Apple to Obsolete All iPad Mini 3 Cellular and Wi-Fi Models in Coming Weeks

Apple will label Wi-Fi-only and cellular models of the third-generation iPad mini as obsolete products in a few weeks, according to a memo sent out earlier today obtained by MacRumors.

ipad mini trademark specimen
Currently, only a specific cellular variant of the ‌iPad mini‌ 3 is marked as obsolete, but this will soon change. The third-generation ‌iPad mini‌ kept the same design as its predecessor but included improved performance thanks to the A7 chip and a Touch ID home button.

Apple designates products as obsolete seven years after they were last on sale. All hardware service is discontinued for obsolete products, and service providers are not able to order parts for obsolete devices.

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Top Rated Comments

szw-mapple fan Avatar
34 months ago
I wonder why the article is using an image of the 1st gen iPad mini.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Wokis Avatar
34 months ago

The third-generation iPad mini kept the same design as its predecessor but included improved performance thanks to the A7 chip and a Touch ID home button.
Nah, the only change was the addition of Touch ID. A weird generation.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
matthew12 Avatar
34 months ago
We use some as room scheduling displays for the conference rooms at our office. They work pretty well being essentially dumb terminals.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nymphe Avatar
34 months ago

Is this the one I bought that was replaced in the lineup super fast? I forget.
I think you are referring to iPad 3, which was the first retina ipad but with very slow processor. It was replaced by ipad 4 within 8 months I believe. I've been burned couple of times by Apple with 1st revisions, but this was one very annoying because damn thing was very slow.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tardman91 Avatar
34 months ago
My kid is still using an iPad mini 2 with no issues. Not so obsolete I guess.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Shirasaki Avatar
34 months ago

A total piece of junk. It scored dead last on both Single and Multi core Geekbench. It even scored lower than the iPad 2 and 1st Gen Mini.

Single





Multi


91Tech on youtube literally rates iPad mini 3 as F (aka trash tier) because it is such a pointless update, not justifying the name change at all. iPad 10 at least brings some changes to the table to make it somewhat new. iPad mini 3 has almost none of that. No, just adding touch ID is not "some changes".
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)