Hands-On With Apple's New iPad Air 3 and iPad Mini 5

Apple last week surprised us with a brand new iPad in the iPad Air family and a new iPad mini 5, both of which are outfitted with Apple's latest chip technology.

Both the ‌iPad mini‌ 5 and the ‌iPad Air‌ 3 began shipping out to customers, and, as of today, are available in stores. We picked up both tablets to give MacRumors readers a look at Apple's new middle-tier iPads.


Priced at $399 for the ‌iPad mini‌ and $499 for the ‌iPad Air‌, Apple's refreshed iPads are not as expensive as the iPad Pro (starts at $799) nor as affordable as the 6th-generation 2018 ‌iPad‌ (starts at $329), and the hardware and design match up with a middle-of-the-road tablet.

The ‌iPad Air‌ is using the same design as the 10.5-inch ‌iPad Pro‌, while the ‌iPad mini‌ 5 uses the same design as the previous-generation ‌iPad mini‌ 4. Both tablets feature thick top and bottom bezels, with the bottom bezel housing a Touch ID Home button for biometric authentication purposes.

ipadairipadmini 1
In comparison, the ‌iPad Pro‌ has much slimmer bezels thanks to the removal of ‌Touch ID‌ in favor of Face ID, while the $329 ‌iPad‌ has the same general design but a body that's not as slim.

When it comes to the screen, both of these tablets are using a laminated Retina display that supports wide color for vivid, true to life images and True Tone for adjusting the white balance to match the ambient lighting in the room. It's a better display than the non-laminated display on Apple's cheapest ‌iPad‌, but lacks the ProMotion technology used in the ‌iPad Pro‌ for a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz.

ipadmini
The ‌iPad Air‌ and the ‌iPad mini‌ support the original Apple Pencil, so for the first time, Apple's entire ‌iPad‌ lineup works with either the original ‌Apple Pencil‌ or the ‌Apple Pencil‌ 2.

Inside, the ‌iPad Air‌ and the ‌iPad mini‌ are using the A12 Bionic chip, which is the same chip that's in the 2018 iPhone lineup. The $329 ‌iPad‌ is still using an A10 Fusion chip from the ‌iPhone‌ 7 era, while the ‌iPad Pro‌ models use a faster A12X chip.

ipadair
Functionally, both the ‌iPad Air‌ 3 and the ‌iPad mini‌ 5 are the same tablet with the same specs, with the only difference between the two being screen size and Smart Keyboard compatibility. The ‌iPad Air‌ has a Smart Connector that can be used with a Smart Keyboard, which costs $159. There's no ‌Smart Keyboard‌ for ‌iPad mini‌ because it lacks a ‌Smart Connector‌.

The two iPads have mediocre 8-megapixel rear cameras, the same camera that's in the $329 ‌iPad‌, but the 7-megapixel front-facing camera is the same camera (minus ‌Face ID‌ technology) used in the ‌iPad Pro‌. It's odd to have front and rear cameras that are nearly on par, but it makes sense if you think of the ‌iPad‌ as a FaceTiming device more so than a photography device.

Both of these iPads offer significant performance improvements over their predecessors. The ‌iPad mini‌ 5 is a good deal faster than the ‌iPad mini‌ 4, and the ‌iPad Air‌ is faster than the 10.5-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ (though it lacks the same ProMotion technology). It's also leagues faster than any previous ‌iPad Air‌ model as that was a line that was last refreshed in 2014 before being revived in 2019.

ipadairoldvsnew

Old ‌iPad Air‌ on left, new ‌iPad Air‌ on right

If you're using an older ‌iPad‌ and are in need of an upgrade, you're not going to go wrong with the ‌iPad mini‌ 5 or the ‌iPad Air‌ 3 given the incredible speed boosts these tablets bring thanks to the A12 chip. As everyday tablets, the ‌iPad mini‌ and ‌iPad Air‌ are a solid value and a welcome addition to Apple's ‌iPad‌ lineup, which was previously split between high end (‌iPad Pro‌) and low end (‌iPad‌). Check out our iPad Buyer's Guide for help choosing an ‌iPad‌ if you're not sure which one is right for you.

You can get the ‌iPad mini‌ for $399 for 64GB of storage, and 256GB is available for $549. The ‌iPad Air‌ starts at $499 for 64GB of storage, with 256GB available for $649. Cellular models are available too, for an extra $130 over each base price.

What do you think of the new ‌iPad mini‌ and the new ‌iPad Air‌? Have you purchased one or are you planning to get one? Let us know in the comments.

Related Roundups: iPad Air , iPad mini
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

iCloud General Feature Redux

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Receive an All-New Perk

Thursday February 6, 2025 11:21 am PST by
If you pay for iCloud storage on your iPhone, Apple has a new perk for you, at no additional cost. iCloud+ is the official name for Apple's paid iCloud storage plans, which range from 50GB for $0.99 per month to 12TB for $59.99 per month in the United States. iCloud+ plans already come with multiple perks for free, such as Hide My Email and HomeKit Secure Video, and now there is another one...
2007 iPhone

Apple Discontinuing This 18-Year-Old iPhone Feature

Saturday February 8, 2025 3:51 pm PST by
The end of an 18-year era is on the horizon for the iPhone. Apple reportedly plans to announce a new iPhone SE as soon as next week, and the device is expected to feature a full-screen design with Face ID, instead of a Touch ID home button. That means Apple will no longer sell any new iPhone models with a home button, for the first time since the original iPhone launched. The home button...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Will Include These New Features for Your iPhone

Wednesday February 5, 2025 7:15 am PST by
iOS 18.3 was released last month, so the first iOS 18.4 beta should be coming soon. iOS 18.4 is expected to be a more substantial update for the iPhone, with several new features and changes related to Apple Intelligence and beyond. Apple's website suggests that iOS 18.4 will be released in April, following beta testing. Below, we outline what to expect from the update so far. Apple...
iPhone SE 4 Single Camera Thumb

iPhone SE 4 Launching as Soon as Next Week

Thursday February 6, 2025 3:30 pm PST by
Apple's next-generation iPhone SE could debut as soon as next week with a launch to follow later in February, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple isn't expected to hold an event for the iPhone SE 4, and will instead unveil the device through a press release. The iPhone SE 4 is expected to have an iPhone 14-style design, with Apple eliminating the thick bezels and Touch ID Home button of...
iCloud General Feature Redux

Apple Ordered by UK to Create Global iCloud Encryption Backdoor

Friday February 7, 2025 2:37 am PST by
The British government has secretly demanded that Apple give it blanket access to all encrypted user content uploaded to the cloud, reports The Washington Post. The undisclosed order is said to have been issued last month, and requires that Apple creates a back door that allows UK security officials unencumbered access to encrypted user data worldwide – an unprecedented demand not before...
iOS 18

iOS 18.3.1 Update Coming Soon for iPhones

Thursday February 6, 2025 7:31 am PST by
Apple is internally testing iOS 18.3.1 for iPhones, according to our website's analytics logs, which have been a consistently reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. The software update should be released within the next few weeks. iOS 18.3.1 should be a minor update that addresses software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. Apple Intelligence notification summaries for news and...
Apple Leak Feature

Apple Leaker Issues Apology: 'Profound and Expensive Mistake'

Friday February 7, 2025 9:21 am PST by
Last year, we reported that Apple sued its former software engineer Andrew Aude for providing journalists with confidential information about the company's future plans, including details about the Journal app, Vision Pro headset, and more. As reported by 9to5Mac, the Superior Court of Santa Clara County on Thursday dismissed the lawsuit after Apple and Aude reached an agreement to resolve...
imac video apple feature

Apple to Announce New Products Next Week

Saturday February 8, 2025 10:55 am PST by
Apple has yet to release any new devices in 2025, but at least two new products are expected to be announced next week, according to rumors. Below, we outline the new Apple products that are likely to be unveiled next week. iPhone SE 4 Apple plans to announce the long-rumored iPhone SE 4 as soon as next week, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The new iPhone SE is rumored to...

Top Rated Comments

kirk.israel Avatar
77 months ago
I bought an iPad Mini yesterday. It's great, very comfortable for doodling on, and a great reader. And the first iPad I've bothered to set up Touch ID on. People who hate on "but the bezels" can go suck an egg - this is very comfortable to hold. I'm sure Apple will provide a Pro version in a few years if you REALLY want to spend a few more hundred for bezels and a flat clip-on pencil.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coolfactor Avatar
77 months ago
The physical-click Home button is what baffles me. I wonder if they are recycling these components from older devices? I'd be surprised, since this clickable button does tend to wear out. The haptic Home button was a smart upgrade, so it's confusing why Apple didn't standardize on that. Maybe the haptic feedback is not as effective on a tablet vs a phone?
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NickName99 Avatar
77 months ago
I got my iPad Mini on Wednesday. It’s brilliant. The laminated TrueTone P3 display looks great. A12 is speedy. 3GB RAM confirmed in GeekBench. TouchID is gen 2, pretty much instant. This is my first iPad, I’ve never wanted a full size one. I’m very happy with the $399 price, the performance and display. Recommended!
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Skyblve Avatar
77 months ago
Just got the iPad mini. It is amazing, keyboard is much easier to use than iPad Pro and iPad Air. Fast Touch ID gen2 and it just amazing for the price range. ~300
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Klae17 Avatar
77 months ago
New iPads are always appreciated. Did they upgrade the screen quality or camera quality?
Did you read the article?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NickName99 Avatar
77 months ago
A lot of mini lovers in here and god love ‘em. I thought it was put out to pasture when the education 9.7” was released last year.
Full sized iPads have never interested in in the least, who wants to lug that around? The Mini is the size of a book, it’s perfect. It’s always been a bit too slow, the display lacked TrueTone, the $399 model only had 16GB, but this time it checks all the boxes. It’s great to have options!
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)