The evolution of the iPad touches the beginning of the 21st century. In the middle of the 2000s, Steve Jobs introduced a novelty - the first tablet in his company, which was based on the iOS operating system. The idea was to make the buttons virtual, placed on the sensor itself. The glass multi-touch made a splash - a small square machine allowed printing, viewing images, videos.
The prototype with the inertial scrolling function spurred the creator to implement the phone dialing function, but the idea was shelved until better times. They returned to it only after the release of the iPhone. And the project of an ingenious device was implemented a few years later. Now we can observe the evolution of the iPad from the first to the latest generation.
Apple's nanotechnology pioneer
It was only in 2010 that a tablet from the apple leader was introduced to the world. The first-generation iPads were different from tablets in the electronics market. They were compared to the iPod Touch, which was based on the work of steroids. Same design, same features, but completely new goals and possibilities. It was possible to taste the zest only after the start of use:
- This type of technology stood between the rows of smartphones and computers.
- "Pill" had a diagonal of 9.7 inches.
- Resolution reached 1024 x 768 pixels.
- Performance was carried out due to the A4 processor with a frequency of 1000 MHz.
- RAM is only 256 MB.
- Modules were to choose from - either Wi-Fi, or Wi-Fi- and 3G-module.
But the built-in memory even then could be calculated in the range from 16 to 64 GB. Bill Gates commented on the release of the technique:
This is a good book reader without a stylus and keyboard, and you can hardly use it fully.
However, the hit of sales was the first iPad. They bought it no worse than the iPhone.
Follower of the first tablet - on a "diet" but with tasty features
After the sensational opinions about the pioneer, the second generation tablet went on sale. The new iPad was comparatively lighter and cooler:
- In 2011, a touchscreen computer was introduced to the world at a presentation 4.6 mm thinner than its predecessor.
- At 79 g, he became lighter, apparently, put on a "diet", as users said.
- Internet connection modules were based directly on 117
- The processor with two cores is A5, and the frequency remained unchanged.
An innovation was the cameras - two at once, front and back. RAM increased to 512 MB. The model loved by the world was produced until 2014, and the system supported updates to iOS 8.
Out of serial number: the third tablet from the apple company
While the iPhones were released each under their own serial number, the third-generation iPad tablets lost such values. Instead of the usual numbers, additional words have already begun to appear in the names. So, the third issue was simply called "the new iPad":
- Improved vehicle generation had a unique Retina screen.
- The pixel density reached 264 compared to the "oldies". Their indicator was limited to 132.
- Color saturation increased to 44%.
RAM reached 1 GB, which allowed the user to use the equipment not only for its intended purpose - reading, watching videos and photos. The new 5-megapixel camera produced photos with a maximum resolution of Full HD. The A5X processor made the device so fast that the first tablet was called "backward" in terms of performance. The networks supported LTE. Despite the fact that its thickness has increased, it still remains in demand among devices from the iPad line.
Powerful analogue of the third tablet model: better, faster, smarter
Six months later, the developers introduced a new model. This is the fourth generation iPad, which has been dubbed the richest epithets. In 2012, the demand for purchase rose to 87%, which indicated the success of Apple. Brief characteristics:
- A6X dual-core processor.
- The frequency reached 1.4 GHz.
- The front camera has gotresolution of 1.2 megapixels.
- Network support range increased to 4G.
- A new Lightning connector has appeared - now on all devices instead of the 30-pin standard.
Before the new year, the company sold out all tablet models, and in early January 2013, the fourth tablet model with built-in memory up to 128 GB appeared on sale.
A smaller version of the fourth tablet: 2012 makes changes
Together with the release of the fourth model, Apple reviewed a smaller version of the iPad. More compact, convenient and miniature powerful computer, which was rumored in the previous year. Apple iPad mini - this is how they called the "little brother" of the fourth tablet:
- Diagonal was only 7.9 inches.
- The side frame spacing narrowed down to one-handed grip.
- The display remained "old", without Retina technology.
- Resolution like the first tablet.
The model was identical in characteristics to the penultimate model, the second one, only the size was slightly reduced. Demand for it was miserable, causing sales to drop to 78%.
Rehabilitation of Apple iPad mini - "air" reduced four with new features
The prefix Air was chosen for a reason. The manufacturer emphasized the lightness of the new tablet, emphasizing the features and performance that did not suffer, despite the similarity to the miniature version of the four:
- Flagship iPad in 2013 becamethinner by 2mm.
- The iPad Air measures 16.2mm, 20% smaller than before.
- The side frames are even smaller.
- Weight decreased by 29%.
The design remains the same, except for subtlety and miniature. The weight made it possible to carry the device with you all the time. The battery lasted up to 3 days without recharging, which was especially pleasing to buyers. The processor remained 2-core, but was already based on a 64-bit architecture.
Second Generation Generation Mini
Together with the Air-tablet, the second version of the Mini model was released the same year. It was supposed to be more user-friendly compared to the first miniature device. Significant changes have been made:
- The design remains the same, but the features have been completely improved.
- Diagonal reduced to 7.9 inches.
- The hardware is identical except for the processor - performance is slower by 100 MHz.
Why it was necessary to reduce the already unimpressive functions of the "little brother" is unclear. However, the purchase was quite abrupt - more than 90% of sales were sold in the first quarter of the year. As it turned out later, the price dropped significantly, which allowed some segments of the population to please themselves with an apple suite.
The top tablets in the iPad evolution
Steve Jobs' dream has become the fashion flagship of our time. He wanted to create a user-friendly prototype of a telephone so that a person could work on it like on a computer. The idea of a tablet was born before the first iPhone, but Jobsdecided to postpone the creative samples for later.
If we consider the evolution of the iPad over the years, then the third model was the last in the life of the creator. He released Retina technology, introduced new features and improved the performance of the models to the maximum. Jobs believed that the only thing more important than design and weight could be convenience in speed and mobility. He died a few months before the presentation of the "troika" (or iPad mini). The official press release was not rescheduled:
- The interests of the company were represented by other founders of the Jobs idea.
- Tim Cook presented a revelation to the public - the Retina display. Brilliant achievement of the founder.
- Gadgets were equipped with new processors, powerful and fast.
Negative aftertaste remained with buyers after the death of Steve Jobs. What was his dream turned into? Many thought that once the genius had gone out of business, there was nothing more to be expected from progress. Indeed, then the iPhone 5, 6 began to "fail", users noted a significant discord between the devices. Bugs were detected at the testing stage, when download speed tests were inferior to the first device. The company suffered millions of losses without Jobs and his genius.
Debuted trio in mini configuration and improved deuce "light"
The evolution of iPad models continued until the release of the third mini-iPad. Compared with its predecessor, technically the model did not differ in anything. The camera has changed - 8 megapixels versus 7, a Touch ID sensor has been added in a gold frame. To excite the public, was releasedanother new model - the second Air. It's the thinnest tablet that can't even be compared to an ultrabook:
- The processor has been upgraded to A8X - more powerful than the A8 in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
- Performance increased by 45% on par with the original Air.
- Graphics were processed 2.5 times faster than previous models.
The design remained unchanged. It was possible to distinguish the two models only by the speaker grille and the missing sound lever. There was also no fingerprint scanner, which surprised users somewhat. The filling has changed a little, although much attention was now paid to the functionality:
- Using the scanning sensor in the Home button, you could enter the passcode for various applications.
- Unlocking was carried out in two touches.
- Purchasing an application in the App Store could be done without entering a password - put a finger and scan a fingerprint.
- Pin-code became necessary only to lock the device after turning it on and off.
The camera has also been updated in terms of functionality. You can shoot in different types of shooting - slow and fast. The matrix resolution has increased to 8 megapixels, and the screen has become innovative - with an anti-reflective coating. The reflection level has been reduced to 57%. Work with Wi-Fi and LTE networks has also accelerated. The color scheme of the "big brother" remained within three colors - silver, gold and gray.
If you compare the first and last tablet, the difference is noticeable. Costssort out the details.
Year of issue |
Model |
Packages |
Processor |
iOS version |
| January 2010 | iPad original, the very first in the history of Apple | Color variation - black frame, silver case. Built-in memory size from 16 to 64 GB. | Apple A4 1.0 GHZ | iOS 3 - iOS 5 |
Small in size and function, it exceeded all expectations. The media in 2010 said that this was a waste of time and effort, and journalists from the NY Times recognized the gadget as the most fashionable and necessary in the history of technology. More to come.
Year of issue |
Model |
Packages |
Processor |
iOS version |
| March 2011 | iPad 2 in two variations: with support for Wi-Fi and 3G networks | Models were produced in two colors - black and white. |
Apple A5 1.0GHz |
iOS 4 - iOS 9 |
In the same year, another serial model was released, which got into the line of the best tablets.
Year of issue |
Model |
Packages |
Processor |
iOS version |
| March 2012 | iPad2, 4, which came in black and white. | The built-in memory remained the same |
Apple A5 1.0 GHz (32 nm) |
iOS 5 - iOS 9 |
Then, in 2012 and throughout 2013, the iPad 3, iPad 4 and iPad mini were released. They differed in the operating system, which has already started from the 6th version. The processor has been improved, and the color gamut has expanded to the appearance of the iPad2, 6 A1454 (4G) in a gray "robe".
The processor was equipped with three cores. This was a feature of the followers of gadgets with lower performance. Memory has increased to 128 GB with the ability to send files to storage.
Pro generation line - a new round of innovation and progress
The evolution of the iPad does not end, and in 2015 the Pro version of the tablet was introduced to the world. For the first time, the diagonal has reached an impressive size - up to 12.9 inches with a screen resolution of 2732 x 2048, which provides a pixel density of up to 264 dots per 1 inch. There are already four grilles on the case - two on top and two on the bottom of the device. On the left is a built-in Smart Connector for connecting an external keyboard. The processor remains the same - two cores with the A9X model, and the frequency reaches 2.2 GHz. Implemented smartphone motion tracking system thanks to Apple M9. Other features:
- RAM 4 GB.
- Storage expanded to 32 and 128 GB.
- Color scheme in silver, gray and gold.
The case has also been updated - thinner, compatibility with old accessories has been lost. Neworientation has allowed for a number of innovations. These gadgets were followed by the iPad Pro 9.7 and iPad 5g models. The "big" release was replaced by the same graphics quality and performance. The form factor distinguishes the new tablet in terms of dimensions:
- The 9.7 inch interpretation was referred to as a professional device.
- The first True Tone adjusted the color temperature of the image on the fly.
- The consumer iPad 5g a year later did not cause the same flurry of emotions, although it was no worse than its predecessor.
The cheaper version was created for ordinary users who didn't need pro-formats, versions of "maximum" ideas and chips sharpened for work. The case was thicker, there was no mute switch, an accelerated A9 processor and an improved camera. Everything for amateur shooting in detail to enjoy the product and its quality. The color scheme has become even more diverse - gold, rose gold, space gray, silver.
Later, the company decided to touch the "large" Pro version of the tablet and make some changes. A new gadget with a diagonal of 10.5 inches and an updated classic Pro 2 with a diagonal of 12.9 inches appeared before users in 2017:
- Pro 2nd version gets True Tone technology with A10X Fusion processor.
- Increased display frequency to 120 Hz.
The rest of the model is copied from 2015. But more genuine interest was caused by Pro with a diagonal of 10.5 inches, while maintaining the dimensions of the previous model. This means that the fillingslightly "bulged out", although the body did not give out any changes. The heart of the tablet is a chip with ProMotion technology. It allowed to change the display frequency in a wide range, displaying at least 120 frames per second.
Later at the beginning of 2018, the iPad line was replenished with a newcomer - a minor update with the same design and characteristics from 5g - "Aipad 6g". It had a new SoC A10 processor, a graphics subsystem, accelerated chip operation and one and a half times performance. The OS reached version 11, which made it possible to use any cross systems and applications from various base devices.
Later came third-generation models with the same diagonal, as well as 11 inches. Prior to testing, this seemed to be the only difference between the two gadgets. Some considered it analogues of top models, others found significant differences. However, in 2018 the company released three tablet models. Each is not very different from each other. Only the functionality is preserved, but the filling becomes more powerful. The design has also changed - the case is thinner, narrower. Along with the screen, the side faces are practically invisible. This completes the evolution of the iPad, but 2019 is just around the corner, and Apple is preparing a number of new products:
- Two models of the Mini series from the range of budget tablets will be updated.
- One model will be released in a narrower frame, like 9.7 inches diagonal, only it will be 10.0 inches.
How convenient will work withgadget at this size is unknown. Users are also discussing the change from Chinese to Japanese assembly. Apple plans to boost profits with a "quality" parts supplier. The Chinese market, in turn, does not lose customers and will supply tablet models to third world countries. Of course, these are just rumors, but how will the design and quality affect the functionality now if there is a complete replacement of all accessories and equipment systems?
