Apple iPad 9.7 Space Gray 2017

The Apple iPad 9.7 (2017) is a refurbished budget tablet that still delivers great battery life, a nice Retina display, and smooth casual performance for around $104-$110 USD. It's perfect for reading, streaming, and kids, but the 32GB storage and older iOS limit what you can do. If you need more storage or the latest apps, look elsewhere.

The A9 chip is old by Apple standards, but it's still snappy for basic tasks. Swiping through apps, loading web pages, and streaming video all feel responsive. Our database puts the CPU at the 68th percentile, which is about average for tablets overall, but that's comparing against much newer hardware. For a $110 refurb, average is actually impressive. The GPU ranks higher at the 91st percentile, which explains why casual games and video playback feel smooth.

Battery life is a genuine highlight here. The 27Wh battery ranks in the 95th percentile, and buyers consistently mention long battery life in reviews. Multiple owners report getting through a full day of casual use without hunting for a charger. That said, the included charger is apparently slow, and a few users have reported charging issues. The 32GB of storage is the real bottleneck. It ranks in the 15th percentile, which is rough. You'll fill that up fast if you download movies or install many apps.

Against the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE, the iPad 9.7 is outclassed in almost every spec. The S10 FE has a newer processor, more storage, and longer software support. But it also costs significantly more. The Lenovo Idea Tab Plus is a closer budget competitor, and it offers more storage and a newer version of Android. The Xiaomi Redmi Pad 25040RP0AL is another strong budget option with a better display and more modern internals. The UMIDIGI Active T1 and VekfulPC T60 Pro are cheaper Android tablets that look good on paper but typically have worse build quality and software support.

Where the iPad wins is the ecosystem and the polish. iOS on this device is smooth and stable, even if it's an older version. The App Store still has a massive library of tablet-optimized apps. Android tablets in this price range often feel janky by comparison. But if you need expandable storage, a newer OS, or better multitasking, the Android options are worth a look. The iPad's 32GB storage is a real limitation that no amount of Apple polish can fix.

At $104 to $110 USD, this iPad is hard to beat for casual use. You're getting a tablet with a great screen, excellent battery life, and the Apple app ecosystem for roughly the price of a nice dinner for two. The CAD listing at $180 is less compelling, and the MXN pricing around 1,665 to 1,772 pesos is harder to judge without local context. Compared to budget Android tablets in this range, the iPad wins on build quality and software polish, but loses on storage and app flexibility. If you need more than 32GB or want to run the latest apps, you'll need to spend more. But for a kid's first tablet or a couch browsing device, this is a steal.

The Apple iPad 9.7 (2017 model) sits in a weird but interesting spot in the tablet market. It's a refurbished device selling for around $104 to $110 USD, which puts it firmly in budget territory. But it's still an iPad, and that name carries weight. People searching for a cheap tablet for kids, casual browsing, or streaming will keep running into this thing, and for good reason. It's one of the most affordable ways to get into the Apple ecosystem without dropping $300+ on a newer model.

Under the hood you get an Apple A9 chip with 2 cores, 32GB of storage, and a 9.7-inch 2048x1536 IPS display. That's a Retina screen with True Tone, which is honestly nicer than what you'd expect at this price. The RAM situation is listed as 32GB DDR4, which is almost certainly a spec sheet error from the retailer, but the real-world performance tells the story better than any spec sheet. This is a 2017 tablet, so iOS compatibility is capped, and that's the main thing you need to know before buying.

For reading and art, this iPad scores 79.6 and 78.2 out of 100 respectively in our database. Those are solid numbers for a budget refurb. Productivity is the weak spot at 62.9, so don't expect to replace a laptop with this thing. But for what most people actually do with a tablet, it holds up surprisingly well.

Skip this iPad if you need to run the latest apps or do any real productivity work. The older iOS version means some apps won't install, and the 62.9/100 productivity score tells you everything about multitasking on this thing. If you want to edit video, use demanding apps, or store a large media library, the 32GB storage will frustrate you within weeks. Instead, look at the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE for a more capable tablet with modern software, or the Xiaomi Redmi Pad 25040RP0AL for a budget Android option with more storage. Also skip it if you're sensitive to charging quirks, since a handful of buyers have reported charging issues and units that turn on by themselves.

Should you buy the Apple iPad 9.7 in 2025? If you want a cheap, reliable tablet for reading, streaming, web browsing, or handing to a kid, yes. The battery life is excellent, the screen is still good, and the price is right. Most refurb units arrive looking nearly new, and buyers are overwhelmingly happy with the condition and performance.

But if you need to run the latest apps, do any real productivity work, or store a lot of media locally, this isn't the tablet for you. The 32GB storage is a hard limit, and the older iOS means some apps simply won't work. For casual use, it's a bargain. For anything more demanding, save up for something newer.