Honestly, the iPad Pro 9.7 is kind of a legend. When it first hit the shelves back in March 2016, it was Apple’s way of saying "hey, you don't need a massive 12.9-inch slab to be a pro." Phil Schiller, who was Apple’s marketing chief at the time, even called it the "ultimate upgrade" for existing iPad owners. And for a long time, he was right. It took everything that made the original giant iPad Pro cool—the Apple Pencil support, the Smart Connector, and the quad-speaker setup—and squeezed it into the classic, easy-to-hold size of the iPad Air 2.
But we're living in 2026 now.
Technology moves fast. In the world of silicon and glass, ten years is basically an eternity. Most tablets from 2016 are currently sitting in junk drawers or acting as glorified coasters. Yet, you still see the iPad Pro 9.7 popping up on eBay, Mercari, and in the hands of students or casual readers. Is it just nostalgia, or does this thing actually have some utility left in it?
The Screen That Changed Everything (Literally)
Before this specific model, iPad screens were just... screens. They were good, sure, but they were static. The iPad Pro 9.7 introduced True Tone display technology to the world. If you aren't familiar, it uses sensors to measure the color temperature of the light around you and adjusts the display to match. It sounds like a gimmick until you use it for an hour and realize your eyes aren't burning.
What Made the Display Special
- Wide Color Gamut (P3): It was the first iPad to support the same color space used by the digital cinema industry.
- Low Reflectivity: Apple claimed it was the least reflective tablet on the market at launch, and honestly, it’s still better than most budget tablets today.
- The Size: 9.7 inches is basically the "Goldilocks" zone. It's big enough to watch a movie but small enough to throw in a bag without thinking twice.
Funny enough, the resolution was the same as the iPad Air 2 ($2048 \times 1536$), but the quality was leaps and bounds ahead. If you're using it as an e-reader or a digital photo frame in 2026, the colors still look incredibly punchy.
The Reality of 2GB RAM
We have to talk about the elephant in the room: the RAM.
The larger 12.9-inch Pro from that same era had 4GB of RAM. For some reason, Apple decided to give the 9.7-inch version only 2GB. In 2016, we didn't notice much. In 2026? You'll notice. If you try to open twenty tabs in Safari while background-downloading a massive file, the system is going to chug. It's just basic physics. The A9X chip was a beast—and it still handles light tasks surprisingly well—but it’s held back by that memory limit.
Software support is another sticking point. The iPad Pro 9.7 topped out at iPadOS 16.7. It didn't get iPadOS 17, and it certainly isn't getting the fancy AI features of iPadOS 26. This means you’re stuck on a legacy OS. While most apps still work for now, developers eventually stop supporting older versions.
Netflix and YouTube? They're fine.
Heavy-duty video editing or the latest 3D games? Forget about it.
Why People Are Still Buying Them
You might wonder why anyone would pay $100 for a decade-old tablet. It's the "Pro" features that keep it alive. Even though it's old, it still supports the 1st Gen Apple Pencil. For a kid getting into digital art or a student who just needs to annotate PDFs, that’s a huge selling point. You get a laminated display (no air gap between the glass and the pixels) which makes drawing feel much more natural than on the entry-level iPads from a few years ago.
Then there’s the audio.
It has four speakers. Two on top, two on the bottom. Most modern "budget" tablets still only have speakers on one side. When you turn the iPad Pro 9.7 to landscape mode to watch a show, you get actual stereo sound. It's surprisingly loud and clear. For a "bedside YouTube machine," it’s almost perfect.
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Common Headaches to Watch Out For
If you're looking at picking one up, or if you've got one in a drawer, keep an eye on these things:
- Battery Health: Lithium-ion batteries don't last forever. Most of these units are now showing "Service Recommended" in the settings.
- Keyboard Connector: The Smart Connector pins can get dirty or worn, making the official Smart Keyboard disconnect randomly.
- Ghost Touching: Some older units develop a glitch where the screen thinks it's being touched when it isn't.
Honestly, the battery is the biggest killer. Replacing it isn't easy because Apple used a ton of adhesive. If you buy one used, expect to keep it plugged in most of the time.
iPad Pro 9.7 vs. The Modern Alternatives
If you have $200, you could buy a brand-new budget Android tablet or a used iPad Pro 9.7. The Android tablet will have a newer version of Bluetooth and better battery life. But the iPad Pro will have a better screen, better speakers, and a build quality that feels like a premium tool rather than a plastic toy.
It’s a trade-off.
You’re trading "newness" for "quality." For a lot of people, especially those who just want a device for reading or light sketching, the older Pro still wins. It's weird how a device from 2016 can still feel more "premium" than a cheap tablet from 2026.
How to Get the Most Out of It Now
If you’re still rocking this classic, don’t try to treat it like a laptop. It isn't a laptop replacement anymore. It’s a specialized tool.
Stick to these tasks:
- Reading: Use the Kindle app or Apple Books. True Tone makes it the best e-reader Apple ever made (fight me).
- Secondary Display: Use it as a dedicated Spotify controller for your desk or a weather station.
- Kids' Art: Give them an Apple Pencil and let them go nuts in Procreate. The 2GB RAM will limit the number of layers they can use, but for basic drawing, it's great.
- Home Hub: Mount it on a wall to control your smart lights and thermostat.
Basically, keep it simple. Don't load it down with every app in the store. Keep your storage at least 20% empty to help the aging NAND flash stay fast.
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The iPad Pro 9.7 was a turning point for Apple. It proved that "Pro" was a set of features, not just a physical size. While it's definitely in its sunset years, it still carries a certain charm that’s hard to find in modern, homogenized tech. It isn't the powerhouse it once was, but for the right person, it's still a fantastic piece of kit.
Actionable Next Steps
If you own an iPad Pro 9.7 and it's feeling sluggish, your first move should be a factory reset. Over years of updates, system junk builds up, and on a device with only 2GB of RAM, every megabyte matters. Don't restore from a backup—set it up as new and only download the apps you actually use daily.
If your battery is dying in under three hours, check the Battery Health in Settings. If it's below 80%, you can actually use it as a permanent kitchen dashboard. Get a cheap wall mount, keep it plugged into a 12W adapter, and use it as a dedicated recipe and music station. It breathes new life into the device without you having to worry about it dying in the middle of a task.