Apple iPad Pro 12.9" Silver 2015

The 2015 iPad Pro's 12.9-inch display is still a standout, ranking in the 89th percentile, making it a killer budget canvas for artists. Performance is average with the A9X chip, but the 4GB of RAM and dead-last battery capacity are serious drawbacks. Prices are all over the place, so stick to the $260 range from reputable refurbishers. It's a niche pick for creatives who can stay plugged in, not a daily driver for everyone else.

The A9X chip was a beast back in 2015, and it still holds up for what it is. Our CPU ranking puts it in the 68th percentile, which is solid middle-of-the-pack territory. That means it's about average compared to the broader tablet market today, which includes a lot of cheap Android slates that drag the average down. In real-world terms, you can sketch in Procreate, edit a 1080p video in iMovie, or run split-screen apps without wanting to throw the thing out a window. Just don't expect it to zip through 4K exports or heavy 3D rendering. The GPU sits in a similar spot at the 67th percentile, so light gaming is fine, but demanding titles will need their graphics settings dialed back.

The 4GB of DDR4 RAM is the real bottleneck here. At the 31st percentile, it's underwhelming by modern standards. You'll notice apps reloading if you have more than a few things open, and Safari tabs will get the boot in the background more often than you'd like. The 128GB of storage, on the other hand, is a bright spot at the 67th percentile. It's enough room for a decent app library, some downloaded movies, and a pile of art projects without constantly juggling files. The connectivity is well above average too, with Wi-Fi 5 and LTE cellular keeping you online pretty much anywhere.

Stacked against something like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE, the iPad Pro's age really shows. The S10 FE will have a much faster processor, longer battery life, and a modern OS with years of updates ahead of it. But the iPad Pro's screen is in a different league for color accuracy and resolution, and the Apple Pencil experience is still smoother for drawing. The Lenovo Idea Tab Pro TB373FU is another strong competitor, often priced aggressively and offering a great productivity experience with its keyboard accessories. However, it can't match the iPad's app ecosystem for creative work.

Then you have the wildcards like the Xiaomi Pad 62779 and the Vekfulpc T60 Pro. The Xiaomi offers incredible hardware value but comes with software quirks that might drive you nuts. The Vekfulpc is a budget contender that undercuts everyone on price but makes serious compromises on screen quality and build. The iPad Pro sits in a unique position: it's the premium creative tool from a decade ago that's now available for budget prices, but you have to accept that its best days are behind it in terms of speed and software support.

The pricing on this thing is all over the map. We're seeing a spread of $8,072 across different vendors, which is frankly absurd. Some sellers are asking over $8,000 for what is essentially a nearly decade-old tablet, and you should run, not walk, away from those listings. The sweet spot is down around the $260 end, which is where the Geek Squad Certified Refurbished models tend to live. At that price, you're getting a 128GB cellular iPad with a top-tier screen for less than a new base model iPad.

When you compare that to the competition, it gets interesting. A new Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE or Lenovo Idea Tab Pro will run circles around this in terms of raw performance and battery life, but they'll also cost significantly more. If your primary goal is a big, color-accurate screen for drawing or watching movies, and you can keep it plugged in, the value proposition at the low end of the price range is hard to beat. Just make sure you're buying from a reputable refurbisher with a warranty, like the 90-day one included here, because that battery is going to be a concern on any used unit.

The original 12.9-inch iPad Pro was Apple's first swing at making a tablet that could genuinely replace a laptop, and even years later, it's a fascinating device to revisit. This isn't the latest M4-powered model, it's the 2015 original with the A9X chip, but it's still floating around the refurbished market at prices that range from 'impulse buy' to 'wait, seriously?' We're talking a spread from $260 all the way up to over $8,000 depending on the seller and condition, which is wild. The one we're looking at here is a Geek Squad Certified Refurbished unit with 128GB of storage and cellular, which lands it in a pretty sweet spot for someone who wants a giant screen without a giant price tag.

Who is this for in 2024? Honestly, it's a niche pick. Our database scores it best for art and design, landing in the 70th percentile for that use case, which makes sense given the Apple Pencil support and that big, beautiful canvas. Productivity and business tasks score in the low 60s, which is decent but not spectacular. The weakest area by far is reading, scoring just 51.1, and you'll understand why when you pick it up. This thing is heavy at 694 grams. Holding it one-handed for a novel is a workout, not a relaxing evening.

But here's the thing that keeps this old Pro relevant: that display. It's a 12.9-inch panel with a 2732x2048 resolution, and it ranks in the 89th percentile among all tablets in our database. That means it's still a standout screen, even compared to much newer mid-range tablets. The anti-reflective coating helps, and the 4GB of RAM, while ranking a mediocre 31st percentile, was actually generous for its time and keeps basic multitasking from falling apart completely. You're not getting a powerhouse, but you are getting a fantastic portable monitor that happens to run iOS.

Anyone who needs a tablet they can use unplugged for hours should skip this without a second thought. The battery is the worst we've seen in our database, and even a healthy unit will struggle to get through a movie. If you're a student, a frequent traveler, or someone who likes to read in bed, the weight and terrible stamina will drive you up the wall. Look at a newer base iPad or a Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE instead. You'll sacrifice some screen real estate but gain all-day battery life and a much lighter design.

Also, if you need a tablet for anything beyond basic productivity and creative work, this isn't it. The A9X chip is showing its age, and the 4GB of RAM means aggressive multitasking is a frustrating experience of constant app reloads. Anyone who wants to edit 4K video, play demanding games, or use their tablet as a primary laptop replacement should look at an M1 iPad Air or a recent iPad Pro. This model is a specialty tool for artists on a tight budget, not a general-purpose computer.

If you're a digital artist looking for the cheapest possible entry point into the Apple Pencil ecosystem with a big, beautiful canvas, this refurbished iPad Pro is a compelling option. The screen is genuinely still one of the best on the market for color work, and at around $260, it's a steal for that alone. Pair it with a first-gen Apple Pencil and you've got a dedicated sketching and note-taking machine that costs less than most drawing tablets with a built-in screen.

For everyone else, think carefully. If you want a tablet for reading, travel, or all-day battery life, this is a terrible choice. The weight and abysmal battery capacity, literally the worst in our database, make it a chore to use away from an outlet. You'd be much happier with a base model iPad from a few years later or a mid-range Android tablet. This iPad Pro is a specialist's tool at a clearance price, not a general-purpose device for most people in 2024.