Apple iPad Pro Apple 2017 Apple iPad Pro 2nd Gen, 12.9-inch, Review

The renewed 2017 iPad Pro 12.9-inch offers a fantastic large screen and Apple Pencil support at a budget price, but its seven-year-old processor and limited software future show its age. It's a great pick for artists and casual users on a tight budget, but power users should look elsewhere.

If you're hunting for a large-screen tablet for under $300, the 2017 iPad Pro 12.9-inch is probably on your radar. This is a renewed model, so you're getting a seven-year-old flagship for a fraction of its original price. It's powered by Apple's A10X Fusion chip with 4GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and it features that gorgeous 12.9-inch ProMotion Retina display. People search for 'large iPad for drawing' or 'cheap iPad Pro for students,' and this fits the bill for both, as long as you know what you're getting into with older hardware.

The A10X chip still holds up surprisingly well for basic tasks. In our database, its CPU and GPU performance both land in the 71st percentile versus all tablets, which means it's faster than most budget Android slates you'd find today. You can edit 4K video, handle light photo editing, and play most games from its era without a hitch. Where it shows its age is with more intensive apps or heavy multitasking—the 4GB of RAM is in the 34th percentile, so don't expect to keep a dozen Safari tabs and Procreate open without some reloading. For art, design, and general productivity, it's still plenty capable.

At around $270 for a renewed 256GB model, the value proposition is clear: you're getting a once-top-tier screen and build for less than a new base-model iPad. The trade-off is aging internals. For the same money, you could get a newer but smaller standard iPad, or an Android tablet with more modern specs but a worse software ecosystem. This is a niche pick for those who prioritize screen size and Apple Pencil support over raw speed.

Let's name names. Compared to a modern base iPad (10th gen), you're getting a much bigger and better screen here, but the newer iPad has a faster chip, better cameras, and longer software support. Against a Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE, you'd get a similar large screen and stylus support, but with a more modern processor, better multitasking with more RAM, and likely better battery life, though for a higher price. The Microsoft Surface Go series offers full Windows in a similar form factor, which is better for real laptop replacement tasks, but the iPad Pro still wins on app optimization and media consumption. For pure drawing and note-taking on a budget, this old iPad Pro has a real edge.

Skip this if you need a tablet as a primary computer replacement, if you want to play the latest mobile games, or if you plan to keep it for more than a couple of years. The aging chip and ended software support mean it's a dead-end platform. Also, avoid it if you need fast WiFi (it only has WiFi 4) or if you're worried about gambling on renewed battery life. In those cases, look at a newer base iPad or a mid-range Android tablet like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE.

Should you buy this? Only if your needs are very specific. If you're an artist, student, or casual user who wants a large, beautiful canvas for the Apple Pencil and doesn't need cutting-edge speed or the latest iOS features, this renewed iPad Pro is a compelling bargain. But if you need a tablet for serious multitasking, modern gaming, or as a primary device for years to come, the aging processor and limited software updates make it a hard sell. Spend a bit more for a newer model, or look at modern alternatives.