iPad Mini 4 and iPad Mini 2: Which Should You Buy?

The iPad mini 4 was recently released and stands alongside the iPad mini 2 as the only small tablet Apple sells. Which one should you buy?

Apple quietly and quickly announced the iPad mini 4 at its iPhone 6s event last week, with only a brief discussion about the new tablet. However, it comes with a pretty good upgrade over the iPad mini 3, which has an A8 processor, 2GB of memory, and an 8-megapixel camera.

Compared to the iPad mini 2, the iPad mini 4 is a really good upgrade. The iPad mini 2 has the slightly older A7 chip and comes with only 1GB of memory. Plus, the camera is only 5 megapixels. Of course, we can’t forget the gold color option as well as the Touch ID upgrade that the iPad mini 4 has.

If you’re looking for a new iPad and are considering buying an iPad mini directly from Apple, you can get the iPad mini 2 or the newer iPad mini 4. You can only choose the iPad mini 4. since it’s a newer tablet, which is perfectly fine, but there are many factors to consider when buying a new tablet.

Here’s what you need to know about the iPad mini 4 and iPad mini 2 and which one you should buy.

iPad Mini 4 and iPad Mini 2

So, with the faster processor and more memory in the iPad mini 4, it’s clear that there’s a big performance difference between the iPad mini 4 and the iPad mini 2. More convenient for unlocking your iPad and purchasing apps from the App Store.

So yes, on paper the iPad mini 4 is easily a superior tablet when it comes to features and performance, but perhaps one thing many consumers keep in mind when purchasing a new device is the price tag.

The iPad mini 4 starts at $399 for the entry-level 16GB version, the 64GB model starts at $499 and the 128GB model starts at $599. The iPad mini 2, on the other hand, starts at $269, which is more reasonable for the 16GB version, and goes up to 32GB for $319.

If money isn’t your problem and you have money to spend on the iPad mini 4, then this is by far your best bet. Even if you don’t have enough money for a newer tablet and find yourself using an iPad for everything, it might be worth saving for the iPad mini 4 because of its performance. 2GB of memory really helps when you have multiple apps running in the background and switching between them.

However, we don’t recommend buying a 16GB iPad as there is usually not enough storage for most users, so plan to spend at least $499 for the iPad mini 4, while you can get 32GB for the iPad mini 2. $319. That’s a $180 difference between the two models, which is a huge difference.

If you tend to be a frugal shopper and won’t use your iPad for anything other than occasional browsing and occasional gaming, the iPad mini 2 is still worth it for the price. It’s a tablet that can still perform and will do so for a while.

Personally, I still have the iPad mini 2 and see no reason to upgrade in the next few years, but that will depend on how newer versions of iOS perform on the aging tablet.

Of course, I don’t use my iPad very often and really only use it to play a few games like Clash of Clans and SimCity BuildIt, but if I used my iPad more often I would probably consider upgrading.

At this point, however, the iPad mini 2 is a good tablet for most casual users, while the iPad mini 4 may be the best choice for users looking for a tablet they plan to use more than casual.