Photo: Piscopro / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons · source
iPad mini 4
An Air 2 in miniature, with a laminated screen and 2 GB of RAM.
Overview
After the underwhelming mini 3, the fourth iPad mini rebuilt the small tablet from scratch around the design language of the iPad Air 2. The body dropped to 6.1 mm and under 300 grams, and the display was laminated and given an anti-reflective coating for better contrast outdoors.
The A8 chip supplied roughly twice the CPU speed of the A7, and doubling the memory to 2 GB meant that Split View and Slide Over multitasking, introduced in iOS 9, ran properly on a seven-inch-class device. The camera climbed to 8 megapixels and Wi-Fi gained 802.11ac.
Pricing started at 16 GB for $399 and, in 2016, Apple reduced the lineup to a single 128 GB tier at the same starting price. The mini 4 stayed on sale for years, until it was succeeded by the mini 5.
Why it mattered
Revived the mini line after a two-year lull and set the thin, laminated design later used by the mini 5.
At a glance
- Announced
- September 9, 2015
- Released
- September 9, 2015
- Discontinued
- March 18, 2019
- Launch price
- $399
- Chip
- Apple A8, 1.5 GHz dual-core
- Display
- 7.9"
- Storage
- 16GB, 64GB, 128GB
- Status
- Vintage
Highlights
- 6.1 mm body weighing under 300 g (Wi-Fi)
- A8 chip and 2 GB RAM enable Split View
- Laminated anti-reflective screen
- 8 MP rear camera
Tech specs
Specifications as published at launch. Some values (like battery life) are manufacturer estimates.
Display
- Size
- 7.9-inch
- Type
- Retina LED-backlit IPS, laminated with anti-reflective coating
- Resolution
- 2048 x 1536 (326 ppi)
- Refresh rate
- 60 Hz
Chip
- Chip
- Apple A8, 1.5 GHz dual-core 64-bit
- Coprocessor
- Apple M8 motion coprocessor
Memory
- RAM
- 2 GB
- Storage options
- 16GB, 64GB, 128GB (later 128GB only)
Camera
- Rear camera
- 8 MP iSight, 1080p video
- Front camera
- 1.2 MP FaceTime HD
Battery
- Battery life
- Up to 10 hours of web, video or music
- Capacity
- About 19.1 Wh
Connectivity
- Wi-Fi
- 802.11a/b/g/n/ac with MIMO
- Cellular
- Optional 4G LTE model
- Connector
- Lightning
- Bluetooth
- Bluetooth 4.2
Accessories
- Apple Pencil
- Not supported
- Keyboard
- Bluetooth keyboards and third-party cases
Design
- Dimensions
- 203.2 x 134.8 x 6.1 mm
- Weight
- 298.8 g (Wi-Fi), 304 g (cellular)
Security
- Authentication
- Touch ID fingerprint sensor
Software
- Launch OS
- iOS 9
- Latest supported OS
- iPadOS 15.8.x
How it compares
More in the iPad mini family
iPad mini
Apple's first small tablet, light enough to hold in one hand.
iPad mini 2
The small iPad gets its Retina screen and a 64-bit brain.
iPad mini 3
Same mini, now with Touch ID and a gold finish.
iPad mini (5th generation)
After four years, the mini comes back with Apple Pencil.
iPad mini (6th generation)
A complete redesign: bigger screen, USB-C and no home button.
iPad mini (A17 Pro)
The pocketable iPad gets an iPhone-class A17 Pro and Apple Intelligence.