Apple's 2021 redesign of its smallest iPad, with an 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display, the A15 Bionic, USB-C and Apple Pencil 2 support from $499. Owners keep praising its portability and speed years on, while the 'jelly scrolling' effect, 60Hz screen and lack of Apple Intelligence support are the main knocks.
This entry is written from the 5 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.
On the evidence gathered here, yes. 80% of owners say they would buy it again, and satisfaction is still 7.8 out of 10 two years in. Still a favourite daily device for reading, streaming and notes years later.
Six months on, most owners use it daily for reading, streaming and notes and say the jelly scrolling rarely bothers them. Those sensitive to it, or who miss a 120Hz screen, keep noticing it.
Battery life could be better for its size. Aging chip and 4GB RAM rule out Apple Intelligence. Soft aluminium frame needs care with drops.
Still a favourite daily device for reading, streaming and notes years later. Sentiment across the ownership period stays close to flat, which is rare: it reads 8.3 out of 10 in the first week and 7.8 two years later.
Worth it for: Note-takers with apple pencil; Readers and commuters; Pilots using aviation apps. Think twice if: People sensitive to screen artifacts; Keyboard-first typists; Split-screen multitaskers.
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 | 8.6 / 10 |
|---|---|
| First week | 8.3 / 10 |
| One month | 8.3 / 10 |
| Six months | 8.2 / 10 |
| One year | 8.1 / 10 |
| Two years or more | 7.8 / 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.
Gives the $499 launch price and praises the portable design, A15 speed and Pencil 2 support, but notes no Smart Connector, weak split-screen use and a high price.
Owners using it daily for months call it a favourite for reading, streaming and aviation apps; jelly scrolling is real but mostly not bothersome.
Explains the portrait-mode jelly scrolling effect and Apple's position that it is normal for LCDs, while noting most people find it minor.
After about two years of use the reviewer still calls it a brilliant buy under $300, but notes the aging chip, 4GB RAM and no Apple Intelligence or Pencil Pro.
Finds it fast and responsive in 2025 with used prices near $289, but criticises the battery size, 60Hz screen and soft aluminium frame.