Which used iPad to get, and which not to buy?

[Paul S4]

Hi

I am considering buying a used iPad.

I already have an iMac 2024, and an Apple iPhone SE (2024)

The idea of getting an iPad is more of a whim than anything, it is not essential to me.

I have done a little bit of research online.

I think for me the best bet is the basic iPad which I can use at home so with WiFi connection : I do not need an E sim or any mobile data connection etc.

So just a simple model will do me.

Also, which models are more future proof than others ?

I don't want to get one that will not be supported is a couple of year's time.

Could i get something around £100 or less ?

Thanks for any advice

[Mr Pointy]

What about an Apple refurb?

https://www.apple.com/uk/shop/refurbished/ipad/ipa...

[Paul S4]

Thanks, I have bought my iMac from Apple refurb, so that may be somewhere to look.

[AB]

I don’t think £100 will get you anything that stays supported for long or anything that won’t be frustratingly slow.

You’ll have to quadruple that budget.

[skyebear]

Here's a guide for (known) end of life and end of support dates for iPads:

https://endoflife.date/ipad

[RotorRambler]

Maybe prices will normalise again..
I was fortunate as bought mine via Amazon, at the dip, £284

[Paul S4]

Thanks for all the advice, it is helpful to know about the 'end of life' /support etc

I don't really 'need' one .....but I may be tempted...!!

[Craikeybaby]

My boys have got the basic iPad, 9th and 10th generations. The 10th generation seemed to be a decent jump from the 9th generation, USB C etc. I probably wouldn't go earlier than that.

[Haltamer]

I was also tempted

I ended up getting, and would still recommend the iPad Pro 11in 4th Gen (iPad14,4)

It uses an M2 with 8GB RAM:- There’s plenty of computing grunt, but it doesn’t have a huge amount of RAM; Never caused an issue though.

That being said, it has FaceID, good quality speakers, double cameras (Generally not much use on an iPad, but handy for document scanning etc.), and supports the previous generation of Apple Pencil (USB-C or 2nd Gen)

The screen is not the latest OLED, but still up to apple standards; Battery life can be hit and miss depending on what you’re doing, but has never caused me a major issue.

I bought a cheap keyboard case from Amazon for £20, Eventually got a Magic Keyboard case for £100ish at CEX.

Apple Pencil 2nd Gen was also from CEX for £50ish; You can get knockoffs on Amazon that work acceptably if you want to test the use case.

Looking at CEX Today, You can get an unlocked (5G - Would recommend!) 128GB one for £400.

I tend to make very extensive use of it for note taking; I have in the past used it as a full-on laptop with the Magic Keyboard / trackpad case, which is fantastically convenient when travelling - Even the tightest train / airline seat has room to get out the iPad; with a 5G SIM it also saves having to find WiFi passwords etc.

It supports screen casting from the Mac, which with the latest iOS 27 now supports touch input back to the Mac, so could even use it as an input for photo editing / drawing using Mac applications:- Generally, If I’m travelling with both the Mac and iPad, I’ll setup the iPad alongside with screen casting so it functions as a portable monitor.

All in, I’d absolutely recommend getting one, especially with an Apple Pencil - It’s a great companion device with the Mac, and can function as a standalone Mac-lite if most of your work is within normal browser / iOS Applications:- I would recommend an older Pro model over a newer Air for the extra Pro features without the price (Particularly TouchID, which is a nuisance on the iPad.)

That being said, if it is something you primarily want as a sofa device, for watching films or reading, then I would say find a cheap deal on one of the newer ‘basic’ iPads - As they use the mobile chipset, I find the battery life tends to be better, and the rest of the device is still of reasonable quality.

[nikaiyo2]

Have a look at CEX and buy the newest one you can get for the budget. I would not worry about version or anything, the newer the better with longer support.

[Paul S4]

Thanks for all your advice, as always PH is the most valuable resource I have.....!!

The suggestion about CEX is a good one: I have bought several things from them and they have been fine.

[megaphone]

Big draw back for me on the lesser iPads is no Face ID. So convenient on my iPhone, it would get on my nerves having to go back to codes or finger prints which are always erratic.