Apple iPad Apple iPad Early 2018 (9.7-inch, Wi-Fi, 32GB) - Review
The 2018 iPad is dirt cheap and supports the Apple Pencil, but its 2GB of RAM and tiny 32GB storage make it feel ancient. It's only for the most basic tasks.
Overview
Let's be real, this is a 2018 iPad. It's the 9.7-inch model with 32GB of storage and cellular connectivity. It runs on iPadOS 12 and has that classic, familiar design. The headline feature here is the Apple Pencil support, which was a big deal when it launched. It lets you take notes or sketch directly on the screen, which is still pretty cool.
Performance
The A10 chip inside gives it decent pep for basic stuff, landing in the 70th percentile for both CPU and GPU. It can handle web browsing, video streaming, and light games just fine. But that 2GB of RAM is a major bottleneck, sitting in the 2nd percentile. Don't expect to juggle many apps. The 32GB storage is also painfully tight, ranking in the 6th percentile. You'll be managing your space constantly.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Supports the original Apple Pencil for drawing and notes. 83th
- Solid Retina display is still good for reading and videos. 70th
- Cellular model gives you internet anywhere. 70th
- Very affordable on the used market.
Cons
- Only 2GB of RAM severely limits multitasking. 3th
- Tiny 32GB storage fills up instantly. 10th
- Old iPadOS 12 misses out on tons of modern apps and features.
- Cameras are basically useless by today's standards.
Specifications
Full Specifications
Processor
| CPU | 2.34 GHz |
| GPU | Embedded M10 coprocessor |
Memory & Storage
| RAM | 2 GB |
| Storage | 32 GB |
Display
| Size | 9.7" |
| Resolution | 2048 |
Connectivity
| Wi-Fi | WiFi 5 |
Physical
| Weight | 0.5 kg / 1.0 lbs |
| OS | iPadOS |
Value & Pricing
At around $100 used, it's incredibly cheap. For that price, you get a capable screen and Pencil support. But you're trading a lot for that low cost. The lack of storage and RAM makes it feel old fast. It's a value pick only if your needs are super simple and you're okay with its limitations.
Price History
vs Competition
Don't compare this to a new iPad Pro or a Surface Pro 11. That's not fair. Compared to other budget tablets, it holds up if you want Apple Pencil support. A modern base iPad or a Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 would run circles around it with better software and more RAM. Even a Lenovo Idea Tab Pro offers more storage and a bigger screen for similar money. This 2018 iPad is for a very specific, low-budget niche.
| Spec | Apple iPad Apple iPad Early 2018 (9.7-inch, Wi-Fi, 32GB) - | Apple iPad Pro Apple 11" iPad Pro M5 Chip (Standard Glass, 512GB, | Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Samsung 12.4" Galaxy Tab S10+ 256GB Multi-Touch | Microsoft Surface Pro Microsoft - Surface Pro - Copilot+ PC - 13” OLED | Lenovo Yoga Tab Series Lenovo - Yoga Tab Plus - 12.7" 3K Tablet - 16GB | GPD GPD Pocket 4: Mini Laptop with AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | 2.34 GHz | Apple M5 | MediaTek 9300 | Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1E-84-100 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 | AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 |
| RAM (GB) | 2 | 12 | 12 | 32 | 16 | 32 |
| Storage (GB) | 32 | 512 | 256 | 1000 | 256 | 2048 |
| Screen | 9.7" 2048x1536 | 11" 2420x1668 | 12.4" 2800x1752 | 13" 2880x1920 | 12.7" 2944x1840 | 8.8" 2560x1600 |
| OS | iPadOS | iPadOS | Android 14 | Windows 11 Home | Android 14 | Windows 11 Home |
| Stylus | false | true | true | false | true | false |
| Cellular | false | false | false | false | false | false |
Verdict
Buy this only if you're on an extreme budget and your entire plan is to read, watch videos, and use the Apple Pencil for simple notes. For anyone else, especially if you want to use more than one app at a time, the severe RAM and storage limits make it hard to recommend. Spend a bit more on a newer used model if you can.