Compared: iPad mini 6 vs iPad mini 5

Apple’s California Streaming event wrapped up pretty quickly, all things considered. The company unveiled a handful of new products, including the iPhone 13 lineup. But arguably the star of the show was the brand new, oft-rumored, all-new redesigned iPad mini.

But, how does it compare to the fifth-generation iPad mini this new model is replacing? If you were curious, we’ve put together a quick breakdown of how it all shakes out, which you can find out below. If you have a fifth-generation iPad mini, is it worth upgrading to the newer model? This direct comparison may help with that decision.

You can also check out the full tech specs for the new iPad mini right here. But, let’s get to the comparison, shall we?

iPad mini 6 compared to iPad mini 5

Storage

iPad mini 6

  • 64GB
  • 256GB

iPad mini 5

  • 64GB
  • 256GB

Size and weight

iPad mini 6

  • Height: 7.69 inches (195.4 mm)
  • Width: 5.3 inches (134.8 mm)
  • Depth: 0.25 inch (6.3 mm)
  • Weight (Wi-Fi): 0.65 pound (293 grams)
  • Weight: Wi-Fi + Cellular): 0.66 pound (297 grams)

iPad mini 5

  • Height: 8.0 inches (203.2 mm)
  • Width: 5.3 inches (134.8 mm)
  • Depth: 0.24 inch (6.1 mm)
  • Weight (Wi-Fi): 0.66 pound (300.5 grams)
  • Weight (Wi-Fi + Cellular): 0.68 pound (308.2 grams)

Display

iPad mini 6

  • Liquid Retina display
  • 8.3-inch LED backlit Multi-Touch display with IPS technology
  • 2266 x 1488 resolution
  • 326 ppi
  • 500 nits max brightness (typical)
  • Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
  • Fully laminated display
  • Antireflective coating
  • Wide color display (P3)
  • True Tone display

iPad mini 5

  • Retina display
  • 7.9-inch LED backlit Multi-Touch display with IPS technology
  • 2048 x 1536 resolution
  • 326 ppi
  • 500 nits max brightness (typical)
  • Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
  • Fully laminated display
  • Antireflective coating
  • Wide color display (P3)
  • True Tone display

Processor

iPad mini 6

  • A15 Bionic chip with 64-bit architecture
  • Neural Engine

iPad mini 5

  • A12 Bionic chip with 64-bit architecture
  • Neural Engine

Power and battery

iPad mini 6

  • Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi or watching video
  • UP to 9 hours of surfing the web using cellular data network

iPad mini 5

  • Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi-, watching video, or listening to music
  • Up to 9 hours of surfing the web using cellular data network

Apple Pencil compatability

iPad mini 6

  • 2nd-generation Apple Pencil

iPad mini 5

  • 1st-generation Apple Pencil

Camera

iPad mini 6

  • 12MP Wide camera
  • f/1.8 aperture
  • Digital zoom up to 5x
  • Quad-LED True Tone flash
  • Smart HDR 3 for photos

iPad mini 5

  • 8MP Wide camera
  • f/2.4 aperture
  • Digital zoom up to 5x
  • Auto HDR for photos

Video recording

iPad mini 6

  • 4K video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps
  • 1080p HD video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps
  • Extended dynamic range for video up to 30 fps
  • 3x video zoom
  • Slo-mo video support for 1080p HD at 120 fps or 240 fps
  • Time-lapse video with stabilization

iPad mini 5

  • 1080p HD video recording at 30 fps
  • 3x video zoom
  • Slo-mo video support for 720p at 120 fps
  • Time-lapse video with stabilization

Front camera

iPad mini 6

  • Ultra Wide camera
  • 12MP photos
  • f/2.4 aperture
  • 2x zoom out
  • Center Stage
  • Retina Flash
  • Smart HDR 3 for photos
  • Extended dynamic range for video up to 30 fps
  • Cinematic video stabilization
  • 1080p HD video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps

iPad mini 5

  • FaceTime HD camera
  • 7MP photos
  • f/2.2 aperture
  • Retina Flash
  • Auto HDR for photos
  • Cinematic video stabilization
  • 1080p HD video recording

Audio

iPad mini 6

  • Two speaker audio landscape mode

iPad mini 5

  • Two speaker audio

Cellular

iPad mini 6

  • 5G

iPad mini 5

  • LTE

Secure authentication

iPad mini 6

  • Touch ID
  • Fingerprint identity sensor built into the top button

iPad mini 5

  • Touch ID
  • Fingerprint identity sensor built into the Home button

Connector

iPad mini 6

  • USB-C

iPad mini 5

  • Lightning

So, there we have it. Some similarities, but mostly the differences in the brand new, redesigned iPad mini 6 really stand out. Do you plan on upgrading to Apple’s newest smallest tablet?