Apple iPad Mini (A17 Pro) vs iPad mini 5th Gen: Yep, it's time to upgrade
Intro
Apple's new iPad mini is here with some substantial hardware improvements in comparison with the iPad mini 6th Gen.
We've already previewed these two here, but how would the new iPad mini (A17 Pro) fare against the aging iPad mini 5th Gen?
Is it finally time for iPad mini 5th Gen users to lay their tablets to rest and upgrade to a compact and now more powerful tablet, such as the new iPad mini?
Let's try to answer these questions.
iPad mini (A17 Pro) vs iPad mini 5th Gen differences explained:
| iPad mini (A17 Pro) | iPad mini 5th Gen |
|---|---|
| 8.3" Liquid Retina display | A 7.9" Retina display |
| Apple A17 Pro chipset with 8GB of RAM | Apple A12 chip with 3GB of RAM |
| Apple Intelligence support | No Apple Intelligence support |
| 12MP rear camera, 4K video | 8MP rear camera, 1080p video |
| 12MP FaceTime camera, Center Stage | 7MP FaceTime camera |
| USB-C port | Lightning port |
| Wi-Fi 6E support (Lower latency than Wi-Fi 6), Bluetooth 5.3, 5G support | Wi-Fi 5 support, Bluetooth 5.0, LTE support |
| eSIM only | Nano-SIM + eSIM support |
| Supports Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil with USB-C, supports Apple Pencil hover | Supports Apple Pencil 1st Gen |
| 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage versions | 64GB and 256GB versions |
| New colors: Space Gray, Blue, Purple, Starlight | Space Gray, Silver, Gold |
Table of Contents:
Design and Display Quality
A blast from the past
Well, the iPad mini 5th Gen looks pretty dated in comparison with the new iPad mini (A17 Pro)
The iPad mini (A17 Pro) inherits the looks of the 6th Gen, meaning a wide display with thick bezels, no buttons at the front, and an aluminum frame with straight edges, only slightly rounded in the corners.
Authentication is done with the Touch ID sensor found in the power button on the top frame. At the bottom, we find a more modern USB-C port.
Meanwhile, the iPad mini 5th Gen gives us a whiff of the past. This one looks dated, and Apple has almost fully moved away from this design language.
With its curved, iPhone 6-like body, thick top and bottom bezels at the front that are enough to land a jumbo jet, and hardware home button that also houses a Touch ID module. There's also the archaic Lightning port, making this one of the last iPads to feature Apple's proprietary standard.
The new iPad mini is available in Space Gray, Blue, Purple, and Starlight colors, while the iPad mini 5th Gen was available in Space Gray, Silver, and Gold colors.
There are some differences in the display section: the new slate has a larger 8.3-inch screen, while the older one has a 7.9-inch screen. Then again, both tablets feature IPS LCD screens, which are fully laminated, reach 500 nits, support wide-color gamut, and run at 60Hz. Not so different, turns out!
Performance and Software
The great divide
As its name spoils, the new iPad mini comes with the Apple A17 Pro chip, the company's first 3nm chip that found its way to the iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 15 Pro last year. It's a fairly capable chip that will surely bump the performance capabilities of the iPad mini lineup, but it also unlocks an important feature: Apple Intelligence support, which should arrive with iOS 18.1 very soon.
Meanwhile, the iPad mini 5th Gen boasts the aging 7nm Apple A12 chip. You are excused for not remembering where this one debuted, we had forgotten as well. It first made an appearance on the iPhone Xs, Xs Max, and the legendary iPhone XR. That's more than half a decade ago, so the difference in performance and efficiency should be more than palpable.
The new tablet also features 8GB of RAM, while we get 3GB of the stuff on the iPad 5th Gen. Storage-wise, things are different, too: you can have the new device with 128, 256, or 512GB of storage, while the older one was available in 64GB or 256GB.
Currently, both tablets support iPadOS 18, and are slated to get iPadOS 18.1 whenever it's ready. No Apple Intelligence on the iPad mini 5th Gen, though.
Read more about Apple Intelligence in iOS 18.1 here.
Camera
Yep, there are a few
Cameras on tablets, except for the iPad Pro, tend to get overlooked.
Apple hasn't magically decided to turn the new iPad mini into a photography super house: it still comes with a pretty standard 12MP rear camera and 12MP front one that supports the Center Stage.
There's also support for Smart HDR 4, but we doubt this will have a grand effect on the image quality. Nothing spectacular on the camera front: it takes pictures and videos, but the quality won't wow you, period.
The same applies to the older iPad mini 5th Gen as well, but it features even less impressive camera hardware. It has an 8MP rear and 7MP front cameras. Good enough for occasional use.
Battery Life and Charging
More efficient chip on deck
We can assume that the battery capacity of the iPad mini (A17 Pro) is similar to the previous generation, so roughly, around 5,078mAh. Thanks to the more efficient A17 Pro chip, this one should deliver some decent battery life, or so we hope.
Meanwhile, the iPad mini 5th Gen comes with a slightly larger battery, a 5,124mAh one, but time has surely taken its toll on the battery health of most tablets in circulation. In its heyday, the Apple A12 chip was fairly efficient, but we can't expect it to hold a candle to the much newer A17 Pro chip.
Both tablets are rated for up to 10 hours of web browsing on Wi-Fi and up to 9 hours of browsing on cellular, but we'd like to put the new tablet through the paces of our battery tests before we come up with a verdict.
Meanwhile, the iPad mini 5th Gen comes with a slightly larger battery, a 5,124mAh one, but time has surely taken its toll on the battery health of most tablets in circulation. In its heyday, the Apple A12 chip was fairly efficient, but we can't expect it to hold a candle to the much newer A17 Pro chip.
Both tablets are rated for up to 10 hours of web browsing on Wi-Fi and up to 9 hours of browsing on cellular, but we'd like to put the new tablet through the paces of our battery tests before we come up with a verdict.
Specs Comparison
Here's how the iPad mini (A17 Pro) vs iPad mini 5th Gen specs compare:
| Specs | iPad mini (A17 Pro) | iPad mini 5th Gen |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 195.4 x 134.8 x 6.3 mm | 203.2 x 134.6 x 6.1 mm |
| Weight | 297gr | 308gr |
| Screen | 8.3-inch LCD 60Hz | 7.9-inch LCD 60Hz |
| Processor | Apple A17 Pro (3nm) | Apple A12 (7nm) |
| RAM, Storage and Price | 8GB/128GB - $499 8GB/256GB - $599 8GB/512GB - $799 | 3GB/64GB 3GB/256GB |
| Cameras | 12MP F1.8 12MP front, F2.4 | 8MP F2.4 7MP front |
| Battery Size | 5,078mAh | 5,124mAh |
| Charging Speeds | 20W wired USB-C | Lightning |
Which one should you buy?
It's pretty clear: if you love the iPad mini form factor and, due to one reason or another, are still rocking an iPad mini 5th Gen, then upgrading to the newer tablet is truly a no-brainer.
You'll get a slightly larger screen, much better performance, more memory and storage, and finally, access to Apple Intelligence, whenever it launches.
At the pretty affordable starting price tag of $499, you should definitely consider upgrading to the iPad mini (A17 Pro), as it could be the biggest upgrade in the history of the iPad mini.
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