Honestly, trying to keep track of every single iPad Apple has ever shoved into the market is a bit like trying to count raindrops in a thunderstorm. You think you've got it, then a "Pro" or an "Air" or a "Mini" variant drops and suddenly your mental spreadsheet is a mess.
We are currently sitting in 2026, and the list of all ipads has grown into a massive family tree with some very weird branches. You've got the ultra-powerful M5 chips that basically laugh at laptop processors, and then you've still got people rocking 10-year-old Air 2s that refuse to die.
It's been a wild ride since Steve Jobs sat in that leather armchair in 2010. Remember when we all thought it was just a "giant iPhone" that couldn't even make calls? Well, thirty-something models later, it's clear Apple was onto something.
The Modern Lineup: What’s on Shelves Right Now
If you walked into an Apple Store today, the "current" list is much tighter than the historical graveyard.
The big dog right now is the iPad Pro M5 (8th Generation), which landed in late 2025. It’s thin. Like, "I’m afraid I’ll snap it in my backpack" thin. It’s got that tandem OLED screen that makes everything else look like a muddy newspaper.
Then you have the iPad Air (7th Generation). This one is basically the "Goldilocks" tablet. It’s got the M3 chip (released early 2025) and comes in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes. It's the one most of my friends actually buy because who really needs a LiDAR scanner for checking emails?
Small hands rejoice for the iPad mini (7th Generation). It finally got the A17 Pro chip in late 2024, fixing that annoying "jelly scrolling" issue that plagued the older version. And for the budget-conscious, the iPad (11th Generation) with the A16 chip is the current entry-level champ, though rumors about a 2026 "iPad 12" with an A19 chip are everywhere.
Every iPad Ever Made: The Chronological Chaos
Looking back, the evolution is pretty staggering. Here is the raw breakdown of the list of all ipads by their release years.
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The Early Years (2010–2012)
- iPad (1st Gen) - 2010: The original. No cameras. No multitasking. Just a heavy, beautiful slab of glass.
- iPad 2 - 2011: Thinner, lighter, and added those VGA cameras. It stayed relevant for an impressively long time.
- iPad (3rd Gen) - 2012: The first Retina display. It was also kind of a disaster because it got hot enough to fry an egg and was replaced by the 4th gen just six months later.
- iPad (4th Gen) - 2012: Introduced the Lightning connector.
- iPad mini (1st Gen) - 2012: The 7.9-inch experiment that everyone loved.
The Air and Pro Revolution (2013–2015)
In 2013, Apple realized the main iPad was getting too chunky. They launched the iPad Air, which was a massive design shift.
Then came 2015, a pivotal year for the list of all ipads. Apple introduced the iPad Pro (12.9-inch). It had four speakers and supported the first Apple Pencil. I remember the memes about how long that Pencil was—you had to plug it into the bottom of the iPad to charge it, making the whole thing look like a high-tech popsicle.
The M-Series Era (2021–Present)
Everything changed when Apple stopped using iPhone chips for the high-end tablets. The 2021 iPad Pro got the M1 chip from the MacBook. Suddenly, these things weren't just for Netflix; they were for editing 4K video and 3D modeling.
The progression has been steady:
- M1 iPad Pro (2021)
- M2 iPad Pro (2022)
- M4 iPad Pro (2024) (Wait, where did M3 go for the Pro? Apple skipped it for the tablet, jumping straight to the M4's AI-focused power.)
- M5 iPad Pro (2025) - The current flagship.
The Strange Case of the "Regular" iPad
There’s a weird gap in the list of all ipads. Between 2012 and 2017, Apple basically ignored the standard, numbered iPad. They were all-in on the "Air" branding.
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They brought it back in 2017 with the iPad (5th Gen), which was basically a parts-bin special—cheap, thick, but perfect for schools. Since then, we've had a new one almost every year. The iPad (10th Gen) in 2022 finally killed the Home button and moved the selfie camera to the landscape edge, which—honestly—is where it should have been for the last decade.
Which iPad Generation Are You Actually Holding?
People ask me this all the time. "Is my iPad too old?"
If your iPad has a Lightning port and a physical Home button that clicks, you're likely on a 9th Gen (2021) or older. If it has a Lightning port but no Home button, you’re probably looking at an older iPad Air or Pro.
USB-C is the modern standard. If your device has USB-C, you’re in the "modern era." This includes:
- iPad Pro (2018 and newer)
- iPad Air (4th Gen and newer)
- iPad mini (6th Gen and newer)
- iPad (10th Gen and newer)
Actionable Tips for Your Next iPad
If you're looking at this list of all ipads because you're ready to buy, don't just go for the newest one.
Avoid the 9th Gen. Even if it's cheap, that 10.2-inch screen and Lightning port are relics. It’s the last of the "old" iPads.
The M2 Air is the secret value king. Even though the M3 Air is out, the M2 version from 2024 is still a monster. It handles iPadOS 26 with ease and will likely get updates for another 4–5 years.
Check for Apple Intelligence compatibility. This is the big filter in 2026. If the iPad doesn't have an M-series chip or at least an A17 Pro/A18/A19, you’re going to miss out on the latest AI features that Apple is baking into every corner of the software.
Keep an eye on the serial number in your settings. You can plug that into Apple’s coverage site to see exactly which generation you have. It’s much easier than trying to guess based on the color or the number of speakers.
The tablet market is mature now. We aren't seeing the massive leaps we saw in the early 2010s, but the sheer variety means there is a specific "best" choice for whether you're a student, an artist, or just someone who wants to read the news on a screen that doesn't hurt your eyes.