Is a used iPad worth buying?

Usually yes, if the model is still on Apple's iPadOS compatibility list. Value falls off sharply at the software-support line rather than with age: an iPad 8 trades around 95 dollars while a visually similar iPad 10 holds near 290. Avoid any model one generation above the current cutoff, because the saving is small and the remaining life is short.

Should I buy the A16 iPad?

Buy it unless you specifically want Apple Intelligence or Stage Manager, neither of which it supports: it has 6GB of RAM against the 8GB minimum and Apple requires an A17 Pro or M-series chip. Its measured single-core performance is roughly level with the M2 iPad Air, and it comes with 128GB as standard, so for reading, streaming, browsing and notes it is a sound choice.

How much can you save buying a used iPad?

Typically 30 to 65 percent against the current model. A used 128GB iPad Air M3 runs about 520 dollars against 749 for the 128GB M4 with almost no practical difference. A used 9th-generation iPad with 256GB at about 150 dollars saves roughly 300 against a new 128GB iPad A16, in exchange for Lightning, Apple Pencil 1 and a home button.

New or Used iPad? What You Actually Give Up

The four trades worth making

Each row pairs a current model with the used one people most often buy instead. “Give up” means what genuinely changes day to day, not what changes on a spec sheet.

Buy new	Or used	You save	You give up	Worth it?
iPad (A16) 128GB $449	iPad 10th gen 256GB ~$350	~$100	A14 instead of A16, and one year less software runway. Neither gets Apple Intelligence.	Yes. The 64GB version sells for ~$290, but skip it — the extra storage is worth $60.
iPad (A16) 128GB $449	iPad 9th gen 256GB ~$150	~$300	Lightning instead of USB-C, Apple Pencil 1, home button, thicker bezels, older screen.	Yes — the best-value iPad in existence if it is a second device.
iPad Air M4 128GB $749	iPad Air M3 128GB ~$520	~$230	Essentially nothing. Same body, same screen, same Pencil Pro support, one chip generation.	Yes. The clearest saving on this page.
iPad Pro M5 11″ 256GB $1,199	iPad Pro M4 11″ 256GB ~$720	~$480	One chip generation. Both have the tandem OLED display and Face ID.	Yes — but ask first whether you need a Pro at all.

Where the saving stops being worth it

Resale value on iPads does not fall smoothly with age. It falls off a cliff at the software support line, and that line moves every autumn.

An iPad 8 trades around $95. A visually near-identical iPad 10 holds near $290. The hardware difference does not explain a 3× gap — the software runway does.
iPadOS 27 drops every A12 and A12X device this autumn: the 2018 iPad Pro, iPad Air 3, iPad mini 5 and iPad 8. Expect their prices to soften once it ships, and expect sellers to keep advertising “runs the latest iPadOS” for months afterwards.
The 2020 iPad Pro is the exception worth hunting. Its A12Z survives the cut while its 2018 sibling does not.
Below about $60 you are buying a hand-me-down, not a tablet with resale value. Anything from 2014 or earlier is in that band.

The rule: never buy an iPad that is one generation above the current cutoff. The saving is small and the remaining life is short.

Should you buy the A16 iPad?

This comes up constantly, so plainly: the iPad (A16) does not support Apple Intelligence. It has 6GB of RAM against the 8GB minimum, and Apple requires an A17 Pro or M-series chip. It also lacks Stage Manager.

Everything else about it is fine. Reviewers measured its single-core performance at roughly the level of the M2 iPad Air, and one review was titled “No Apple Intelligence, no problem.” It has 128GB as standard and years of runway.

So: if you want Writing Tools, Genmoji and the new Siri, buy an iPad mini or an Air. If you want a tablet for reading, streaming, browsing and notes — especially as a second device alongside a laptop — the A16 is not the mistake it is sometimes made out to be.

Students: the discount changes the maths

Apple’s Education Store takes roughly 5–10% off year-round, with UNiDAYS verification. The Back to School promotion adds an Apple Gift Card on top — $100 on the iPad Air and iPad Pro only. The entry-level iPad and iPad mini get education pricing but no card.

The effect is counterintuitive. At list price the Air costs $300 more than the base iPad; for a student it is about $174 more, and that buys Apple Pencil Pro support, Apple Intelligence and 8GB of RAM. If you are eligible and were choosing between the two, the Air is a far closer call than the shelf price suggests.

The gift card expires 24 September 2026 and Apple has already moved that date once. Check Apple’s Education Store before relying on it.

Buying used safely

A cheap iPad is only cheap if it works. Activation Lock is the one fault you cannot recover from after paying, and it is invisible until you check. The buying guide ranks eight sellers by how much protection they give you and lists the five checks to run first.