The **iPad** is a small tablet computer made by Apple Inc. Apple first showed it on January 27, 2010. It is larger than a smartphone and smaller than a laptop computer. It has a multiple touch interface (use two or more fingers to do certain things). It is different than a laptop in that it doesn't have a keyboard. Instead, it has a "virtual keyboard" using the touch screen, and a physical keyboard can be added. It doesn't have Adobe Flash. This keeps it from crashing, but some websites will not display correctly. Until iOS 9, also you cannot have multiple windows open at the same time and drag and drop things between them.

Apple made an early version of a tablet computer in 1993 called the Newton MessagePad. It had similar functions to the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad except it didn't have advanced things like the internet or a voice program. Apple stopped making Newtons in 1998.

Apple re-entered the mobile device market in 2007 when the iPhone was released. Some of the iPhone's features are based on the Newton.

By the end of 2009, rumors about the iPad had been around for several years, and on January 27, 2010 Steve Jobs announced the iPad. It was not the first tablet to be sold, but it was the first one to sell in large numbers. It also was the first one that was controlled almost entirely by fingers touching the screen. Many of the earlier tablets (and PDAs, or personal digital assistants) used a lot of buttons or a stylus to control the tablet.

The first generation iPad was able to be bought in the United States in April 2010 and most of the rest of the world within several months.

As of 2021, Apple sold more than 425 million iPads.

Later models
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Frontside of the iPad and iPad Pro
Backside of the iPad and iPad Pro
Apple announced the iPad 2 on March 2, 2011 and it was released on March 11, 2011. It had a new sleeker design and had a front and back video camera. It was also a lot thinner and had curved edges because people were complaining that the first gen iPad made their hands sore.

On March 16, 2012 Apple released the iPad 3. It kept the iPad 2's design but was slightly thicker and was the first iPad to have a retina screen for a sharper picture. It has 50% more pixels than a standard HDTV screen.

On November 2, 2012, Apple released the iPad 4 which featured an A6 processor, a new connector called Lightning which replaces the old 30 pin dock connector, and an updated FaceTime camera. They also released a new iPad called the iPad Mini which featured a 7.9 inch screen instead of the normal 9.7 inch screen, though it didn't have a retina display.

On October 22, 2013, the new iPad Air was announced which looked like the iPad Mini but still had the full size screen. It also had the newer A7 processor that the iPhone 5s had. At the same time, a new version of the iPad mini was announced that had the better Retina display.

On October 16, 2014, the iPad Air 2 was announced along with the iPad Mini 3. The iPad Air 2 has a thinner design than the iPad Air and has new features, such as a better camera and a Touch ID fingerprint reader. The iPad Mini 3 has the same design as the iPad Mini 2, but has a better camera and also has the Touch ID fingerprint reader that the iPad Air 2 has.

On September 9, 2015, Apple announced a new version of the iPad, the iPad Pro. It comes with either a 12.9 inch and a 9.7 inch screen and the A9X processor. Apple made a hardware keyboard that plugs into its side, and a stylus pen, the Apple Pencil, that can be used to draw on the screen as if it was a piece of paper.

On October 30, 2018, Apple announced the new update to their iPad Pro line. The update showcased the thinnest iPad ever, at 5.7mm thin, an improved processor, dubbed the A12X processor, a larger screen (12.9-in and 11-in), and Face ID support. The screen uses Apple's all new liquid LED technology, first seen in the 2018 released iPhone XR. The new iPad Pro's also came with a slew of accessories, including a brand new Smart Keyboard, Apple Pencil (2nd generation), and multiple cases. Apple also changed the charging system from their long used Lighting connector, for a USB-C charger. Apple's new iPad Pro line come in two sizes.

On September 14, 2021, Apple announced the new update to their iPad mini line. The update showcased shows redesigned tablet just like iPad Air (4th generation). The iPad mini has new 8.3-in display and have Touch ID in power button like iPad Air (4th generation) and Apple Pencil (2nd generation) support.

On March 8, 2022, Apple announced the new update to their iPad Air line. The update showcased shows same design as iPad Air (4th veneration) in 2020 but there flew changes like new camera now 12 MP front and 12 MP rear with Center stage and new M1 chip like iPad Pro (5th generation). There is new color five available: Blue, Purple, Starlight, Space Grey, and Pink.

Apple announced the sixth-generation iPad Pro and 10th-generation iPad on October 18, 2022, with both to be available October 26. The new iPad Pro features Apple's M2 processor, the same one used in the company's most recent Macs. The largest changes, however, came to the base iPad line. First, the new iPad has a 10.9-inch screen, the same size as that found in the current iPad Air. It also replaces the Lightning connector with USB-C, and removes the Home button, replacing it with Touch ID as part of the power button (the same setup used in the current Air). Perhaps the biggest change is in camera placement. The 10th-generation iPad is the first model in the iPad range with its front-facing camera on the device's long edge. Despite having a USB-C port, it lacks support for the second-generation Apple Pencil. The first-generation Apple Pencil, which is supported, cannot be charged directly from a 10th-generation iPad because that Pencil has only the Lightning connector. All new shipments of the first-generation Pencil include a Lightning-to-USB-C adapter to allow charging from a 10th-generation iPad. The 9th-generation iPad was not immediately discontinued; Apple still sells that model alongside the 10th generation at a lower price.

All iPads, like most of Apple Inc.'s products, are made in China, and designed by Apple in California.

Timeline of iPod models and related products
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See also: Timeline of full-sized iPod models and Timeline of compact iPod models

Sources: Apple press release library, Mactracker Apple Inc. model database

Related pages
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* Amazon Kindle
* Galaxy Tab
* Microsoft Surface Tablet
* Pixel Slate