Is a 2021 iPad enough for school?

What has been added since 2021 and what of it is used at school

Several new generations of the classic iPad have been released since the iPad 9, and the technological progress is real. It lies mainly in areas that rarely matter in everyday school life: more processing power for image editing and video editing, windowed multitasking with an external Monitor, and Apple's AI features, which require a newer chip.

The iPad 9 has remained remarkably solid in this regard: an A13 Bionic, a 10.2-inch Retina display, Touch ID in the Home button, a 12-megapixel front camera with Center Stage for video calls, stereo speakers, and around ten hours of battery life according to the manufacturer. It also supports the first-generation Apple Pencil and the Smart Connector for keyboards.

What a school device really needs to do today

Before getting to its condition, here is a brief overview. At school, an iPad essentially does six things:

• Notes: Handwritten with the Pencil or typed, in Apple Notes, GoodNotes, or Notability.
• PDFs: Open, highlight, annotate, and send back worksheets and scripts.
• Research: Browser with multiple tabs, reference works, media libraries, online dictionaries.
• Videos: Explainer videos, recordings, streaming.
• Learning apps: Vocabulary trainers, math apps, quiz tools—whatever the school specifies.
• Office: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint or Pages, Numbers, and Keynote, plus Teams or Zoom and the school's cloud.

This is not a superficial overview. It is an overview that demands endurance: a device that lasts from morning to afternoon and does not immediately break when the gesture to your desk neighbor happens to be important.

Where the iPad 9 is more than sufficient

For everything described above.

Handwritten notes flow smoothly, and the first-generation Pencil writes just as precisely as the second-generation one. The difference is in charging and attachment, not writing.

PDFs open without hesitation. Two apps side by side—that is, Split View with a script on the left and notes on the right—work well. And thanks to Center Stage, video calls often look better than on a notebook because the front camera follows your face as you move.

It weighs around 490 grams. Together with a keyboard case, the package remains lighter than any notebook, and Touch ID in the Home button unlocks faster than typing a password.

Where it honestly falls short

There are three things the iPad 9 cannot do. If one of them is on your list, it is the wrong device.

• Apple Pencil, first generation only. It does not attach magnetically to the edge, it charges via the Lightning port (the Pencil sticks out of the iPad while charging, which takes some getting used to), and it does not support double-tap gestures. Writing with it is just as good, but if you tend to lose your stylus, you’ll lose it more often here.
• No Stage Manager. Freely resizable windows and a genuinely usable external Monitor require an iPad with an M chip. Split View, yes; Stage Manager, no.
• No demanding photo or video editing. Cropping and brightening a photo, shortening a video for a presentation: no problem. Multitrack 4K editing, large photo catalogues, or demanding 3D apps require more.

If that is your situation, the answer is in the same deals: the iPad Air 5th generation (2022) with 64 GB and Wi-Fi + Cellular is also reduced in August, from CHF 450.– to CHF 405.–. M1 chip, laminated display, Apple Pencil 2nd generation.

Two small points for the sake of honesty. It charges via Lightning, not USB-C. In a USB-C household, that means a second cable. And the display is not fully laminated, so there is a fine layer of air between the glass and the panel, and it lacks an anti-reflective coating. You rarely notice this in the classroom. By a window in the midday sun, you do.

And now the actual question: Which condition?

This is where it gets interesting, because almost no one makes this decision consciously. At Revendo, you choose the condition along with the model, and the tiers differ in appearance, not function. Every device undergoes the same technical inspection, regardless of the tier assigned to it.

• Bargain: pronounced signs of use, visible scratches, possibly small dents on the frame. Tested and fully functional.
• Used: visible signs of use, recognizable from arm’s length, not an issue during operation.
• Very good: light signs of use that you have to look for.
• As new: virtually no signs of use.
• New: like new and unused.

For a school device, “Very good” or “Used” is the rational choice. The reason is unromantic: an iPad that lies between books, a case, and a calculator every day will look after one school year like an iPad that lies in a schoolbag every day. The surcharge for “as new” therefore buys a condition that may not survive the first week of school. The same money is better spent on a sturdy Case and a screen protector, because they actually preserve the condition.

That is precisely why this iPad is listed in the August deals in “Very good” condition: light signs of use that no one notices in everyday life.

The battery is rated separately as “Used” for this variant, meaning it still has at least 80 percent of its original capacity.

Two exceptions are cases where the higher tiers make sense. First, when the iPad is a gift and the unboxing moment matters. Second, when it is to be passed on or sold later, because a better initial condition means a better residual value.

Are 64 GB enough? And is Wi-Fi sufficient?

The device in the deals has 64 GB of storage and Wi-Fi. Both sound like little, and usually are not for school.

Storage

64 GB is enough because the bulk is stored elsewhere: worksheets, scripts, and assignments are kept in OneDrive, Google Drive, or iCloud, as are photos and videos. Only the system, apps, and documents that should be available offline need local space. With normal school use, this remains manageable.

It becomes tight in three cases: when lots of series and films are taken offline, when music is created in GarageBand, or when several people in the household share the iPad. If you recognize yourself in one of these situations, it is better to plan for more storage.

Connectivity

Cellular, meaning an iPad with its own SIM, sounds practical but is rarely necessary for a school device. There is Wi-Fi at school and at home, and the personal hotspot from the iPhone is enough for the gap in between. A Cellular model costs more and also requires a subscription.

It becomes necessary in three situations: when the iPad is the main device for internet access, when the journey to school is long and actual work is done there, or when a lot of use takes place outside known networks. In this case, the 5th-generation iPad Air with Wi-Fi + Cellular is the right alternative in August.

How long will it realistically last?

Apple states that the iPad 9 provides around ten hours of video playback or web use. A school day uses less than you might think because the device sleeps in the backpack between lessons instead of processing. So even with at least 80 percent remaining capacity, you can get through the day and charge it at home in the evening. And if the capacity is eventually no longer sufficient: We are an Apple Authorised Service Provider, and the battery can be replaced without replacing the entire device.

Apple’s familiar pattern applies to software support: iPads receive new system versions for many years, followed by ongoing security updates. The iPad 9 has remained included in the major iPadOS versions of recent years. For one school year and the one after that, this is not an open question but a reassuring calculation.

The August deals run until 31 August.

The 9th-generation iPad (2021) with 64 GB and Wi-Fi in Space Gray costs CHF 238.– and is CHF 214.20 with a 10 percent discount. It is offered in «Very good» condition with a «Used» battery, exactly the combination that makes the most sense for a school device.

Every device includes: tested technology, at least 1 year of warranty with the option to extend it to 3 years, a 14-day right of return, service from an Apple Authorised Service Provider, and ten Stores in Switzerland where you can hold the iPad in your hands before buying. Shipping from CHF 50.– is free.

And if you’re unsure whether an iPad from 2021 is enough for you: that’s exactly what the 14-day period is for. Decide at your desk, not from the spec sheet.

About the 9th-generation iPad