Apple iPad Air Apple iPad Air 2 9.7-Inch, 32GB Tablet (Space Review

So you're looking at a renewed iPad Air 2. It's a classic design, and for about $120, it's a tempting entry point into the Apple ecosystem. The 9.7-inch Retina display still looks sharp, and the A8X chip can handle basic tasks like web browsing, YouTube, and light gaming without much fuss.

But let's be real, this is a 10-year-old tablet running an old version of iPadOS. It's a refurbished unit, so condition can vary. As one reviewer noted, their unit was 'visibly used' and stuck on an old software version. It's a specific buy for a specific need.

Performance is fine for the basics. The A8X chip lands in the 72nd percentile, which sounds good until you remember we're comparing it to tablets from a decade ago. It'll feel snappy for simple apps, but don't expect it to run modern games or intensive creative software well. The 2GB of RAM is a huge bottleneck, sitting in the 3rd percentile, so multitasking is basically a no-go. Apps will reload constantly if you try to switch between them.

At $121, the value is its strongest point. You're getting a functional iPad for less than a cheap Android tablet. But you're trading a lot for that low price. The storage is tiny, the RAM is minimal, and you're buying tech that's officially obsolete. For a kid's first tablet or a dedicated Netflix machine, it's a steal. For anything more, you'll feel the age quickly.

Compared to a modern base iPad, this is slower, has worse support, and a smaller screen. But it's also a quarter of the price. Against something like a Lenovo Idea Tab Pro, you lose out on a bigger, modern screen and more RAM, but you gain access to Apple's app library. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+ blows this away in every performance metric, but again, costs 5-6x more. This iPad Air 2 exists in its own 'ultra-budget Apple' category.

Buy this if you need the cheapest possible iPad for very light use. It's perfect for a young kid, an elderly relative who just needs to video call, or as a secondary screen for recipes in the kitchen. Don't buy this if you need it for school, work, art, or as your main computer. The lack of updates and tiny RAM make it a frustrating primary device.