Apple iPad Pro 2021 12.9-inch, M1, 8GB, 512GB, Space Gray

The 2021 iPad Pro 12.9 is still one of the best tablets you can buy, especially at renewed prices around $550. The M1 chip and Liquid Retina XDR display are outstanding, but battery life is weak and renewed units can be hit or miss. If you want flagship performance without flagship pricing, this is worth the gamble.

The M1 chip here is no joke. It's the same silicon Apple put in the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, so this tablet crushes everything from 4K video editing to heavy multitasking. The 8GB of RAM is fine for most workflows, though it's not the 16GB you'd get on higher-end configs. The GPU sits in the 88th percentile, which means it handles Procreate, LumaFusion, and even some serious gaming without breaking a sweat. The 512GB SSD is plenty for most people, and it's fast. The one real weak spot is battery life, which lands in the 29th percentile. You'll get through a workday, but don't plan on forgetting your charger.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ is the closest Android competitor, and it's a solid tablet, but it can't touch the M1's raw power or the XDR display. The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 runs full Windows, which matters if you need desktop apps, but it's heavier and the tablet experience is clunkier. The Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro is a great budget option with a nice screen, but it lacks the app ecosystem and accessory support of the iPad. The Lenovo Idea Tab Plus and UMIDIGI Active T1 are in a completely different league, they're fine for media consumption but not serious work. If you want the best tablet experience, the iPad Pro is still the one to beat.

At $549 to $579 for a renewed unit, this is a genuinely good deal. You're getting a tablet that was $1,099 new, with a display and chip that still compete with devices twice the price. The catch is the renewed part. Amazon's renewed program has decent standards, but customer reviews show some units arrive with scratches or charging port issues. If you get a good one, this is one of the best value propositions in tablets right now. If you get a lemon, you'll be dealing with returns. For the price, it's worth the gamble for most people.

The 2021 iPad Pro 12.9 is still a beast. Apple stuffed an M1 chip into a tablet back when that felt absurd, and it's still paying off. The Liquid Retina XDR display is the real star here, it's the kind of screen that makes you want to rewatch everything you own just to see it properly. This is a renewed unit, so you're getting flagship hardware at a much friendlier price, but you're also rolling the dice on refurb quality.

For artists, editors, and anyone who wants a laptop replacement that's actually fun to use, this thing delivers. The Apple Pencil support is best-in-class, and Thunderbolt means you can plug in real accessories. Just don't expect the battery to blow you away, and know that the 12.9-inch size is a lot of tablet to hold for casual reading.

Skip this if you mostly read ebooks or browse in bed. The 12.9-inch size is heavy and awkward for one-handed use, and the battery life won't get you through a long reading session without anxiety. Also skip it if you need full desktop apps, the Surface Pro 11 runs Windows and handles that better. And if you're not comfortable with the renewed gamble, buy new or look elsewhere.

Buy this if you're an artist, video editor, or anyone who wants a premium tablet without paying premium prices. The M1 chip and XDR display are still top-tier, and the renewed price makes it a steal. Just be prepared to check the unit carefully when it arrives, and maybe budget for a case because this thing is big and slippery.