Apple iPad Pro 12.9 5th Gen 2021, M1, 8GB, 256GB, Cellular, Space Gray

★★★★☆ 4.4 (135)

The Apple M1 chip drives desktop-class performance on a stunning 12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR display with 120Hz ProMotion. Its versatility extends with Apple Pencil 2 support, a 12MP front camera with Center Stage, and Thunderbolt/USB-C connectivity for accessories. This iPad is ideal for students who need a powerful, cellular-connected tablet for note-taking, digital textbooks, and light creative work.

CPU Apple M2
RAM 8 GB
Storage 256 GB
Screen 12.9" 2732x2048
OS iPadOS
stylus Yes
cellular Yes
Apple iPad Pro 12.9 5th Gen 2021, M1, 8GB, 256GB, Cellular, Space Gray tablet
76 Overall Score

No current retailer price

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Snapshot

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Strong connectivity (99th percentile) 99th
  • Strong feature (98th percentile) 98th
  • Strong screen (92nd percentile) 92nd
  • Strong cpu (90th percentile) 90th

Cons

  • Below average affordability (21st percentile)
  • Below average battery (32nd percentile)

What owners think

How owner sentiment changed over time

Exclusive

Based on when customers actually wrote their reviews - so you can see whether early praise held up.

72/100Our AI sentiment readmedium confidence · 10 sources · May 2026

Based on 5 dated customer reviews, grouped by calendar quarter. Period analysis is in English.

The proof

Performance

Performance Percentiles

CPU 89.5
GPU 84.5
RAM 66.1
Screen 92
Battery 32.2
Feature 98.3
Storage 83.5
User Sentiment 40.8
Sharpness 67.3
Eye Comfort 48.1
Portability 49.4
Connectivity 99.1
Social Proof 86.1
Affordability 20.5
Water Resistance 46.7

Specifications

Full Specifications

Processor

CPU Apple M2
Cores 8

Memory & Storage

RAM 8 GB
Storage 256 GB
Storage Type SSD
Expandable No

Display

Size 12.9"
Resolution 2732x2048
Panel Liquid Retina XDR
Refresh Rate 120 Hz

Connectivity

Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.0
USB-C 1
Cellular Yes

Features

Stylus Support Yes
Stylus Model Apple Pencil
Fingerprint Reader Yes
Face Unlock Yes

Physical

Weight 0.6 kg / 1.3 lbs
OS iPadOS

vs Competition

Spec Apple iPad Pro 12.9 5th Gen Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition Lenovo Yoga Tab Plus ZAEG0096US Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro 62751 BESTTAB T60
CPU Apple M2 Intel Core Ultra 7 268V Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mediatek Dimensity 9400+ 3000 MHz AMD Ryzen 5 1600
RAM (GB) 8 32 16 12 12 12
Storage (GB) 256 1024 256 512 512 256
Screen 12.9" 2732x2048 13" 2880x1920 12.7" 2944x1840 11" 2560x1600 11.2" 3200x2136 12"
OS iPadOS Windows 11 Pro Android 14 Android 16 Android 14 Android 16
Stylus true true true true true true
Cellular true false false false false true
Battery (Wh) - 47 - - - -
Compare Compare Compare Compare Compare
Product CPUGPURAMScreenBatteryFeatureStorageUser SentimentSharpnessPortabilityConnectivitySocial ProofAffordabilityWater Resistance
Apple iPad Pro 12.9 5th Gen 89.584.566.19232.298.383.540.867.349.499.186.120.546.7
Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition Compare 94.194.698.998.298.684.997.879.978.224.292.747.90.846.7
Lenovo Yoga Tab Plus ZAEG0096US Compare 8179.392.697.188.89783.568.687.442.292.790.221.546.7
Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Compare 8280.280.993.48499.489.493.589.164.963.193.113.897.5
Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro 62751 Compare 83.782.280.998.585.365.989.479.999.378.577.393.115.646.7
BESTTAB T60 Compare 82.480.680.942.786.988.974.779.901.158.858.139.446.7

Usage Scores

Overall (75.8)Reading (52.6)Student (77.5)Business (80.1)Art Design (84.8)Productivity (81.4)Entertainment (78.6)
  • Overall75.8
  • Reading52.6
  • Student77.5
  • Business80.1
  • Art Design84.8
  • Productivity81.4
  • Entertainment78.6

A full written review is coming soon. The specs, scores, prices and charts above are always up to date.

Other Configurations8

iPad Pro 12.9" 5th GenerationApple M1 256GBSpace GrayiPad Pro 12.9" 5th GenerationM1512GBSilveriPad Pro 12.9" 5th GenerationApple M1 128GBSpace GrayiPad Pro 12.9 5th genApple M1128GBSpace GrayiPad Pro 12.9" 5th GenApple M1512GBSpace GrayiPad Pro 12.9" 5th GenerationApple M11TBSilveriPad Pro 12.9" 5th GenerationM1128GBSpace GrayiPad Pro 12.9" 5th GenerationM1512GBSpace Gray

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