Is a 6th Generation iPad of any use in 2026? Released back in March 2018 with an A10 Fusion chip, 2 GB RAM and Touch ID, it can update up to iOS 17.7.10, and was the final iPad with the original 9.7″ screen size. If you’re just looking for a regular ol’ iPad, this may be the one for you.

After a family member upgraded to a 9th Generation iPad sometime ago, she left the old one behind and doesn’t use it anymore. It sat around for so long, that it even still had an older version of iOS. After giving it an update and spending a little time with it, it dawned upon me: This iPad is about to be 8 years old, but it felt almost the same as my iPad mini 6 did on iOS 26.

Pricing in Early 2026

Looking around on eBay, FaceBook Marketplace, Craigslist, etc; there seems to be a wide range of prices they’re selling for depending on storage and condition. I tend to go with eBay as I’ve shopped there for over a decade by now, and you can show real-world examples of secondhand market value.

• Price range: Between $59 – $120 depending on seller, condition, storage capacity and color.
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  • For $59: Tends to be a 32 GB Wi-Fi only model
  • For more: 128 GB and more color options are more common.
  • Space Gray seems to be the most common color option among the listed iPads for sale.
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Compare either one to a brand new 11th Generation iPad, which starts at $349. Some may look at this device’s appearance and judge it for being older, but it’s a gorgeous design – harkening back to the iPhone 5’s design days incorporating chamfered edges on the aluminum case around the screen.

Great for videos, web browsing, & Apple SideCar

I had no trouble getting YouTube up and running on Safari, although the app downloads without a hitch as well. Great device to grab and read something with, if you’re looking for a sort of low budget eReader with Apple ecosystem perks. While the device isn’t poised to receive long term updates, it did receive a crucial security update as recently as August 2025 for iOS 17.7.10.

• Maybe you’re not an iPad person because it’s not worth justifying the cost of entry for a new device, knowing you could easily do without if you already have a phone or laptop. I knew after owning an iPad Pro 3rd generation in 2018 (which was my first serious iPad), the type of setup and functionality I expected out of a Mac couldn’t be replicated on an iPad. So I look at it as somewhere between an iPhone and a MacBook.
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• Leave the phone plugged in, set the MacBook aside, let the iPad get the job done: Less charge cycles on your other devices since they’re being used less, more screen real estate versus an iPhone, lighter than a 2015 MacBook Air 11″ (108g vs. 103g), and has Touch ID!
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• Uses a lightning connector which was in production for roughly a decade, so there are plenty of accessories, as well as stocks of new charging cables for this device online.
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• Despite being unsupported, Apple has swooped in to provide security updates as recently as 4 months ago. Known as (CVE-2025-43300) in ImageIO, something which could perhaps exploited in sophisticated attacks, preventing memory corruption via malicious images.
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• Some places like Other World Computing offer a 90-day Limited warranty on devices. I stumbled into this listing/link while doing some googling for this article. Prices are fair, varying from $69 in good shape, all the way up to $99 in premium condition.
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• If you have a Mac, this is the oldest iPad which supports Apple SideCar. This means you can use this iPad in particular as a second display for a Mac.

Tech Specs

Comparing side by side; a 6th generation iPad mini, versus a 6th generation standard model iPad. Even though the iPad mini 6th gen was released only 3 years later, on paper it looks like a major upgrade in every department.

• See: iPad 9.7 (2018) – Full Tablet Specifications – GSM Arena
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• Also: Apple A10 Fusion on Wikipedia
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• Geekbench 6.5.1 performance: 867 Single Core, 1220 Multi Core, 4566 Metal

In Conclusion

It’s hard not to recommend something cheap which packs alot of utility. App support may be hit or miss depending on what you use, although iOS 17 is still a 2023 release so it’s not the end of the world just yet. If you’re keen on getting the absolute most out of this 6th generation iPad, I would argue alot of productivity could be done on it as well, especially if you’re not a heavy multitasker.

For the right price, this could be a valuable, low-cost addition to your ecosystem: A secondary Mac display, less wear and tear on your other Apple (or other) gear, a lightweight bedtime video player, instruction manual reader for projects, and more. What matters most is what you know the device can do, and what it means for you.

I believe the 6th generation iPad still has some long term value, as it can help the needs of those looking for such a device, without having to overspend. It’s absolutely unnecessary to have the latest and greatest if you’re a super lightweight iPad user, so why not maximize the life of something equally convenient and pocket the difference?