Apple iPad Pro 12.9" 2nd generation Silver 2017

The 2017 iPad Pro 12.9 still has one of the best displays you can get on a tablet, with a 120Hz refresh rate and a gorgeous 2732x2048 resolution. The A10X Fusion chip handles everyday tasks fine, and the Apple Pencil support makes it a solid budget pick for artists. But the renewed market is a gamble, with user sentiment near the bottom of our database thanks to battery issues and defective units. At USD 210 it's a tempting buy, but at USD 345 you're better off with a newer tablet.

The A10X Fusion chip was a desktop-class performer in 2017, and it still handles everyday tasks without breaking a sweat. Web browsing, note-taking, streaming video, and even light photo editing feel smooth. The 6-core CPU and the M10 coprocessor keep things responsive, and the 120Hz ProMotion display makes every swipe and scroll feel fluid. That refresh rate is something you don't appreciate until you go back to a 60Hz screen. It's genuinely one of the best displays we've seen on a tablet of this age, with a 2732x2048 resolution that makes text look crisp and colors pop.

But here's the catch. The user sentiment data tells a different story than the spec sheet. Multiple owners report severe lag after setup, instability, and image shaking. Some units become unusable within months. That's not a chip problem, it's a quality control problem with the renewed units floating around. When you get a good one, the performance is impressive for the price. When you get a bad one, you're stuck with a paperweight. The 64GB of RAM is a spec sheet oddity, likely a listing error, but the 64GB of storage is real and fills up fast if you're downloading apps and media.

Stacked against the current competition, this iPad Pro is a mixed bag. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 and Xiaomi Pad 7 both offer newer processors, better connectivity, and longer software support. The Xiaomi Pad 7 in particular is a strong value pick if you want a modern Android tablet with a high refresh rate display. The Lenovo Idea Tab Plus is another budget-friendly option that doesn't have the same quality control roulette. And the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 is the obvious choice if you need a full desktop OS rather than iOS.

Where this iPad Pro still wins is the display and the Apple Pencil experience. That 120Hz ProMotion screen is still one of the best panels you can get on a tablet, and the Pencil latency is excellent for drawing. The four speaker setup also punches above its weight for media consumption. But the dated connectivity, the storage ceiling, and the unreliable renewed units make it hard to recommend over a newer Android tablet unless you specifically need iPadOS and the Pencil ecosystem.

The price spread on this thing is wild. We're seeing listings from USD 210 to USD 345 across three US vendors. That's a USD 135 gap for what should be the same product. The best deal in our database is on Amazon, where the renewed units are listed at the lower end of that range. At USD 210, this is a compelling buy for a big-screen drawing tablet or a media consumption device. At USD 345, you're getting into territory where a newer iPad or a solid Android tablet starts to make more sense.

The value proposition really depends on what you're getting. A unit that arrives in like-new condition with a healthy battery is a steal at the low end. But the sentiment data shows that's not a guarantee. Multiple buyers report battery issues within months, and the 90-day warranty means you're on your own after that. You're essentially paying for a lottery ticket, and the prize is a great tablet at a discount. The consolation prize is a frustrating return process.

The 12.9-inch iPad Pro from 2017 is a weird product to review in the current market. It's old enough that Apple has moved on through several generations, but the hardware inside still holds up surprisingly well for specific tasks. The A10X Fusion chip was a beast when it launched, and that 120Hz display was the first of its kind on an iPad. You're looking at a tablet that was genuinely ahead of its time, now selling as a refurbished or renewed unit at a fraction of its original price.

Who is this for? Honestly, it's for someone who wants a big, beautiful screen for drawing, reading, or light productivity without spending new iPad money. The Apple Pencil support and that 12.9-inch canvas make it a solid budget pick for hobbyist artists. The 64GB of storage is tight by today's standards, but if you're mostly streaming, sketching, and browsing, it's manageable. Just don't expect it to replace a modern laptop for anything heavy.

What makes this interesting is the gap between the spec sheet and the real-world experience. On paper, the RAM and display are top-tier, and the battery capacity is impressive. But the user sentiment score in our database is rough, sitting near the bottom of the barrel. A lot of that comes down to the renewed market. Some units arrive pristine, others show up with battery problems and lag. Buying one of these is a bit of a gamble, and we'll dig into that throughout this review.

If you need a reliable daily driver for work, school, or anything where downtime is a problem, skip this one. The business use case is the weakest area here, and the renewed units have a documented history of battery failures and instability. You don't want to be in the middle of a project when your tablet decides to start lagging or shutting down. Look at a newer iPad, a Microsoft Surface Pro 7, or even a Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 instead.

Also skip this if you're not comfortable with a gamble. The user sentiment score is near the bottom of our database, and the 90-day warranty means you're taking on real risk. If you can't afford to lose USD 210 on a tablet that might die in six months, this isn't the buy for you. Save up for something with a full warranty and a modern battery.

If you're a hobbyist artist or someone who wants a big, beautiful screen for reading and streaming, and you can find a renewed unit at the low end of the price range, this iPad Pro is worth a shot. The display alone is worth the price of admission, and the A10X chip still handles drawing apps and media playback without complaint. Just buy from a vendor with a solid return policy and test the battery immediately.

For everyone else, especially anyone who needs this for work or school, look elsewhere. The business use case is the weakest area for this tablet, scoring just 59 out of 100 in our database. The unreliable battery, the short warranty, and the dated connectivity make it a risky daily driver. A newer iPad, a Surface Pro, or even a high-end Android tablet will serve you better in the long run.