Apple fans are actually still waiting for the Cupertino-based tech firm to unveil this year's brand new iPad Pro tablets. However, the company instead chose to now release a sort of new product in the form of a 2017 9.7-inch iPad. Apple dropped the "air" and number moniker on the new product and simply called it the "iPad."

Unfortunately, the new-ish product seems to just be a rebranded older iPad with some upgraded components. Upon closer inspection, the 2017 iPad is actually thicker and heavier than its predecessor. The only main difference is that it is now being offered at a significantly lower price. Even with its $330 price tag, there is still the question of whether or not it is worth buying.

As reported by The Verge, the new 2017 iPad is essentially a Frankenstein model that is comprised of different iPads. The chassis of the new tablet is actually that of the iPad Air 1. The processor, which is the Apple A9, comes straight out of the iPhone 6S. The display itself is somewhat new, but it is a downgrade from the display on the iPad's predecessor.

The 2017 iPad still has a Retina display with a resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels. However, the display does not have the True Tone feature nor does it have any lamination or anti-reflectivity. It also has to be noted that the new iPad does not support Apple Pencil or the other accessories for the iPad Pro. Most of these were likely removed to save on cost during the production process and for Apple to offer it at such a relatively low price.

According to iFixit, the biggest advantage of using older components is that the repairability of the new iPad will be very high. Some components from the older iPad tablets are actually swappable with the new iPad, which means that parts will not be hard to find. The 2017 iPad is definitely for those who want a simple and affordable tablet for media consumption. However, those who want to do their work on a tablet may be better off with any of the current iPad Pro models.