How fast is the iPad mini 5th Gen compared to earlier iPad mini models? How fast is it compared to the iPad Air and iPad Pro?

In the shared press release for the iPad mini 5th Gen and iPad Air 3rd Gen, Apple notes that both devices have a new Apple A12 "Bionic" processor.

More specifically, the company boasts that the iPad mini 5 provides "three times the performance and nine times faster graphics" compared to its predecessor, the iPad mini 4 that was released four years earlier.

Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (iPad mini 5)

Four years is an eternity in the tech game, but a jump of three times performance from one iPad mini generation to the next is welcomed nevertheless. As an evaluation of the EveryiPad.com comparison of the iPad mini 5 and iPad Air 3 would tell you, Apple doesn't mention the performance of the iPad mini 5 and the iPad Air 3 compared to one another because they both have the same processor, same 3 GB of RAM, and provide essentially the same performance.

Apple's official data is worthwhile, but independent benchmarks can be helpful to not only verify Apple's marketing claims, but also to compare the iPad mini 5 to earlier and other iPad devices as well as the iPhone and iPod touch.

Benchmark Performance Overview

For a helpful general overview of the performance differences between the iPad mini 5 and other iOS devices, Everyi.com's own Ultimate iComparison makes it quick to compare side-by-side Geekbench benchmark averages for hundreds of possible performance comparisons.

The Geekbench 4.0 benchmark confirms that the performance of the iPad mini 5 and iPad Air 3 are within the margin of error. There isn't a noticeable difference in day-to-day use, for sure.

Compared to other recent iOS devices, the iPad mini 5 performs accordingly:

iPad mini 5 Compared To:	Percent Faster (Single Core)	Percent Faster (Multicore)
iPad mini (Original)	1358%	1899%
iPad mini 3	286%	438%
iPad mini 4	190%	303%
iPad Air 2	167%	171%
iPad (6th Gen)	39%	93%
iPad (7th Gen)	38%	91%
iPad Pro 11"	-4%	-36%
iPhone 8	14%	13%
iPhone XR	Equal	5%
iPod touch 6	261%	407%
iPod touch 7	86%	147%

With a review of the above, you can see clearly that the Geekbench 4 benchmark shows a massive performance advantage for the iPad mini 5 compared to earlier iPad mini models as well as earlier and later full-size iPad and iPod touch models.

The iPad mini 5 is slightly faster than iPhone models of the same age, but narrowly falls short of the more expensive 11" iPad Pro.

Performance Summary

Ultimately, the iPad mini 5 provides a major performance increase over its predecessors and even is faster than earlier and later full-size iPad and iPod touch models, only falling short of recent iPad Pro devices that cost more. Apple's claim that the iPad mini 5 provides up to three times the performance of the iPad mini 4 is reasonable, although actual performance may vary depending on the task performed and software used.

If you want a high-performance tablet in a small package, the iPad mini 5 is a great choice.

In the US, site sponsor Adorama sells new iPad mini models with free shipping for all.

In the UK, site sponsor Hoxton Macs has a large number of used and refurbished iPad models with a one-year warranty and free next day delivery throughout the UK. Delivery across Europe also is available starting at just £9.99 for two-day delivery to France and Germany.

In Australia, site sponsor Mac City may have used iPad mini models in stock, as well. All Macs and devices are available with a free warranty and fast shipping across Australia.

Also see: What are all the differences between the current iPad mini 5th Gen and the iPad mini 4 replaced?