iPad mini 8.3" (6th Gen, 2021) vs iPad Air 11" (6th Gen, 2024)
62
out of 100
VS
80
out of 100
Here we compared two tablets: the 8.3-inch Apple iPad mini 8.3" (6th Gen, 2021) (with Apple A15 Bionic) that was released on September 14, 2021, against the Apple iPad Air 11" (6th Gen, 2024), which is powered by Apple M2 (iPad) and came out 2 years and 8 months after. On this page, you will find tests, full specs, strengths, and weaknesses of each of the devices.
Select the amount of RAM to evaluate performance and value for money more precisely
Key differences
Reasons to consider the Apple iPad mini 8.3" (6th Gen, 2021)
- 24% higher pixel density (327 vs 264 PPI)
- Much smaller footprint: 40% more compact case (40.8 vs 68.5 square inches)
- Weighs 168 grams less
Reasons to consider the Apple iPad Air 11" (6th Gen, 2024)
- Comes with 3723 mAh larger battery capacity: 8900 vs 5177 mAh
- Has a 2.7 inches larger screen size
- 80% better performance in AnTuTu Benchmark (2536K versus 1412K)
- Has 2x more RAM: 8GB versus 4GB
- Newer Bluetooth version (v5.3)
- Uses a faster type of memory: LPDDR5 6400 MHz
- Delivers 9% higher peak brightness (474 against 436 nits)
- CPU with a higher amount of cores (+2)
- 22% faster in single-core GeekBench 6 test: 2619 and 2148 points
Review
Display
Screen quality, color accuracy, brightness
Camera
Photo and video recording quality
Performance
CPU and memory performance (apps, system)
Gaming
Capabilities for playing modern games
Battery
Battery life, charging type and speed
Connectivity
Networks, ports, data transmission
Scores with a red asterisk (*) are approximate and may change in the future as we gather more data.
Select your primary usage scenario to get a more accurate NanoReview Score
Value for money (Beta)
Tests and specifications
Comparison table of technical specifications and testsDisplay
| Type | IPS LCD | IPS LCD |
| Size | 8.3 inches | 11 inches |
| Resolution | 1488 x 2266 pixels | 1640 x 2360 pixels |
| Aspect ratio | 3:2 | 3:2 |
| PPI | 327 ppi | 264 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 60 Hz |
| Adaptive refresh rate | No | No |
| Max rated brightness | 500 nits | 500 nits |
| HDR support | No | No |
| Screen protection | Tempered glass | Tempered glass |
| Screen-to-body ratio | 77.8% | 81.5% |
| Display features | - DCI-P3 | - DCI-P3 |
| RGB color space | 99.6% | 99.4% |
| PWM | 178600 Hz | Not detected |
| Response time | 32 ms | 52 ms |
| Contrast | 1133:1 | 1265:1 |
Screen space comparison
iPad Air 11" (6th Gen, 2024)
11″ (3:2 ratio) = 55.8 in2
iPad mini 8.3" (6th Gen, 2021)
8.3″ (3:2 ratio) = 31.8 in2
~75% more screen space
Peak brightness test (auto)
Design and build
| Height | 195.4 mm (7.69 inches) | 247.6 mm (9.75 inches) |
| Width | 134.8 mm (5.31 inches) | 178.5 mm (7.03 inches) |
| Thickness | 6.3 mm (0.25 inches) | 6.1 mm (0.24 inches) |
| Weight | 293 g (10.34 oz) | 461 g (16.26 oz) |
| Waterproof | No | No |
| Rear material | Metal | Metal |
| Frame material | Metal | Metal |
| Colors | Gray, Pink, Purple, Yellow | Gold, Gray, Blue, Purple |
| Fingerprint scanner | Yes, in-button | Yes, in-button |
| Area | 263 cm2 (40.8 inches2) | 442 cm2 (68.5 inches2) |
Visual size comparison
Screen-to-body ratio
Tablet Ranking (91st and 36th place)
iPad Ranking (24th and 11th place)
Performance
| Chipset | Apple A15 Bionic | Apple M2 (iPad) |
| Max clock | 2930 MHz | 3490 MHz |
| CPU cores | 6 (2 + 4) | 8 (4 + 4) |
| Architecture | - 4 cores at 2.02 GHz: Blizzard - 2 cores at 3.23 GHz: Avalanche |
- 4 cores at 2.42 GHz: Blizzard - 4 cores at 3.49 GHz: Avalanche |
| Manufacturing | TSMC | TSMC |
| Lithography process | 5 nanometers | 5 nanometers |
| Neural processor (NPU) | Apple Neural Engine | Apple Neural Engine |
| Graphics | Apple GPU 5-core | Apple GPU 10-core |
| GPU shading units | 640 | 1024 |
| GPU clock | 1338 MHz | 1398 MHz |
| FLOPS | ~1712.6 GFLOPS | ~2863.1 GFLOPS |
Benchmarks
Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)
Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)
Compute Score (GPU)
| Compute Score (GPU) | - | 43394 |
| Single-core score | 2148 | 2619 |
| Multi-core score | 5541 | 10084 |
AnTuTu Benchmark 11
| CPU | 419310 | 841074 |
| GPU | 378571 | 801119 |
| Memory | 144604 | 371059 |
| UX | 470170 | 523068 |
| Total score | 1412655 | 2536320 |
| Samples | [31 tests] | Less than 3 |
3DMark Steel Nomad Light
| Stability | - | 74% |
| Graphics test | - | 16 FPS |
| Graphics score | - | 2160 |
3DMark Solar Bay
| Stability | 82% | - |
| Graphics test | 14 FPS | 28 FPS |
| Section 1 | 18 FPS | 38 FPS |
| Section 2 | 14 FPS | 28 FPS |
| Section 3 | 10 FPS | 17 FPS |
| Graphics score | 3696 | 7322 |
3DMark Wild Life Extreme
| Stability | 82% | - |
| Graphics test | 16 FPS | - |
| Graphics score | 2752 | - |
Memory
Configuration
| RAM size | 4 GB | 8 GB |
| Memory type | LPDDR4X | LPDDR5 |
| Memory clock | 2133 MHz | 6400 MHz |
| Channels | 2 | 4 |
| Storage size | 64 GB | 128 GB |
| Storage type | NVMe | NVMe |
| Memory card | No | No |
Software
| Operating system | iPadOS 15 (Can be upgraded to iPadOS 26.5) | iPadOS 17.5 (Can be upgraded to iPadOS 26.5) |
Battery
| Capacity | 5177 mAh | 8900 mAh |
| Max charge power | 20 W | 20 W |
| Battery type | Li-Ion | Li-Ion |
| Replaceable | No | No |
| Wireless charging | No | No |
| Reverse charging | No | No |
| Fast charging | Yes (50% in 40 min) | Yes (50% in 60 min) |
| Full charging time | 1:30 hr | 2:17 hr |
| Web browsing | 07:46 hr | - |
| Watching video | 09:54 hr | - |
| Gaming | 04:53 hr | - |
| Standby | 136 hr | - |
General battery life
Main camera
| Matrix | 12 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
| Image resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 4032 x 3024 |
| Zoom | Digital | Digital |
| Flash | Quad LED | No |
| Stabilization | Digital | Digital |
| 8K video recording | No | No |
| 4K video recording | Up to 60FPS | Up to 60FPS |
| 1080p video recording | Up to 60FPS | Up to 60FPS |
| Slow motion | 240 FPS (1080p) | 240 FPS (1080p) |
| Lenses | 1) Standard: 12 MP |
1) Standard: 12 MP |
| Camera features | - Bokeh mode | - Bokeh mode |
| Image resolution | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Aperture | f/1.8 | f/1.8 |
| Pixel size | - | 1.22 micron |
| Autofocus | Phase autofocus | Phase autofocus (Dual Pixel) |
| Stabilization | Digital | Digital |
Selfie camera
| Megapixels | 12 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
| Image resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 4032 x 3024 |
| Aperture | f/2.4 | f/2.4 |
| Sensor | CMOS | CMOS |
| Autofocus | No | No |
| Stabilization | Digital | Digital |
| Video resolution | 1080p (Full HD) at 60 FPS | 1080p (Full HD) at 60 FPS |
| Depth sensor (TOF 3D) | No | No |
Connectivity
| Wi-Fi standard | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax) | Wi-Fi 6E (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax) |
| Wi-Fi features | - Dual Band - Wi-Fi MiMO - Wi-Fi Direct - Wi-Fi Hotspot - Wi-Fi Display |
- Dual Band - Wi-Fi MiMO - Wi-Fi Direct - Wi-Fi Hotspot - Wi-Fi Display |
| Bluetooth version | 5 | 5.3 |
| Bluetooth features | LE | LE |
| USB type | USB Type-C | USB Type-C |
| USB version | 3.1 | 3.1 |
| USB features | - Charging - USB-Storage mode - OTG |
- Charging - USB-Storage mode - OTG |
| DisplayPort | Yes | Yes |
| GPS | GPS, GLONASS | GPS, GLONASS |
| NFC* | No | No |
| Infrared port | No | No |
| Number of SIM* | 1 | - |
| Type of SIM card | Nano | eSIM |
| eSIM support* | Yes | Yes |
| Hybrid slot | No | No |
| LTE Cat* | 18 | - |
| 5G support | Yes | Yes |
Sound
| Speakers | Stereo | Stereo |
| Headphone audio jack | No | No |
| FM radio | No | No |
| Dolby Atmos | Yes | Yes |
Speakers test
Max loudness
Other
| Category | Mid-range | Flagship |
| Announced | September 2021 | May 2024 |
| Release date | September 2021 | May 2024 |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $499 | $599 |
| Successor | - Apple iPad mini 8.3" (7th Gen, 2024) | - Apple iPad Air 11" (7th Gen, 2025) |
| Sensors | - Barometer - Gyroscope - Accelerometer - Ambient light sensor - Compass - Fingerprint |
- Barometer - Gyroscope - Accelerometer - Ambient light sensor - Fingerprint |
| Bundled charger | Yes, 20 W | Yes, 20 W |
Further details
Notes on iPad mini 8.3" (6th Gen, 2021):
- Supports Apple Pencil 2.
*Disclaimer! NFC, GSM network support, and some other specs can be different depending on the country.
Conclusion
After analyzing all the data, we think that the Apple iPad Air 11" (6th Gen, 2024) is definitely a better buy.
Cast your vote
Total votes: 22