, the two series that are sandwiched between ordinary iPad and iPad Pro, must be updated continuously, and there must be "survival tricks". Let's take a look at their history.
iPad mini
The first generation mini was released on October 24, 2012 . The processor is dual-core A5, and the screen resolution is only at the iPad2 level, with average clarity. However, its 7.9-inch petite body is really suitable for reading e-books and playing games. However, now it can even watch dramas. Its commemorative significance is greater than practical significance and is suitable for collection.
iPad Air
On October 23, 2013, iPad Air was born. The air of looks like an enlarged version of the mini. The width of the screen bezel and the thickness of the body (thin to 7.5mm) are greatly reduced compared to the iPad 4, and the weight of is less than 500 grams. The processor has been upgraded to a dual-core A7 chip, adding a 128G storage version. Now the performance of this model is barely possible to watch dramas and online classes.
iPad mini2
also released a second generation mini with iPad Air. This generation of mini has huge upgrades. Not only has the screen been upgraded to the retina level, but the processor has also been upgraded to A7, and the memory has been upgraded to 1G, adding a 128G storage version. In those days, this machine was a magic machine with leading performance and small body that adults and children couldn't put it down.
iPad Air2
iPad Air2 was released on October 17, 2014, and comes in three colors: silver, gold, and dark space gray. is as thin as 6.1 mm, which is 18% thinner than iPad Air! 's rear camera has been upgraded to 8 million pixels, the processor has been upgraded to triple-core A8X, and has Touch ID fingerprint recognition function. This is the first iPad to use fingerprint recognition! In addition, the memory has been upgraded to 2G, and the performance was really strong back then.
Key This machine also uses a fully-fitting screen and uses a full-laminar pressed display technology to combine three screens such as surface glass, touch sensor and LCD display into one layer, eliminating the possibility of reflections between layers and internally. This technology makes the transparency displayed on the screen unparalleled, and it can't be used again! This machine is really classic. Its performance is sufficient for daily use now and it has extremely cost-effectiveness!
iPad mini 3
and iPad Air2 also released a mini third generation. This generation is a representative work of squeezing toothpaste. Basically, a rich gold color scheme and home button have been added to upgrade fingerprint recognition. There is absolutely no comparison with Air2!
iPad mini 4
iPad mini 4 was released on September 9, 2015. The processor is dual-core A8, the memory has been upgraded to 2G, the camera has also been upgraded to 8 million pixels, the body is as thin as 6.1mm, and the screen has also adopted full-fit technology (the first machine in the mini series to fully fit the screen). Overall, it is simply a smaller version of Air2 (the processor is weaker than the processor)!
iPad Air 3
iPad Air3 was released on March 18, 2019. This generation of air screen has increased to 10.5 inches, and has original color display technology, with a resolution of 2224x1668 pixels. The processor has been upgraded to six-core A12, and supports the first generation of Apple Pencil stylus (the air series supports Apple Pen2 for the first time), and the memory has been upgraded to 3G.
This machine is actually the castrated model of the 2017 iPad Pro10.5. It looks almost exactly the same, but it lacks a few core features, such as the most comfortable 120hz screen refresh rate in actual use.
iPad mini 5
Also released with iPad Air3 is a fifth generation mini. is also equipped with A12 bionic chip, with memory upgraded to 3G, using original color display technology, and supporting Apple pen (the first time in the mini series). Basically it's a smaller version of Air3.
iPad Air 4
iPad Air4 was released on September 16, 2020. The screen has been further enlarged to 10.9 inches. However, this time it adopts a full-screen design style with ultra-narrow bezels, with clear lines on the body and supporting the second-generation Apple pen. In addition, the traditional Lightning interface was cancelled and the USB-C interface was adopted. Added green and sky blue, plus the other three old colors, it is simply colorful and completely letting yourself go. The
processor has leaped to the six-core A14 bionic processor, and the memory has been upgraded to 4G. Although it looks very much like the 2018 11-inch Pro, there are many castration places. If you don’t talk about other things, just face recognition. This machine is gone.
iPad mini 6
iPad mini 6 was released on on September 15, 2021. This time the screen has been greatly changed and has become an 8.3-inch full screen. Of course, it does not support facial recognition and can only be side fingerprints. Supports second-generation Apple pen, equipped with a six-core A15 bionic processor, and upgrades the memory to 4G. Putting aside the processor upgrade, this is a reduced version of Air4.
iPad Air 5
iPad Air 5 was released on March 9, 2022. This generation mainly upgraded the M1 chip . The performance improvement of the 8-core central processor can reach up to 60%, and the 8-core graphics processor can increase the graphics performance by up to 2 times, which sounds like a terrifying rhythm. The card version supports 5G connection, and the Great Leap Forward for Running and Storage has been upgraded to 8G! The performance of
is really nothing to say, it is basically the same as the fifth generation Pro. Of course, there are still no core features of the new Pro, such as the 120hz screen refresh rate, four-speaker system, and face recognition.
summary
In fact, the mini series is a smaller version of the air series, and the air series is a castrated version of the Pro series (except for the first two generations of air, the first two generations are actually the beginning of Pro). It is possible that the first two generations of air wanted to develop directly into the Pro, but Chef Cook discovered business opportunities and created the Pro series out of thin air, so the subsequent development is very regular.
