Apple iPad Pro Apple iPad Pro 9.7-inch (128GB, Wi-Fi, Space Gray) Review

Looking at the iPad Pro 9.7-inch, you're getting a classic piece of Apple hardware. It's a 9.7-inch tablet with 128GB of storage, running iPadOS 9, and it's built around the A9X chip. This is an older model, but it still supports the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard, which keeps it relevant for certain tasks. If you're searching for a budget-friendly iPad Pro for basic productivity or note-taking, this is a contender, especially at its current price point. It's not the powerhouse newer models are, but it has the core iPad Pro features that made the line popular.

Performance is where this iPad shows its age. The A9X chip lands in the 34th percentile for CPU performance compared to modern tablets, and the GPU is even lower at the 36th percentile. In practice, that means it handles everyday tasks like web browsing, email, and note-taking just fine. But if you're thinking about heavy multitasking, complex art apps, or modern games, you'll feel it start to chug. The benchmark scores tell the story: it's capable, but it's no speed demon by today's standards.

At around $149, the value proposition is clear. You're trading cutting-edge speed for core functionality at a very low cost. For that price, you get a well-built tablet that works with the Apple Pencil, which is a huge deal for students or casual artists on a tight budget. The main alternatives at this price are older base-model iPads or Android tablets, which often lack stylus support of this quality. Just know you're buying into an older generation.

Let's talk competitors. The modern 13-inch iPad Pro with an M-series chip is in a different league performance-wise, but it also costs over ten times more. A closer match might be a used iPad Air 3, which has a newer chip but lacks Pro features like the quad speakers and Pencil support. Against something like a Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra, this iPad Pro loses badly on screen size, performance, and multimedia. But the Galaxy Tab also costs a small fortune. For someone who needs Apple Pencil compatibility above all else and has a tiny budget, this old Pro is a unique option.

So, should you buy it? Only in a very specific scenario. If you absolutely need Apple Pencil support for note-taking or light sketching and your budget is firmly under $200, this iPad Pro 9.7-inch is a clever pick. It's a capable digital notebook. But if you want a tablet for entertainment, gaming, or serious creative work, look elsewhere. The slow processor and small screen hold it back. Think of it as a specialized tool, not a do-it-all tablet.