Comparing the three iPad lines
Apple's iPad range spans genuinely different price and performance tiers — the standard iPad, the mid-range Air, and the premium Pro. Each holds resale value differently, and understanding the pattern helps if you're deciding which to keep and which to sell from a personal collection.
Standard iPad
The entry-level line has the lowest resale value in absolute terms, reflecting its lower original price point, but percentage depreciation is broadly comparable to the other two lines over similar timeframes — it simply started and ends at a lower price throughout.
iPad Air
Sitting in the middle, the Air holds meaningfully more absolute value than the standard iPad, particularly M-series chip generations, while remaining considerably more affordable than the Pro line at every stage of its resale lifecycle.
iPad Pro
The Pro commands the highest absolute resale prices by a clear margin, reflecting its premium original pricing, larger storage options, and continued demand from creative professionals who need the additional performance and display quality for serious work.
Storage and connectivity matter across all three
Regardless of which line you're comparing, higher storage and Cellular connectivity both command a consistent premium within each individual line — these factors matter as much as, or sometimes more than, which line you're comparing between.
What this means if you are choosing which to sell
If you own multiple iPads and are deciding which to keep versus sell, the Pro is generally worth retaining or selling last if you need ongoing serious tablet use, since it holds the most absolute value over time. But always compare live current prices for your exact models rather than assuming based on general trends alone, since specific generation and configuration can shift this significantly.
Age also matters within each line
Regardless of which line you're comparing, the specific generation and age of your device matters as much as, or more than, which tier it belongs to — a recent standard iPad can genuinely hold more resale value than a much older iPad Pro, so always compare based on your device's actual age and generation rather than assuming the Pro tier automatically outperforms in every scenario.
Compare iPad prices across all lines →