This article may contain affiliate links. Learn more on our Partner Program page.
The new iPad mini has an OLED display, is waterproof, and yet costs less than the 11-inch iPad Air. With the same storage capacity, the two devices differ in price by exactly 50 euros. The decision, therefore, doesn't come down to price, but rather to size, display, and what you want to connect to the device.
With the iPad mini (A20 Pro), Apple has revamped its smallest tablet: OLED instead of LCD, IP67 protection, 255 grams, and a starting price of €749. The 11-inch iPad Air with the M4 chip starts at €799 and still has an LCD display. This creates an unusual situation: the smaller device has more advanced technology in several aspects, while the larger one has a more powerful chip and a wider range of accessories.
Apple's technical specifications for the iPad mini and iPad Air show how far apart the two devices have become. The price difference is smaller than before: The iPad mini with the A17 Pro chip recently started at €679, while its successor costs €70 more.
Key Facts at a Glance
- In Germany, the iPad mini costs 50 euros less than the 11-inch iPad Air in the 128, 256 and 512 GB versions.
- The iPad mini has the better display: OLED with up to 1,200 nits in HDR, while the Air sticks with LCD at 500 nits.
- The Air offers 67 percent more display area, but only about 10 percent more pixels.
- The Air features an M4 with an 8-core CPU and 12 GB of RAM, 1 TB as an option, 6K on an external display and the Magic Keyboard.
- Only the iPad mini is IP67-rated for water and dust resistance and weighs 209 grams less.
All differences are listed in the table
| iPad mini (A20 Pro) | iPad Air 11″ (M4) | |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 8.5″ OLED (Super Retina XDR) | 10.86″ LCD (Liquid Retina) |
| Resolution | 2316 × 1512, 326 ppi | 2360 × 1640, 264 ppi |
| Brightness | 600 nits SDR, up to 1,200 nits HDR | 500 nits |
| Nanotextured glass | optional from 256 GB | – |
| Chip | A20 Pro | M4 |
| CPU | 5-core (128/256GB), 6-core (512GB) | 8-Core |
| GPU | 7-Core | 9-Core |
| RAM | Currently unknown | 12 GB |
| Storage | 128 / 256 / 512 GB | 128 / 256 / 512 GB / 1 TB |
| External Display | up to 4K at 60 Hz | up to 6K at 60 Hz |
| Water and dust | IP67 | – |
| Weight (Wi-Fi) | 255 g | 464 g |
| Mass | 195.3 × 132.6 × 5.4 mm | 247.6 × 178.5 × 6.1 mm |
| Battery | 18.9 Wh, up to 10 hours. | 28.93 Wh, up to 10 hours. |
| Apple keyboard | – (Bluetooth keyboards) | Magic Keyboard for iPad Air |
| Mobile modem | Apple C2 | Apple C1X |
| Colours | Midnight, Polaris | Blue, Violet, Polaris, Space Grey |
| Price Germany from | 749 € | 799 € |
The Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C), Touch ID in the top button, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 via the N1 chip, the 12 MP wide-angle rear camera and the 12 MP landscape front camera are the same.
OLED vs. LCD: The smaller device has the better display
The most noticeable difference lies in the screen. The iPad mini uses an OLED display with a contrast ratio of 2,000,000:1, a minimum brightness of 1 nit, and a peak brightness of up to 1,200 nits for HDR content. The iPad Air continues to use an LCD with LED backlighting and 500 nits. Neither device has ProMotion.
The nanotexture glass option is also only available for the smaller model. Apple offers it for the iPad mini with 256 GB or more, in Germany for €1,009 instead of €879, a price increase of €130. This option is not available for the Air.
The Air wins in terms of screen area, and more significantly than the diagonal measurements would suggest. Measured as a rectangle, the iPad mini has a screen area of approximately 213 square centimeters, while the 11-inch Air has approximately 357. That's 67 percent more area. However, the Air only has a slight 10 percent advantage in pixel count, with roughly 3.87 million compared to 3.50 million. The iPad mini therefore has almost the same number of pixels, but they are packed much more densely.
Smaller, lighter, and waterproof
At 255 grams, the iPad mini weighs 55 percent of the Air. At 5.4 millimeters, it's also the thinner device, and its casing takes up only about half the volume. For reading, taking notes with the Apple Pencil, and using it on the go, this is the real difference between the two devices.
The iPad mini is IP67 rated: According to Apple, it can withstand being submerged in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes. The iPad Air does not have this rating. Those who use the tablet in the kitchen, in the bathtub, or by the pool therefore have significantly more leeway with the smaller model.
Both spec sheets list up to 10 hours of battery life when browsing via Wi-Fi, even though the Air's battery, at 28.93 watt-hours, is roughly half the size of the mini's, which has 18.9 watt-hours. Apple also specifies a fast-charging time for the iPad mini: up to 50 percent in about 30 minutes with a 35-watt power adapter. The Air's spec sheet does not include this information.
Chip, memory and accessories: Here the Air comes out on top
The M4 chip in the iPad Air has an 8-core CPU with three performance cores and five efficiency cores, a 9-core GPU, 12 GB of RAM, and 120 GB/s memory bandwidth. The A20 Pro in the iPad mini starts with a 5-core CPU; only the 512 GB model gets the 6-core CPU. Apple does not specify the amount of RAM in the iPad mini.
The iPad mini tops out at 512 GB of storage, while the Air goes up to 1 TB. When connected to an external display, the Air can output up to 6K at 60 Hz, while the iPad mini supports up to 4K. Users who work with apps side-by-side in windows benefit doubly from the larger display and the monitor connection – iPadOS offers several modes for this, which simply provide more space on the ten-inch screen.
The most important difference in accessories is the keyboard. The Air has a Smart Connector, and Apple offers the Magic Keyboard for iPad Air for €329. The iPad mini does not have a Smart Connector; Apple only lists Bluetooth keyboards for this device. The Air received the M4 connector in March with the switch from the M3, while the casing and keyboard connector remained the same.
The Air offers a wider range of colors: blue, purple, Polaris, and space gray. The iPad mini is available in midnight and Polaris.
Prices in Germany, Austria and Switzerland
| Storage | iPad mini DE | iPad Air 11″ DE | iPad mini AT | iPad Air 11″ AT | iPad mini CH | iPad Air 11″ CH |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 128 GB | 749 € | 799 € | 749 € | 799 € | 679 CHF | 729 CHF |
| 256 GB | 879 € | 929 € | 879 € | 939 € | 779 CHF | 829 CHF |
| 512 GB | 1.129 € | 1.179 € | 1.129 € | 1.179 € | 979 CHF | 1,029 CHF |
| 1 TB | – | 1.559 € | – | 1.569 € | – | 1,329 CHF |
All prices are for the Wi-Fi models. In Germany, the cellular version of both devices costs €170 more; the iPad mini Wi-Fi + Cellular starts at €919, and the iPad Air at €969.
In Germany and Switzerland, the price difference across all storage tiers remains at 50 euros and 50 francs, respectively. In Austria, the Air differs from the German prices by 10 euros for both the 256 GB and 1 TB models, and the price difference to the iPad mini increases to 60 euros for the 256 GB version.
Size matters, not price
I consider the price difference the least important factor in this comparison. 50 euros is too little to tip the scales when comparing devices around 800 euros – especially since the Air with the Magic Keyboard already costs 1,128 euros. What matters is whether the tablet will be carried in a jacket pocket or placed on a desk.
For reading, handwritten notes, car navigation, and media on the sofa, the iPad mini is clearly the better device for me. It has a nicer display, is half the weight, and is water-resistant. However, those who want more processing power in the smaller model will only get the 6-core CPU with the 512 GB version for €1,129.
Anyone using the iPad as a work device with a keyboard, external monitor, or multiple windows should still stick with the iPad Air. The M4 processor with 12 GB of RAM, the Smart Connector, and the larger screen area are more significant advantages than the OLED display. There's no compromise between these two roles in this price range – one device is a companion, the other a small laptop replacement. Below that is the entry-level iPad starting at €499, and above it is the iPad Pro starting at €1,299 – together, that makessix current iPad models.
Would you trade the larger display and Magic Keyboard of the iPad Air for an OLED display and IP67 rating – or is the iPad mini simply too small for you to work with? Let us know in the comments what role you need your next iPad to play.
Frequently Asked Questions: iPad mini vs. iPad Air
It depends on how you use it. The iPad mini has a better display (OLED) and is IP67 water and dust resistant. The iPad Air offers the more powerful M4 chip, a larger display, and support for the Magic Keyboard.
In Germany, the iPad mini costs €50 less than the 11-inch iPad Air in the 128, 256, and 512 GB versions. The entry-level price is €749 compared to €799.
Yes. The iPad mini (A20 Pro) has an 8.5-inch OLED display with up to 1,200 nits for HDR content. The iPad Air still uses an LCD with 500 nits.
The iPad mini is IP67 rated and, according to Apple, can withstand immersion in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes. The iPad Air does not have this rating.
No. The iPad mini doesn't have a Smart Connector; Apple only mentions Bluetooth keyboards as compatible. The Magic Keyboard for iPad Air costs €329.
The amount of RAM in the iPad mini is currently unknown; Apple does not list it in the technical specifications. According to Apple, the iPad Air with the M4 chip has 12 GB.
Yes. Both the iPad mini and the iPad Air support the Apple Pencil Pro and the Apple Pencil (USB-C).
