Apple iPad Air 9.7" Air 2 Silver

The iPad Air 2 is the cheapest way into an iPad, and its GPU still surprises. But the ancient CPU and laughable 16GB of storage make it a one-trick pony. Only buy it if your needs are ultra light and your budget is even lighter.

The iPad Air 2 is ancient by tech standards, a decade-old tablet that somehow still shows up in renewed listings for beer money. And you know what? For a very specific kind of person, it's still worth a look. The A8X chip's GPU remains weirdly potent, the battery holds up better than expected, and the build quality is classic Apple. Just don't expect it to keep up with anything modern.

This is a tablet for reading, streaming, and maybe doodling with a cheap stylus, nothing more. The 16GB of storage is genuinely painful, and the CPU wheezes through anything beyond a couple of tabs. But if you want the cheapest possible iPad to sit on the coffee table and look pretty, this pulled-from-a-time-capsule slab does the job.

Our database says the GPU is in the 99th percentile, which sounds insane until you realize it's just that most budget tablets still ship with graphics that struggle to handle basic animations. Apps open smoothly, and light games run better than they have any right to. But the A8X's CPU sits at a measly 5th percentile, so expect stutters, reloads, and general lag when you push it. Multitasking? Forget it. That 16GB SSD is a bigger bottleneck than the chip, with only about 5-8GB actually usable after iPadOS takes its cut.

At $110 to $189 renewed, it's hard to complain too loudly. You're getting an iPad that still feels premium in the hand, with a screen that's fine for Netflix and a UI that grandma can navigate. But the microscopic storage means you'll be living in the cloud, and the lag reminds you constantly that this thing is old. If you just need a Kindle with a browser, it's a steal. If you want to do real work, spend the extra cash.

Stacked against modern slabs like the Xiaomi Pad 7 or Lenovo Idea Tab Pro, the Air 2 looks like a museum piece. Those tablets give you 128GB of storage, octa-core CPUs, and silky 120Hz displays for not much more money. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7, even though it's also aging, runs circles around this thing with a proper stylus and desktop-class multitasking. The Air 2's only real weapon is price, and the fact that it's an iPad, which still means something for people locked into Apple's garden.

If you need to install more than a few apps or want to play anything beyond simple games, look elsewhere. 16GB fills up instantly, and the CPU will have you tapping your fingers waiting for apps to open. Anyone who relies on current iPadOS features or the Apple Pencil should save up for at least a 7th-gen iPad instead.

Grab this if you want a dedicated e-reader that can also play music and stream the occasional show. It's perfect as a kid's first tablet for basic apps, or for someone who only needs to check email and scroll Twitter. Just don't expect to install many apps, edit photos, or run anything from the last few years of iPadOS.