iPad mini 5

Apple announced the updated iPad mini 5 via press release in March 2019. While its predecessor shares a nearly identical design, its renewed features and chipset revamped its use case.

The iPad mini runs iPadOS, which means you get all the features and apps you've come to expect from an iPad. Having a portable drawing tablet or reading device was nothing new, but this was the best combination of power, price, and size for those seeking a compact tablet at the time.

iPad mini 5 Features

The iPad mini's name speaks for itself as it stuffs all the expected iPad features into a miniature enclosure. Touch ID, a laminated display, and iPadOS make the iPad mini 5 a near-perfect miniaturization of its bigger brother, the iPad Air 3.

Apple Pencil

The 2019 iPad mini has support for the first-generation Apple Pencil. It was a long-awaited feature for those who loved the form factor. It works as expected if you've used the Pencil on other devices.

The pencil charges via Lightning since there were no new design changes to allow for the magnetic charging mount used by the second-generation Apple Pencil.

Tim Cook revealed the iPad mini with Apple Pencil support via a tweet and press release showing an image of him drawing with the Pencil. 

The iPad mini 5 was revealed using this image of Tim Cook

The Apple Pencil launched as an iPad Pro-only tool in 2015 and has since trickled down to every iPad in Apple's lineup. 

Display

This iPad mini has a 500 nit display supporting the P3 color gamut and True Tone. It is 7.9-inches on the diagonal and has a 2048 x 1536 resolution at 326 PPI. The screen is also laminated, allowing content to feel closer to the surface of the screen. These features are ideal for drawing with Apple Pencil. 

AppleInsider reviewed the iPad mini 5 and rated it 4.5 out of 5.

The Retina Display is still amazing for viewing text and photos, even in bright light, although direct sunlight will still prove to be a problem. With iPadOS installed, and a Mac running macOS Catalina, you can use SideCar to mirror or extend your Mac's screen, even to your diminutive iPad mini.

Processor

Apple included its (at the time) newest iPhone chipset in the iPad mini 5. The A12 Bionic is no slouch and is a huge jump from the previous iPad mini's A8 SoC. This means better responsiveness and faster loading across the device. The chip includes 3 GB of RAM, making it a capable device for on-the-go gaming or light image editing.

In 2020, Apple released a new iPad Pro with LiDAR and an A12Z chipset for improved AR, but the iPad mini was still capable of quality AR experiences. The A12 Bionic handles modern iPad games with ease while rendering AR content despite its older hardware.

Cameras and Audio

The rear camera is 8MP and capable of capturing Live Photos in wide color. The front-facing camera upgraded this generation to 7MP, allowing 1080P FaceTime and video. The mics haven't changed but have moved position, meaning you'll need a new case if you don't want to obscure the mics.

While the speakers are nothing to brag about, they are more than enough for a tiny device, and you'll likely be using headphones anyway. Speaking of headphones, there is still a headphone jack in this model, so at least one of your devices will still have the aging port.

There is Bluetooth 5, so any of your favorite headphones will connect with ease.

iPad mini 5 Pricing

You can purchase the iPad mini in three colors; space gray, silver, and gold. It is configurable to have 64GB or 256GB of storage, and there is also a cellular option. The iPad mini is priced at $399 or $549, respectively. Add $130 to the total if you want to add cellular to either option.