Apple iPad mini 3 review: Minor update might not be worth it

The latest iPad mini, called the mini 3, is out this week. It's a basic improvement on last year's model, so is it worth buying or should you avoid?

Let's remember that a tablet is made up of components and some of them, such as the Retina display, aren't cheap. And while the full-size iPad had to wait until its third generation, the mini had its screen upgraded on its second go-around. Maybe this meant that Apple felt it wanted to hold back on the improvements this time.

Touch ID

There are some, of course. The biggest is the arrival of the slick Touch ID feature, seen on the iPhone 5s, 6 and 6 Plus and now on the iPad Air 2. This fingerprint sensor is a welcome addition and means it's easier to unlock the screen. No need for entering a passcode when you want to wake your tablet.

And it means you can buy apps, videos and music from iTunes just by pressing your thumb or forefinger on to the Home button that also serves as the Touch ID sensor. When Apple Pay arrives in the UK, perhaps next year, it will also mean that compatible apps will allow users to pay for purchases. And it's already in use in apps such as 1Password where it saves another password input (appropriately enough).

Design

The iPad mini 3 is identical in design to the iPad mini with Retina display, no renamed iPad mini 2. Well, except for two things: the Touch ID sensor is new and visible on all except the space gray versions and the colour. It's now available in gold as well as previous options. Does this even count as an upgrade?

Maybe not, but you can bet it's going to be a popular choice. There will be people who have an iPhone 5s or 6 in gold and have been yearning for a matching iPad. Now they can have one.

And unlike the Air 2, this iPad retains the hardware switch used to mute the tablet or turn off screen rotation as preferred. On the bigger tablet this is now software-only. Expect this button to vanish in the next iteration.

Performance

The A7 chip found in last year's iPad mini 2 is carried over to this model, so unsurprisingly the performance is comparable to that. Although it's a disappointment that there's no speed increase, the A7 is a very powerful, extremely fast chip that was frankly more powerful than was needed last year. It was no slouch, in other words. There's every chance the new more demanding apps being devised now will run smoothly on the mini 3.

Camera

The camera remains the same as on last year's edition, a five-megapixel model which is capable and effective, despite the low pixel count. And though the sensor is unchanged, some extra features have arrived thanks to improved software. Highlights include the Panorama function which can save images up to 43 megapixels, and in video recording it also includes time-lapse video, though not the slo-mo the iPad Air 2 manages.

Apple sim

The iPad mini 3, like the bigger Air 2, comes with an Apple sim card installed in the cellular versions so you can switch from one pay-as-you-go provider to another without a trip to a phone shop. Well, sort of. In the UK it's currently only EE that supports this, so it will come into its own when other networks join or when you're in the US, which has several carriers on board.

Other iPad minis

There are now three different iPad mini 3 models on the market. The first and second-generation iPad minis are still on the shelves. The iPad mini 2 has dropped in price by £80, so it costs £239 for wi-fi only and 16GB capacity, and £339 for wi-fi and cellular. And now you can buy an iPad mini for less than £200 - the first generation is available for £199 with 16GB of storage, which may tempt a lot of people who've always wanted an iPad but thought it too expensive.

Verdict

If you want a small-screen tablet, it's still hard to beat the iPad mini. The first edition is now highly affordable, last year's model is good value and the new version is the most attractive yet, with the arrival of Touch ID, the fingerprint sensor.

And if you like your iPad in gold, you now have that option with the mini 3. Even though there weren't as many innovations here as many would have liked - maybe those will come next year - the combination of gorgeously built hardware, the unbeaten usability of the Apple software and a great ecosystem of apps mean this remains a highly appealing tablet.