The 64GB iPad mini 3 from Apple has a smaller form factor than its big brother, the iPad Air 2. The iPad mini is just 7.5mm thin and weighs less than 1 pound. Its smaller form factor makes it easier to hold in one hand. This iPad mini comes in a space gray finish.

The tablet's 7.9" Retina Display features a native resolution of 2048 x 1536, showing up to 3.1 million pixels at 326 ppi. The Retina Display's capacitive touchscreen lets you utilize all the multi-touch gestures of iOS 8.

The mini 3 features the dual-core, 64-bit A7 chip, allowing for more robust and powerful apps. Also, the A7 chip supports OpenGL ES version 3.0 so the iPad mini can enable detailed graphics and visual effects once only possible on desktop computers and game consoles.

Accompanied by the A7 chip is the M7 coprocessor, which measures the motion of the iPad mini via the accelerometer, gyroscope and compass, lightening the load of the A7 chip. This frees up the A7 chip to process multiple tasks and maintaining fast performance. The iPad mini may have the Retina Display, but it still manages to maintain its 10-hour battery life. That's because the A7 chip isn't just more powerful, it's also more efficient.

The iPad mini comes with iOS 8 and Touch ID. iOS 8 improves upon iOS 7 by adding predictive text, third-party keyboards, a redesigned Photos app, the Health app, voice and video messaging and location sharing in Messages, and more. Touch ID uses your fingerprint to unlock your device as well as make secure purchases in iTunes, iBooks, and the App Store.

With iCloud, you can sync your iPad mini to your other iOS devices and Mac computers. Push photos, download apps and continue from where you left off in iBooks with iCloud. iCloud also offers cloud storage so you can back up your contacts, photos and important documents to Apple's cloud servers. You can restore your iPad mini to a previous state using iCloud.

The Retina Display provides 4 times more pixels and 44% greater color saturation than the iPad 2. Within the 7.9" LED-backlit touchscreen, the 2048 x 1536 native resolution renders text and images at 326 pixels per inch and a total of over 3.1 million pixels. The display also features a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating to reduce smudges.

Thanks to the A7 chip, apps run fast on the iPad mini 3. It also supports OpenGL ES version 3.0, enabling detailed graphics and visual effects once only possible on desktop computers and game consoles. And the A7 chip features 64-bit architecture, opening the door for even more robust and powerful apps.

The iPad mini was designed to be on the move. That's why the M7 coprocessor measures motion from your iPad mini by pulling data from the accelerometer, gyroscope, and compass. This allows your apps to give you a better experience based on the movement of your iPad mini. It's a task that would normally fall to the A7 chip. But M7 is more efficient at it, which saves on power and opens up the A7 chip to focus on other tasks.

The mini 3 gives you up to 10-hour battery life to surf, play, watch, and chat. That's because the A7 chip isn't just more powerful, but utilizes low voltage to be more efficient.

With LTE mobile broadband support, you can use your iPad mini 3 almost anywhere you go, making use of high speed cellular networks. The mini 3 now supports 14 LTE bands for greater flexibility. In addition to support for a fast mobile network, the iPad Air can also be used as a personal hotspot for sharing the data connection with your computer. With carrier support, up to 5 devices can be tethered to the iPad Air via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Data plans are available from US carriers AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon, as well as others. Mobile data plans are sold separately.

Thanks to two 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz antennas and MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output) technology, the iPad mini can reach download speeds of up to 300 Mbps with its 802.11n connection. So now when you want to download a movie, share photos or documents with AirDrop, or just browse the web, your connection is even faster than before.

Your fingerprint is the perfect password. You always have it with you. And no one can ever guess what it is. Apple's Touch ID technology uses a unique fingerprint identity sensor to make unlocking your iPad mini easy and secure. Just put your finger on the Home button to unlock your iPad. Touch ID is capable of 360‑degree readability, so no matter how you're holding it - portrait, landscape, or anything in between - your iPad knows who you are.

Sometimes it's nice to put a face to the conversation. And with FaceTime video calls on the iPad mini, your conversations look better than before. Make a video call over Wi-Fi or cellular and see (or show) every expression on the display. The FaceTime HD camera features a backside illuminated sensor, which brightens up your FaceTime chats, selfies, and group Photo Booth shots, even in low-light situations.

The 5-megapixel iSight camera on iPad mini was designed to help you capture all of life's moments at a moment's notice. Use the Retina display as an easy viewfinder to frame the perfect shot. Quickly swipe between capturing stills or 1080p Full HD video. Every time you shoot, the image processor in the A7 chip works with the camera to make adjustments and deliver a great picture or video automatically.

iOS 8 improves upon iOS 7 by adding an all-new Photos app, including voice and video messaging and location sharing in Messages, predictive text, third-party keyboards, the Health app, and more. Continuity lets you start a project on one device and finish it on another. Family Sharing lets up to six people in your family share movies, books, music, and apps. With iCloud Drive, you can safely store any kind of document and access it from any device. The revamped Spotlight search function now gives you suggestions from Wikipedia entries, places nearby, trending news, and more, and is smart enough to recognize context and location to offer you the most relevant information. iOS 8 is designed to work seamlessly with the iPad mini 3, taking full advantage of its A7 chip, 802.11n wireless capability, and Retina display.

iCloud automatically makes sure you always have the latest versions of your most important things, like documents, apps, notes, and contacts, on whatever device you are using, even a PC. It lets you easily share photos, calendars, locations, and more with friends and family. And with Find My iPhone, it helps you find your device if you lose it. iCloud also backs up and secures your files, account names, passwords, and credit card numbers. Your iCloud account comes with 5GB of storage, free.

Siri lets you use your voice to send messages, schedule meetings, check the latest scores, and more. Ask Siri to complete tasks just by holding down the Home button and talking. Siri understands what you say, knows what you mean and even responds to you.

AirPlay functions off of the wireless capabilities of the iPad mini and allows you to seamlessly watch or listen to your content on your HDTV. When connected to the same wireless network, content can be controlled from the iPad mini and ported through or watched on auxiliary devices.

Video formats supported: H.264 video up to 1080p, 60 frames per second, High Profile level 4.2 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48 kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps per channel, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, and PCM stereo audio in .avi file format.

English (Australia, Canada, UK, U.S.), Chinese (Simplified, Traditional, Traditional Hong Kong), French (Canada, France), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish (Mexico, Spain), Arabic, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Malay, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil, Portugal), Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese.

English (Australia, Canada, India, UK, U.S.), Chinese - Simplified (Handwriting, Pinyin, Stroke), Chinese - Traditional (Cangjie, Handwriting, Pinyin, Stroke, Sucheng, Zhuyin), French (Canada, France, Switzerland), German (Germany, Switzerland), Italian, Japanese (Kana, Romaji), Korean, Spanish, Arabic, Bengali, Bulgarian, Catalan, Cherokee, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Emoji, Estonian, Filipino, Finnish, Flemish, Greek, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Malay, Marathi, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil, Portugal), Romanian, Russian, Serbian (Cyrillic, Latin), Slovak, Slovenian, Swedish, Tamil, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, and Vietnamese.

English (Australia, Canada, India, UK, U.S.), Chinese (Simplified, Traditional), French (Canada, France, Switzerland), German (Germany, Switzerland), Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), and Thai.

English (Australia, Canada, UK, U.S.), Spanish (Mexico, Spain, U.S.), French (Canada, France, Switzerland), German (Germany, Switzerland), Italian (Italy, Switzerland), Japanese, Korean, Mandarin (Mainland China, Taiwan), and Cantonese (Hong Kong).

English (Australia, Canada, UK, U.S.), Spanish (Mexico, Spain, U.S.), French (Canada, France, Switzerland), German (Germany, Switzerland), Italian (Italy, Switzerland), Japanese, Korean, Mandarin (Mainland China, Taiwan), Cantonese (Hong Kong), Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Indonesian, Malaysian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil, Portugal), Romanian, Russian, Slovakian, Swedish, Turkish, Thai, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese.

English, Chinese (Simplified), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Thai, and Turkish.

Simplified Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish.

English (Australia, Canada, UK, U.S.), French, German, Italian, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil, Portugal), Russian, Swedish, and Turkish.

.jpg, .tiff, .gif (images); .doc and .docx (Microsoft Word); .htm and .html (web pages); .key (Keynote); .numbers (Numbers); .pages (Pages); .pdf (Preview and Adobe Acrobat); .ppt and .pptx (Microsoft PowerPoint); .txt (text); .rtf (rich text format); .vcf (contact information); .xls and .xlsx (Microsoft Excel); .zip; and .ics.

VoiceOver screen reader, Guided Access, Switch Control, support for playback of closed-captioned content, predictive text, keyboard shortcuts, Speak Screen, Safari Reader, AssistiveTouch, support for third-party keyboards, full-screen zoom magnification, larger type, bold text, increase contrast, reduce motion, on/off labels, invert colors, and left/right volume adjustment.

Camera, Photos, Messages, FaceTime, Mail, Music, Safari, Maps, Siri, Calendar, iTunes Store, App Store, Notes, Contacts, iBooks, Game Center, Reminders, Clock, Videos, Newsstand, Photo Booth, and Podcasts.

Available for free from the App Store: 

iMovie, GarageBand, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, iTunes U, Find My iPhone, Find My Friends, Remote, and Trailers.