Apple iPad Pro 9.7" 9.7-inch 2016 Model Space Gray

The 2016 iPad Pro 9.7 is still a solid budget tablet for drawing and everyday tasks, with Apple Pencil support and great speakers. The 128GB storage and $149 renewed price make it tempting. But battery condition is a real gamble, so buy from a seller with a good return policy.

The A9X was a beast in 2016 and it's still respectable for basic tasks. Apps open quickly, Apple Pencil input feels responsive, and the 4GB of RAM keeps multitasking from falling apart. But the GPU sits in the 37th percentile and the CPU in the 36th, so don't expect modern gaming or heavy video editing. The 128GB storage is solid for the price, though the WiFi 4 connectivity is a real bottleneck if you're moving large files. Battery life is the wildcard. Some units hold a charge fine, others drain fast enough to make you paranoid about leaving the house without a charger.

Stacked against the Lenovo Yoga Tab Plus or Xiaomi Pad 7, this iPad Pro looks ancient on paper. Those newer Android tablets have bigger screens, faster processors, and modern connectivity. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE is a more direct competitor with a better display and longer software support. But none of them have the Apple Pencil ecosystem at this price point. The iPad Pro 9.7 wins on stylus precision and app polish, loses on raw specs and future-proofing. If you're deep in the Apple ecosystem, this is the cheapest way to get a Pencil-compatible tablet. If you just want a media machine, the Android options are better value.

At $149 USD renewed, this is a tempting deal if you want an Apple Pencil-compatible tablet without spending iPad Air money. The 128GB storage alone makes it more practical than a base model newer iPad. But the value hinges entirely on the battery lottery. A unit with a healthy battery is a steal for students and artists. A unit with a dying battery turns into a desk-bound paperweight. The 4.2-star average from nearly 2,000 reviews suggests most people are happy, but the negative reviews about battery defects are consistent enough to make this a calculated risk.

The iPad Pro 9.7 from 2016 is a weird little time capsule. On paper it's ancient, but the A9X chip and 4GB of RAM still handle everyday stuff fine. Browsing, drawing, streaming, note-taking, all smooth. The 9.7-inch screen is small by today's standards but the True Tone display and quad speakers still feel premium. This is a renewed unit though, so condition is a coin flip. Some arrive looking brand new, others show up with nicks and a battery that drains faster than a sink with no stopper.

Skip this if you need a tablet for work, gaming, or anything that requires modern performance. The WiFi 4 connectivity will frustrate anyone moving large files, and the battery lottery makes it unreliable for travel. If you want a tablet that just works out of the box without worrying about defects, spend a bit more on a newer iPad or a solid Android tablet like the Galaxy Tab S10 FE.

This is a niche buy. Artists and students who want Apple Pencil support on a budget will find a lot to like here, assuming the battery cooperates. The quad speakers and True Tone display make it a surprisingly good media device too. But if you need a tablet for work, gaming, or anything demanding, look elsewhere. The 2016 iPad Pro is a capable companion, not a primary device. Buy it for sketching, note-taking, and light browsing, and you'll probably be happy. Buy it expecting a modern tablet experience, and you'll be disappointed.