These days, it seems like there's a new iPad brought out every minute
and to be fair, that's not far from the truth!
But just how has the iPad continued to improve
and how different is the latest model from the original?
This is part 2 of the Evolution of iPad!
In the first part we saw how Apple made three versions of the iPad:
the standard iPad with the first four generations,
the iPad mini with three generations
and the iPad air.
All these iPads turned out to be a massive success.
"We've sold around 225 million iPads around the world"
But Apple wasn't done there,
in October 2014
the second generation iPad Air was released.
It was the slimmest tablet available at the time,
with a thickness of just 6.1 millimeters,
making it even thinner than a pencil.
It also has Touch ID
and the Retina Screen was improved with a fully laminated screen
that contains anti-reflective coating, which reduces glare.
Compared to the first iPad Air,
it had double the RAM,
a faster processor
and an improved rear camera,
while the prices for the different storage options remained the same.
The iPad Mini 4, released in 2015
also benefitted from a fully laminated display with a reflective coating.
Not only was the device slimmer and lighter than the Mini 3,
it also had double the RAM,
was faster due to the upgraded A8 processor
and the rear camera was improved from 5 to 8 megapixels.
Little did people know at the time that the fourth generation Mini
would be the last in the Mini lineup for a while...
which in Apple terms is only 4 years, but still!
"iPad has always been uniquely immersive,
to amplify this to put it on a much larger scale, we designed iPad Pro."
The iPad Pro was one of the most exciting iPads ever released.
It had a 12.9 inch display,
making it significantly larger than the other iPad models,
and as the name suggests
it was an advanced device!
With a display totaling 5.6 million pixels
and a variable refresh rate to help save power,
the tablet also had a four-speaker audio setup compared to the dual setup on the iPad Air 2.
A new 64-bit A9X chip meant that the Pro was almost twice as fast when it came to processing too.
The iPad Pro had very impressive specifications,
including 4 gigabytes of RAM.
There were three storage options of the Pro model available,
for 799$, 949$ and 1,099 dollars.
Apple also introduced the Apple Pencil,
which is a precision stylus for drawing and sketching.
"Highly responsive sensors built into the tip of Apple pencil,
work with the iPad Pro display to detect position,
force
and tilt"
The Apple Pencil was sold separately for 99 dollars.
The iPad Pro had launched another iPad line-up,
now people could choose between the standard iPad,
the smaller iPad Mini,
the lighter iPad Air
and the more powerful iPad Pro.
In the following year there came a 9.7 inch version of the iPad Pro,
which many people wrongly guessed would be called the iPad Air 3.
Besides the previous colors, there was now also a rose gold color available.
The 9.7" display added greater color saturation
and ushered in the era of True Tone technology.
"It's also the first iPad with the true tone display
which responds and adapts to the light around you.
Four channel ambient light sensors
measure the intensity
and color temperature of your environment
and then adjust the display to match.
So what you see on the screen, is more natural looking
and easier on your eyes."
Compared to the 12.9 inch iPad Pro,
the resolution was lowered since it had a smaller screen and it did have less RAM,
but both cameras were upgraded to 12 megapixels for the iSight camera
and 5 megapixels for the Facetime camera.
The starting price was lowered to 599 dollars,
compared to 799 dollars for the 12.9 inch version.
Returning to the original lineup, the fifth-generation iPad was released in 2017.
Compared to the iPad 4 it was much faster since it had an Apple A9 chip,
instead of the A6X chip seen in the iPad 4.
It also had double the RAM and an improved rear-facing camera.
However it did not feature many of the recent iPad upgrades,
such as a laminated display or true tone technology,
but as a result Apple dropped the price
and offered it for 329 dollars for a 32 gig model or 429 dollars for 128 gigabytes of storage.
In June 2017, Apple launched the second generation of iPad Pros,
unveiling a 10.5 and 12.9 inch model simultaneously.
The 10.5 inch model offered a 20% larger display
and 40% reduction in bezels over the earlier 9.7" version.
The front and back cameras were significantly improved to a 12 megapixel 4K camera
and a 7 megapixel front camera.
The main upgrade to both devices was the A10X Fusion processor and the M10 motion co-processor.
These were said to make the Pro's performance up to 30% faster
while graphics were apparently as much as 40% faster.
Both the 10.5 and 12.9 inch model had similar specifications.
In 2018, Apple added the sixth-generation iPad to the standard lineup,
which allowed to use the Apple Pencil on a standard iPad model for the first time.
The iPad was marketed towards schools and students.
The sixth generation iPad's main selling point
was the improved A10 chip and the price,
which remained much lower,
and therefore more affordable to students, compared to the Pro designs.
At this point Apple was pushing far ahead in the Tablet market.
"We've now sold well over 400 million iPads,
making it the most popular tablet by far.
No one else is even close
but what you might not know,
is we sold more iPads in the last year,
than the entire notebook lineup
of all of the biggest notebook manufacturers."
Also in 2018 came the third generation of iPad Pros,
this time with an 11" model alongside the 12.9" model.
Both received a new design, rounding the edges of the device
and they were the thinnest iPads ever with a thickness of just 5.9 millimeters.
These were also the first iPads ever to lack a physical button on the front.
And they did not have a headphone jack.
The third-generation iPads abandoned Touch ID in favor of Face ID,
which lets users login by facial recognition.
It also swapped out the Lightning connector for USB Type-C.
And finally they changed the awkward charging of the Apple Pencil,
now you could just snap it to the magnetic bezels and it would charge.
That's not all, it also improved the resolution with Liquid retina display.
"It is packed with our most advanced technologies
like wide color, true tone, pro motion and of course
support for Apple Pencil.
And this all comes together to deliver the most accurate responsive and beautiful display,
we have ever made."
Overall the third-generation iPads had very impressive specifications,
including a faster CPU,
and a 1 Terabyte storage option.
The 11 inch model started at 799 dollars
and the 12.9 inch model at 999 dollars.
The fifth and current generation of iPad Mini was born in March 2019.
Priced at $399 for a 64GB version and $549 for a 256GB model,
it offers a surprising amount of bang for its buck.
The front camera received a major upgrade,
increasing from 1.2 megapixels with 720p video recording on the Mini 4,
to 7 megapixel with 1080p video recording on the fifth-generation iPad mini.
Other specifications included a 7.9 inch Retina Display with True Tone Technology,
a faster A12 chip
and 3 gigabytes of RAM.
If we compare the first iPad mini from 2012, to the most recent fifth generation iPad mini
they might look similar,
but the specification were improved a lot!
Also released in 2019 was the third generation iPad Air.
It was slightly larger than the second generation iPad Air,
with a 10.5 inch display.
Other upgrades were the memory,
a faster A12 chip,
and a 7 megapixel front camera.
"We're replacing the sixth generation iPad with this;
the new seventh generation iPad."
The third Apple tablet to come out in 2019 was the seventh generation iPad.
It was the first iPad to be made from 100% recycled aluminum,
and it also had a slightly larger screen than the iPad 6.
"This iPad has a new larger 10.2" retina display."
The seventh generation iPad was seen as an affordable and familiar tablet option for many,
with a starting price of just 329 dollars.
And now we come to the most recent and advanced iPads.
In March 2020,
the most recent iPad Pro models hit shelves
with an 11 and 12.9 inch version to choose from.
One of the main new features are the two rear camera's;
one is a 12 megapixel regular camera
and the other is a new 10 megapixel ultrawide camera.
also have the latest A12Z Bionic chip,
which enables 4K video editing and rendering.
Apple also created a new accessory for the Pro models; the Magic Keyboard.
Allowing the iPad Pro to "Float" above the keys.
The fourth generation iPad Pro models had many improvements,
including the RAM,
that is increased from 4 to 6 gigabytes.
Both models had the same starting price as the previous Pro models.
If we compare the first iPad Pro from 2015, with the 12.9 inch fourth generation iPad Pro
we can see that the design has changed,
with the latest Pro model having no more home button,
while adding an extra rear camera.
But of course the most significant changes were made internally.
The current standard iPad model entered into its eighth generation in September 2020.
"The new iPad eighth generation
it's more capable than ever
and it starts with the A12 Bionic.
This chip is a powerhouse.
It features a powerful CPU,
and super fast GPU.
Compared to the already fast chip in last year's iPad,
it has a 40% faster CPU
and delivers a massive two times jump in graphics."
Besides the faster chip, the 2020 iPad was almost similar to its predecessor,
including the price.
Throughout the years Apple has become incredibly successful with the iPad.
"This year marks the ten years,
since we shipped our very first iPad.
and in that time it has become one of the most successful consumer electronics products ever.
We've now sold over 500 million iPads to customers around the world."
If we compare the first generation iPad with the latest eighth generation model,
we can see that every specification has been significantly improved.
The most recent Apple Tablet,
when making this video,
is the fourth generation iPad Air that was released in October 2020.
It weighs just 460 grams and has a thickness of 6.1 millimeters.
The fourth generation iPad Air comes in various colors not seen before on iPads.
"And this new design features
a stunning Liquid Retina display
in the same footprint as the previous Air,
the new iPad Air features a larger 10.9" liquid retina display,
with a resolution of 2360x1640.
That's over 3.8 million pixels for extra crisp text and photos.
And it has advanced display technologies like full lamination,
wide color,
true tone
and an anti-reflective coating
that combined deliver an amazing visual experience."
The home button is removed and the Touch ID has been relocated to the Wake button on the top.
Other upgrades include an Apple A14 chip,
which increases the speed,
an increase in the RAM and the rear camera has been upgraded to 12 megapixels.
It's entry price of $599 dollar for a 64 gigabyte model
sits between the most recent standard iPad and the iPad Pro,
offering consumers a very decent middle-ground.
Compared to the first iPad Air released in 2013,
the fourth generation iPad Air has only become slightly thinner and lighter.
However, it's specifications have improved a lot too.
It's very impressive how the iPads have evolved throughout the years,
and I'm very curious to see what the future will hold.
What is your favorite iPad and why?
Let us know in the comments.
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