If you want to buy an iPad in 2026, Apple has a handful of new models for you to choose from. All current models of the iPad, iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad mini are great choices depending on your needs, but you don’t necessarily have to buy the latest and greatest version. Of course, newer is always better, even if only by a small margin, because it comes with better hardware and software improvements. That said, don’t overlook older models.
One of the things you need to know before buying an iPad is that old doesn’t necessarily mean obsolete. Older iPad models are worth considering because they may still be powerful enough for basic tasks like browsing the web, reading books, staying in touch with friends, and watching videos. However, that doesn’t mean you should blindly buy any old iPad. Some older iPads no longer receive important software and security updates, so they may pose a risk to your personal data, while other models may have outdated hardware that may struggle to perform even the most basic tasks.
To make your life easier when buying an old iPad, we’ve done extensive research to find models that are worth buying and have several years of useful life left. We based our selection process on software support and hardware specifications.
iPad Air 2020
The 4th generation iPad Air was officially launched in September 2020 alongside the 8th generation iPad. One of the major changes Apple made to the iPad Air 2020 was the updated design. The company got rid of the Touch ID home button in favor of a power button with an in-display fingerprint scanner. When it launched, the iPad Air received rave reviews from several sites because it added many features previously exclusive to the iPad Pro.
It was praised for its thin and lightweight design, excellent performance, bright display, and support for USB-C charging. It launched at an MSRP of $599, which was a bit of a steep price to pay at the time, as it cost $100 more than its predecessor. Although the iPad Air 2020 is more than five years old, it’s still worth buying and is a great option if you want a model with a good balance of performance and value, and capable enough for editing images and working on documents.
The iPad Air 2020 comes with 4GB of memory paired with 64GB or 256GB of storage, a 10.9-inch display, a 12MP wide camera, and a 7MP front-facing camera. It is marketed with iPadOS 14.1 integrated, but it is compatible with the latest version of Apple’s software. As a result, you won’t miss out on the new features added to iPadOS 26. Better yet, this tablet can be found on the second-hand market starting at around $200.
iPad Pro M2
The iPad Pro 2022 comes with Apple’s M2 processor under the hood, paired with 8GB or 16GB of memory, between 256GB and 2TB of storage, a dual-camera setup, and a 12MP ultra-wide front camera. It features Apple’s Liquid Retina IPS display with a 120Hz refresh rate and HDR support. You get a 10,758 mAh battery in the 12.9-inch variant, while the smaller 11-inch variant is powered by a 7,538 mAh cell.
These specs are still strong for an iPad in 2026 and should mean it can handle even the most resource-intensive tasks, like playing video games or editing videos. This makes this tablet a perfect choice for professionals like video editors and digital artists. We loved this tablet when it was released, as shown in our iPad Pro 2022 review, where we praised it for its impressive performance, beautiful screen, great design, and good battery life.
The iPad Pro 2022 launched at a starting MSRP of $799, and given that it’s currently almost four years old, you can find this tablet on used markets ranging from around $500 to $600. As expected, the actual price you’ll pay will depend on condition and configuration.
iPad 2021
If you’re on a tight budget, the base iPad line is usually the best place to start. That’s because it’s generally the cheapest of the group, making it the entry point into Apple’s tablet lineup. Apple refreshed the base iPad in 2025, but if you’d rather buy an older model to save money, you should consider the 2021 iPad. Even in 2026, it’s a great choice for students and for almost anyone who plans to exclusively do light tasks like taking notes and watching videos.
When it hit the market, this iPad model came with double the storage of its predecessor, boosting the base model from 32GB to 64GB and the high-end option from 128GB to 256GB. The 9th generation iPad features Apple’s A13 Bionic chip, 3GB of RAM, an 8,557mAh battery, and a 5000mAh Liquid Retina IPS LCD display. 10.2 inches. Additionally, the 2021 variant features an 8 MP camera on the rear and a 12 MP front camera.
This iPad comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack, unlike models released after 2021. Since it was released in 2021, it still has several years of software and security updates left. In fact, this iPad is already compatible with the latest version of Apple’s iPadOS – iPadOS 26. At launch, the base iPad 2021 started at $329, but you can get it for as low as $150 on the second-hand market.
iPad Pro M1
If you don’t want to spend $500 or more on the iPad Pro 2022 but need a capable Pro tablet, check out the 2021 variant. When it launched, the iPad Pro 2021 promised a big leap in performance over the previous generation as Apple made a major change. The company added the first-generation Apple Silicon M1 chip, which also powered some MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and iMac models. This is a major shift from Apple’s decade-long strategy of using redesigned smartphone chips in its tablet line.
With a laptop chip under the hood, the 2021 iPad Pro is still worth buying in 2026, especially considering that M1-equipped MacBooks are still going strong several years later. Additionally, the 2021 iPad Pro is only five years old at this point and Apple is still offering updates for this model. At launch, the iPad Pro 2021 started at $800 and was available in two screen size options: 11 and 12.9 inches.
However, as of this writing, it starts at around $400 on the used market and is a solid choice for people who do CPU-intensive work, like illustrators, animators, and other digital artists. You get up to 2TB of storage, a dual-camera setup with a 12MP wide lens and a 10MP ultra-wide lens, a 12MP selfie camera, and a 7,538mAh or 10,758mAh battery, depending on the size.
How we chose these iPads
Apple launched the first iPad in 2010 and has since released dozens of models. As a result, there are many old iPads you can buy. That said, software and security updates were the two key factors we considered when selecting these older iPads. All the models we’ve listed support the latest version of iPadOS and should receive updates over the next couple of years.
Performance was also part of our selection criteria, and our goal was to ensure that each model we recommended could still operate smoothly while performing basic tasks. But remember, we’re talking about old iPads here, so don’t expect any of these models to offer high-end performance. Finally, while it’s obvious that buying an older model of iPad will automatically save you money compared to buying a new one, we also took price into account. The goal was to find models that were depreciated enough to make them worth buying used.
