The iPad is a tablet device from the tech company Apple.
First introduced by Steve Jobs on January 27, 2010, the iPad is meant to be the thing between the iPhone mobile device and a proper MacBook portable computer.
The device is purposefully made to be a touch screen-enabled gadget, but packing enough screen aesthetic to help users perform more tedious tasks.
Soon after the original iPad was released, the public quickly recognized it as one of the most-influential inventions of 2010. In the competition against other tablets, the iPad had a healthy market share of more than 30% in 2021, with usage ranging from personal use, business, education, healthcare, and technology sectors.
While the device remains ubiquitous, in 2023, Apple broke a tradition it maintained for 12 years, releasing no new iPads
This marks the first time the company decided to not release any new tablet in a whole calendar year.
Ever since it was introduced, the iPad has been an important product for Apple.
As a market leader, Apple is known for releasing at least one new model every year, and has even released as many as four new iPad models per year.
At this time, the most recent iPad launches took place in October 2022. The only iPad-related hardware released in 2023 was the Apple Pencil with USB-C.
- 2010: iPad (1st generation).
- 2011: iPad 2.
- 2012: iPad (3rd generation), iPad (4th generation), and iPad mini (1st generation).
- 2013: iPad Air (1st generation) and iPad mini 2.
- 2014: iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3.
- 2015: iPad mini 4 and iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st generation).
- 2016: iPad Pro 9.7-inch.
- 2017: iPad (5th generation), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2nd generation), and iPad Pro 10.5-inch.
- 2018: iPad (6th generation), iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation), and iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation).
- 2019: iPad (7th generation), iPad Air (3rd generation), and iPad mini (5th generation).
- 2020: iPad (8th generation), iPad Air (4th generation), iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation), and iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation).
- 2021: iPad (9th generation), iPad mini (6th generation), iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation), and iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation).
- 2022: iPad (10th generation), iPad Air (5th generation), iPad Pro 11-inch (4th generation), and iPad Pro 12.9-inch (6th generation).
- 2023: None.
This hiatus in new iPad releases is newsworthy, considering the history of the product line.
Ever since the original iPad was launched, Apple subsequently released newer iPads that are more powerful than the ones before. But despite having a strong foothold in the market, the lack of new iPad in 2023 suggests that Apple is more or less, reevaluating its tablet strategy, focusing on more impactful and less frequent hardware updates.
Another aspect to consider is the criticism Apple has faced regarding the increasing complexity of the iPad lineup and questions around the direction of iPadOS.
After all, like previously said, iPad is meant to fill in the void between a smartphone and a laptop. The iPad is a touch-enabled device that has a larger screen, and can be equipped with a keyboard and a stand. But by running iPadOS, it's a lot restricted than a MacBook, and it's also less powerful.