# Canonical recap data for Apple iPad Launch & Tablet Era Begins (2010)
# Source: https://recap.at/2010/ipad-launch
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: ipad-launch
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/2010/ipad-launch"
title: Apple iPad Launch & Tablet Era Begins
aliases:
- iPad (1st generation)
- original iPad
- iPad OS launch
- Apple tablet debut
subtitle: The iPad's debut created an entirely new device category and redefined consumer computing expectations between phones and laptops.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 2010-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 2010
decade: 2010
country:
name: United States
slug: united-states
summaryShort: The iPad is a brand of tablet computers developed and marketed by Apple that run the company's mobile operating systems iOS and iPadOS. 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, an
summaryLong: The iPad is a brand of tablet computers developed and marketed by Apple that run the company's mobile operating systems iOS and iPadOS. 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.
lede: On January 27, 2010, Apple released the iPad, a tablet computer that fell between smartphones and laptops in size and capability. The device ran a mobile operating system and touched off a new product category that would reshape computing habits, media consumption, and mobile device markets for the next decade and beyond.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/IPad_mini_Air_Pro.png/1280px-IPad_mini_Air_Pro.png"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "IPad"
importance: 76
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Launch date
  value: January 27, 2010
- label: Initial price
  value: $499 (16GB WiFi model)
- label: Screen size
  value: 9.7 inches
- label: Operating system
  value: iOS 3.2
- label: First-year sales units
  value: 3 million by end of 2010
- label: Launch countries
  value: United States (April 3), followed by 26 additional countries by late May 2010
- label: Processor
  value: Apple A4 chip (custom-designed)
- label: Battery life claimed
  value: Up to 10 hours
timeline:
- date: 2010-01-27
  title: iPad announced
  description: Steve Jobs introduces the iPad at an Apple event, describing it as a device positioned between the iPhone and MacBook. The presentation emphasizes the device's ability to handle web browsing, email, photos, videos, music, and games with a touch interface.
- date: 2010-04-03
  title: iPad launches in United States
  description: The iPad becomes available for purchase in the U.S. market. 16GB WiFi models start at $499, with 32GB and 64GB variants available. The device sells approximately 300,000 units on its first day.
- date: 2010-05-28
  title: iPad international expansion begins
  description: Apple launches the iPad in 26 additional countries across Europe, Asia, and Australia, including the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Japan, and Australia.
- date: 2010-06-01
  title: iPad 3G model released
  description: Apple introduces cellular connectivity to the iPad product line, allowing users to access mobile data networks without WiFi. The 3G model carries a $130 premium over the WiFi-only version.
- date: 2010-11-14
  title: iPad hits 3 million sold
  description: Apple announces that cumulative iPad sales have reached 3 million units in less than nine months, establishing the tablet as a genuine consumer product category rather than a niche device.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPad"
  title: Apple iPad
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
impactStatement: The iPad created an entirely new device category that competitors scrambled to replicate. It proved that tablets could be genuinely useful rather than gimmicky, driving adoption of touch-screen interfaces across the industry and establishing Apple's hardware design language as a template for consumer electronics.
categories:
- tech-launch
taxonomy:
domain: technological
eventTypes:
- tech_launch
canonicalClasses:
- creation
- transformation
impactRadius: global
velocity: cascading
predictability: scheduled
intentionality: planned
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: birth
metaDescription: Apple's iPad launch on January 27, 2010 created the tablet market and reshaped how people compute.
wikidataQid: Q2796
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20100612000432/http://en.wikipedia.org:80/wiki/IPad"
  capturedAt: 2010-06-12
  label: Apple iPad
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPad"
comparisonThenNow:
- metric: iPad market share of tablet market
  thenValue: ~95%
  thenYear: 2010
  nowValue: ~27%
  nowYear: 2024
  note: iPad faced virtually no competition in 2010; Android tablets and Samsung Galaxy have since fragmented the market
- metric: Starting price (USD)
  thenValue: $499
  thenYear: 2010
  nowValue: $329
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Base iPad model; adjusting for inflation, 2010 price would be ~$700 in 2024 dollars
- metric: Annual iPad unit sales (peak year)
  thenValue: 15 million
  thenYear: 2011
  nowValue: ~38 million
  nowYear: 2023
  note: Peak 2011 figure vs. recent annual sales; absolute numbers higher now despite lower market dominance
- metric: iPad screen size options
  thenValue: 1 (9.7-inch)
  thenYear: 2010
  nowValue: 4+ (7.9 to 13-inch)
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Product line now includes iPad Mini, Air, Pro, and standard iPad with various sizes
consequences:
- title: Tablet category creation and market explosion
  year: 2010
  description: Apple's January 27 launch created an entirely new consumer electronics category. By 2013, global tablet shipments exceeded 207 million units annually, with manufacturers like Samsung, Microsoft, and Amazon rushing to compete.
- title: Decline of netbooks and portable computing shift
  year: 2011
  description: Netbook sales collapsed as consumers opted for tablets. The ultrabook category emerged as PC manufacturers' response to iPad's portable computing appeal, fundamentally changing laptop design priorities.
- title: App Store ecosystem dominance
  year: 2012
  description: iPad's success solidified Apple's App Store model as the dominant software distribution method for mobile devices. Third-party developers prioritized iOS apps, generating billions in revenue and establishing Apple's 30% commission structure as industry standard.
- title: Publishing industry transformation
  year: 2011
  description: Magazine and newspaper publishers launched iPad-exclusive apps and digital subscriptions. Condé Nast, Time Inc., and News Corp invested heavily in digital publishing platforms, though most struggled with the $9.99 subscription price point Jobs championed.
- title: Enterprise adoption and workplace transformation
  year: 2013
  description: iPads entered corporate environments at scale with iOS security improvements and enterprise management tools. By 2014, companies like IBM signed deals to develop iPad business applications, reshaping workplace computing.
- title: Educational technology market creation
  year: 2014
  description: K-12 and higher education institutions adopted iPads en masse for classroom use. By 2015, Apple had sold millions of iPads to schools, establishing tablet-based learning as standard, though later studies questioned pedagogical benefits.
culturalContext:
topMusic:
- title: Tik Tok
  artist: Ke$ha
  year: 2009
  note: Dominated 2010 streaming and radio; became unavoidable pop culture touchstone
- title: Poker Face
  artist: Lady Gaga
  year: 2008
  note: Still inescapable on charts and in culture during 2010; helped drive music industry to digital streaming
- title: Empire State of Mind
  artist: Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys
  year: 2009
  note: Defined late 2009-2010 zeitgeist; benefited from early digital distribution models
topFilms:
- title: Avatar
  year: 2009
  note: Dominated 2010 discourse; James Cameron's 3D innovation paralleled Apple's tablet ambitions
- title: Inception
  year: 2010
  note: Released July 2010; Christopher Nolan's complex narrative became cultural touchstone during iPad launch window
- title: The Social Network
  year: 2010
  note: Released October 2010; encapsulated tech-industry ambition and disruption narrative contemporary with iPad's market entry
topTVShows:
- title: True Blood
  year: 2008
  note: HBO's flagship series during 2010; represented premium cable drama dominance before streaming disrupted model
zeitgeistNote: 2010 occupied the liminal space between desktop-centric web and mobile-first computing. Steve Jobs' iPad positioned Apple as harbinger of post-PC era while cultural products still assumed desktop consumption. Twitter was ascendant but pre-algorithm, Instagram wouldn't launch until October 2010. The zeitgeist celebrated disruption and innovation; the iPad embodied both while creating unforeseen consequences for industries from publishing to education.
relatedQueries:
- first iPad specs 2010 storage processor
- iPad vs Android tablets history competition
- how iPad changed tablet market
- Steve Jobs iPad presentation 2010
- iPad sales figures 2010-2024
- App Store impact iPad ecosystem
- educational technology iPad adoption
- magazine publishers iPad subscriptions
- iPad competitors 2010 Galaxy Xoom
- post-PC era iPad Steve Jobs
gallery:
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/IPad_mini_Air_Pro.png/1280px-IPad_mini_Air_Pro.png"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/IPad_mini_Air_Pro.png/800px-IPad_mini_Air_Pro.png"
  caption: IPad
  credit: Wikipedia · "IPad"
  width: 330
  height: 248
peoplesVoice:
- source: Steve Jobs, Apple CEO
  voiceType: official
  context: Jobs unveiled the iPad at the Yerba Buena Center during Apple's keynote presentation on January 27, 2010.
  excerpt: Today, we're introducing iPad. It's something that's between a smartphone and a laptop, and it's better at doing some things than either of them can do.
  sentimentLabel: celebratory
  significance: 92
  attribution: Apple Keynote Address, January 27, 2010
  publishedAt: 2010-01-27
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Walt Mossberg, The Wall Street Journal technology columnist
  voiceType: media
  context: Mossberg published his first-hand review days after the iPad's public launch in April 2010, offering the tech press's initial verdict.
  excerpt: The iPad is the most elegantly designed piece of consumer electronics I've ever seen. It's a beautiful machine.
  sentimentLabel: supportive
  significance: 78
  attribution: The Wall Street Journal, April 2010
  publishedAt: 2010-04-05
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Eric Schmidt, Google CEO
  voiceType: industry
  context: Schmidt was questioned about Google's response to the iPad during a 2010 earnings call, reflecting competitive skepticism in Silicon Valley.
  excerpt: The iPad is basically a big iPod Touch. We think tablets are a niche market.
  sentimentLabel: dismissive
  significance: 72
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Google earnings call and media coverage, 2010
  publishedAt: 2010-02-15
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Daniel Lyons, Newsweek technology critic
  voiceType: skeptic
  context: Lyons voiced widespread doubts about whether the iPad solved any real consumer problem in his early coverage.
  excerpt: Who needs an iPad? It's a big iPhone. It does everything a laptop does, except it costs the same and does less.
  sentimentLabel: mocking
  significance: 65
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Newsweek commentary, early 2010
  publishedAt: 2010-01-30
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Tim Cook, Apple COO
  voiceType: analyst
  context: Cook highlighted market opportunity in Apple's fiscal Q2 2010 earnings call, signaling confidence in the tablet category's potential.
  excerpt: We believe iPad will define a new category of products that is between the smartphone and the notebook, which we call the post-PC era.
  sentimentLabel: predictive
  significance: 81
  attribution: Apple Earnings Call, April 2010
  publishedAt: 2010-04-20
  originalLanguage: en
translations:
es:
lede: El 27 de enero de 2010, Apple lanzó el iPad, una computadora tablet que se ubicó entre smartphones y laptops en tamaño y capacidad. El dispositivo ejecutaba un sistema operativo móvil e inauguró una nueva categoría de productos que remodelaría los hábitos de computación, el consumo de medios y los mercados de dispositivos móviles durante la próxima década y más allá.
summaryShort: El iPad es una marca de computadoras tablet desarrolladas y comercializadas por Apple que ejecutan los sistemas operativos móviles iOS e iPadOS de la compañía. El iPad de primera generación fue presentado el 27 de enero de 2010. Desde entonces, la línea de productos iPad se ha expandido para incluir el iPad Mini más pequeño, el iPad Air más ligero y delgado, y
summaryLong: El iPad es una marca de computadoras tablet desarrolladas y comercializadas por Apple que ejecutan los sistemas operativos móviles iOS e iPadOS de la compañía. El iPad de primera generación fue presentado el 27 de enero de 2010. Desde entonces, la línea de productos iPad se ha expandido para incluir el iPad Mini más pequeño, el iPad Air más ligero y delgado, y los modelos insignia iPad Pro. A partir de 2022, se han vendido más de 670 millones de iPads, convirtiendo a Apple en el mayor proveedor de computadoras tablet. Debido a su popularidad, el término "iPad" a veces se utiliza como nombre genérico para computadoras tablet.
generatedAt: "2026-06-08T10:15:06.962Z"
fr:
lede: Le 27 janvier 2010, Apple a lancé l'iPad, un ordinateur tablette qui se situait entre les smartphones et les ordinateurs portables en termes de taille et de capacités. L'appareil fonctionnait avec un système d'exploitation mobile et a inauguré une nouvelle catégorie de produits qui allait transformer les habitudes informatiques, la consommation de médias et les marchés des appareils mobiles au cours de la décennie suivante et au-delà.
summaryShort: L'iPad est une marque d'ordinateurs tablettes développée et commercialisée par Apple qui fonctionnent avec les systèmes d'exploitation mobiles iOS et iPadOS de l'entreprise. L'iPad de première génération a été présenté le 27 janvier 2010. Depuis, la gamme de produits iPad s'est étendue pour inclure le plus petit iPad Mini, l'iPad Air plus léger et plus fin, et
summaryLong: L'iPad est une marque d'ordinateurs tablettes développée et commercialisée par Apple qui fonctionnent avec les systèmes d'exploitation mobiles iOS et iPadOS de l'entreprise. L'iPad de première génération a été présenté le 27 janvier 2010. Depuis, la gamme de produits iPad s'est étendue pour inclure le plus petit iPad Mini, l'iPad Air plus léger et plus fin, et les modèles phares iPad Pro. En 2022, plus de 670 millions d'iPad ont été vendus, faisant d'Apple le plus grand fournisseur d'ordinateurs tablettes. En raison de sa popularité, le terme « iPad » est parfois utilisé comme nom générique pour les ordinateurs tablettes.
generatedAt: "2026-06-08T10:15:09.745Z"
