Apple uses the same 7.9-inch, 2, 048-by-1, 536-pixel IPS LCD featured on the mini 2. It’s an undeniably high-quality panel that’s towards the top in terms of brightness and sharpness, but it doesn’t benefit from the same optical bonding or anti-reflection upgrades that come with the iPad Air 2. It also doesn’t impress quite like the Tab S 8.4’s 2, 560-by-1, 600-pixel AMOLED display, with its infinite contrast, incredible max brightness, and vibrant colors.
Apple iPad mini 3 vs Galaxy Tab S
The mini 3 starts at$399 for the 16GB Wi-Fi only model, with 64GB and 128GB options for$499 and$599, respectively. The cellular radio equipped models start at$529 for 16GB and go up to$729 for 128GB.
There are two new features of note for the mini 3: Touch ID and Apple SIM. The former is familiar at this point, having debuted with the iPhone 5s last year. It works with the same reliability and ease we’ve come to expect. But I’m not sure it’s quite as useful here as on the iPhone for two main reasons: I don’t constantly check for updates on a tablet, and my thumb doesn’t rest right over the Home button whenever I use the iPad. Security is essential on a smartphone that travels everywhere, and Touch ID is a revelation in terms of convenience, since I typically my phone locks every time I power the display down. My tablets hardly ever leave home, though, and I typically set them to lock only after extended periods of dormancy. It’s still faster to use Touch ID over a PIN code, but I don’t think it adds enough to justify the$100 premium.
Touch ID will work with Apple Pay, which sounds like a big deal on paper. But in this iteration, there’s no NFC; you can’t hold the tablet up to a reader at a store to pay for something, like you can with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Here, Apple Pay is restricted to online shopping and really just a shortcut for remembering and typing in passwords. If you do a lot of online shopping, this addition will be more significant.
Then there’s Apple SIM, which lets you use a single SIM card regardless of which carrier you choose to use for cellular data. Instead of having to go to the store and replace your SIM card, you can go straight into the Cellular Data settings menu and add a new account for your desired carrier. While useful, it’s more of a niche play—I’d be curious to see what percentage of tablet users switch their carriers on a regular basis.