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iPad mini (5th generation)
After four years, the mini comes back with Apple Pencil.
Overview
Four years separated the iPad mini 4 from the mini 5, and the long wait was rewarded with a very capable refresh. The outside barely changed, with the same compact 7.9-inch body, Touch ID home button and headphone jack, but the inside was brand new.
The A12 Bionic chip with its Neural Engine was several times faster than the A8, and 3 GB of RAM supported modern multitasking. The Retina display now covered the wide P3 gamut, offered True Tone, and was about 25 percent brighter. A new 7-megapixel front camera and faster Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0 rounded out the radio and camera changes.
Apple Pencil support was a standout. For sketching, note taking and annotating PDFs, the mini 5 became a small yet capable pen device. Storage options started at 64 GB.
Why it mattered
A long-awaited update that made the mini a powerful pocketable tablet with Apple Pencil support.
At a glance
- Announced
- March 18, 2019
- Released
- March 18, 2019
- Discontinued
- September 14, 2021
- Launch price
- $399
- Chip
- Apple A12 Bionic
- Display
- 7.9"
- Storage
- 64GB, 256GB
- Status
- Discontinued
Highlights
- A12 Bionic chip with Neural Engine
- True Tone and wide color display at 500 nits
- Apple Pencil (1st generation) support
- Kept the headphone jack
Tech specs
Specifications as published at launch. Some values (like battery life) are manufacturer estimates.
Display
- Size
- 7.9-inch
- Type
- Retina IPS, True Tone, wide color (P3)
- Resolution
- 2048 x 1536 (326 ppi)
- Refresh rate
- 60 Hz
- Brightness
- 500 nits
Chip
- Chip
- Apple A12 Bionic, 6-core
- Coprocessor
- Neural Engine
Memory
- RAM
- 3 GB
- Storage options
- 64GB, 256GB
Camera
- Rear camera
- 8 MP f/2.4, 1080p video
- Front camera
- 7 MP
Battery
- Battery life
- Up to 10 hours of web, video or music
- Capacity
- About 19.3 Wh
Connectivity
- Wi-Fi
- 802.11a/b/g/n/ac with MIMO
- Cellular
- Optional Gigabit-class LTE model
- Connector
- Lightning
- Bluetooth
- Bluetooth 5.0
Accessories
- Apple Pencil
- Apple Pencil (1st generation)
- Keyboard
- Bluetooth keyboards and third-party cases
Design
- Dimensions
- 203.2 x 134.8 x 6.1 mm
- Weight
- 300.5 g (Wi-Fi), 308.2 g (cellular)
Security
- Authentication
- Touch ID fingerprint sensor
Software
- Launch OS
- iOS 12.2
- Latest supported OS
- iPadOS 26 (final supported version)
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 4
An Air 2 in miniature, with a laminated screen and 2 GB of RAM.
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.