Early Apple iPad mini (2021) benchmarks reveal downclocked CPU and GPU

17 September 2021
The new iPad mini uses an Apple A15 chipset with 5 GPU cores like the iPhone 13 Pro duo, but it seems to run at a lower clock speed.

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  • 25 Sep 2021

Matt Perkins, 20 Sep 2021I have used both Android devices and iOS devices. Matter of... moreYou are completely wrong. What I like about android is that I can customize my device however I want, not like how the manufacture wants me to use it. I'm currently using launchair launcher with crayon icons pack. Earlier I've been using the RATIO launcher with Lines icon pack.
Don't be delusional about people who use android just because it's cheap. Android companies are innovating (foldable devices, in-display fingerprint sensors, in-display cameras, etc.) While Apple is just changing the position of the rear cameras and reducing the size of the ugly notch by an mm and apple fans are going crazy about it.

    • k
    • kiki6.6
    • aXR
    • 25 Sep 2021

    mini 6 will be around 20% more power then iPad Air4 digdong

      • F
      • Floris
      • 3YI
      • 22 Sep 2021

      Matt Perkins, 20 Sep 2021I have used both Android devices and iOS devices. Matter of... moreI don't agree...
      I'm using Android based devices up to around 3000 USD.
      Of course, this is not because it is cheap but because the things we do with Android we cannot do with an Apple device.
      Things such as a kilometer of Bluetooth range, or using special peripherals.
      Extreme environmental conditions.
      Not all Android users are the same... Same as not all iPhone users are the same.
      You need the proper device which fulfills your needs.
      My needs are different than yours.

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        • lek
        • PA7
        • 22 Sep 2021

        Matt Perkins, 20 Sep 2021I have used both Android devices and iOS devices. Matter of... moreandroid is perfect for bla bla.. what about no =)) I'd rather spent more on android than on iPhone. again, I'm a user of them both. since I'm really into this industry, saying one is better and one is worse is so wrong. I'm open to all kind of platform. being a fanboy is such a foolish. take benefits from each since it's not prohibited =))

          [deleted post]You can barely spell let alone read :’D but I am glad you agree with me that majority of android users are just people looking for cheap phones. :)

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            • Matt Perkins
            • raM
            • 20 Sep 2021

            I have used both Android devices and iOS devices. Matter of fact I've been a smartphone users since 2004 when the Sidekick Color was around.

            Android is perfect for those who can't afford an iPhone or who don't want to spend $500 or more on an iPhone but when you start comparing $1000 phones, iPhones are far superior. For starters while Android is first to get features, when Apple releases the feature to iPhone, it's superior to the Android version. Facial Recognition for instance is superior on iPhone than Android. That's because a lot of Android phones still only use 2D facial recognition instead of Apple's 3D facial recognition

            Second is years of updates. If you're paying $1000 on a phone you want to be assured your device gets as many years of updates as possible and is on the newest version of the OS as soon as it's released. To have to wait months after the newest OS version is officially released is absurd

            The newest official version of Android always feels like a beta version of iOS. It's slower, less responsive, and crashes more

            Then you have the fact Google doesn't allow systemwide ad blocking apps on the Play Store, you have to side load them. App Store this is not an issue.

            Developers focus more on iOS apps than android apps on top of all this.

            Android devices are almost always 2 years behind in performance to the iPhone

            And resell value is higher with iPhone

            Sure if you're one of those people who don't want to spend money but want paid apps for free and want game hacks rather than earn things, android has APK files but that risks malware. To me saving $2 on an app is hardly worth malware on your device

              [deleted post]Yet they buy one again as apple has the most satisfied customers. You people just make up stories. Check facts before posting please. Apple is very greedy but they somehow kept people satisfied. You can't just deny it.

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                • Anonymous
                • nCJ
                • 20 Sep 2021

                SizN80, 19 Sep 2021I haven’t spoken a single lie about android or iPhone :)Your post history is full of Android hater. Get well soon!!

                  • l
                  • lek
                  • PA7
                  • 20 Sep 2021

                  2022 is coming and people still debating android vs iOS. I'm an Android guy, but also an iPhone user too. yes, iPhone SE 2020 is my secondary phone (Galaxy Note 10 as the main). iPhone is great, just not worth for the money, except their SE phone. their CPU+GPU are way too powerful indeed. if we can only have 1 phone in life, I'll go with the Android, it's its flexibility that sold me. but in reality, we can have both of it. so, why not? technology experts know both of them are great in their on way. so, they won't say one is on top of another. but dummies would =))

                    Anonymous, 19 Sep 2021I'd take double copper cooling vapour Chambers like th... moreThe argument was metal vs glass, not Aluminium vs Steel. aluminum can be made as hard if the composition of the alloys are right.

                    Anyway both are better than glass body. BTW, i haven't seen any vapor chamber Function in real time or even heard of. Are they just for spec sheet or for real work? That's a big question.

                      Dudenoway, 19 Sep 2021No ifan. That's just wrong. People who actually know a... moreMajority of android users are not tech geeks but people who are looking for a cheap smartphone, simple. :)

                        Anonymous, 19 Sep 2021And if you were happy with your iPhone, you wouldn't b... moreI haven’t spoken a single lie about android or iPhone :)

                          • ?
                          • Anonymous
                          • nCJ
                          • 19 Sep 2021

                          SizN80, 19 Sep 2021If they preferred Android and we’re happy with it they woul... moreAnd if you were happy with your iPhone, you wouldn't be spreading lies about android in a pathetic attempt to show iPhone is better when in reality, the opposite is true

                            SizN80, 19 Sep 2021If they preferred Android and we’re happy with it they woul... moreNo ifan. That's just wrong. People who actually know andriod is better and prefer andriod are infact tech geeks. Not naive people hwo think iphone is best cuz its more f*cking expensive.

                              Anonymous, 19 Sep 2021Use your brain, anything above 8gb Ram is ok. My s21ultra 5... moreYOU infact should use brain. I never mentioned that blah blah ramis enough and blah blah is not. Whta I was infact saying was that's andriod uses more ram due to more junk code which requires better ram management which andriod doesn't have so andriod doesn't run good without 8gb or more. Whereas ios can run smoothly with 4gb or 6gb ram

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                                • AnonD-1018819
                                • puk
                                • 19 Sep 2021

                                SizN80, 19 Sep 2021Vast majority of Android users buy Android due to affordabi... moreThis is exact reason it's funny when Android fans brag how Android has 1 point something billion users. Yeah, it's no problem achieving that with free OS that you don't have to spend any R&D on if you decide to run stock or use some light skin and you smack it on a $50 device. Of course it'll sell in billions (and that's all companies combined, not just 1 that uses Android OS). When you present a $800+ device to a consumer, things change dramatically, be it Android or iOS device. Even for Apple, bulk of sales are regular iPhone and SE models, not Pro or Pro Max. Pretending they sell spec'ed out Pro Max models in hundreds of millions is just foolish. But still moving around so many device that cost at minimum average 2-4x more than Android's bulk of sales is impressive.

                                  Dudenoway, 18 Sep 2021You need to understand that andriod phones also cost well a... moreVast majority of Android users buy Android due to affordability,flagship android phones sell in very small numbers,not a single Android flagship makes it into the top 10 best sellers list while the Pro and Pro Max iPhones are ALWAYS within the top 10 and even in the top 5 with the Pro Max. :)
                                  Android users are predominantly driven by affordability and when they are able to buy premium they then switch to Apple, it’s just the way it is. :)

                                    Anonymous, 18 Sep 2021not everyone buys a phone cause of affordability. Some peop... moreIf they preferred Android and we’re happy with it they would not come to apple device articles, but they do meaning Android is not at all better and they know it :)

                                      Anonymous, 18 Sep 2021You don't need anadtech or AnTuTu ( even when favourin... moreGeekBench!!!
                                      What is with these fanboys? You're literally grasping at straws. At one point they tell me that Geekbench is biased for Apple, and now they're telling me it is the "most reliable". Facepalm. I also noticed you changed device/accounts and didn't reply to my previous comment. Perhaps you were hoping I wouldn't check back, or you were too lazy to disprove the points I made in my previous comment. It doesn't matter if iPhones have better battery life, or are faster than Android devices (or vice versa): these are not in the same ecosystem... so stop being biased.

                                      The Aztec High benchmark is a well-respected demonstration of a device's capabilities, that is why I linked it. You can find these scores from other providers, not just Anandtech. PCMark is another good tool for the job. I gave you the option of looking at other metrics and benchmarks, in order for you to have a more complete understanding. Instead you're choosing to cherry-pick your data, what you should be doing is looking at benchmarks that are representative of the true performance. I am telling you some benchmarks simply should not be relied upon. What isn't a good tool are "speedtest" Apps you see on YouTube, or overtly Synthetic Benchmarks that don't give you a proper idea of a devices capabilities.

                                      For instance, the Exynos 9810 scored much better on GeekBench's single-core benchmark (3700 vs 2500) compared to the QSD 845. And it even won on the multi-thread benchmark too (9000 vs 8100). So was the CPU of the Exynos 9810 better than the QSD 845, and by such a margin? No! It was actually worse, it used more battery power, and was slower all-round by a noticeable margin. All your amateur reviewers applauded the Exynos version (ie Misinformation), whereas actual professionals went deeper and found the flaws. It was even worse the next year with the QSD 855 vs Exynos 9820/9825. This gap persisted between the QSD 865 vs Exynos 990 too, however, the synthetic benchmarks were a bit more representative that time around. Sure Samsung's Exynos division had great victory during their Note4, S6, and S7 devices, but ultimately those 4-years of disappointment lead to the decision to close their division. That is why the Exynos 2100 uses standard ARM designs, and it's managed to close most of the gap with the QSD 888+. Things are expected to be roughly the same next year, but I'm hoping for some surprises with 2023 Exynos, perhaps using an AMD RDNA-3 iGPU and a more revolutionary second-gen ARMv9 CPU combination.

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                                        • Not worth it
                                        • gMJ
                                        • 19 Sep 2021

                                        It's ok to buy it if you live in the states but not worth it if you are in a place like India. The tablet, the pen and the keyboard will make it easily an over $1000 device in India. Better buy a MacBook Air at that price for productivity.