How Big Is the iPad Mini and How Much Does It Weigh?

It's Apple's answer to 7-inch Android tablets

The iPad Mini is Apple's answer to 7-inch Android tablets such as the Amazon Kindle Fire and Google Nexus, but its 7.9-inch display makes it slightly larger. The extra fraction of an inch may not sound like much, but it adds around 35 percent more viewing space (29.6 square inches versus the 21.9 square inches of a typical 7-inch tablet).

The iPad Mini's screen is also geared toward a 4:3 display ratio, which is better for apps and especially web browsing—most web pages are designed for a 4:3 ratio display. In contrast, Android tablets tend to have a 16:9 ratio, which is the standard widescreen dimension and is best for displaying video.

Shopper holding iPad mini box

Tomohiro Ohsumi / Getty Images

Original iPad Mini

The original iPad Mini measures, in inches, 7.87 by 5.3, with a depth of 0.28. The Wi-Fi version weighs just over a half-pound.

iPad Mini 2 and 3

The iPad Mini 2 and the iPad Mini 3 have similar heights and widths, but owing to an upgrade in processing speed, they're slightly thicker (0.30 inches) and weigh slightly more (0.73 pounds).

iPad Mini 4

The lineup went on a diet with the iPad Mini 4. With a depth of 0.24 of an inch, it's skinnier than the original iPad Mini and weighs slightly less, coming in at 0.66 pounds.

iPad Mini 5

Apple's latest version of the iPad Mini 5 features a 7.9‑inch Retina display with True Tone. It weighs 0.66 pounds and it's 6.1 mm thin.

If your hands are of average size, you'll see the tips of your fingers poking out the other side of the iPad Mini when you hold it in the palm of your hand with your thumb running along the side. It's almost twice as wide and about 20 percent longer than the largest iPhones. It's a portable tablet you can use comfortably with one hand, resting the iPad Mini in your palm and looping your thumb around the side. 

iPad Mini's 7.9-Inch Display and Touch ID

The original iPad Mini had only a 1024 x 768 resolution, but starting with the second generation, the iPad Mini sports a 2048 x 1536 Retina display. This matches the resolution of the larger iPad Air, and because it's the same resolution on a smaller display, it has a higher pixel density. This means displays are slightly clearer when viewed at the same distance, although at these high screen resolutions, you have to concentrate to discern any difference.

The iPad Mini gained a Touch ID fingerprint sensor starting with the third generation. It doesn't have the near-field communications (NFC) required to pay at stores, but Touch ID has a number of great uses beyond as a payment switch. Perhaps the best use for it is bypassing the lock screen so you don't have to put in your passcode every time you want to use the iPad.

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