What are the main differences between the cameras on each iPad mini? How many megapixels is each?

All iPad mini models have a front camera intended mostly for video conferencing and a rear camera intended for shooting still photos and video.

The iPad mini cameras have become better with each revision of the line, but the iPad mini 5 and iPad mini 6 models provided the most significant jump in quality compared to their immediate predecessors:

iPad	Front Camera	Rear Camera
iPad mini	1.2 MP (720p)	5 MP (1080p)
iPad mini 2	1.2 MP (720p)	5 MP (1080p)
iPad mini 3	1.2 MP (720p)	5 MP (1080p)
iPad mini 4	1.2 MP (720p)	8 MP (1080p)
iPad mini 5	7 MP (1080p)	8 MP (1080p)
iPad mini 6	12 MP (1080p)	12 MP (4K)
iPad mini A17 Pro	12 MP (1080p)	12 MP (4K)

If you are not certain which iPad mini model you have, the easiest way to identify each is by its Model Number located toward the bottom on the back of each device.

What are the differences between the displays on each iPad mini? Which is best?

All iPad mini models have a 7.9" or 8.3" LED-backlit display. Just about each display has been better than its predecessor, with the display on the original iPad mini substantially lower resolution than subsequent models and the most recent iPad mini 6 and iPad mini A17 Pro displays the largest and brightest (500 nits).

The iPad mini display differences can be summarized accordingly:

iPad	Size	Resolution	PPI
iPad mini	7.9"	1024x768	163 ppi
iPad mini 2	7.9"	2048x1536	326 ppi
iPad mini 3	7.9"	2048x1536	326 ppi
iPad mini 4	7.9"	2048x1536	326 ppi
iPad mini 5	7.9"	2048x1536	326 ppi
iPad mini 6	8.3"	2266x1488	326 ppi
iPad mini A17 Pro	8.3"	2266x1488	326 ppi

The iPad mini 4 and later displays are all "fully laminated," which means there is no gap between the touch sensitive digitizer portion and the the underlying LCD. This results in superior picture quality but makes repairs more expensive.

The iPad mini 5 and later displays are "wide color" (DCI-P3) and also support Apple's "True Tone" feature that evaluates the color temperature and ambient brightness of your surroundings and dynamically adjusts the display's white balance to match.

If you do not know which iPad mini model you have, the easiest way to identify each is by its Model Number located toward the bottom on the back of each device.

How do you connect an iPad mini to a television or projector to display photos or video? What formats and resolutions does it support? What are the video out differences between iPad mini models?

You can connect the first five iPad mini lines -- all of which have a Lightning port -- to a television or projector to display photos or videos using the Lightning to VGA Adapter or the Lightning to Digital AV Adapter.

Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (Lightning to VGA & Lightning to Digital AV Adapters)

The iPad mini 6 and iPad mini A17 Pro models have a USB-C port instead of a Lightning port.

Accordingly, these models can be connected to a display, television, or projector with the Apple USB-C VGA Multiport Adapter (MJ1L2AM/A) or the Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter (MJ1K2AM/A).

Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (Apple USB-C Adapters)

Site sponsor Adorama sells all these Apple adapters.

For a projector or television with a vintage VGA port, you will need to use the Lightning to VGA Adapter or USB-C VGA Multiport Adapter. For one with a more modern HDMI port, you will need to use the Lightning to Digital AV Adapter or USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter.

All iPad mini models also can be connected to a television indirectly by using AirPlay Mirroring and an Apple TV 2nd Gen or later.

The first five iPad mini lines support a maximum video out resolution of 1080p whereas the iPad mini 6 and iPad mini A17 Pro models support 4K video out to a television.

More specifically, Apple reports that iPad mini models support these video standards:

• H.264 video up to 720p [1080p for the iPad mini 3rd Gen and 4th Gen, 4K for the 5th Gen and later], 30 frames per second, Main Profile level 3.1 [High Profile 4.1 for the iPad 3rd Gen and later] with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio [or Dolby up to 1008 Kbps for the iPad mini 5th Gen and later] in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats.
• MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps per channel, 48kHz, stereo audio [or Dolby up to 1008 Kbps for the iPad mini 5th Gen] in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats.
• Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format.

For the latest iPad mini A17 Pro models, Apple more succintly specifies video support as "HEVC, H.264, AV1, and ProRes HDR with Dolby Vision, HDR10+/HDR10, and HLG."

The iPad mini models also support photos and image files in JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, PSD (Mac only), and PNG formats.

Which iPad mini models support Sidecar?

iPad mini 5 and later models all support Apple's Sidecar software feature. In conjunction with a Mac running macOS Catalina (10.15), Sidecar allows an iPad running iPadOS 13 or later to be used as a second display for the Mac.

Of course, if you have an older iPad mini model (and/or an older Mac), you instead can use one of the third-party apps that provide this external display capability before Apple copied their functionality and integrated it with their operating systems.

Where is the iPad mini available for purchase? Can it be purchased from Apple Authorized Resellers?

Originally, the iPad only was available for purchase direct from Apple and "select resellers," but now the iPad mini is available new from Apple, all Apple Authorized Resellers, and various mobile service providers.

In the United States, you always can buy an iPad mini directly from Apple, but you often can get a better deal by purchasing your new iPad mini from an Apple Authorized Reseller like site sponsor Adorama. Adorama commonly has deep discounts on recently discontinued models, too. Other World Computing sells used and refurb iPad models at bargain prices with free shipping, as well.

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.