Yes, if you want the cheapest usable iPad and do not care about Apple Intelligence. A refurbished iPad 9th generation runs iPadOS 27, Apple's current release, and its live refurbished floor is $138 as of September 2026. What it will never do is run any Apple Intelligence feature, because that requires an M1 chip or newer on iPad, and the 9th generation uses the older A13 Bionic.
Quick answer
Buy a refurbished iPad 9th generation if you want the cheapest iPad that still gets Apple's current software, from $138. Skip it if Apple Intelligence, a bigger 10.9-inch screen, or USB-C matters to you, in which case the iPad 10th generation starts around $219 refurbished and the iPad Air starts higher still but adds Apple Intelligence.
RefurbMe tracks how long it takes Apple hardware to reach the refurbished market. Across every iPad the site has ever tracked, a refurbished unit first appears a median of 115 days after Apple's original release (as of September 2026, iPad stats). The iPad 9th generation beat that pace: RefurbMe's own listings show it reached the refurbished market in about 85 days after its September 2021 launch, faster than the family median, which is one reason its price has had five extra years to fall.
RefurbMe compares refurbished Apple prices across sellers rather than holding its own inventory. Every price below was read from live listings on 25 September 2026, and every software and hardware claim was checked against Apple's own documentation the same day.
iPad 9th generation specs recap
The iPad 9th generation launched in September 2021 at $329 and was Apple's last iPad with a home button, a Lightning port, and a headphone jack. Apple discontinued it on 7 May 2024, the same day the 10th generation's price dropped to $349, which means every unit sold today is refurbished or old retail stock, never new from Apple.
Under the hood sits Apple's A13 Bionic, a six-core chip with 3GB of RAM. It is more than capable of the basics: web browsing, video streaming, email, and most App Store titles run smoothly, though it will feel dated next to any iPad released in the last three years.
The 10.2-inch Retina LCD runs at 2160x1620 resolution with True Tone, but it is not laminated, so there is a visible air gap between the glass and the display panel. The rear camera is a modest 8-megapixel sensor, while the 12-megapixel Ultra Wide front camera supports Center Stage, which keeps you framed during video calls.
It supports the Apple Pencil (1st generation) and the Smart Keyboard, both holdovers from an older iPad design language. Touch ID lives in the home button, and the Lightning port handles both charging and any wired accessory.
Apple sold it in two finishes, Space Gray and Silver, and two storage tiers, 64GB and 256GB. Battery life is rated at up to 10 hours of web browsing or video, which still holds up reasonably well on a refurbished unit with a healthy battery, though anything below roughly 80% battery health is worth a discount or a pass. Connectivity tops out at Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), so transfers to a newer router running Wi-Fi 6 or 6E will not reach their full speed, a minor tradeoff for the price.
What a refurbished iPad 9th generation costs in 2026
The live refurbished floor for a 64GB iPad 9th generation is $138, for a Wi-Fi plus Cellular unit from Back Market with 3 units in stock as of 20 August 2026. The cheapest Wi-Fi-only listing is $149, from eBay Refurbished, with 2 units in stock as of 13 August 2026.
A handful of other sellers sit slightly higher: Amazon Renewed lists a 64GB Wi-Fi-only unit at $176 (checked 24 September 2026), and Mac of All Trades lists one at $187 (checked 6 July 2026). Storage matters more than seller here. A 256GB model runs from $209 at eBay Refurbished (checked 24 September 2026) once you need the extra space for photos, offline video, or a larger app library, with Back Market's cheapest 256GB unit at $253.
Do not confuse today's floor with RefurbMe's all-time record low for this model, which is $64, set in June 2022. That price is a historical data point, not a listing you can act on now; stock and pricing shift week to week as sellers rotate inventory.
Against its original $329 launch price, a $138 floor works out to a 58% discount, roughly in line with what RefurbMe sees across the wider iPad lineup: the median refurbished discount across every iPad model the site has tracked is 89% as of September 2026 (a figure skewed high by decade-old, nearly worthless legacy models still occasionally listed, not a number that applies to any current iPad).
Condition grade explains most of the spread between listings at the same storage tier. A "Good" or "Fair" grade unit, meaning visible scratches or scuffs that do not affect the screen, fills most of the cheapest listings, while a "Pristine" or "Excellent" grade unit in the same configuration costs more from the same seller. Connector type and color also move the price independently of condition, which is why the Wi-Fi-only floor above sits close to, and in this case slightly above, the Wi-Fi + Cellular floor once those factors are mixed in.
64GB storage
Space Gray
2021 release
64GB storage
Silver
2021 release
64GB storage
Space Gray
2021 release
Performance for everyday tasks
For browsing, streaming, and note-taking, the A13 Bionic still holds up. Safari loads modern, JavaScript-heavy sites without stutter, Netflix and YouTube play back cleanly, and apps like Notability or GoodNotes handle handwritten notes with the 1st-generation Apple Pencil at an acceptable, if not class-leading, latency.
Where it shows its age is multitasking. With 3GB of RAM, Split View between two demanding apps causes the background app to reload more often than on a newer iPad, and heavier creative or video-editing apps either run slowly or are not offered at all for this hardware. There is also no ProMotion and no Apple Pencil hover, features reserved for pricier models.
For students, this is close to an ideal secondary device: light enough for note-taking and research, cheap enough that a drop or a lost charger is not a crisis. For anyone planning to run several apps at once or edit video on the device, it is the wrong tool for the job.
As a kids' tablet, the same limits become advantages. Parental controls, Guided Access, and the App Store's content restrictions all work identically to a current iPad, so a child gets the same software safety net on a $138 device that they would on a $1,000 one. The smaller, non-laminated screen and older camera are non-issues for games, video calls with grandparents, or homework apps.
The Apple Intelligence and iPadOS 27 limitation
The iPad 9th generation is on Apple's own compatibility list for iPadOS 27, released in September 2026, alongside the iPad 10th generation, the iPad Air (4th generation) and later, and the iPad mini (6th generation) and later. It is the current floor of the standard iPad line for software support, meaning nothing older than it still receives Apple's latest OS.
That current software does not include Apple Intelligence. Apple's own requirements state Apple Intelligence needs an iPad with an M1 chip or later, or the iPad mini with the A17 Pro chip; the A13 Bionic in the iPad 9th generation falls well short of that bar. In practice this means the device gets every iPadOS 27 interface change and security patch, but none of Apple's on-device AI writing tools, Image Playground, or the redesigned Siri capabilities tied to Apple Intelligence.
This is not unique to the 9th generation. The iPad 10th generation, discussed below, runs the same A14 Bionic-class hardware ceiling and also lacks Apple Intelligence, so upgrading one generation does not buy you AI features either.
iPad 9th gen vs iPad 10th gen refurbished: is the upgrade worth it
The iPad 10th generation replaced the 9th in October 2022, brought a larger 10.9-inch edge-to-edge display, moved to USB-C, and dropped the home button for a top-mounted Touch ID sensor. Apple itself discontinued the 10th generation on 4 March 2025 when the iPad 11 (A16) launched, so like the 9th generation, every 10th-generation unit for sale today is refurbished stock, not new from Apple.
| iPad 9th generation (2021) | iPad 10th generation (2022) | |
|---|---|---|
| Chip | A13 Bionic, 3GB RAM | A14 Bionic, 4GB RAM |
| Display | 10.2 inch Retina LCD, 2160x1620 | 10.9 inch Liquid Retina LCD, 2360x1640 |
| Port | Lightning | USB-C |
| Apple Pencil | 1st generation (Lightning) | 1st generation (USB-C adapter) or Apple Pencil (USB-C) |
| Touch ID | Home button | Top button |
| Max OS | iPadOS 27 | iPadOS 27 |
| Apple Intelligence | No | No |
| Discontinued by Apple | 7 May 2024 | 4 March 2025 |
| Refurbished floor (64GB, Wi-Fi + Cellular) | $138 | $219 |
The floor-to-floor gap is about $81 in the US as of 24 September 2026, when the cheapest iPad 10th generation listing was a 64GB Wi-Fi plus Cellular unit from Amazon Renewed. Since neither model supports Apple Intelligence, that $81 buys a larger, laminated display and USB-C charging that matches every other device you own, not any AI capability.
If raw screen size and a modern port matter to you, the iPad 10th generation is worth the jump. If you are buying a spare tablet, a kid's device, or a reader, the iPad 9th generation gets you the same current iPadOS release for $81 less. For a different budget comparison, our iPad Air 4 vs iPad mini 6 guide covers two step-up options if Apple Intelligence eventually becomes a priority.
Where to buy a refurbished iPad 9th generation safely
Back Market currently has the deepest and cheapest stock of the iPad 9th generation among the sellers RefurbMe compares, and it is RefurbMe's top-value US refurbisher overall. Amazon Renewed and eBay Refurbished are solid alternates when Back Market's exact configuration or color is out of stock, and Mac of All Trades is worth checking for Space Gray units specifically.
Whichever seller you choose, check three things before buying: the stated battery health or cycle count, the cosmetic grade (look for "Good" or better if you care about scratches), and the return window. Back Market's standard warranty runs 12 months in the US; Amazon Renewed's varies between a 90-day return window and, on select listings, a full year under its Renewed Premium tier. eBay Refurbished listings carry a 30-day return window with a 12 to 24 month warranty, since they come from eBay's vetted Certified Refurbished program rather than the open peer-to-peer marketplace.
Apple's own Certified Refurbished store still lists the iPad 9th generation too, at $269 for the base 64GB Wi-Fi model as of 25 September 2026, with a new battery, new outer shell, and Apple's standard one-year warranty. That is $120 above the equivalent Wi-Fi-only listing from eBay Refurbished, a premium worth paying only if you specifically want Apple's own inspection process and warranty rather than a third-party seller's.
For a full breakdown of inspection standards and warranty terms across sellers, see our guide to the best places to buy a refurbished iPad. If a bigger screen is within budget, our refurbished iPad Air guide covers the cheapest way to add Apple Intelligence to an iPad.
Compare refurbished iPad 9 prices
See live prices for the iPad 9th generation across Back Market, Amazon Renewed, eBay Refurbished and more.
Compare iPad 9 DealsVerdict: who should buy it and who should skip it
Buy the iPad 9th generation if you want the least expensive way into a current, supported iPad: a kid's tablet, a dedicated streaming or reading device, a spare for guests, or a student's note-taking companion on a tight budget. At $138 and up, it is hard to beat on price for a device that still receives Apple's latest security patches.
Skip it if you need to run more than one demanding app at a time, want Apple Intelligence, or plan to keep the device for years to come, since it is already the oldest model on Apple's current iPadOS 27 support list and is a likely candidate to be dropped whenever the next major release raises the floor. In that case, the iPad 10th generation's extra $81 buys a larger screen and USB-C, while a refurbished iPad Air is the entry point for Apple Intelligence itself.
For how these lifespans generally play out across the whole iPad lineup, including when Apple tends to end software support, see our guide to how long iPads last. For every current and past-generation model side by side, our best refurbished iPads roundup covers the full range beyond just the 9th and 10th generations.
FAQ
First published: Sep 25, 2026
