Should You Wait for the iPad Mini 4?

If you’re in the market for a new iPad mini, should you buy one now or wait until the iPad mini 4 release?

It’s been over six months since the iPad mini 3 released, which means we’re closer to the release of the supposed iPad mini 4 than we are to the release of the iPad mini 3 last year.

This means that if you’re wanting to buy an iPad mini, you might just be tempted to wait until the iPad mini 4 comes out, since it will future-proof for a bit longer than if you were to buy an iPad mini right now.

However, what you choose to do really depends on your budget and your tablet usage habits.

The iPad mini 3 is the newest mini tablet that Apple offers, although it comes with last-generation components, including an Apple A7 processor with 1GB of memory and the same rear- and front-facing cameras. It’s actually exactly the same as the iPad mini 2 performance-wise, with the only differences being that the newer model as a Touch ID fingerprint sensor and a gold color option.

Of course, this doesn’t mean the iPad mini 3 is an awful deal, as some buyers are willing to pay the extra cost to have the convenience of Touch ID, but for those simply wanting the best performance, the iPad mini 2 is actually the better buy right now.

iPad mini 4 vs iPad mini 2

The iPad mini 2 was launched back in October of 2013 as a huge upgrade over the original iPad mini, coming with a Retina display and a huge jump in performance. We’re guessing the iPad mini 4 will receive the same treatment this time around.

Rumors of the iPad mini 4 are surprisingly few and far between, which isn’t too surprising as it’s still a bit early to wonder about the next-generation tablet, especially since Apple still needs to get through WWDC next week, which is what many rumor mills are focusing on right now.

However, it’s safe to assume that the iPad mini 4 will be a big upgrade for the smaller tablet, and we wouldn’t be surprised if it matched the specs of the iPad Air 3, which is also expected to be announced later this year as well.

Currently, the iPad Air 2 rocks an A8X processor, which is a 64-bit chip that provides 2.5x faster graphics performance and 40% faster CPU performance than the A7 processor, which is in the iPad Air and the iPad mini 2. That’s a pretty big leap that we’ll hopefully see come with the iPad mini 4.

The iPad mini 4 could rock Apple’s A9 processor and receive a 2GB memory boost just like the iPad Air 2, which is great and all, but something else to consider is price.

iPad mini 4 Price

When deciding on whether or not to buy an iPad mini right now or wait until later this year to buy an iPad mini 4, you’ll want to factor in price and how much you’re willing to pay for an iPad. It’s also important to consider how much value you’ll get out of an iPad mini based on how much you spend on one.

We’re expecting the iPad mini 4 to keep the same starting price tag of $399, just like previous newer iPad mini models. This would keep the iPad mini priced at $100 less than the full-sized iPad model. So if you wait until later this year and buy an iPad mini 4, expect to pay at least $400 for it.

However, if you were to wait until the iPad mini 4 released, but instead bought the iPad mini 3 at that point, you would be able to save some cash, as we’d expect that model to drop to $299, making it a way better deal than it is today.

As for the iPad mini 2, we’re not quite sure if Apple will keep it around when they announce the iPad mini 4, but if they do, we can easily see the priced dropped to $249, making it quite the steal.

This is where you’ll have to do some thinking of your own. You could buy the iPad mini 2 right now for $299 or wait just a few more months and possibly get the iPad mini 3 for the same price, with addition of the Touch ID fingerprint sensor on the Home button, as well choosing a gold color option if that’s your thing. Otherwise, you can buy the iPad mini 4 for $399 and get a hell of a tablet out of it.

In the end, if you’re on a budget and are looking to get the most out of your hard-earned dollar, buying the iPad mini 2 right now or waiting until the iPad mini 3 drops in price are good options. Otherwise, if you’re looking to buy the best iPad mini tablet there is with no worries about the cost, then we’d suggest waiting until the fall when Apple will most likely release the iPad mini 4.