The entire range of the iPad, iPad Mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro has been segmented based on features, design, and dimensions. But there is a small confusion Why iPad Mini is More Expensive Than iPad? What are the key differences?
The iPad mini is more costly, since it has much more to offer than the regular iPad:
- Sleeker Design
- Sharper Display
- Superior Camera
- Higher Performance
- Battery
- Portability
Let’s go a bit deeper into this topic and discuss the differences in detail.
Price Difference Between iPad Mini and iPad
The iPad Mini 6 and iPad come in many options, and the exact cost depends on the product variant. The price difference is $50. Not such a big deal, but is it worth paying those $50 more?
| Variants | iPad Mini 6th Gen | iPad 10th Generation | Price Difference |
| 64 GB + WIFI | $499 | $449 | $50 |
| 64 GB + WIFI + Cellular | $649 | $599 | $50 |
| 256 GB + WIFI | $649 | $599 | $50 |
| 256 GB + WIFI + Cellular | $799 | $749 | $50 |
Why Is The iPad Mini More Expensive Than the iPad?
To answer this question, I’ll dive deep into the nitty-gritty of both tablets and find these reasons that make the iPad Mini more expensive.
Design
Apple has changed the design of the latest iPad Mini model They have put a lot of effort into providing the all-screen front design modeled after the iPad Air.
It has no Home button, and even the Touch ID has been moved inside the Power button. Even the Volume button shifted over the top to accommodate the Apple Pencil 2, which pairs with a magnetic connection.
The iPad 10th generation may feature a new design, but it’s essential to understand that the iPad Mini’s higher price tag is primarily due to the challenges associated with packing advanced technology into a smaller form factor. When you’re working with a more compact device like the iPad Mini, you’re tasked with engineering smaller components, including a smaller battery, camera, CPU, and more. This intricate process of miniaturization and optimization inevitably raises production costs
Display
iPad mini offers an all-screen front, with a front-facing camera and no Touch ID button, resulting in a more prominent display of 8.3 inches with a Liquid Retina IPS LCD that has a brightness of 500 nits and a resolution of 1488 x 2266.
iPad mini comes with a higher pixel density that makes it glorious & detailed and makes the image crispier. The great thing about the iPad mini is it has rounded corners that give it a visual appeal. All such precessions increase the cost and make it expensive.
On the other hand, the 10th generation iPad has a 10.9-inch Retina IPS LCD with a resolution of 2360 x 1640 and a brightness of 500 nits, but it lacks the wide color gamut support available in the mini-series. Additionally, the iPad 10th gen lacks a laminated design and anti-glare coating, which affects the visual experience.
Camera
When it comes to the camera capabilities, the iPad Mini clearly outshines the iPad 10th generation. The iPad Mini boasts a 12-megapixel rear-facing camera that can capture 4K videos and offers a wide-angle mode for 1080p recording. It also supports Center Stage functionality, ensuring you remain the focus during video calls. The selfie camera on the iPad Mini can record video at 1080p resolution.
On the other hand, the iPad 10th generation, while equipped with a 12MP rear-facing camera that can produce HDR photos, lacks certain features like portrait mode and night mode, limiting its versatility. The 12-megapixel selfie camera on the iPad 10th generation delivers decent results and surprisingly supports the Center Stage technology for enhanced video calls.
Smaller iPad – Larger Performance
Talking about the performance of the latest iPad mini 6 as it is equipped with the latest A15 Bionic chip that provides lightning-fast processing with the help of a Hexa-core processor, 5 core GPU, and 4 GB RAM capacity.
The CPU and 16-core Neural Engine make it an excellent fit for video editing, photo editing, video calling, etc. Higher-end processing and neural engines offer a 40 percent increase in performance.
But all such offering requires more investment and increase the cost of the iPad mini.
Battery
iPad mini 6th generation comes with a Li-Ion (19.3 Wh) battery that provides 10 hours of usage which can be further increased by tweaking the device, such as lowering the brightness, turning off the cellular network connectivity while not in use, and closing the background apps that are not required.
If the battery drains out, then fast charging via USB-C port is also supported in the iPad mini; it takes less than hours to fully charge it with the help of a 20W power adapter.
With the latest iPad model, they have also upgraded the connectivity, and now the classic iPad has a USB-C port as well.
Apple fitted a better battery into a smaller model, which drives up the price. Minimizing things costs money.
Even More Lightweight & Portable
Portability is a feature that requires some serious designing magic, and while the traditional iPad is no giant either, the iPad mini definitely takes portability to the next level. Apple has set the bar too high for people to expect higher performance, power, and aesthetics from the iPad Mini while reducing the size and keeping it lightweight. iPad’s mini small size makes it a perfect fit to carry anywhere, so you can put it in the bag or fit it in the sleeve.
The iPad 10th generation is 10.9 inches in size, two inches bigger than the iPad mini, and 1.05 lbs in weight, while the iPad mini is just 0.66 lbs.
iPad mini’s high-cost results from providing the top-notch performance in a smaller size, so it is safe to say that excellent performance comes in a small package.
Final words
The price gap between iPad Mini and iPad has decreased with the latest iPad 10th gen model. It has some significant improvements – 5g connectivity, USB-C port, better processor, and other things.
The iPad mini comes in a smaller size and less weight, making it portable and a perfect fit to use on the go. It also has powerful processing, a higher resolution display, a better battery, an enhanced Camera, and a sleeker design.
Overall, the higher price of the iPad mini is justified and conspicuous.
- OS: iPadOS 15
- Screen Size: 8.3-inch
- Resolution: 2266×1488
- Processor: A15 Bionic Chip
- RAM: 4GB
- Storage: 64GB, 256GB
- Camera: Back: 12MP wide | Front: 12MP
- Refresh Rate: 60Hz
- Ports: USB-C port
- Dimensions: 195.4 mm x 134.8mm x 6.3mm (7.69in x 5.3in x 0.25in)
- Weight: 0.65lbs (293g)
- Battery Life: Up to 10 hours
Related Articles:
I'm a writer and editor in iPads & Android Tablets, Windows Tablet section. I'm passionate about technology, especially about tablets. I'm on a mission to assist people in discovering their ideal tablets. In addition, I'm dedicated to producing helpful how-to guides and sharing top-notch tips and tricks. In my early carrier I founded and became and editor at worldoftablet and have been a guest author at many other tech blogs. In wolfoftablet I'm focusing on iPads, Tablets, Apple Pencil, Apps, Reviews, Buyers Guides and Tablet Accessories. In free time I like to play games on my PS5 or iOS.
