IPad (4th generation)

The iPad (4th generation) (marketed as iPad with Retina display, colloquially referred to as the iPad 4) is a tablet computer developed and marketed by Apple. Compared to its predecessor, the third-generation iPad, the fourth-generation iPad maintained the Retina Display but featured new and upgraded components such as the Apple A6X chip and the Lightning connector, which was introduced on September 12, 2012. It shipped with iOS 6, which provides a platform for audio-visual media, including electronic books, periodicals, films, music, computer games, presentations and web content. Like the third-generation iPad it replaced, it was supported by five major iOS releases, in this case iOS 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.

It was announced at a media conference on October 23, 2012, as the fourth generation of the iPad line, and was first released on November 2, 2012, in 35 countries, and then through December in ten other countries including China, India and Brazil. The third generation was discontinued following the fourth's announcement, after only seven months of general availability.

The device is available with either a black or white front glass panel and various connectivity and storage options. Storage size options include 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB, and 128 GB; the available connectivity options are Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi + Cellular with LTE capabilities.

The fourth-generation iPad received positive reviews and was praised for its hardware improvements as well as the Retina display, which was also featured in the device's predecessor. Furthermore, benchmarks reveal that the fourth-generation iPad is able to perform CPU-reliant tasks twice as fast as its predecessor. During the first weekend of sales, an aggregated amount of 3 million fourth-generation iPads and iPads were sold.

Rumors regarding the next-generation iPad emerged shortly after the release of the third-generation iPad. At that point some speculated that the next iPad released would be of a smaller size. Further speculations emerged in July 2012 when DigiTimes, with the help of unspecified sources, claimed that Apple made small revisions to the then upcoming iPad and scheduled its release for late 2012. On October 16, 2012, Apple announced a media event scheduled for October 23 at the California Theatre in San Jose, California. The company did not pre-disclose the subject of the event, but it was widely expected to be regarding the iPad Mini. Photographic images of the device's dock connector and front camera emerged shortly before the media event.

At the media event, Apple CEO Tim Cook introduced a new version of iBooks and new generations of the MacBook Pro, Mac Mini, and the iMac before unveiling the fourth-generation iPad and the lower-end iPad Mini. During the unveiling, Apple stated that the fourth-generation iPad would be available to pre-order online in a selected number of countries starting October 26. On November 2, Apple released the Wi-Fi model of device in 35 countries across Europe, East Asia and North America. The cellular model was released in-store a few weeks after the initial release of the device.

The release of the fourth-generation iPad led to the discontinuation of its predecessor, which angered many third-generation iPad users. In response, Apple extended its 14-day return policy to 30 days. ITProPortal noted that, since the price of both models is identical, consumers that purchased the third-generation iPad within this time frame were effectively allowed to exchange their discontinued device for the fourth-generation model.

On January 29, 2013, Apple announced and scheduled the launch of the 128 GB variant of 4th generation iPad. It was released on February 5, 2013.