Apple iPad Air 9.7" 2 Space Gray 2018

A 2014 iPad that still outclasses most budget tablets in 2024. For under USD 100, it's the best cheap Apple Pencil machine you can buy.

The A8X 3-core chip sits at the 64th percentile for CPUs, which sounds mediocre until you remember this thing is from 2014. It handles iOS 15's animations, Safari tabs, and even Apple Pencil input without feeling like it's begging for mercy. The 64GB of RAM (yes, that's the storage, not memory, but the spec sheet says RAM so we'll roll with it) is actually the 100th percentile in our database, which is hilarious and also a reminder that most tablets in this price range ship with 2GB. The 7340mAh battery lands at the 70th percentile, so expect a full day of casual use, not a week.

The Xiaomi Redmi Pad and Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE are the real competition here, and both are newer, faster, and still getting updates. But they also cost three to five times more. The Surface Pro 7 is a full Windows machine, so that's a different conversation entirely. If you need a tablet that will get security patches in 2026, skip the Air 2 and grab the Redmi Pad. If you want the cheapest Apple Pencil experience that doesn't feel like a scam, the Air 2 is the only game in town.

At USD 85 to USD 100, this is a no-brainer for a secondary device or a kid's first tablet. The spread across vendors is real, so check Newegg's refurbished listing first, they tend to have the best price in our data. You're getting a tablet that cost USD 629 new for less than a dinner for two. Just don't expect it to replace your laptop.

The iPad Air 2 is a decade-old tablet that still refuses to die. Apple's A8X chip and that laminated 9.7-inch display were absurdly good in 2014, and honestly, for reading, streaming, and light sketching, it still holds up better than most budget Android tablets today. The one thing to know: this is a renewed unit selling for under USD 100, and at that price, it's a shockingly good deal for the right person.

If you need a tablet for video calls, serious productivity, or anything that requires a decent front camera, this isn't it. The 1.2MP front shooter is genuinely bad, and the 64GB eMMC storage will feel slow if you're moving large files. Go grab a Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE or a Surface Pro 7 instead. And if you're expecting iOS updates past 15, you're shopping in the wrong decade.

Buy it if you want a cheap, reliable tablet for reading, streaming, and light sketching. The renewed units in our data are in shockingly good shape, and the laminated display alone is worth the price of admission. This is the best sub-USD 100 tablet we've seen, period.