Apple iPad Apple 2017 iPad (9.7-inch, WiFi + Cellular, 32GB) Review

Let's be real, this is an old iPad. The 2017 iPad with cellular sits in the 94th percentile for RAM, which sounds impressive until you realize it's paired with a CPU in the 10th percentile and storage in the 6th. That 32GB fills up fast. The cellular connectivity is its main party trick, letting you get online anywhere, but the internals are showing their age.

Our scoring says it's best for reading, landing a 42.3 out of 100. For entertainment or art, it's in the mid-to-high 30s. Business use is its weakest area at 28.4, which makes sense given the older OS and limited multitasking of its era. You're buying a connected reader, not a powerhouse.

Performance is where the age shows. That 94th percentile RAM score is a bit misleading. It has 32GB, which was huge for 2017, but it's DDR4 and paired with a CPU that's only faster than 10% of tablets we track. The GPU is even lower at the 13th percentile. For basic web browsing, reading, and video streaming, it's fine. But don't expect to smoothly run modern apps or games. The 9.7-inch Retina display is still decent at 2048x1536, landing in the 58th percentile for screens. It's sharp enough for books and shows.

At roughly $116, the value proposition is narrow but clear. You are paying for the Apple ecosystem and cellular connectivity at a rock-bottom price. The performance per dollar is terrible if you need speed, but fantastic if you just need a connected screen for reading, light browsing, or as a dedicated GPS/music device in the car. Just know you're trading all modern performance for that low entry fee.

Compared to a modern base iPad, this 2017 model is left in the dust on speed, software support, and storage. But that modern iPad costs 4-5x more. Against current Android tablets like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+, there's no contest on performance or screen quality. This iPad's real competition is other used devices. It beats a cheap, new 'N-one' Android tablet in build quality and that cellular radio, but those Android tablets will have more storage and run newer apps. If cellular isn't a must, a used Lenovo Idea Tab Pro might offer a better screen and more storage for a similar price.

This is a very specific buy. If you need the cheapest possible cellular-connected iPad for reading books, checking maps, or streaming music on the go, and you're okay with terrible storage and slow performance, this $116 tablet works. For literally anything else—gaming, art, multitasking, storing photos—you should spend more on a newer device, even if it's a used model from a couple years ago. The data doesn't lie: great connectivity, awful internals.