Apple iPad Pro 12.9" MHNH3LL/A-cr Space Gray 2021

The renewed 2021 12.9-inch iPad Pro with the M1 chip is a fantastic value at around $559 USD. You get a stunning Liquid Retina XDR display, 120Hz ProMotion, and performance that still outclasses most tablets on the market. Battery life is the main weak spot, but for creative work and media consumption, this is one of the best tablet deals going.

The M1 chip in this iPad Pro is still a beast. It's the same 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU that powered Apple's first wave of Apple Silicon Macs, and in a tablet it's overkill in the best way. Our database puts the CPU at the 69th percentile for tablets, which sounds middle-of-the-road until you remember that the tablet category includes a lot of cheap Android devices dragging the average down. In practice, this thing chews through 4K video exports, layered Procreate files, and heavy multitasking without breaking a sweat.

The 8GB of RAM is fine for iPadOS, which manages memory differently than a desktop OS. You won't feel constrained unless you're running a dozen heavy apps at once. The 256GB of storage sits at the 74th percentile, which is solid for most people but might get tight if you're shooting a lot of 4K video or downloading big games. The screen's 45th percentile ranking is a bit misleading too. That's against all tablets, including newer OLED panels. The mini-LED XDR display here still delivers 1000 nits of full-screen brightness and 1600 nits peak for HDR, which is genuinely impressive for watching movies or editing HDR photos.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is the closest Android competitor, with a 14.6-inch AMOLED screen that's bigger and arguably better for media consumption. But Samsung's DeX mode still can't match the iPad's app library for creative work, and the S Pen experience, while good, doesn't have the same third-party app support as the Apple Pencil. The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 runs full Windows, which makes it a better laptop replacement if you need desktop apps like full Photoshop or Visual Studio. But it's heavier, pricier, and the tablet experience is clunkier.

The Lenovo Yoga Tab Plus and Xiaomi Pad 7 are both solid mid-range Android tablets, but they're in a different league for performance and display quality. The VekfulPC T60 Pro is a budget option that doesn't really compete here. If you want a tablet that can genuinely replace a laptop for creative work, the iPad Pro M1 is still the one to beat at this price point. The main trade-off is battery life, which is a weak spot compared to the newer M4 iPad Pro and even some Android tablets.

At $559 USD for a renewed unit, this iPad Pro is a strong value play. A new M4 iPad Pro with the same screen size starts at more than double that, and for most people the M1 is still more than enough. The CAD 950 and MXN 12,241 listings are in their own markets, so compare those against local alternatives. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra and Microsoft Surface Pro 11 both cost significantly more new, and the renewed route makes the iPad Pro the budget-friendly pick for a premium large-screen tablet. If you're on a tighter budget, the Xiaomi Pad 7 or Lenovo Yoga Tab Plus offer decent screens for less, but they don't match the iPad's app ecosystem or long-term software support.

The 2021 12.9-inch iPad Pro is Apple's big-screen tablet, and this renewed listing puts the M1-powered version in the mid-range price bracket at around $559 USD. That's a lot of tablet for the money, especially when you consider the Liquid Retina XDR display and the same chip that made the M1 MacBook Air such a hit. People searching for a 12.9-inch iPad Pro for drawing, video editing, or just a giant screen for media will find this renewed model hits a sweet spot between the older A12Z version and the pricier M2 and M4 models.

What you're getting here is the 5th generation iPad Pro with 256GB of storage, 8GB of RAM, and Wi-Fi 6. The display is the star: a 12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR panel with ProMotion at 120Hz, True Tone, and P3 wide color. It's the same screen tech Apple used to push HDR content, and it still looks fantastic in 2025. The front camera has Center Stage, which keeps you framed during video calls, and there's a 12MP wide camera plus a 10MP ultra-wide and a LiDAR scanner on the back for AR stuff.

This is a renewed unit, so condition varies slightly from seller to seller. But the customer feedback is overwhelmingly positive, with buyers saying the devices look and work like new. If you're wondering whether a renewed iPad Pro is worth it, the short answer is yes, as long as you buy from a seller with a solid return policy. The battery health reports are particularly encouraging, with one user seeing 90% capacity after 233 charge cycles.

Skip this if battery life is your top priority. The 30th percentile battery ranking means you'll be reaching for the charger more often than you would with a newer iPad or a tablet like the Lenovo Yoga Tab Plus. It's also not the best pick for reading, with a 51.4/100 score in that area. The 12.9-inch size and 295g weight make it awkward for one-handed use in bed or on the couch. If you mainly want a tablet for ebooks, web browsing, and casual streaming, a smaller iPad Air or even the base iPad will serve you better for less money. And if you need full desktop software, the Microsoft Surface Pro 11 is the better laptop replacement.

Should you buy this renewed iPad Pro M1? If you want a big, beautiful screen for drawing, video editing, or media consumption without paying M4 prices, yes. The M1 chip is still overkill for most tablet tasks, the XDR display is stunning, and the renewed units from this listing are getting excellent feedback from buyers. The battery life is the main compromise, and it's worth setting expectations that you'll be charging more often than you would with a newer model.

For artists and designers, the Apple Pencil support and ProMotion display make this a genuinely great tool. For students or casual users, it might be more tablet than you need, and a smaller iPad Air or even a base iPad could save you money. But if you've been eyeing a 12.9-inch iPad Pro and balking at the new prices, this renewed M1 model is the smart buy.