Display of iPad mini 3 - issues

Your iPad may have developed a hardware fault.

If iPad isn’t responding, or is clearly misbehaving, a forced-restart may clear the issue:

• On an iPad with a Home button: Press and hold the top button and the Home button at the same time. When the Apple logo appears, release both buttons.
• On an iPad with Face ID: Press and quickly release the volume up button, press and quickly release the volume down button, then press and hold the top button. When the Apple logo appears, release the button.

If the iPad doesn’t turn on, or if it gets stuck during start up, see the Apple Support article If your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch won’t turn on or is frozen.

Apple don’t actually repair iPad, but for models still in support, they may offer an out-of-warranty exchange for a reconditioned device of the same model and specification. The cost for an out-or-warrant exchange is typically c.60% of the “as new” price of the iPad. As such, “repair” (if needed) may be uneconomic...

Apple ended update support for the mini3 in September 2019. Your iPad cannot be updated to iPadOS 13 (or any later major versions of iPadOS) as the internal hardware does not meet the minimum technical requirements for new versions of iOS/iPadOS. An iPad mini3 can only be updated to iOS 12.4.8 - this being the last available version; this limitation will begin to impact its future utility.

Some App developers have already dropped support for iOS versions preceding iOS 13.x for technical reasons (often because APIs or software libraries upon which they rely have been updated in the new version of iPadOS, making their App incompatible with earlier versions).

As such, the relatively high cost of repair/exchange might be better spent towards a new (or newer) iPad that is capable of supporting at least iPadOS13/14. All current models of iPad have at least 3GB RAM, providing some latitude for future updates; non-current models of iPad often have the minimum iPadOS supported 2GB RAM configuration, these devices being most at risk of losing update support at some time in the future.

I hope this information provides helpful clarity as to your available options.

You should contact Apple, and they can replace the screen, as this is a hardware issue, probably from years of use, or a drop.

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