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Apple Announces iPad Mini 3 With Touch ID Home Button, Gold Color Option

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Today at its media event in Cupertino, Apple announced the iPad mini 3 with Touch ID Home button and a new gold color option. These updates appear to be the only significant changes over the previous generation, with the new model continuing to use the A7 chip from the original Retina iPad mini.

ipad_mini_3_hand
In addition to gold, the iPad mini 3 also comes in the previous space gray and silver color options. The pricing will start at $399 for 16 GB Wi-Fi version, with 64 GB and 128 GB variations priced at $499 and $599 respectively. As usual, Wi-Fi + Cellular models of the iPad mini 3 will be priced at a $130 premium over the Wi-Fi only models.

iPad mini 3 will be available for pre-order tomorrow, October 17, and will begin shipping next week.

Alongside the iPad mini 3, Apple is continuing to sell the iPad mini 2 in 16 GB ($299/$429) and 32 GB ($349/$479) variants. The original 16 GB non-Retina iPad mini is also still available for ($249/$379).

Related Roundup: iPad mini
Buyer's Guide: iPad Mini (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: iPad

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Top Rated Comments

fruitpunch.ben Avatar
fruitpunch.ben
152 months ago
New page is up: http://www.apple.com/ipad/compare/#comparison-chart

Check it out.
For $100 extra (over last year's model), quite literally the ONLY THING THEY HAVE DONE is added touch ID.
For a hundred dollars!!!!!

Apple this is just unbelievable :mad: :(
Cook and co, you should be embarrassed

- no anti-reflective display
- no A8 chip, let alone A8X. It's A7!
- no AC wifi
They have literally just wacked touch ID on the front and are selling it as a new model. I am speechless!
Score: 46 Votes (Like | Disagree)
C
cdmoore74
152 months ago
I'm confused. So it's $100 more just for touchID and camera's? Otherwise it's no different from last years model! WTF

And to add insult to injury I never use a camera on a tablet. Why should I when I have my phone by my side?

Edit: What the ****. The camera's are not even updated. You're paying $100 for freaking touchID.
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
C
camnchar
152 months ago
This may be the worst update in recent memory. Basically Tim Cook is saying (to customers who gave the Mini a 100% customer satisfaction rating), "You people are screwing my margins. Buy an Air instead."
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
R
Razeus
152 months ago
The Mini is still being treated like the red heading stepchild. Apple purposely gimps these devices so you have reason to get the more expensive, larger versions.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tankmaze Avatar
Tankmaze
152 months ago
I wanna know if it has the same display as the air?
the previous mini that has same spec but lower colour gamut. Which is a shame.

Edit : it's basically the same spec as previous mini, they just add touch id. This is really a terrible update, just don't bother updating Apple, really.

Edit 2 : my crazy theory is that apple doesn't want the mini to compete with their new iphone 6 plus,
If it has better spec, people would surely get the 3g mini. Again, just my wild thoughts on it.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
V
Ventilatedbrain
152 months ago
Why ??? Why no anti reflective coating and why no a8x???

Apple please say it ain't so !!!

I was waiting to update my 1st gen mini, looks like I'll wait till next year :(
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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