Bluetooth 4.0, on the WiFi and Cellular models there is GSM/Edge, UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA and of course LTE.
The iPad Mini is available in three storage sizes, with a choice of 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of built in storage in both WiFi and WiFi and cellular models, making a total of six different versions of the iPad Mini to choose from.
iPad With Retina Display – Difference Between iPad And iPad Mini
Next up is the iPad with Retina Display, this is Apple’s flagship tablet and commands the highest price, it features a 9.7 inch LED IPS display with a resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels at 264 pixels per inch.
The iPad with Retina Display is powered by Apple’s A6x processor, which is a dual core processor with quad core graphics and it also features dual cameras with similar specifications to the iPad Mini.
On the front of the iPad with Retina Display we have a 1.2 megapixel FaceTime HD camera which can record HD video in 720p, it also features a BSI sensor and face detection.
The rear camera on the iPad with Retina display is a 5 megapixel iSight camera with auto-focus, face detection, a five element lens, a hybrid IR filter and an f/2.4 aperture, it also features backside illumination the rear camera can record full HD video in 1080p.
The iPad with Retina display features 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands and it also comes with Bluetooth 4.0, on the WiFi and Cellular models there is GSM/Edge, 4G LTE and UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA.
The iPad 4 also features Apple’s Lightning dock connector and the WiFi and Cellular models come with a micro SIM card where as the iPad Mini features the newer Nano SIM card.
There are a total of eight different versions of the iPad with Retina Display to choose from, WiFi only and WiFi with Cellular in four different storage options, 16GB, 32GB, 64GB and 128GB.
iPad 2 – Difference Between iPad And iPad Mini
Finally we have the iPad 2, which is a cheaper and previous version of the new iPad, and it features a 9.7 inch LED IPS display with a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels ate 132 pixels per inch, it is also powered by the same processor in the iPad Mini, Apple’s dual core A5 processor.
The iPad 2 also features front and rear facing camera’s, on the front of the device we have a FaceTime camera with a VGA resolution, on the back of the iPad 2 we have a camera with a resolution of 960 x 720 pixels, this camera can record HD video in 720p.
Connectivity on the iPad 2 is in the form of 02.11 a/b/g/n WiFi on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, the WiFi and Cellular model comes with GSM/Edge and UMTS/HSPA it also features Bluetooth 2.1 +EDR.
The iPad 2 features the older 30 pin dock connector as opposed to the new Lightning connector on the iPad Mini and iPad with Retina Display, there are only two models of the iPad 2 available, both come with 16GB of built in storage one if a WiFi only model and the other is a WiFi and 3G model.
All three models of the iPad have different price entry points, the iPad Mini starts at $369 and goes up to $659, the iPad with Retina Display starts at $499 and goes up to $929 for the top end model, and the iPad 2 is $399 for the WiFi only model and $529 for the WiFi and 3G model, you can see the full prices below.
As you can see there is quite a big difference between iPad and iPad Mini, both in terms of hardware specifications and price, and we hope this article has explained the difference between iPad and iPad Mini, and will be of some use to you in deciding which model is best for your needs.
You can find out more information on the difference between iPad and iPad Mini over at Apple.
Apple has now launched their new iPad Mini, have a look at the difference between iPad and iPad Mini.
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