Today Marks the 11th Anniversary of Steve Jobs Unveiling the iPad

Today marks the 11th anniversary of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs unveiling the original iPad at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.

steve jobs ipad 2010
"iPad is our most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price," said Jobs, in a press release on January 27, 2010. "iPad creates and defines an entirely new category of devices that will connect users with their apps and content in a much more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before."

The original iPad featured a 9.7-inch display, a single-core Apple A4 chip, up to 64GB of storage, 256MB of RAM, up to 10 hours of battery life, a 30-pin dock connector, and a headphone jack. Notably, the original iPad did not have any cameras. Pricing started at $499 for the Wi-Fi model and $629 for the cellular model in the United States.

We've recapped some of the bigger milestones in iPad history below:

  • March 2011: iPad 2 unveiled with thinner and lighter design, dual-core A5 chip, front and rear cameras, and new white color option
  • March 2012: Third-generation iPad introduced with a Retina display, 4G LTE support, and 1080p video recording
  • October 2012: Fourth-generation iPad switched to a Lightning connector
  • October 2012: iPad mini introduced with a smaller 7.9-inch display
  • October 2013: iPad Air unveiled with a 64-bit A7 chip, thinner and lighter design, and slimmer bezels
  • October 2014: iPad Air 2 ushered in Touch ID and a fully-laminated Retina display
  • September 2015: iPad Pro introduced with a large 12.9-inch Retina display, Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard support, A9X chip, and four speakers
  • March 2017: Fifth-generation iPad introduced as an entry-level device with a $329 starting price and the same 9.7-inch display size as the original iPad
  • June 2017: Second-generation iPad Pro gained a ProMotion refresh rate up to 120Hz
  • October 2018: Third-generation iPad Pro marked a major redesign with slimmer bezels, Face ID, and a USB-C connector
  • September 2019: Seventh-generation iPad went from a 9.7-inch to 10.2-inch display and gained full-sized Smart Keyboard support
  • March 2020: Fourth-generation iPad Pro gained a LiDAR Scanner for AR
  • September 2020: Fourth-generation iPad Air redesigned to look like iPad Pro

Looking ahead, rumors suggest that Apple plans to release a new iPad Pro with a Mini-LED display, support for faster 5G networks, and a faster A14X chip in the first half of 2021. A larger 8.4-inch iPad mini and a new 10.2-inch iPad with slimmer bezels like the third-generation iPad Air are also rumored to launch this year.

Popular Stories

hikawa phone grip stand apple%402x

Apple Launches Second Limited-Edition iPhone Accessory in a Month

Friday November 21, 2025 3:53 am PST by
Apple has begun selling the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand, a new limited-edition iPhone accessory designed with accessibility in mind. Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe. Apple says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
Apple Shopping Event 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Black Friday Event, Here's What You Can Get

Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others. During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: iPhone 18 Pro Looks Like a Huge Upgrade

Friday November 21, 2025 9:10 am PST by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through all of the new features and improvements expected to come to next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Apple's next-generation iPhones are less than ten months away and we already have a good idea about what to expect based on corroborated leaks, rumors,...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

iOS 27 Will Reportedly Have Two Key Upgrades

Sunday November 23, 2025 8:48 am PST by
iOS 27 will reportedly have two major elements: quality improvements and new AI features. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that Apple is focused on improving "quality and underlying performance" over adding new features. Gurman said there is one exception to this rule, though, as he expects...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Two Breakthrough Features

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:26 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include two standout features that could set it apart from the competition. The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
ipad black friday 2025

The Best Early Black Friday iPad Deals

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:20 am PST by
Black Friday is just over a week away, and iPad deals have finally started to flood in at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. Below we're tracking discounts on every current generation iPad, including lowest-ever prices on M3 iPad Air and M5 iPad Pro, plus steep markdowns on iPad and iPad mini. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a ...
General Black Friday Deals 25 Red

Apple Black Friday Deals Available Now on AirPods, iPads, Accessories, and More

Friday November 21, 2025 8:48 am PST by
We're officially less than one week away from Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these...
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Report: Low-Cost iPhone, iPad, MacBook Coming Early 2026

Friday November 21, 2025 2:26 am PST by
Apple is planning to release new entry-level models across its iPhone, iPad, and Mac categories early next year, with an all-new affordable MacBook the most notable addition to the lineup. According to a new research report by Jeff Pu of GF Securities seen by MacRumors, Apple will launch the iPhone 17e – its second iteration of the "e" line – in the spring, likely along with a...

Top Rated Comments

The Samurai Avatar
63 months ago
I am most productive with an iPad on the toilet. It's a total game changer.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
smaffei Avatar
63 months ago
I had an iPad app in the store a week after the iPad was released. One of the first VNC apps available. Sold it for a $1 and made a couple of thousand by the time it tapped out. Which satisfied my goal: To make enough money to pay for the iPad I just put on my charge card. :)
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mike_Trivisonno Avatar
63 months ago
I went out and bought one immediately! Thanks Steve! American hero!
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
J.J. Sefton Avatar
63 months ago
I snagged one on launch day. I’ve had different versions of the iPad ever since. Currently rocking the 2018 12.9” iPad Pro. Love it.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
IamTimCook Avatar
63 months ago
And 11 years later hitting "Download and Update" still means download and then finding out later you still need to hit "install" to actually update the iOS. lol :p
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Phil A. Avatar
63 months ago
My dad is still using my old original iPad - I asked him about it at Christmas and he said it still works great. He also finally learned to use FaceTime at Christmas (on an iPhone I gave him, not the iPad which doesn't have a camera) and now uses it all the time :)
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)