Every iPad Generation: A Full History of Release Dates

The Apple iPad completely revolutionized the tablet scene when it first hit the market in 2010. Its bigger screen combined with beloved iPhone features from iOS combined to offer a new way for users to experience content, games, and applications. To date, Apple has continued to evolve the product with multiple product lines, power rivaling a laptop, and more. It's by far one of the best tablets out there. Below, we've compiled a list of every iPad generation since 2010. If you're a former or current iPad owner, journey through the last 14 years and explore the history of the iPad!

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How Many Apple iPad Generations Have There Been?

In total, there have been 30 different iPad generations since the first iPad released in April 2010. This list does not count bigger display options as a separate entry except for the original iPad Pro, as the two models had different release dates.

Every Apple iPad Generation in Order of Release

iPad (1st Generation) – April 3, 2010

The first iPad was revealed by Steve Jobs in January 2010, with the promise of offering a larger experience for those looking for something past the iPhone. The device offered a 9.7" display, with the Apple A4 processor acting as the SOC. In total, over 15 million units were sold before the 2nd generation model, which arrived 11 months later.

iPad (2nd Generation) – March 11, 2011

iPad (2nd Generation) kept the same look and display size as its predecessor while packing in new features. This 2nd gen model introduced a camera to iPad for the very first time, with both a front and rear camera included. Additionally, this model was the first to offer multiple colors. A black or white option was available to choose from in addition to the new Smart Folio accessory.

iPad (3rd Generation) – March 16, 2012

iPad (3rd Generation) made massive leaps forward with its new Retina Display, which provided visuals that looked tremendously better than any prior iPad. A new upgrade was also made to the camera to allow for 1080p video capture, with the A5X chip powering the device. Additionally, cellular models added support for LTE data, a massive leap from 3G. This model only lasted on the market for seven months and has the shortest lifespan of any Apple iOS device to this day.

iPad (4th Generation) – November 2, 2012

Just a few months later, Apple released iPad 4. In a massive new shift, this model ditched the 30-pin connector in favor of the Lightning port for the very first time. Using the new Retina Display, the front camera was upgraded to 1.2 megapixels, offering HD capture. Powered by the A6X, this was also the last iPad to offer a 32-bit processor. This new chip also performed cooler than the A5X, which left for less instances where the back of the device would feel hot to touch.

iPad Mini (1st Generation) – November 2, 2012

The first generation iPad Mini was unveiled in 2012 as a new, smaller device that still packed all the essential iPad features in. The 7.9 inch display is smaller than the traditional iPad's 9.7 inch display, but it still provides the same resolution and quality. Most of the internal technology that Apple utilized to power the device closely resembles the iPad 2, with the main A5 chip as the SOC.

iPad Air (1st Generation) November 1, 2013

iPad Air was the first major revision to iPad since 2011, with a new, slimmer design created to make the device more comfortable to hold. The display bezel was shrunk to closely resemble the iPad Mini, while retaining the familiar 9.7 inch display. Some of the new features included a 720p front-facing camera, the rear iSide camera, and a significant reduction in weight.

iPad Mini 2 – November 12, 2013

iPad Mini 2 has the exact same design as iPad Mini from the outside, but there were numerous improvements made internally. The Mini 2 featured an upgraded Retina Display and the A7 SOC for imrpoved visuals and performance. This closely resembled both the iPad Air and iPhone 5S internals.

iPad Mini 3 – October 22, 2014

iPad Mini 3 utilized the same hardware and design as the prior iPad Mini models, but this device packed in Touch ID for the very first time. This made Apple Pay a possibility on iPad Mini. Additionally, multiple storage options were available for the first time: 16GB, 64GB, and 128GB.

iPad Air 2 – October 22, 2014

iPad Air 2 took to the scene alongside iPad Mini 3 as the new flagship iPad. Once again, the device became thinner and lighter than iPad Air, with the Apple A8X providing lightning fast speeds at the time. The rear camera received an upgrade to allow for slow-motion video capture and burst photos, and the front camera improved on the amount of light able to be captured in video. It's also worth noting that iPad Air 2 removed the mute switch on the side for the first time, which made users mute the device from Control Center.

iPad Mini 4 – September 9, 2015

iPad Mini 4 reflected most of the hardware changes and upgrades that Apple implemented in the iPad Air 2, but now available in a smaller form factor. This model was the first iPad Mini to shake things up with design, as it grew in height and width. However, the screen size remained the same at 7.9 inches.

iPad Pro (1st Generation) 12.9" Model – November 11, 2015

In 2015, Apple debuted a new iPad line – the first generation iPad Pro. Powered by the Apple A9X, this device was by far the most powerful iPad ever created. iPad Pro was also the first iPad to support the Apple Pencil, a device used for drawing and writing effortlessly on the iPad display. This was a game-changer for artists and creatives alike.

iPad Pro (1st Generation) 9.7" Model – March 31, 2016

A few months after the release of the 12.9" model, Apple released the 9.7" iPad Pro. This model kept most of the same features and hardware as the bigger model but with a smaller display. Though, this smaller model only offers 2GB of RAM compared to the bigger model's 4GB. One of the new offerings of the 9.7" model was the option for Rose Gold as the color.

iPad (5th Generation) – March 24, 2017

iPad (5th Generation) marked the return of the standard iPad line after five years. The Apple A9 powers this device, with 2GB of RAM to support applications. One of the major improvements that Apple made from the iPad Air 2 was a brighter screen, with this model featuring a 25% brighter screen than prior iPads. Apple also elected to price this as an entry model, which allowed more consumers to enter the iPad market.

iPad Pro (2nd Generation) – June 13, 2017

One year after the first iPad Pro, Apple released the 2nd generation, which packed the new A10X Fusion processor. Additionally, the 9.7" model was upgraded to 10.5", providing users with a larger display to view content, articles, and more. The biggest upgrade with the iPad Pro (2nd Generation) was the display, which supported Dolby Vision, HDR10, and offered a 120Hz refresh rate.

iPad (6th Generation) – March 27, 2018

The 6th Generation iPad released just a year after the previous model, with a few improvements to performance with the new A10 chip. Apple opted to add Apple Pencil support to entry level iPads for the first time with this model, which allowed for this model to be highly sought after as a good iPad for students.

iPad Pro (3rd Generation) – November 7, 2018

iPad Pro (3rd Generation) ditched the home button for the first time, acting as the very first iPad to offer Face ID in replacement of Touch ID. The new Apple Pencil debuted alongside this model, allowing users to magnetically attach the pencil to the side of the device for storage and charging. Once again, the smaller model received a slightly larger screen, moving from 10.5" to 11".

iPad Mini (5th Generation) – March 18, 2019

Four years after iPad Mini 4, Apple released a refresh of the beloved smaller iPad model. While the design once again largely remained the same, the internals of iPad Mini (5th Generation) were vastly improved from its predocessors. A True Tone Retina Display is utilized on the device, with other upgrades including 3GB of RAM, support for Apple Pencil, and Bluetooth 5.0 support.

iPad Air (3rd Generation) – March 18, 2019

The 3rd Generation of iPad Air launched in early 2019, coming five years after the previous iPad Air model. This device was very similar to the smaller iPad Pro model, featuring a 10.5 inch display and an A12 Bionic SOC. Apple also included a 7 megapixel camera to replace the outdated iPad Air 2's 1.2MP camera. Alongside these additions, Bluetooth 5.0 & Apple Pencil support were also added to provide feature parity across the entire iPad lineup.

iPad (7th Generation) – September 25, 2019

iPad (7th Generation) greatly improved the display from its predocessor, with a larger 10.2 inch Retina display. However, the processor largely remained the same, moving from the A10 to the A10 Fusion. This left many to desire for more performance gains. Besides this, a smart keyboard connector was added to the back to allow for accessories to be used with this model.

iPad Pro (4th Generation) – March 25, 2020

The 2020 iPad Pro utilized the A12Z processor to provide much faster speeds than the iPad Pro (3rd Generation). RAM was increased on these models, moving up from 4GB to 6GB. One of the major iPad accessories that Apple released for this device was the Magic Keyboard, which provided a trackpad and mouse function for iPad. This launched with the new iPadOS, a modified version of iOS specifically tailored for iPad.

iPad (8th Generation) – September 18, 2020

iPad (8th Generation) offered the same 10.2 inch display found on the 7th generation models, but now packed a major performance upgrade. The A10 Fusion was replaced with the A12, providing speeds up to 40% faster than its predocessor. Compared to the other iPad models on the market, many felt the large bezels gave an older feel, but this entry model proved to be successful for Apple.

iPad Air (4th Generation) – October 23, 2020

iPad Air 4 made massive changes to the iPad Air line. First and foremost, the display was completely reworked, eliminating the home button and stretching the screen to 10.9 inches. Touch ID remained as the key access feature, but it was moved to the rest button since the home button was removed entirely. Additionally, major upgrades were made to the camera, with a new 12 megapixel rear camera implemented instead of the iPad Air 3's 8MP camera.

iPad Pro (5th Generation) – May 21, 2021

iPad Pro (5th Generation) was a massive leap forward for the flagship iPad model, with the M1 SOC implemented inside the device. Previously used for MacBook, this processor is capable of dozens of tasks that prior iPads could not come close to. Alongside this update, Apple also changed the display to mini LED Liquid Retina XDR. This provided a much more vivid image, which is noticeable in movies, videos, and images.

iPad (9th Generation) – September 24, 2021

iPad (9th Generation) was the final destination for many prominent features. This was the last iPad to feature a headphone jack, home button, and Lightning connector. Utilizing the A13 Bionic, the new iPad offered a significant increase in performance on the latest games, applications, and more when compared to the 8th Generation iPad. This model also featured a new 12 megapixel front-facing camera, which utilized the new Centre Stage feature to automatically keep subjects in frame during video call.

iPad Mini (6th Generation) – September 24, 2021

The 6th Generation of iPad Mini brought the biggest design change yet. The display was reformed to match the newer iPad Pro and iPad Air models, which remove the home button to offer one seamless screen. Notable improvemnts include the screen size, which moved up to 8.3 inches, and the addition of USB-C port isntead of the lightning connector.

iPad Air (5th Generation) – March 18, 2022

iPad Air (5th Generation) launched with an unbelievable upgrade to its internals: the blazing-fast M1 was packed in, which provided speeds up to 60% faster than the 4th generation iPad Air. This model overall did not pack many new features in outside of an updated USB-C port for faster transfer speeds and a 12MP front-facing camera.

iPad (10th Generation) – October 26, 2022

iPad (10th Generation) brought the entry level model in line with the new, slim iPad design that first appeared on iPad Pro. The home button was entirely removed, allowing Apple to stretch the screen to 10.9 inches. Some of the major features included a Liquid Retina Display, the A14 Bionic, landscape speakers with multiple microphones, and 5G capabilities. Additionally, support for 4K video recording was implemented. Though ultimately, the improvements over the 9th-gen iPad were fairly limited.