The entry iPad with the strangest set of compromises Apple has shipped in the line — a modern design that only officially paired with the old first-generation Pencil at launch.
This entry is written from the 3 sources listed at the bottom of the page. The numbers are our editorial estimates drawn from that material, not measurements, and no statistical sample sits behind them.
It depends on how you will use it. 65% would buy it again, which means roughly 35% would not. The pencil situation is the complaint owners bring up most.
The compromises get louder over time: owners who bought it for note-taking are the group whose satisfaction falls, and the pencil pairing is why.
The pencil situation is the complaint owners bring up most. The laminated-display gap becomes more noticeable to people who draw. Buyers who stretched to it wish they had reached the Air.
Worth it for: Kids, households and shared family use; Video, browsing and reading rather than creation; Anyone buying at a discount rather than list price. Think twice if: You plan to draw or take handwritten notes seriously; You can stretch to the Air; You want a laminated display.
Our reading of how sentiment moves across an ownership period, drawn from the sources below. It is an editorial estimate, not tracked longitudinal data.
| At purchase | 7.2 / 10 |
|---|---|
| First week | 7.9 / 10 |
| One month | 7.4 / 10 |
| Six months | 7.0 / 10 |
| One year | 6.9 / 10 |
| Two years or more | 6.9 / 10 |
Owner reviews move this score. The researched figure stays visible next to it, so you can always see what the sources said before anyone voted.
Leave a review on the live pageEvery complaint and every piece of praise above traces back to these. The summaries are ours; nothing is quoted, and no link, quote or username anywhere on this site is invented.
Itemises the design and accessory compromises that drew the most criticism.
Two-year revisit assessing whether the compromises still matter at its current price.
Owner thread on the pencil compatibility confusion after purchase.