Apple iPad Pro 12.9 2020, A12Z Bionic, 4GB, 128GB, Cellular, Space Gray

A stunning screen and solid performance make this a great budget buy under $300. But that 4GB of RAM is a ticking clock, and you'll feel it within a year or two.

The A12Z Bionic is no slouch, landing in the 83rd percentile for CPU performance. Apps open fast, multitasking feels smooth, and the 120Hz ProMotion display makes everything look buttery. But that 4GB of RAM is the elephant in the room. It's in the 31st percentile, which means modern apps and iPadOS updates are going to push it hard. Don't expect to keep 20 Safari tabs and Procreate open at the same time without some reloads.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra has a bigger 14.6-inch display and more RAM, but it costs significantly more. The Lenovo Yoga Tab Plus is a solid Android alternative with better battery life, but it can't match the iPad's app ecosystem for creative work. The Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition is the real wildcard here. It runs full Windows, which means real desktop apps, but it's also way more expensive. If you're deep in the Apple ecosystem and want a big screen for drawing or media, this iPad Pro still makes sense. If you need a laptop replacement, the Surface is the better call.

Here's where it gets interesting. Prices are all over the place, from $233 to $400 depending on the vendor. At $233, this is a steal for a 12.9-inch iPad Pro. At $400, you're getting into newer iPad Air territory and should probably look elsewhere. The sweet spot is finding a renewed unit on Amazon at the lower end of that range. Just know you're buying into an aging platform.

The 2020 iPad Pro 12.9 is still a gorgeous slab of glass and aluminum, and that screen remains one of the best you can get on a tablet. It sits in the 94th percentile for display quality, which means it's still beating most new tablets years later. The A12Z Bionic chip handles everyday tasks and even graphics-heavy games without breaking a sweat. But here's the thing: you're buying a four-year-old tablet with 4GB of RAM, and that's starting to show in 2024.

If you're a power user who needs to run multiple demanding apps at once, this isn't your tablet. The 4GB of RAM will frustrate you. Go get an M1 iPad Pro or a Surface Pro instead. And if you're buying at the $400 end of the price range, skip this entirely and put that money toward something newer.

The 2020 iPad Pro 12.9 is a great tablet that's showing its age. If you can snag one for under $300, it's a fantastic deal for artists and media consumers who want that big, beautiful display. But if you're paying $400 or more, save your money and get a newer iPad Air or wait for a sale on the M1 iPad Pro. The A12Z is fine, but the 4GB of RAM is going to be a bottleneck sooner rather than later.