Redesigned iPad Mini Has Increased 4GB of RAM, iPad 9 Remains at 3GB

Apple this week introduced a redesigned sixth-generation iPad mini that looks much closer to the current iPad Air, with slimmer bezels, a Touch ID power button, a USB-C port, compatibility with the second-generation Apple Pencil, and more.

ipad mini purple
The new iPad mini is equipped with the same A15 Bionic chip as iPhone 13 models, and while Apple doesn’t advertise the amount of RAM in the device, MacRumors can confirm that the new iPad mini has 4GB of RAM, an increase from 3GB of in the previous iPad mini. We can also confirm the ninth-generation iPad has the same 3GB of RAM as the eighth-generation model. These amounts were revealed in strings contained within the Xcode 13 beta.

For comparison, the iPad Pro is available with up to 16GB of RAM depending on storage capacity, while the latest iPad Air has 4GB of RAM.

The same type of Xcode strings accurately revealed the amount of RAM in iPhone 12 models last year and in several previous iPhone generations. Teardowns and regulatory filings should provide further confirmation in the coming days.

The new iPad mini and iPad models are available to order now on Apple's website and launch on Friday, September 24.

Related Roundups: iPad, iPad mini
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

m1 chip slide

Five Years of Apple Silicon: M1 to M5 Performance Comparison

Monday November 10, 2025 1:08 pm PST by
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Apple silicon chip that replaced Intel chips in Apple's Mac lineup. The first Apple silicon chip, the M1, was unveiled on November 10, 2020. The M1 debuted in the MacBook Air, Mac mini, and 13-inch MacBook Pro. The M1 chip was impressive when it launched, featuring the "world's fastest CPU core" and industry-leading performance per watt, and it's only ...
All Screen iPhone 2027 Feature 1

Apple to Hide Selfie Camera Under Display of 20th Anniversary iPhone

Monday November 10, 2025 1:55 am PST by
Apple will conceal the front-facing camera under the screen of its 2027 iPhone, a Chinese leaker said today, corroborating reports that Apple's 20th anniversary iPhone will have no visible cutouts in the display. Weibo-based account Digital Chat Station said Apple's development of under-screen camera technology was progressing as planned for adoption in 2027, one year after it will...
iphone air thinness

iPhone Air Sales Are So Bad That Apple's Delaying the Next-Generation Version

Monday November 10, 2025 11:41 am PST by
The thin, light iPhone Air sold so poorly that Apple has decided to delay the launch of the next-generation iPhone Air that was scheduled to come out alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, reports The Information. Apple initially planned to release a new iPhone Air in fall 2026, but now that's not going to happen. Since the iPhone Air launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales...
iphone pocket%402x

Apple Debuts iPhone Pocket, a Limited Edition iPod Sock-Style Accessory

Tuesday November 11, 2025 1:23 am PST by
Apple has teamed up with Japanese fashion house ISSEY MIYAKE to launch iPhone Pocket, a 3D-knitted limited edition accessory designed to carry an iPhone, AirPods, and other everyday items. The accessory is like a stretchy pocket, not unlike an iPod Sock, but elongated to form a strap made of a ribbed, elastic textile that fully encloses an iPhone yet allows you to glimpse the display...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Available Next Month With These 8 New Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 9:48 am PST by
Apple released the first iOS 26.2 beta last week. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date....
Early Black Friday Deals 1

The Best Early Black Friday Apple Deals on AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad, and More

Saturday November 8, 2025 6:16 am PST by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...
homepod mini colors

New HomePod Mini Coming Soon With These Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 7:30 am PST by
Apple is expected to announce a new HomePod mini imminently, headlining with new chips. Here are all of the new features we're expecting. The second-generation HomePod mini is highly likely to contain a more up-to-date chip for more advanced computational audio and improved responsiveness. The current HomePod mini is equipped with the Apple Watch Series 5's S5 chip from 2019. Apple is likely ...
Apple fitness plus feature

Future of Apple Fitness+ 'Under Review'

Sunday November 9, 2025 5:30 am PST by
The future of Apple Fitness+ is "under review" amid a reorganization of the service, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple Fitness+ remains one of the company's "weakest digital offerings." The service apparently suffers from high churn and little revenue. Nevertheless, Fitness+ has a small, loyal fanbase that...
iphone black friday gold

The Best Early Black Friday iPhone Deals

Monday November 10, 2025 10:18 am PST by
Cellular carriers have always offered big savings on the newest iPhone models during the holidays, and Black Friday 2025 sales have kicked off at AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and more. Right now we're tracking notable offers on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. For even more savings, keep an eye on older models during the holiday shopping season. Note: MacRumors is...
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Adjusts Trade-In Values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and More

Thursday November 6, 2025 11:12 am PST by
Apple today updated its trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models. Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website, or at an Apple Store. The charts below provide an overview of Apple's current and previous trade-in values in the U.S., according to its website. Maximum values for most devices either decreased or saw no change, but the iPad Air received a slight bump. ...

Top Rated Comments

tgwaste Avatar
54 months ago
ipad mini stole the show. bought it immediately.
Score: 41 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Channan Avatar
54 months ago

Apple never advertises the amount of RAM in iPads
Never?



Attachment Image
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mthomas184 Avatar
54 months ago

Wow, talk about stingy in 2021. My 10.5 iPad Pro can barely keep an app open with 4 GB of ram.
I call straight BS. My iPad Pro has 0 issues keeping ANY apps open.
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TSE Avatar
54 months ago
The mini was the real winner at this announcement.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
specious Avatar
54 months ago
This is the iPad to beat now. Pair it with a cheap external monitor, BT keyboard and Magic Trackpad and you have a mobile office workhorse. Ordered Purple, my first non-black or white electronic device potentially ever.

Would have preferred 8GB of RAM tho. But still, it'll do.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mi7chy Avatar
54 months ago

I call straight BS. My iPad Pro has 0 issues keeping ANY apps open.
There’s no such thing as keeping apps open since iPadOS 14 limits background time to at most 1 minute. Down from 2 minutes and 7 minutes with older versions. It restores a screenshot when restoring app with static content to foreground so it looks transparent but dynamic content will reload. To see for yourself, go to https://www.time.gov/ with browser, put in background, wait 5 secs, restore to foreground and watch it reload. Works properly on other OS’ MacOS, Windows, Linux, ChromeOS, Android, etc.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)