The Apple iPads are the most popular tablets in the country, but the iPad Air is already outselling the iPad Mini, after just a few months out on the market. So, what's the difference between the two popular tablets? We take a look! 

First of all, let's point out all the similarities between the two:

  • both have the same processing chip (A7 chip with 64-bit architecture and M7 motion coprocessor)
  • both cameras have the same specs (FaceTime HD camera -- 1.2MP photos, 720p HD video, FaceTime video calling over Wi‑Fi or cellular, Face detection, Backside illumination; iSight camera -- 5MP photos, Autofocus, Face detection, Backside illumination, Five-element lens, Hybrid IR filter, ƒ/2.4 aperture, HDR photos) 
  • both are supplied by the four major cell phone carriers (Sprint, AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile)
  • both devices have batteries with the same life span (Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‑Fi, watching video, or listening to music; Up to 9 hours of surfing the web using cellular data network; Charging via power adapter or USB to computer system) 
  • both have the same cellular and wi-fi capabilities (Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n); dual channel (2.4GHz and 5GHz) and MIMOBluetooth 4.0 technology; GSM/EDGE; CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B; UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA; LTE; Data only) 
  • both have Siri available, and both are charged by a lightning charger

So, what's the major differences between the two? Namely:

  • the price (the iPad Air starts at $499; the iPad Mini starts at $399)
  • the dimensions (the iPad Air has the following dimensions: Height: 9.4 inches (240 mm); Width: 6.6 inches (169.5 mm); Depth:0.29 inch (7.5 mm); Weight (Wi‑Fi): 1 pound (469 g); Weight (Wi‑Fi + Cellular): 1.05 pounds (478 g); the iPad Mini has the following dimensions: Height: 7.87 inches (200 mm); Width: 5.3 inches (134.7 mm);  Depth: 0.29 inch (7.5 mm); Weight (Wi‑Fi): 0.73 pound (331 g); Weight (Wi‑Fi + Cellular): 0.75 pound (341 g)) 
  • the display (the iPad Air has the following display specs: 9.7‑inch (diagonal) LED-backlit Multi‑Touch display with IPS technology; 2048-by-1536 resolution at 264 pixels per inch (ppi); Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating; the iPad Mini has the following display specs: 7.9‑inch (diagonal) LED-backlit Multi‑Touch display with IPS technology; 2048-by-1536 resolution at 326 pixels per inch (ppi); Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating) 

So, which iPad do you prefer?