Apple's iPad Air 2 may have stolen the show at the company's Oct. 16 reveal event, but company made sure not to leave iPad mini fans in the dust. The new iPad mini 3 retains its predecessor's sleek design and Retina display, while adding Apple's Touch ID fingerprint reader and a new gold color option.
Though Apple's allure as as strong as ever, the mini 3 has some serious competition in the 7- to 8-inch tablet space with rivals like the Amazon Fire HD 7, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 and the Lenovo ThinkPad 8. Here's how the four slates stack up.
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| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Row 0 - Cell 1 | Row 0 - Cell 2 | Row 0 - Cell 3 | Row 0 - Cell 4 |
| Row 1 - Cell 0 | Apple iPad Mini 3 | Amazon Fire HD 7 | Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 | Lenovo ThinkPad 8 |
| Starting Price | Starting at $399 | Starting at $139 | Starting at $399 | Starting at $399 |
| CPU/GPU | 64-bit Apple A7 processor/M7 motion co-processor | 1.5-GHz quad-core CPU | 1.9-GHz + 1.3-GHz Samsung Exynos 5 Octa | Intel Atom Z3770 Processor |
| OS | iOS 8 | Fire 4.0 | Android 4.4.2 | Windows 8.1 |
| Screen Size | 7.9 inches | 7 inches | 8.4 inches | 8.3-inches |
| Resolution | 2048 x 1536 pixels, Retina HD | 1280 x 800 pixels | 2560 x 1600 pixels | 1920 x 1200 pixels |
| RAM | N/A | N/A | 3GB | 2GB |
| Internal Storage | 16GB, 64GB, 128GB | 8GB, 16GB | 8GB | 32GB or 64GB |
| Expandable Storage | none | none | 64GB | 64GB, 128GB |
| Front Camera | 1.2 MP | VGA | 2.1 MP | 2 MP |
| Rear Camera | 5-MP iSight | 2-MP | 8-MP | 5-MP |
| Battery Life | estimated 10 hours Wi-Fi web browsing | 8 hours 25 minutes of continuous Web surfing | 7 hours and 56 minutes of continuous Web surfing | 7 hours and 4 minutes of continuous Web surfing |
| Size and Weight | 7.87 x 5.3 x 0.29 inches, 11.68 ounces | 7.5 x 5.0 x 0.4 inches, 11.9 ounces | 8.37 x 4.84 x 0.26, 10.37 ounces | 8.8 x 5.2 x 0.35 inches, 14.4 ounces |
| Connectivity | 802.11ac | 802.11b/g/n | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | 802.1a/b/g/n |
| Ports/Slots | Wi-Fi Calling, Digital Image Stablization, Touch ID Fingerprint scanner | microUSB, headphone | microUSB, microSD, headphone | mini-HDMI, headphone |
Design
The iPad is known for being sleeker than the rest of the pack, and the iPad mini 3 is no exception. The tablet packs Apple's usual aluminum backside, and comes in silver, space gray and a brand new gold color (for those who want to feel extra fancy). The Galaxy Tab S 8.4 and ThinkPad 8 aren't far behind in terms of style, with the former sporting a slick bronze chassis that makes plastic look premium, and the latter touting a minimalist aluminum body with a red camera ring on the rear panel. The Fire HD 7 is more durable than eye-poppingly stylish, with a thick, soft-touch design that brings Amazon's bigger HDX tablet line to mind.
At 7.87 x 5.3 x 0.29 inches, the iPad mini 3 is thinner than all three competitors. Its feathery 11.68-ounce build makes it lighter than both the Fire HD 7 and the ThinkPad 8, but not quite as light as the 10.37-ounce Galaxy Tab S.
Display
The iPad mini 3 retains its predecessor's 7.9-inch, 2048 x 1536 Retina HD display, making it one of the sharpest screens you can find on a small tablet. The Galaxy Tab S's 8.4-inch 2560 x 1600 display is bigger and even sharper, though. Coming in third is the ThinkPad 8's 8.3-inch, 1920 x 1080 display, while the more affordable Fire HD 7 nixes full-HD for a 1280 x 800 screen.
Features and Software
The iPad mini 3's biggest new feature is Touch ID, which lets you unlock the tablet, authorize iTunes purchases and verify online Apple Pay transactions using your fingerprint. The Galaxy Tab S and Fire HD 7 are the best of the bunch for kids; the former's Kids Mode offers a completely separate interface for little ones, while the latter's FreeTime settings allow you to set precise limits on how and how often junior uses the device. The ThinkPad 8 is best for business users, with USB 3.0 support and an optional dock that turns the slate into a Windows PC.
Each of the four slates run a different operating system. The iPad mini 3 rocks Apple's iOS 8.1, with access to more than 675,000 tablet-optimized apps on the App Store. The Galaxy Tab S packs a skinned version of Android 4.4.2 KitKat with a healthy (though less tablet-friendly) selection of apps via Google Play. The Fire HD 7 runs Fire OS 4 Sangria (also a variant of Android), which packs neat features like X-Ray for bookworms and movie addicts, while the ThinkPad 8 has the most productivity value with a full build of Windows 8.1.
Value
The iPad mini 3 starts at $400 with 16GB of storage, meaning you're paying $100 more than the iPad mini 2 mainly for just Touch ID. The Galaxy Tab S and ThinkPad 8 have the same starting price, though the ThinkPad 8 has more storage at 64GB while the 16GB Tab S can be cheaply expanded to 64GB via microSD. The Fire HD 7 is the best tablet for those on a tight budget, with a much lower starting price of $140 for 8GB of storage.
Bottom Line
If you don't already own an iPad mini 2 and want access to Apple's rich app marketplace, the sleek iPad mini 3 just might be worth the $400 premium. However, if you can live without iOS, the Galaxy S Tab 8.4 offers a sharper display and expandable storage, while the ThinkPad 8 has more starting storage and can double as a miniature Windows PC. And if you don't have $400 to blow on a tablet, the $140 Fire HD 7 remains a great choice, especially if you have kids.
