Happy Birthday, iPad: Apple's Tablet Turns 16

[MacRumors]

Today marks the 16th anniversary of when Apple released the first-generation iPad. After Steve Jobs announced the iPad on January 27, 2010, it launched a few months later on April 3, 2010.

Apple's original iPad looked like a larger version of the iPhone, featuring thick bezels, a 9.7-inch multitouch display with a 1,024 x 768 resolution, a Home Button, and a 30-pin dock connector. The iPad was the first device that Apple released with a custom-designed chip, the Apple A4.

The concept of a tablet device like the iPad actually predated the iPhone, and Apple had a prototype project in the works in 2004. Then-Apple CEO Steve Jobs wanted to prioritize the iPhone, so the iPad was put on hold until after the iPhone was established.

Apple priced the iPad at $499, and Jobs called it a "magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price." Like the iPhone, the iPad dominated the tablet space, and it still continues to do so today. Apple sold a million iPads in the first month, and while competitors like Microsoft and Samsung quickly came out with competing tablets of their own, the iPad has no match.

Apple has led the global tablet market for over a decade and no competitor comes close to matching its tablet market share. As of the fourth quarter of 2025, Apple's market share was 44.9 percent, with Samsung the next closest at 14.7 percent.

Apple has expanded its iPad lineup over the years, and we now have multiple sizes at multiple price points. The 11-inch iPad is available for those who want a low-cost option, while the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air are mid-range products with a Mac chip. The 8.3-inch iPad mini is available for those who want a smaller-sized tablet, and for those who want top-of-the-line performance with Apple's latest Mac chip, the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro models are available.

Article Link: Happy Birthday, iPad: Apple's Tablet Turns 16

 

[vegetassj4]

awwwww, it can now drive on it's own. Soon it will be going to the prom.

 

[julesme]

I love my iPad, but it’s mind boggling to me that 16 years in, the iPad still won’t run the full version of office apps like Word and Excel.

Maybe in another 16 years…

 

[AusMness]

The iPad can now legally drive

 

[F23]

Tim you let the A18 Pro chip run macOS, but the M5 chip iPad can't? Don't tease us Timmy boy.

 

[rizzo41999]

I still have mine! Original box and everything. Thing still works haha.

 

[mcilwraith]

love my iPad 10. its basically a massive iPhone for £300! bargain!

 

[Michael Scrip]

Remember the comments back then:

"It's just a big iPod Touch..."

🤣

 

[jsavvy]

I love my iPads. It has replaced my computer for most tasks - programming, basic video editing, graphic design, writing, teaching; I love the Apple Pencil (just not the price) for art and simple note taking.

I do wish the iPad had a real terminal.

I’m looking forward to some progress now that the iPad is near graduation age!

 

[tyranne201]

"Nobody wants a small tablet"

Tim Cook: "Introducing iPad mini"

 

[sjsharksfan12]

I remember when it was known as an e-reader device. It's grown a lot since then.

 

[tyranne201]

I love my iPads. It has replaced my computer for most tasks - programming, basic video editing, graphic design, writing, teaching; I love the Apple Pencil (just not the price) for art and simple note taking.

I do wish the iPad had a real terminal.

I’m looking forward to some progress now that the iPad is near graduation age!

programming? how, Xcode is not available yet.

 

[Spec360]

awwwww, it can now drive on it's own. Soon it will be going to the prom.

Can get a summer job now with out over heating lol

 

[Bones402]

Still have my OG iPad in a drawer. Wife threatens to throw it out often, I threaten to leave.

 

[jayducharme]

Remember the comments back then:

"It's just a big iPod Touch..."

🤣

TBH, it still is. As others have pointed out, it has the power of top-of-the-line Macs yet can't do nearly as much. I guess that makes sense since by design it was aimed at content consumption, not content production. New models are able to use somewhat limited creative tools, but file management is still a pain point.

 

[I7guy]

Tim you let the A18 Pro chip run macOS, but the M5 chip iPad can't? Don't tease us Timmy boy.

The m5 chip can. iPadOS can’t.

 

[Mrkevinfinnerty]

16 years of big phone

 

[jouster]

I still have mine! Original box and everything. Thing still works haha.

I do too, but I'd say "works" is pushing it. Some stuff still runs. Many apps are broken and either refuse to open or crash soon afterward.

But it's great for things like music playback. It has this strange...kind of hole thing...that I can plug my amp/speakers into. When I do this, the music seems to magically pass into my amp then out the speakers. I have no idea what kind of spells and incantations it took to make this work. But it's very reliable, so I hope they put it in newer models.

 

[pugxiwawa]

Stagnant product with same thing year after year after year, just like the Apple Watch.

 

[Abydos]

I still have mine! Original box and everything. Thing still works haha.

I'm in the same position, amazing beast

 

[B4U]

Surprisingly, my iPad 3 (the last 30 pin connector one) is still going strong!
The battery life is still awesome!
These are products that are still robust.

 

[drunkaviator]

My iPad is literally the most fun and versatile computing device I own, read and browse, take a note with the Apple Pencil, then snap it onto the magic keyboard to respond to a message or email. It also runs my smart telescope, and M5 is powerful enough to do basic astrophotography processing when I travel. There's also sidecar. It might not run MacOS, but it's come along way in 16 years.

 

[drunkaviator]

Surprisingly, my iPad 3 (the last 30 pin connector one) is still going strong!
The battery life is still awesome!
These are products that are still robust.

That's actually impressive. I had the third generation iPad, and its underpowered GPU struggled from day one with that first Retina display! But it was worth it.

 

[hieranonymous]

Awww. Remember after the iPad came out how all of Jobs’s emails would be “Sent from my iPad”? 🥹

 

[Hrududu]

I've played iPads, deployed them, had them available to use daily, but just don't. It has never been an attractive product to me, and that is simply because I'd rather have a clamshell or phone. They're better than ever, but I still haven't found a place where it is a better option than MacBook or iPhone aside from maybe the battery life.