Apple iPad 10.2" 9th Generation Space Gray 2021

The iPad 9th Gen is a battery-life champ with a great front camera and a beloved headphone jack, but its aging chip and measly 3GB of RAM hold it back. It's a fantastic deal if you can find it refurbished for around $200, but don't pay full price. Buy it for casual use, not for heavy lifting.

The A13 Bionic chip lands in the 11th percentile for CPU performance these days, so it's not going to win any speed races against an M-series iPad. But for everyday stuff like web browsing, Netflix, and Apple Arcade games, it holds its own without much stutter. The 3GB of RAM is the real bottleneck, sitting near the bottom of the pack, which means apps will reload more often than you'd like and multitasking feels a bit cramped. The 8557mAh battery is a standout, though, easily pushing through a full day of use and landing well above average.

Stacked against something like the Xiaomi Pad 7, the iPad 9th Gen feels dated in terms of screen tech and raw speed, but it wins on software polish and app availability. The Lenovo Idea Tab Pro offers a smoother 120Hz display and more RAM for a similar price, making it a better pick for power users. And while the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is in a completely different stratosphere of performance and price, the little iPad's battery life and simplicity keep it relevant for casual users who just want things to work.

Pricing is all over the map for this model, ranging from $200 for a refurbished unit to $430 for a new one. At the low end, it's an absolute steal for a reliable media machine and note-taker. At the high end, you're flirting with the price of a newer 10th Gen iPad, which makes this a tougher sell. If you can snag a clean refurb from a place like Best Buy for around $250, the value is hard to beat for a secondary device or a first tablet for a kid.

The iPad 9th Gen is the last iPad with a headphone jack and a physical home button, and honestly, a lot of people still prefer it that way. It runs on the A13 Bionic chip, which is getting up there in age, but for streaming, reading, and note-taking, it still feels surprisingly smooth. The 10.2-inch Retina display is bright and sharp enough for most tasks, and the 12MP front camera with Center Stage is a nice bonus for video calls.

Skip this if you're a multitasker or a creative pro. The 3GB of RAM makes juggling between Procreate and a dozen Safari tabs a frustrating experience. If you need a tablet for any kind of serious work, photo editing, or as a primary laptop replacement, the limited RAM and aging processor will drive you nuts. Look at a refurbished iPad Air or a Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE instead.

This is the iPad for someone who wants a simple, dependable tablet for the basics. It's perfect for students on a budget, kids, or anyone who wants a dedicated reading and streaming device that doesn't need a charger every five hours. If you need to edit video, play demanding games, or use it as a laptop replacement, you'll hit its limits fast and should look at an iPad Air or a high-end Android tablet.