Design and Build

The iPad Mini 3 (2014) is made of a 7.9-inch aluminium body with rounded corners, having dimensions of 7.87 x 5.3 x 0.29 inches (200 x 134.7 x 7.5 mm), and weighing 0.73 pounds (331g Wi-Fi, 341g Cellular). The product comes in three available colors: Space Gray, Silver, and Gold, it also comes with the introduction of a Touch ID Home button. The Mini series has seen this feature for the first time. However, it is not compatible with Apple Pencil or Smart Keyboard. The charging and data transfer are done through the use of the Lightning port. Neither water nor dust resistance is provided by this tablet as it hasn't got an IP rating. It is liked by the users as they see it as a very compact and luxurious build, but the downside of this is that it has a relatively old design with thick bezels.

• Aluminum chassis with rounded edges
• Touch ID Home button
• Lightning port
• No Apple Pencil or Smart Keyboard support
• No water/dust resistance

iPad Mini 3 Display

The iPad Mini 3 sports a 7.9-inch Retina IPS LCD display (2048 x 1536, 326 PPI) with a 60Hz refresh rate and 450 nits brightness. While the display totally lacks True Tone and P3 wide color gamut, the absence of lamination introduces a minor air gap between the layers, which is not seen in the newer models hence the drop in clarity. The set-up allows the display to perform normally in the sun but is bothered a lot by the strong light. The majority of users think the screen is clear, good for books, and video although they indicate that they are not happy with the display as it lacks some of the advanced features such as Pro Motion or anti-reflective coating.

• 7.9-inch Retina IPS LCD, 60Hz
• Resolution: 2048 x 1536, 326 PPI
• Brightness: 450 nits
• Scratch-resistant glass, oleophobic coating

Performance and Software

The iPad Mini 3 uses the Apple A7 chip (2-core CPU, PowerVR G6430 GPU) and 1GB RAM and is available in the variants of 16GB ($399), 64GB, and 128GB. This is an introduction of the iOS 8.1, but there are the following options for the user to upgrade the iOS there is iOS 12.5.7 available as the newest one. This tablet is not on A.I technology but it can still do basic multitasking features. The last software updates came out in 2023, still, it is possible to update. The A7 chip provides for a smooth web-surfing experience and media playback, however, the performance in the app is not up to the trend, and multitasking becomes unbearable. Most buyers accepted its comfort ability but remain unsatisfied the slow speeds and the little storage space.

• Apple A7 chip, 2-core CPU
• 1GB RAM
• Storage: 16GB, 64GB, 128GB
• iOS 8.1 (up to iOS 12.5.7)
• No Apple Intelligence support

The A7 is outdated for modern use, making the iPad Mini 3 suitable only for basic tasks and legacy apps.

Camera System

The iPad Mini 3 owns an f/2.4 5MP main camera and an f/2.2 1.2MP front camera. It is compatible with 1080p/30fps (rear) and 720p/30fps (front) video recording. The cameras are simple and can be used for taking pictures and making video calls occasionally, but they are also of low quality in low light situations.

• Rear: 5MP (f/2.4)
• Front: 1.2MP (f/2.2)
• Video: 1080p 30fps (rear), 720p 30fps (front)
• No advanced features

Battery and Charging

The iPad Mini 3 comes with a 6470mAh battery and delivers about 10 hours of video playback and 8-10 hours in real life. It is capable of Lightning 10W charging that fills 50% in about 90 minutes, and a 10W charger is supplied. No wireless charging is provided. The battery performance is quite solid for the device's compactness and is equal to that of the iPad Mini 2. The users claim that the device works for quite long with the light load and that they notice the battery going down much faster with a heavy load.

• Battery: 6470mAh
• Video playback: ~10h
• Real-world: 8–10h
• 10W wired charging (50% in ~90 min)
• 10W Lightning charger included

Connectivity

The iPad Mini 3 features Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), Bluetooth 4.0, and 4G LTE as an option for cellular models ($529+). The iPad Mini 3 employs a nano-SIM, GPS (A-GPS on cellular), and Lightning port that serves as an ordinary data transfer and charging connector. Aside from not being on par with the Wi-Fi 6 and 5G networks, the iPad Mini 3 is also not able to bring about any improvements in the connection speed as expected in the broadcast industry. The users mention that the connection is secure although it's severely delayed due to overcrowded networks.

• Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n)
• Bluetooth 4.0
• 4G LTE (cellular models)
• Nano-SIM
• GPS: A-GPS (cellular)
• Lightning port

Pricing and Availability

Initially, the prices started from $399 (16GB Wi-Fi) and $529 (16GB Cellular), and the products could be bought at Apple and the shops from October 22, 2014. Also, they had 16GB, 64GB, and 128GB as main storage capacities and variants offered. The stocks were last cleared on September 9, 2015, and now the users are presented with the possibility to buy them refurbished at a price range of $100 to $200. The iPad Mini 4 ($399) succeeded in doubling the performance, but the Mini 3 still is the one that offers the largest budget for simple jobs.