Apple iPad 5 Review

Apple has always been renowned for its innovation, but in fact one of the brand's most impressive traits has been knowing when to break the mould with its designs and when to make incremental improvements. So, although a refurbished iPad 5th Generation 9.7 may be a more familiar tablet than a ground-breaking device, it boasts huge improvements on the iPad 2 and incremental enhancements when compared with the fourth generation iPad.

Even as Apple has continued to evolve and develop new tablet ranges, we've come to expect a certain level of innovation and user-orientation from the tech giant. To bring something different to an increasingly competitive tablet market, Apple has reimagined its iconic iPads as affordable devices that combine a premium specification and superior design in a relatively low-cost package.

Smaller, lighter and easier to grip

Context is everything when appraising tablets, and the iPad 5th Generation is no exception to this rule. After all, while this device is much thicker and heavier than the iPad 2, it's considerably slimmer and easier to grip than the preceding iPad 4. To this end, it weighs just 469 grams, while the tablet is also an impressive 1.9mm thinner than the iPad 4. It's additional dimensions of 240 x 169.5mm also ensure that the device is relatively easy to grip and operate with two hands, where you're surfing the Internet or attempting to take a portrait shot.

A familiar and beautiful display

If you're an avid iPad user (and have been for a period of time), you'll no doubt be familiar with the 9.7-inch Retina Display that first featured on the iPad 2. However, the display is considerably enhanced, as the iPad 5th Generation screen retains a resolution of 2048x1536 and a grand total of 264 pixels per inch. There's no doubt that this ground-breaking display technology was trail-blazing at the time of this tablet's release in March 2017, and it remains incredibly effective and visually impressive to this day.

Choose Wi-Fi only or a Wi-Fi + device

As with most iPads, Apple offers two slightly different iterations of its 5th Generation tablet. These include a Wi-Fi Only device and a Wi-Fi + Cellular tablet, each of which has its own unique weight and design. More specifically, the Wi-Fi Only version is 469 grams, and this enables you to browse the Internet and get online whenever you have access to a viable Wi-Fi connection.

Brilliant battery performance and smaller power pack

We'll be honest and say that we were a little concerned about the power pack on the iPad 5th Generation 9.7, with this 8,827mAh Li-Po battery considerably smaller than the unit featured in the iPad 4. This was dictated by the new and streamlined frame, but despite such limitations, the revamped power pack provides in excess of 10 hours from a single charge when browsing the Internet and streaming video content.

A snappy front-facing camera

Let's face facts; taking pictures should never be a key consideration when buying an iPad, primarily because of its size. Still, the iPad 5th Generation boasts a couple of handy and functional cameras, with the rear, 8MP shooter capable of taking detailed images and relatively neat portrait pictures. Then there's the impressive 1.2MG front-facing camera, which offers exceptional clarity during video calls.

A refurbished iPad 5th Generation 9.7 is a familiar but enduringly impressive tablet, and one that boasts an improved rear camera, considerably less weight and a front-facing camera that's perfect for video calls.

5 real-life highlights

1. The iPad 5th Gen was one of the first Apple tablets to be made available in gold, silver and space grey
2. This tablet also retains Apple's tried-and-tested Touch ID scanner, which enables you to keep your data safe
3. The Retina Display provides optimal brightness and sharp colour contrasts, allowing for a superb visual experience
4. With the 32GB version of the iPad 5th Generation tablet, you can upload numerous tracks to your device with ease
5. While the iPad 5th Gen may offer around 10 hours of battery use during intensive use, it should last for days on a single charge