Apple iPad Pro 12.9" 12.9-inch Review
This cheap, big-screen iPad Pro offers a stunning display but painfully outdated performance. It's only for the most casual users on a tight budget.
The 30-Second Version
A cheap, big-screen iPad Pro with seriously outdated guts. The stunning 12.9-inch display is best-in-class, but the CPU and GPU are dead last. Worth it only for super basic tasks on a budget.
Overview
This is a renewed 3rd-gen iPad Pro 12.9-inch. It's a big, beautiful tablet with a top-tier screen and solid storage, but it's powered by older tech. The specs are from a different era, and that's the whole story here. You're buying a premium experience from 2018, repackaged and sold today for a fraction of the original price.
Performance
The performance is, frankly, dated. Its CPU and GPU scores are among the worst we've seen in our current database, which means it'll feel sluggish compared to any modern tablet or even a recent phone. Apps will run, but complex tasks or newer games will struggle. The battery life is about average, and the Wi-Fi 4 connectivity feels slow now. The bright spot is that 12.9-inch screen, which is still one of the best on the market for clarity and color.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- The 12.9-inch display is gorgeous and huge. 90th
- 256GB of storage is plenty for most users. 88th
- It supports the Apple Pencil and keyboard. 86th
- The renewed price is a massive discount. 74th
Cons
- The CPU and GPU are painfully slow for today's apps. 10th
- It only has Wi-Fi 4, which is outdated. 13th
- Battery life is just okay, not great.
- The RAM is underwhelming and limits multitasking.
The Word on the Street
Specifications
Full Specifications
Processor
| CPU | 1.6 GHz |
| GPU | Apple A12X |
Memory & Storage
| Storage | 256 GB |
Display
| Size | 12.9" |
| Resolution | 2732 |
Connectivity
| Wi-Fi | WiFi 4 |
Features
| Stylus Support | Yes |
Physical
| Weight | 0.6 kg / 1.4 lbs |
| OS | iPadOS 12 |
Value & Pricing
At $343, the value proposition is weird. It's incredibly cheap for an iPad Pro with this screen size and storage. But you're paying for a frame and a display that houses ancient internals. If your needs are simple—reading, basic note-taking, watching videos on that great screen—it could be a steal. If you need speed, it's a terrible value because the core tech is obsolete.
vs Competition
Compared to a modern iPad Pro with an M-series chip, this is a snail. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+ offers a similar great screen with much faster performance. The Lenovo Yoga Tab Plus is cheaper and has a better speaker setup for media. Even the budget Xiaomi Redmi Pad 2 has a more recent processor. This iPad only wins if your budget is tight and you're obsessed with that specific Apple big-screen experience.
| Spec | Apple iPad Pro 12.9" 12.9-inch | Samsung Galaxy Tab S Samsung 14.6" Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra 1TB Multi-Touch | Lenovo Idea Tab Lenovo - Idea Tab Pro - 12.7" 3K Tablet - 8GB RAM | Microsoft Surface Pro Microsoft 12" Surface Pro Copilot+ PC, Snapdragon | Xiaomi Pad 7 PRO Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro Ai WiFi Version Global (No Calls | Teclast TECLAST T65PLUS 13.4-Inch Android 15 Tablet 2025, |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | 1.6 GHz | MediaTek 9300 | MediaTek Dimensity | Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus X1P-64-100 | 3 GHz | 2.2 GHz |
| RAM (GB) | - | 16 | 8 | 16 | 12 | 8 |
| Storage (GB) | 256 | 1024 | 256 | 512 | 512 | 256 |
| Screen | 12.9" 2732x2048 | 14.6" 2960x1848 | 12.7" 2944x1840 | 12" 2196x1464 | 11.2" 3200x2136 | 13.4" 1920x1200 |
| OS | iPadOS 12 | Android 14 | Android 14 | Windows 11 Home | Android 14 HyperOS | Android 15 |
| Stylus | true | true | true | true | false | false |
| Cellular | false | false | false | false | false | true |
| Battery (Wh) | - | - | - | 38 | - | - |
| Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare |
| Product | Cpu | Gpu | Ram | Screen | Battery | Feature | Storage | Connectivity | Social Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple iPad Pro 12.9" 12.9-inch | 9.8 | 12.7 | 37.7 | 88 | 46.2 | 90.3 | 74.3 | 56.1 | 85.6 |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S 14.6" 10 Ultra Compare | 72.3 | 72.9 | 90.6 | 95.6 | 95.1 | 99.8 | 96.5 | 96.2 | 99.3 |
| Lenovo Idea Tab Pro 12.7" 3K Compare | 43.8 | 45.4 | 74.5 | 92.2 | 94.9 | 95.7 | 74.3 | 96.2 | 99.3 |
| Microsoft Surface Pro 12" Compare | 98.7 | 1.4 | 95 | 59.2 | 99.1 | 94.2 | 91.9 | 96.2 | 97 |
| Xiaomi Pad 7 PRO Pad 7 Pro Ai Compare | 81.3 | 81.5 | 84.6 | 99.2 | 46.2 | 57.7 | 88.1 | 56.1 | 92.5 |
| Teclast T65PLUS 13.4-Inch Android 15 Tablet 2025 Compare | 73.7 | 74.3 | 74.5 | 44.5 | 94.6 | 26.8 | 74.3 | 92.8 | 95 |
Common Questions
Q: Is this iPad Pro good for drawing and design?
The Apple Pencil support is there, and the screen is excellent, but the slow GPU might lag with complex brushes or layers in pro apps like Procreate.
Q: Can it run the latest iPadOS and apps?
It runs iPadOS 12, which is very old. Many current apps may not be compatible or will run poorly on this older hardware.
Q: What does 'renewed' mean for this tablet?
It's a used unit that has been tested and refurbished by the seller. It should function, but quality can vary, and some buyers report issues with the process.
Who Should Skip This
Skip this immediately if you need speed for work, gaming, or multitasking. The CPU is one of the worst we've tested. Also, if you rely on fast Wi-Fi or use modern apps that require current iOS versions, look elsewhere because this tablet is stuck in the past.
Verdict
Buy this only if you're a very casual user who wants a big, beautiful Apple screen for reading, light web browsing, or simple sketching with an Apple Pencil, and you're comfortable with noticeably slow performance. It's a niche pick for the patient.