My wife has an iPad mini 3 that she uses primarily for mail and web browsing. I was thinking about upgrading to a 5 for her in the hopes that she would see some significant speed improvements, but given her use I'm not sure if it is worth it. So 2 questions: (1) should the mini 5 be a good bit snappier than the 3 for web browsing? and (2) Assuming we go ahead with the upgrade, is there any reason to wait for a possible replacement (I assume not as it hasn't been out that long) or maybe until later in the fall for possible sales?
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iPad mini iPad mini 5 vs 3 and buying cycle
- Thread starter jazzer15
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There would be possible sales in the fall, yes. The processor is significantly faster, and it has triple the RAM, so it should feel like a big improvement, even for small tasks. I wouldn’t wait around for a refresh, since there’s no way to know when another Mini will see the light of day. The Mini 5 is a solid upgrade and it’s quite future-proofed, so if you can get it for a price you feel is right, I say go for it.
I replaced my mini 2 (which is the same as the mini 3 sans Touch ID) with the mini 5. The performance and experience is night and day. The mini 2 was at its last leg on iOS 12, gasping for air due to its 1GB if RAM. The mini 5 is a huge jump. Everything is smoother and faster. Browsing is snappier and less likely to crash Safari. I highly recommend the upgrade.
This is a hard question to answer. The release cycle of the iPads seems a little bit erratic to me. Some iPads are maybe just being released to accommodate the supply chain.
The iPad mini was not updated in a while. Hard to say how it will be.
But the iPad mini 5 is definitely faster than the mini 3. If you are having issues with the mini 3, you may try the 5.
The Mini 5 will be night and day from the Mini 3/2. Just do it!
Thanks everyone for the input. I think I see a new mini in my wife's future 
I upgraded my ipad mini 2 to the mini 5 and noticed a HUGE difference. Much snappier. I would assume your wife would experience a similar difference. It really is a great ipad. Especially if your wife prefers the smaller form factor. Plus it can use the apple pencil. It took Apple FOUR years to upgrade the ipad mini 4 in 2015 to the ipad mini 5 in 2019...so i wouldn’t wait for the next update. It may never come. Apple seems to neglect the ipad mini. I was hoping that apple would release an ipad mini pro someday, but i doubt that will ever happen. So to answer your question, i think now is a great time to buy the ipad mini5 for your wife. Her mini 3 is already 5 years old. She will definitely appreciate the speed difference.
I also would like to buy an iPad Pro mini with Apple Pencil 2 support, USB-C and the new design language.
As much as I’d love for one to exist, I don’t believe a Mini Pro will ever be released. So far, all iPad Pros have included a smart connector for an Apple Smart Keyboard. I don’t think a Mini would be large enough for a proper keyboard, so it probably wouldn’t be considered appropriate in a Pro context. Then again, I could see them introducing more Pro features, like quad speakers, Pro Motion and/or Apple Pencil 2 support. So we have that to potentially look forward to hopefully.
I had a mini 3 64gb, I got for $149 three years ago during a Walmart clearance. I traded it in at Best Buy last week for $90 to help get an iPad Pro. I barely used that mini. I’ve already used the pro more than I ever used the mini. I can’t say I didn’t love her though, she held her value like a champ.