In other words -- the iPad mini looks just like a mini-fied iPad Air. Why the Air, exactly? Mostly because of the fingerprint Touch ID scanner embedded in the power button. Yes, the base iPad 10th gen has that, too, but the iPad mini has another defining charasteristic of the upper class Apple tablets, and that's the laminated display.The laminated screen has its front glass fused with the touch digitizer, which means that the panel is overally thinner and looks much better (the base iPad screen looks a bit "sunken in", like older tech). It also has Apple's anti-glare coating, which is not as good as Samsung's newest concoction for the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra, but is still pretty good.