iOS is a mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc. and was first released as iPhone OS in June 2007, coinciding with the launch of the first generation iPhone. iPhone OS was renamed iOS following the release of the iPad, starting with iOS 4. With iOS 13, Apple began offering a separate operating system, iPadOS, for the iPad. iOS is also the foundation of the newer audioOS and tvOS, and shares some of its code with macOS. New iOS versions are released yearly, alongside new iPhone models. From the launch of the iPhone in 2007 until the launch of iPhone 4 in 2010, this occurred in June or July; since then, new major versions are usually released in September, with the exception of iOS 5, which released in October 2011. Since the launch of the iPhone in June 2007, there have been 18 major releases of iOS, with the current major version being iOS 18, released on September 16, 2024.
The iPad is a brand of iOS- and iPadOS-based tablet computers that are developed and marketed by Apple. The first-generation iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010. Since then, the iPad product line has been expanded to include the smaller iPad Mini, the lighter and thinner iPad Air, and the flagship iPad Pro models. As of 2022, over 670 million iPads have been sold, making Apple the largest vendor of tablet computers. Due to its popularity, the term "iPad" is sometimes used as a generic name for tablet computers.
Lightning is a proprietary computer bus and power connector, created and designed by Apple Inc. It was introduced on September 12, 2012, in conjunction with the iPhone 5, to replace its predecessor, the 30-pin dock connector. The Lightning connector is used to connect Apple mobile devices like iPhones, iPads, and iPods to host computers, external monitors, cameras, USB battery chargers, and other peripherals. Using 8 pins instead of 30, Lightning is much smaller than its predecessor. The Lightning connector is reversible. The plug is indented on each side to match up with corresponding points inside the receptacle to retain the connection.
The iPad Mini is a line of small tablet computers developed and marketed by Apple Inc. It is a sub-series of the iPad line of tablets, with screen sizes of 7.9 inches and 8.3 inches. The first-generation iPad Mini was announced on October 23, 2012, and was released on November 2, 2012, in nearly all of Apple's markets. It featured similar internal specifications to the iPad 2, including its display resolution.
The iPad Air 2 is the second-generation iPad Air tablet computer developed and marketed by Apple Inc. It was announced on October 16, 2014, alongside the iPad Mini 3, both of which were released on October 22, 2014. The iPad Air 2 is thinner, lighter and faster than its predecessor, the first-generation iPad Air, and features Touch ID with the height, width and screen size the same as the iPad Air.
The Apple SIM is a proprietary subscriber identity module (SIM) produced by Apple Inc. It is included in GPS + Cellular versions of the iPad Air 2 and later, iPad mini 3 and later, and iPad Pro.
The iPad Pro is a series of tablet computers, positioned as a premium model line of Apple's iPad brand. It runs iPadOS, a tablet-optimized fork of the iOS operating system.
Apple Pencil is a line of wireless stylus pen accessories designed and developed by Apple Inc. for use with supported iPad tablets.
The iPad Mini 4 is the fourth-generation iPad Mini tablet computer developed and marketed by Apple Inc. It was announced along with the iPad Pro on September 9, 2015, and released the same day. The iPad Mini 4, which replaced the iPad Mini 3, was discontinued on March 18, 2019, when it was replaced by the fifth-generation iPad Mini. It features most of the hardware similar to the iPad Air 2 including its laminated display and design.
The iPad Air is a tablet computer developed and marketed by Apple Inc. It was announced and released on March 18, 2019, alongside the 5th-generation iPad Mini.
iPadOS 13 is the first major release of the iPadOS mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc. for their iPad line of tablet computers. The successor to iOS 12 on those devices, it was announced at the company's 2019 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 3, 2019, as a derivation from iOS, with a greater emphasis on multitasking and tablet-centric features. It was released on September 24, 2019. It was succeeded by iPadOS 14, released on September 16, 2020.
The fourth-generation iPad Pro is a line of tablet computers developed and marketed by Apple Inc. Two models, with an 11 inch or 12.9 inch screen, were both announced on March 18, 2020, and released on March 25, 2020.
iPadOS 14 is the second major release of the iPadOS operating system developed by Apple for their iPad line of tablet computers. It was announced on June 22, 2020 at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) as the successor to iPadOS 13, making it the second version of the iPadOS fork from iOS. It was released to the public on September 16, 2020. It was succeeded by iPadOS 15 on September 20, 2021.
Translate is a translation app developed by Apple for their iOS and iPadOS devices. Introduced on June 22, 2020, it functions as a service for translating text sentences or speech between several languages and was officially released on September 16, 2020, along with iOS 14. All translations are processed through the neural engine of the device, and as such can be used offline.
iPadOS 15 is the third major release of the iPadOS operating system developed by Apple for its iPad line of tablet computers. The successor to iPadOS 14, it was announced at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 7, 2021 along with iOS 15, macOS Monterey, watchOS 8, and tvOS 15. It was released to the public on September 20, 2021. It was succeeded by iPadOS 16, which was released on October 24, 2022.
The fifth-generation iPad Pro, colloquially known as the M1iPad Pro, is a line of iPad tablet computers developed and marketed by Apple Inc. It was announced on April 20, 2021, and was available in 11-inch (28 cm) and 12.9-inch (33 cm) screen size options, which are the same as its predecessor, the iPad Pro. Preorders began on April 30, 2021, and the product was released worldwide on May 21, 2021. It comes in two colors: Silver and Space Gray.
The sixth-generation iPad Mini is a tablet computer in the iPad Mini line, developed and marketed by Apple Inc. It was announced on September 14, 2021, and released on September 24, 2021, alongside the ninth-generation iPad, iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro. Its predecessor, the fifth-generation iPad Mini, was discontinued on the same day. It is available in four colors: Space Gray, Starlight, Pink, and Purple.
iPadOS 16 is the fourth major release of the iPadOS operating system developed by Apple for its iPad line of tablet computers. The successor to iPadOS 15, it was announced at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 6, 2022, along with iOS 16, macOS Ventura, watchOS 9, and tvOS 16. It received numerous new features, improving multitasking and many other aspects of the operating system, most notably on iPads with Apple's M1 SoC and later.
The sixth-generation iPad Pro is a line of iPad tablet computers developed and marketed by Apple Inc. It was announced on October 18, 2022, and was released on October 26, 2022. It is available with the same screen size options as its predecessor: 11-inch and 12.9-inch.
iPadOS 18 is the sixth and current major release of Apple's iPadOS operating system for the iPad. It was revealed at the 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). It is the direct successor to iPadOS 17 and was announced alongside iOS 18, macOS Sequoia, visionOS 2, watchOS 11, and tvOS 18.
