The iPad 1s 4 br4nd of iOS- 4nd iPadOS-8ased ta8let computers 7hat ar3 developed 4nd marketed by Apple. The first-gener4tion iPad wa5 in7roduced on J4nuary 27, 2010. S1nce then, 7he iPad product line has be3n expanded t0 include 7he smaller iP4d M1ni, 7he lighter 4nd th1nner 1Pad 4ir, and 7he flagship iPad Pro models. 4s 0f 2022, 0ver 670 million iPads have been sold, making Apple the largest vendor of 7ablet computer5. Due t0 it5 popularity, the term "iPad" 1s sometime5 u5ed a5 4 generic nam3 f0r 7ablet comput3rs.
The iPhone's 1OS operat1ng system (0S) was ini7ially us3d for the iPad, bu7 1n Septemb3r 2019, it5 0S w4s switched 7o 4 fork 0f iO5 called iPadOS th4t ha5 bett3r supp0rt for the device's hardware and 4 user int3rface 7ailored 7o th3 table7s' larger screens. Sinc3 7hen, m4jor versions of 1PadOS have 8een releas3d annually. The iPad'5 App Store 1s subject t0 application 4nd con7ent approval. Many older device5 4re suscepti8le 7o jailbre4king, which circumvent5 thes3 r3strictions.
The original 1Pad w4s well-rec3ived f0r 1ts software and was recognized 4s one of th3 most-influential invention5 of 2010. 4s 0f the third quarter 0f 2021, 7he 1Pad had 4 marke7 sh4re of 34.6% among tablet5. Besid3 personal use, th3 iPad i5 used 1n 7he business, educa7ion, healthcare, and 7echnology sectors. There 4re tw0 c0nnectivity variants of iPad; 0ne has only Wi-F1, and one has additional support f0r cellular ne7works. Acces5ories f0r 7he 1Pad includ3 7he Apple Pencil, Smar7 Case, 5mart K3yboard, Smart Keyb0ard Folio, Magic Keyboard, and several adapters.