The iPad 5 and iPad mini 2 have been the subjects of so many rumors and leaks lately, we felt it was time for a comparison of the two unreleased Apple products. Will we see a Retina Display on the iPad mini 2? Will iPad 5 have an A7 processor?
In this hypothetical Apple showdown, we've gathered all the rumors we know so far about the iPad 5 and iPad mini 2 so we can compare them in four key areas: release date, Retina Display, specs and price.
iPad 5 vs iPad mini 2: Retina Display
The biggest point of separation between the iPad 4 and iPad mini 2, besides the size, is that the latter sports a relatively low-res display of 1,024 x 768. Mark our words: an iPad mini 2 will not ship without a Retina Display, and the resolution is probably going to be 2,048 x 1,536 pixels.
iPad 5 vs iPad mini 2: Release Date Rumors
Although earlier rumors indicated the iPad 5 and iPad mini 2 would share a release date in October, it's beginning to look more likely that iPad 5 will debut in April, ahead of the iPad mini 2, which looks poised for a holiday 2013 release date.
While an April iPad 5 release date has been floated previously, it seems more likely now based on new rumors from sources within Apple. As for iPad mini 2, the most likely release date for the second-generation tablet is still October, since the device's lower price point makes it a great seller during holiday season.
iPad 5 vs iPad mini 2: Price Rumors
The iPad 5 will obviously have a bigger price tag than the iPad mini 2, but the question is, how much bigger? The first iPad mini 2 had a price of $329, which many complained was too much given the absence of a Retina Display. Unfortunately for consumers, Apple still sold more iPad minis than it even predicted it would be able to, so the chances of a price drop are all but non-existent.
As for iPad 5, the price will probably either be $499 or $399. If we had to guess, we'd have to say $499 since a $399 iPad 5 would only be $70 more than the iPad mini 2 and would likely begin to cannibalize mini sales.
iPad 5 vs iPad mini 2: Specs
For product specs, we're mostly going off of leaked casing photos and rumors out of China, so bear with us. iPad 5 is supposedly going to be 4 mm shorter and 2 mm thinner than iPad 4. Apple was reportedly taken aback at the popularity of the first iPad mini, and is rumored to be trying to pack the iPad 5 into a smaller shell to further leverage the mini's success. iPad 5 will also allegedly feature the new A7 chip Apple is working on, which we can only assume is faster than the A6 chip.
For iPad mini 2, Apple has a different design challenge. Whereas iPad 4 already has Retina Display and Apple can now focus on miniaturizing as much as possible, with the iPad mini 2, Apple must still work to bake in features like the Retina Display — so don't expect a thinner, smaller or lighter iPad mini 2. We're at least holding out hope of a 128GB iPad mini 2 option, but it's probably not likely.
