Tablet Devices

This is the last full-size entry iPad to ship with a Lightning port rather than USB-C, and it pairs that with a 3.5mm headphone jack — a combination no current iPad offers. Lightning handles charging and data but caps out well below USB-C speeds and needs a Camera Connection Kit adapter for accessories. It was…

Apple’s first base-model iPad with USB-C ditches Lightning but runs at USB 2.0 speeds — just 480Mbps for data transfer. That’s 20x slower than the iPad Air’s USB-C port, so large file transfers and external SSD use will feel sluggish. DisplayPort video output still works via USB-C adapters for mirroring to TVs and monitors. The…

Apple’s 2025 entry-level iPad pairs the A16 chip with a USB-C port still capped at USB 2.0 — 480 Mb/s — but it does support DisplayPort Alt Mode for one external display up to 4K@60Hz via a USB-C to HDMI or USB-C-to-DisplayPort adapter. The same port handles 20W USB-C PD charging. A side 3-pin Smart…

Apple’s 2020 10.2-inch iPad was the first entry iPad with the A12 Bionic — its eight-core Neural Engine made on-device ML viable on the cheap iPad — but its port layout was unchanged from the 7th-gen: Lightning, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a side 3-pin Smart Connector for the Smart Keyboard. Lightning carries USB 2.0…

Apple’s 2021 10.2-inch iPad is the last Apple tablet to ship with a Lightning port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a home button — making it the answer to most ‘what cable does my old iPad use?’ searches. The Lightning port handles charging (a 20W USB-C-to-Lightning cable is bundled) and data over USB 2.0. A…

Apple’s 2024 11-inch iPad Air runs the M2 chip and uses a single USB-C port operating at USB 3 speed — up to 10 Gb/s, the same as the M1 Air it replaces — with DisplayPort Alt Mode for one external display up to 6K@60Hz. The same port handles 20W USB-C PD charging. A 3-pin…

The 11-inch iPad Air pairs Apple’s M3 chip with a USB-C port running at 10Gbps — a significant upgrade over the USB 2.0 speeds of some entry-level iPads. DisplayPort alt mode lets you drive an external monitor at up to 6K@60Hz with the right adapter, making it a capable portable workstation. The 8-core GPU handles…

Apple’s 2024 13-inch iPad Air is the first ever 13″ Air — same M2 chip, same single USB-C port at USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gb/s) with DisplayPort Alt Mode, the same 6K@60Hz external display ceiling, and the same 20W USB-C PD charging as the 11″ model. A 3-pin Smart Connector on the back contacts…

The larger iPad Air brings a 13-inch Liquid Retina display and M3 chip with USB-C connectivity at 10Gbps — fast enough for external SSDs and 4K displays but without Thunderbolt. DisplayPort alt mode over USB-C supports mirroring or extended display up to 6K@60Hz with compatible adapters. The M3’s 8-core GPU and hardware ray tracing handle…

Apple’s 2020 10.9-inch iPad Air was the first Air to drop Lightning for USB-C and the first iPad after the Pro to put a Smart Connector on the back for the Magic Keyboard. Its USB-C port is USB 3.1 Gen 1 — up to 5 Gb/s — half the M1 Air’s speed but still with…

Apple’s 2022 10.9-inch iPad Air was the first Air with the M1 chip and doubled the previous Air’s USB-C data speed to 10 Gb/s (USB 3.1 Gen 2) — that runs DisplayPort Alt Mode for one external display up to 6K@60Hz and handles 20W USB-C PD charging. The 3-pin Smart Connector on the back (introduced…

Apple’s 2021 8.3-inch iPad mini was the first mini to drop Lightning for USB-C and the first with an all-screen redesign — but it is the only modern iPad in the lineup with no Smart Connector, so it has no first-party Magic Keyboard option. The USB-C port runs USB 3.1 Gen 1 at up to…

The smallest iPad gets a serious connectivity upgrade with USB-C running at 10Gbps — 20 times faster than the base iPad’s USB 2.0 port. DisplayPort alt mode drives external displays at up to 4K@60Hz, turning this 8.3-inch tablet into a portable presentation tool. The A17 Pro chip brings the same silicon found in the iPhone…

Apple’s 2018 11-inch iPad Pro was the first iPad to drop Lightning for USB-C — a USB 3.1 Gen 2 port at 10 Gb/s for charging, data and DisplayPort Alt Mode video out to one external display up to 5K. The 3-pin Smart Connector debuted on the back of this generation, attaching a Smart Keyboard…

Apple’s 2020 11-inch iPad Pro carries the A12Z chip and adds the dual-camera plus LiDAR scanner array, but its USB-C port is still USB 3.1 Gen 2 at 10 Gb/s — Thunderbolt did not arrive on iPad Pro until the 2021 M1 refresh. DisplayPort Alt Mode over USB-C drives one external display up to 4K…

Apple’s 2021 11-inch iPad Pro was the first iPad to receive Thunderbolt — the single USB-C port runs Thunderbolt 3 / USB 4 at up to 40 Gb/s, four times the 10 Gb/s of the previous A12Z. That capacity drives one external display up to 6K@60Hz over a USB-C-to-DisplayPort or Thunderbolt cable, plus Thunderbolt SSDs…

Apple’s 2022 11-inch iPad Pro built around the M2 chip uses a single Thunderbolt 3 / USB 4 port over the USB-C connector — the same up-to-40 Gb/s pipe as a MacBook Pro, allowing external displays up to 6K@60Hz and Thunderbolt SSDs. The 3-pin Smart Connector on the back contacts a Magic Keyboard or Smart…

The compact 11-inch Pro packs the same Thunderbolt 3/USB 4 port as its larger sibling, delivering 40Gbps data speeds and support for external displays up to 6K@60Hz. The M4 chip brings desktop-class performance to a tablet that weighs under a pound, with a 10-core GPU handling everything from ProRes video editing to 3D rendering. A…

Apple’s compact pro tablet runs the M5 chip and connects through a single USB-C port that carries full Thunderbolt / USB 4 at up to 40 Gbps. That one port drives an external display at up to 6K@60Hz, moves data to fast SSDs, and handles charging, so a single quality Thunderbolt cable covers video, storage,…

Apple’s 2018 12.9-inch iPad Pro was the larger of the two iPads that introduced USB-C to the iPad line — a USB 3.1 Gen 2 port at 10 Gb/s for charging, data and DisplayPort Alt Mode out to one external display up to 5K. The newly relocated 3-pin Smart Connector on the back attaches a…