MakeUseOf - iPad Pro

6 free apps that make an old iPad worth keeping

Jonathon Jachura — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 11:00:14 GMT

My 2015 iPad Pro shouldn't still be in the rotation. It's stuck on iPadOS 16.7, it charges over Lightning, and its 32GB of storage was cramped by 2018 standards. I use it almost every day anyway, and the apps are the reason. Finding ones that still install is the hard part now. Amazon locked the Alexa app behind iOS 17 for new downloads. Google Home followed, and Google Photos now wants iOS 18. The App Store shrinks a little for old iPads every year.

Your old tablet is a few steps away from becoming a free smart display

Chris Hachey — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 16:30:12 GMT

Have you ever been looking around in a closet or a basement and found an old device that you'd forgotten you owned? You uncover the box and think, "Oh yeah! I can't believe I used to have this." Most of the time, you probably just put the device back where you found it and move on with your day.

I benchmarked 5 older phones and tablets to find the best one for gaming — the results surprised me

Rob LeFebvre — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 14:00:20 GMT

I may not have the latest, greatest iPhone or Pixel, but I still feel like the ones I do have should be able to play some games on them. Of the five older tablets and phones I have, I wanted to know which one would be the best device to game on. I ran two tests — Geekbench 6's GPU benchmark and 3DMark's Wildlife Extreme — on all five gadgets and the results were fairly surprising.

I repurposed 4 old Apple devices, and now they all do something useful in my home

Jonathon Jachura — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 22:00:19 GMT

Apple hardware tends to stick around. The build quality is good enough that these devices don't break — they just get slower, lose software support, and eventually end up in a desk drawer because something newer replaced them. I had four of them in exactly that situation: a first-gen iPad Pro, a 9th-generation iPad, a 7th-gen iPod Touch, and a 2017 MacBook Air. All functional. All ignored.

5 practical ways I use my old iPad around the house

Jonathon Jachura — Sun, 02 Nov 2025 19:00:19 GMT

Got an old iPad collecting dust? Mine is from 2015, and I still use it multiple times a day, even though I have a much newer model. These aren't weird edge cases or complicated projects—just straightforward household jobs that actually make sense.

These 4 iPad hacks made it the best extra display I’ve ever used

Jack Mitchell — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 14:00:17 GMT

An iPad is a handy tool to have around, but it always played second fiddle to my MacBook Pro for work and creative purposes. Don't get me wrong; it makes for a useful backup laptop, it’s perfect for travel entertainment, and I love using it with the Apple Pencil for its sheer versatility. However, it always felt like a bit of a gimmick — until recently.

My first-gen iPad Pro is nearly 10 years old, but I'm still keeping it

Jonathon Jachura — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 21:00:16 GMT

While most people replace their tech every few years, my 2015 iPad Pro keeps proving its worth. Even though I own the newest model, I find myself reaching for this aging tablet more often than you'd expect.

I've Used iPads Since 2012: Here Are My 5 Favorites of All Time

Danny Maiorca — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 14:30:13 GMT

Having been an iPad user for over a decade, I've seen Apple's tablets evolve numerous times. Since I'm so entrenched in the world of iPads, I thought it would be worth writing about my all-time favorites. Here are the models that made the top of my list.

Why I'm Glad I Bought the M4 iPad Pro Over the Surface Pro

Hamlin Rozario — Fri, 23 Aug 2024 18:00:12 GMT

I bought the 13-inch M4 iPad Pro shortly before Microsoft released the Snapdragon X Elite-powered Surface Pro 11th Edition in mid-2024. However, I don't regret buying Apple's flagship iPad even though it doesn't run a desktop-class operating system, and here's why.

Why the Microsoft Surface Pro 11 Is Better Than the M4 iPad Pro

Jowi Morales — Tue, 23 Jul 2024 13:00:11 GMT

Apple's M4 iPad Pro packs incredible hardware for a tablet, but iPadOS and a few other factors hold it back from achieving its maximum potential. If you want a tablet that will truly replace your laptop, you're better off going with Microsoft's Surface Pro 11.