Apple iPad Mini 3 review

If the iPad Mini 2 didn’t exist, we’d be gushing over this lovely bit of kit just like we did last year.

Because everything is the same. The same slim-but-not-too-slim 7.5mm aluminium build, small-but-not-too-small 7.9in screen and incredibly sharp 2048 x 1536 resolution. There’s no noticeable tweaks to the iPad Mini’s screen tech. Whites are still printer paper-pure, contrast is excellent and colours are mostly accurate and appealing. We say mostly because there are still a few hues, reds in particular, that both the iPad Air and even tablets like the Kindle Fire HDX pick up that the iPad Mini misses. Still, it’s not something every user will spot and colour reproduction is more than good enough for Netflix and the web. If you need a tablet for working with images, we’d recommend the iPad Air 2 instead. 

The iPad Mini 3 isnt treated to the same anti-reflective coating and display lamination technique seen on the Air 2 either - a small difference but one that makes the gap between the two iPad models bigger. In terms of aesthetics, both the iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 get a new gold model to join the silver and space gray options. 

Power and performance remains the same too, that is very, very good. This tablet is as smooth as we’ve seen from Apple, with no stutters or lag. Still, spec fans will be disappointed that the iPad Mini 3 misses out on the A8X processor and M8 motion co-processor, the brains behind the iPad Air 2. In time, we might see more games and video editing apps that make use of this extra grunt. For now, we’re not complaining too much. 

For stamina, at least, the iPad Mini 3 just about matches the bigger Cupertino tablet. Like its predecessor, it lasts just shy of the iPad Air’s ten-hour battery life. For a tablet, that’s very respectable and means only having to charge the iPad Mini every other day at most. 

We said there weren’t many iPad Mini 3 wishlists, but the one feature iPhone users have been asking for on the iPad is Touch ID. 

It becomes such an ingrained habit, pressing a finger or thumb to the iPhone’s home button, that switching to a Touch ID-less iPad gets terribly confusing. Well that's no longer a problem, as the Mini 3's joined the fingerprint-recognition party. It’s faster and more accurate than when it was first introduced and still just as easy to set up. 

So what can you do with it? First up, replace your pin code to unlock the iPad, a feature Samsung has added to smartphones such as the Galaxy S5, albeit in a slightly less elegant implementation. Then there’s fingerprint authentication for iTunes and App Store purchases, which is a nice timesaver that lets you wave bye-bye to entering your password every time.

Apple Pay, only available in the US for now, adds support for lots more online transactions - including booking Uber cabs. It’s worth noting that, unlike the iPhone 6, you wont be paying via NFC in shops with your Mini 3. To be fair to Apple, pressing an iPad Mini 3 to a contactless card reader would look a bit ridiculous. 

As for iOS 8.1, you can download this on to your iPad Mini 2 now, so it’s not much of a selling point for the new model. The additions are welcome though, both in terms of ironing out bugs in iOS 8 and adding long-hyped productivity features such as syncing files, links and messages with Yosemite (on MacBooks and iMacs) via Continuity when logged into iCloud.