Honestly, the Apple iPad Pro 10.5 shouldn't be this good anymore. It’s a tech relic from 2017. In "silicon years," that makes it a senior citizen. Yet, if you browse Reddit or tech forums today, you'll find a cult-like following of people who refuse to trade theirs in for a shiny new M4 model. Why? Because this specific 10.5-inch chassis hit a "Goldilocks" zone that Apple arguably hasn't touched since.
It was the bridge. It sat right between the old-school iPads with those massive "forehead and chin" bezels and the modern, all-screen Pro design we see now. It was the first time we saw ProMotion technology—that buttery 120Hz refresh rate—and once you see it, you literally can't go back to a standard iPad Air or Mini without feeling like the screen is lagging. It's a weirdly emotional piece of hardware for a lot of power users.
The Screen That Changed Everything
When the Apple iPad Pro 10.5 launched, it replaced the 9.7-inch Pro. Apple didn't just make the tablet bigger; they shrunk the side bezels by nearly 40%. This allowed for a significantly larger canvas without making the device feel like a cafeteria tray in your hands.
The display isn't just about size, though. It’s a Fully Laminated Retina display with True Tone and P3 wide color gamut. Even in 2026, the color accuracy on this thing holds up for photo editing. But the real "hero" feature was ProMotion. By dynamically adjusting the refresh rate up to 120Hz, Apple made the Apple Pencil feel like it was actually leaking ink onto the glass. There’s almost zero latency. If you’re a digital artist on a budget, finding a refurbished 10.5 is still a smarter move than buying a brand-new entry-level iPad that lacks the laminated screen and the high refresh rate.
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There is a downside, though. The "White Spot" issue. It’s the elephant in the room. A significant number of 10.5 units developed a bright spot about an inch above the Home button. It’s a pressure point issue within the display stack. If you’re buying one second-hand, you have to check for this. It’s annoying. It doesn't break the tablet, but once you see it, you can't unsee it.
Performance: The A10X Fusion is a Tank
We’re used to mobile chips hitting a wall after three or four years. The A10X Fusion chip inside the Apple iPad Pro 10.5 was a different beast. It was a six-core CPU with a 12-core GPU. At the time, it was faster than most laptops.
Even now, it handles iPadOS with surprising grace. You can split-screen Safari and Notes while a video plays in Picture-in-Picture mode. It doesn't stutter. Sure, it’s not going to render 4K ProRes video as fast as an M2 or M4 chip, and it lacks the "Stage Manager" external display support that the newer silicon allows. But for 90% of what people actually do—emails, Netflix, Procreate, Slack—it’s still fast.
The RAM is the secret sauce here. It has 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM. That sounds tiny compared to a modern MacBook, but for iPadOS, it’s the threshold for usability. The base-model iPads of that era only had 2GB or 3GB, which is why they feel sluggish today. The 10.5 Pro stays snappy because it has enough breathing room to keep apps open in the background.
The Home Button Dilemma
Some people hate the Home button. They want gestures. They want FaceID.
Others? They miss the tactile "click."
The Apple iPad Pro 10.5 was the last "Pro" iPad to feature TouchID. For people who use their tablets in bed or at odd angles where FaceID struggles to see your face, TouchID is just... better. It’s reliable. It works. Plus, you get that headphone jack. Remember those?
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Real-World Use: Why Artists Still Love It
I talked to a few freelance illustrators who still keep a 10.5 in their kit. One mentioned that the physical size is the perfect "sketchbook" feel. The 12.9-inch Pro is a beast—it’s heavy and requires a desk. The 11-inch is great, but the 10.5 has this slightly more squared-off aspect ratio that feels more natural for portrait-mode reading.
- Weight: It’s about 1 pound (469 grams).
- Cameras: It actually has the same 12MP rear camera as the iPhone 7, with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS). Most tablets have garbage cameras, but this one can actually take a decent document scan or even a respectable photo in a pinch.
- Speakers: Four-speaker audio. It’s loud. It adjusts the stereo orientation depending on how you hold it. It still sounds better than most $300-400 laptops sold today.
The Longevity Problem
We have to be realistic about the battery. If you buy a Apple iPad Pro 10.5 today, the battery has likely been through hundreds of cycles. Lithium-ion doesn't last forever. You might find that it drains faster than you'd like, especially with that 120Hz screen sucking up juice. Replacing an iPad battery is a nightmare because they are glued into the chassis with industrial-strength adhesive.
Then there’s the software support. Apple is legendary for long-term updates, but the A10X is nearing the end of the road for major iPadOS releases. You’ll likely get security patches for a while, but the "cool" new AI features Apple is pushing in 2025 and 2026 simply won't run on this hardware. It lacks the Neural Engine found in the A11 and later.
Is it Worth Buying Now?
If you find one for under $200 in good condition, it’s a steal. It’s the ultimate "secondary" device. It's great for a kid who wants to get into digital art, or for a student who needs to take handwritten notes with the Apple Pencil (1st Gen).
But don't pay "near-new" prices for it. Technology has moved on, and the iPad Air 4 or 5 offers a more modern USB-C port, which makes connecting hard drives and monitors way easier than the old Lightning port on the 10.5.
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What to Look for When Buying Used:
- The White Spot: Turn the brightness up on a white background. Look for a pea-sized bright patch near the bottom.
- Battery Health: If possible, ask the seller for a screenshot from a battery health app (like CoconutBattery on Mac).
- ProMotion: Scroll through the settings menu. If it doesn't feel incredibly smooth, the screen might have been replaced with a cheap 60Hz third-party panel.
The Apple iPad Pro 10.5 represents a specific moment in time where Apple over-engineered a product so much that it accidentally made it relevant for nearly a decade. It’s thin, it has a headphone jack, the screen is gorgeous, and it’s still more than powerful enough for daily life. It’s a classic.
Practical Steps for Current or Prospective Owners
- Check your Model Number: Ensure you have the A1701 (Wi-Fi) or A1709 (Cellular) to confirm it's the 10.5-inch Pro and not the older 9.7-inch.
- Audit your Battery: Use a tool like iMazing on a computer to check your actual charge capacity; if it's below 80%, consider using it primarily as a "plugged-in" bedside or desk device.
- Optimize Storage: Since these started at 64GB, use iCloud Drive or a Lightning-to-SD adapter to offload photos and large files, keeping the internal storage clear for app performance.
- Stylus Compatibility: Remember this only works with the 1st Generation Apple Pencil (the one with the cap that plugs into the bottom). It will not work with the magnetic 2nd Gen or the USB-C Pencil.