Apple iPad Apple iPad (5thGEneration) Wi-Fi, 128GB - Space Review
The old $129 iPad is a budget trap. Its slow performance and ancient software make it hard to recommend when better options exist for similar money.
Overview
Look, this iPad is old. Like, really old. It runs iPadOS 10, which is ancient history in tech years. The one thing you need to know is that this is a cheap, basic tablet for someone who just wants to read books, watch a few videos, and maybe check email. It's not for anything serious. If you're expecting it to feel fast or handle modern apps well, you'll be disappointed.
Performance
Honestly, nothing about the performance surprised me in a good way. The A9 chip and limited RAM land it in the bottom third for CPU and GPU power. It scored a dismal 29.7 out of 100 for productivity, which tells you everything. It'll chug along for simple tasks, but open more than one app and you'll feel the age.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- It's dirt cheap at around $129. 83th
- The 9.7-inch Retina screen is still decent for the price.
- It's lightweight and easy to hold for reading.
- You get a full 128GB of storage, which is plenty for media.
Cons
- The performance is painfully slow by today's standards.
- It's stuck on a very old version of iPadOS with no real upgrade path.
- Wi-Fi 4 and Bluetooth 4.2 feel ancient and slow.
- The cameras are terrible, even for basic video calls.
Specifications
Full Specifications
Processor
| CPU | Apple |
Memory & Storage
| Storage | 128 GB |
Display
| Size | 9.7" |
| Resolution | 2048 |
Connectivity
| Wi-Fi | WiFi 4 |
Physical
| Weight | 0.5 kg / 1.0 lbs |
| OS | iPadOS 10 |
Value & Pricing
At $129, it's a value trap. Sure, it's cheap, but you're buying a device that's already obsolete. You'd be better off spending a bit more on a newer base model iPad or even a good Android tablet. This thing has no future.
vs Competition
Don't even compare it to an iPad Pro or a Surface Pro. That's like comparing a bicycle to a sports car. The real competition is other budget tablets. A modern Amazon Fire HD 10 or a Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 will run circles around this iPad in speed, software support, and features for a similar price. The Lenovo Idea Tab Pro, while more expensive, is in a completely different league for productivity.
| Spec | Apple iPad Apple iPad (5thGEneration) Wi-Fi, 128GB - Space | 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 | Xenarc Xenarc 10.1" RT101-PRO 256GB Tablet (Wi-Fi, 4G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Apple | Apple M5 | MediaTek 9300 | Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1E-84-100 | Qualcomm® Snapdragon® 8 Gen 3, QCM8650 | 8-Core: Up to GHz |
| RAM (GB) | - | 12 | 12 | 32 | 16 | 8 |
| Storage (GB) | 128 | 512 | 256 | 1000 | 256 | 256 |
| Screen | 9.7" 2048x1536 | 11" 2420x1668 | 12.4" 2800x1752 | 13" 2880x1920 | 12.7" 2944x1840 | 10.1" 1920x1200 |
| OS | iPadOS 10 | iPadOS | Android 14 | Windows 11 Home | Android 14 | Android 13 |
| Stylus | false | true | true | false | false | false |
| Cellular | false | false | false | false | false | true |
Verdict
I can't recommend buying this. It's a relic. The only scenario where this makes sense is if you need an ultra-cheap, disposable screen for a kid to watch cartoons on, and even then, a newer Fire tablet is a smarter buy. For anyone else, save your money and get something from this decade.