Coming in at £319, it's the same price as last year's model, but where that was the iPad Air shrunken down into more impressive frame, this time we've got, well, the same the iPad but with the ability to check it's your finger.
Read more: Apple iPad Air 2 review: Hands-on
That means no zero-gap screen, no improved A8X chip (the mini 3 is stuck on the old A7 that debuted last year) and while the new iOS 8.1 update brings time lapse and panorama to the mix, the slow motion video is gone due to the lack of grunt.
There are some upgrades here: you can now get it in gold and the shell is slightly refined with a chamfered edge along with an improved back.
But beyond that, there's very little on show here that makes it easy to see where the extra cash is coming from, especially when last year's model is now on sale for a lower price. The TouchID extra does allow you access to more secure apps, as well as paying for goods with your digit from the sofa, but beyond that it's hard to see who would want the new model when the cheaper one is out.
Early verdict
It's hard to work out the iPad mini 3. It's a good tablet only in the sense that the last model was very good indeed. But where that stunned by shrinking down the awesome bits of the iPad Air into a tiny frame, the iPad mini 3 is just a rebadged version that brings a fingerprint scanner into your life.
The full review of the tablet might reveal some hidden treasures, but for now it's hard to see who would want the iPad mini 3 when the older version still exists on the market.
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