Apple iPad Pro Apple iPad Pro Tablet (256GB, Wi-Fi, 9.7in) Silver Review
The 9.7-inch iPad Pro's screen still shines, but its old software and slow internals make it hard to recommend for daily use.
Overview
This is the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, and it's a bit of a time capsule. It's got a great screen and a solid 256GB of storage, which is still plenty for most people. But you're looking at iPadOS 9 and older specs, so it's firmly in the 'legacy device' category now.
Performance
The screen is still fantastic, landing in the 91st percentile. That makes reading and watching stuff a real pleasure. But the internals show their age. The CPU and RAM are in the bottom third of all tablets, so don't expect it to handle modern apps or multitasking well. It scored its lowest in business use, which makes sense.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- That Retina display still looks incredible. 98th
- 256GB of storage is more than enough for media. 93th
- Lightweight and easy to carry around. 76th
- Build quality feels premium, even now. 72th
Cons
- iPadOS 9 is ancient and severely limits app support.
- Only 4GB of RAM chokes modern multitasking.
- Connectivity is dated with only 802.11 a/b/g Wi-Fi.
- Battery life is just average at best.
Specifications
Full Specifications
Processor
| CPU | Apple |
Memory & Storage
| RAM | 4 GB |
| Storage | 256 GB |
Display
| Size | 9.7" |
| Resolution | 3840 (4K UHD) |
Features
| Stylus Support | Yes |
Physical
| Weight | 0.7 kg / 1.6 lbs |
| OS | iPadOS 9 |
Value & Pricing
At around $491, the value proposition is tricky. You're paying for a great screen wrapped in an obsolete package. If you just need a dedicated reader or a simple media viewer, it might be okay. But for that money, you can get a much more capable modern budget tablet that will actually run current software.
vs Competition
Don't even compare it to a modern iPad Pro or a Surface Pro. That's not fair. Stack it up against other older devices or basic new tablets. A current base model iPad would run circles around it for a similar price. Even a Samsung Galaxy Tab A series would offer a better, more up-to-date experience. This iPad Pro is for a very specific, nostalgic buyer.
| Spec | Apple iPad Pro Apple iPad Pro Tablet (256GB, Wi-Fi, 9.7in) Silver | Apple iPad Pro Apple - 13-inch iPad Pro M5 chip Wi-Fi 256GB with | Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Samsung - Galaxy Tab S10+ - 12.4" 256GB - Wi-Fi - | Microsoft Surface Pro Microsoft - Surface Pro - Copilot+ PC - 13” - | Lenovo Lenovo - Idea Tab Pro - 12.7" 3K Tablet - 8GB RAM | HP GPD Win MAX 2 2025 Handheld Gaming PC with AMD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Apple | Apple M5 | Mediatek MT6989 | Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus X1P-64-100 | MediaTek Dimensity | AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 |
| RAM (GB) | 4 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 8 | 32 |
| Storage (GB) | 256 | 256 | 256 | 512 | 256 | 2048 |
| Screen | 9.7" 3840x2160 | 13" 2752x2064 | 12.4" 2800x1752 | 13" 2880x1920 | 12.7" 2944x1840 | 10.1" 1920x1200 |
| OS | iPadOS 9 | iPadOS | Android 14 | Windows 11 Home | Android 14 | Windows 11 Home |
| Stylus | true | true | true | false | true | false |
| Cellular | false | false | false | false | false | false |
Verdict
Only buy this if you're a collector, or if you found it for dirt cheap and only plan to use it for one single, simple task like reading. For literally anyone else, a newer, cheaper tablet is a smarter buy. This is a cool piece of tech history, not a practical daily driver.