You’ve probably seen them on eBay or tucked away in a drawer. The iPad Pro Gen 3—specifically the 12.9-inch model from 2018 or the 11-inch version that technically started the "Pro" design era—is a weird piece of tech. It’s old. In silicon years, it’s practically a fossil. But here’s the thing: it still works better than most brand-new mid-range tablets you can buy at Best Buy today.
People get confused about the naming. Apple’s naming conventions are a mess. When we talk about the iPad Pro Gen 3, we’re usually referring to the 12.9-inch 2018 model, which was the first one to ditch the home button. It moved to Face ID. It switched to USB-C. Basically, it’s the blueprint for every modern iPad that exists right now.
I still remember the first time I held one. It felt like a sheet of glass. It was terrifyingly thin, and yes, it famously had some "bendgate" issues if you sat on it. But that A12X Bionic chip? It was a monster. It was faster than most MacBooks at the time. Honestly, it was overkill for 2018, which is exactly why it’s still viable in 2026.
The A12X Bionic and the Longevity Miracle
Most tech has a shelf life of maybe three or four years before the software starts to chug. Not this one. The iPad Pro Gen 3 utilized the A12X Bionic (and later the A12Z in the 2020 refresh, which was basically the same chip with one extra GPU core enabled). This wasn't just a phone chip. It was an 8-core beast that targeted desktop-class performance before Apple Silicon was even a public talking point.
Apple really over-engineered the hardware.
If you’re just browsing Chrome, watching Netflix, or sketching in Procreate, you genuinely won't notice a massive difference between this and an M1 or M2 model for basic tasks. That’s wild. We’re talking about a device that is nearly eight years old. Sure, it lacks the M-series "Stage Manager" external display support that makes the newer ones feel like "real" computers, but for 90% of what people actually do with tablets, it’s fine. It's more than fine. It's snappy.
Let’s talk about the screen for a second
The 12.9-inch iPad Pro Gen 3 used a Liquid Retina display. No, it isn't the fancy Mini-LED found in the M1/M2 models, and it definitely isn't the Tandem OLED in the latest M4 versions. You don’t get those deep, "inky" blacks.
However, you do get ProMotion.
120Hz.
Once you use a high-refresh-rate screen, you can't go back to a standard 60Hz iPad Air or the base-model iPad. It makes the Apple Pencil feel like it’s actually leaking digital ink onto the screen because the latency is so low. If you're an artist on a budget, hunting down a used Gen 3 is basically a cheat code for getting professional-grade drawing hardware for under $400.
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Where the iPad Pro Gen 3 Starts to Show Its Age
It’s not all sunshine and perfect pixels. There are real compromises now.
Battery life is the big one. Lithium-ion batteries degrade. Period. If you buy a used iPad Pro Gen 3 today, the battery has likely been through hundreds, if not thousands, of charge cycles. You might only get 4 or 5 hours of screen-on time instead of the promised 10. Replacing the battery on these is a nightmare because they’re glued shut, so you’re usually looking at a third-party repair shop or a pricey out-of-warranty swap from Apple.
Then there’s the RAM.
The Gen 3 only had 4GB of RAM (except for the 1TB model, which had 6GB). In the modern era of iPadOS, where apps are getting hungrier, you’ll notice apps refreshing in the background more often. You open Safari, then jump to Procreate, then go back to Safari—and the page reloads. It’s annoying. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it’s the first sign that the software is outgrowing the hardware.
The USB-C Transition Was Everything
This was the first iPad to kill the Lightning port. It changed the game. You could finally plug in a thumb drive. You could plug in a USB microphone for a podcast or a MIDI controller for music production without needing a $30 "Camera Connection Kit" dongle that looked like a plastic tumor hanging off your tablet.
But even here, there’s a catch. The port on the Gen 3 is USB 3.1 Gen 2. It’s fast—up to 10Gbps—but it isn't Thunderbolt. If you’re trying to move 4K video files or connect to a high-end dock, you might hit some bottlenecks that the M-series iPads just breeze through.
Is it Still Worth Buying?
Honestly, it depends on what you're doing.
If you are a student who needs to take notes with an Apple Pencil (the 2nd gen one, which magnetically sticks to the side), then yes. It is the best value-for-money iPad on the secondary market. If you are a hardcore video editor using LumaFusion or DaVinci Resolve, you should probably skip it and look for an M1 model. The M-series chips have dedicated media engines that make the A12X look like a toy when it comes to rendering video.
Real-world Price Comparisons
- iPad Pro Gen 3 (Used): $300 - $450
- iPad Air 5 (M1): $450 - $550
- iPad Pro M4 (New): $999+
When you look at it that way, the Gen 3 is a steal. You're getting the "Pro" features—four speakers (which sound incredible, by the way), Face ID, and that 120Hz screen—for less than the price of a brand-new base-model iPad that has a worse screen and worse speakers.
Common Misconceptions About the 2018 Model
One of the biggest myths is that it won't support the latest version of iPadOS. As of right now, Apple is still supporting it. They’ve been surprisingly generous with the A12X. However, we are likely approaching the end of the road. I wouldn't be surprised if the Gen 3 stops receiving major OS updates within the next year or two. You’ll still get security patches, but you’ll miss out on the flashy new features.
Another thing? The cameras.
People think because it's a "Pro" it has a great camera. It’s fine for scanning documents. It’s fine for a quick FaceTime call. But compared to the 2020 or 2021 models, it lacks the LiDAR scanner and the ultra-wide lens. If you’re into Augmented Reality (AR) or you’re an interior designer who needs to map out rooms, the Gen 3 is going to feel limited. For everyone else who doesn't use their giant tablet as a camera at a wedding? You won't care.
Actionable Steps for Potential Buyers
If you’re looking to pick up an iPad Pro Gen 3, don't just click "buy" on the first listing you see. You have to be smart about it because of its age.
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1. Check the Serial Number. Ask the seller for the serial number and run it through Apple’s coverage check page. This confirms the exact model and whether it has any weird service history.
2. Ask for a Battery Report. Since iPadOS doesn't show battery health like the iPhone does, ask the seller to run a shortcut like "Battery Stats" or use a tool like iMazing on a Mac/PC. If the "Maximum Capacity" is below 80%, you’re going to have a bad time. You'll basically be tethered to a wall outlet.
3. Inspect the Body for Bends. Lay the iPad flat on a table or a piece of glass. If you can see light under the middle of the frame, it’s bent. While a slight curve doesn't always kill the device, it can cause the screen to delaminate over time or cause "white spots" on the LCD where the pressure is uneven.
4. Storage Matters. The base 64GB model is tiny. Modern apps and iPadOS itself take up a huge chunk of that. Try to find at least the 256GB version if you plan on keeping it for a few years.
The iPad Pro Gen 3 proved that Apple was years ahead of the competition in terms of mobile silicon. It’s a workhorse that hasn’t quite been put out to pasture yet. It represents a peak era of Apple design where they got almost everything right on the first try, creating a device that would remain relevant for nearly a decade. If you can find one in good condition, it’s still one of the best tech deals you can find. Just don't sit on it. Seriously.