Apple offers the iPad, iPad Air, iPad Mini, and three different sizes of iPad Pro—and there are different generations of each out there. Here’s how to tell which iPad you have your hands on.
This information is important if you want to know whether your iPad will get new versions of Apple’s iOS operating system, for example. You’ll also want to know it when selling your iPad.
How to Find the Model Number
To check your iPad’s model number, head to Settings > General > About. Look for the Model entry on this page. You’ll see a model number beginning with a M.
Tap the Model entry and it will turn into a model number beginning with an A. This is the model number you’ll use to figure out which iPad you own.
This same model number is printed on the back of your iPad. Flip your iPad over and read the small text printed under the word “iPad” on the back. You’ll see something like “Model A1822” near the iPad’s serial number.
RELATED: What’s the Difference Between the iPad, iPad Pro, and iPad Mini?
Convert the Model Number to a Name
This model number tells you exactly which iPad you have in your hands. Unfortunately, Apple doesn’t actually provide a nice human-readable name anywhere on the iPad itself.
Here’s a helpful table to figure out which iPad you have. Either skim through the list or use your web browser’s search feature (Ctrl+F if you’re using a PC, or Command+F if you’re using a Mac) to search for the model number that appears on your iPad.
Each release of the iPad has at least two model numbers. The base model only includes Wi-Fi connectivity, while there’s also a more expensive model with cellular connectivity. For some iPads, there are several different cellular models with different cellular radios. The model number tells you exactly which version you have.
Some of these iPads are known by other names. For example, the iPad (3rd generation) and iPad (4th generation) are also known as the iPad 3 and iPad 4. The original iPad is sometimes known as the iPad 1.
For more details about exactly what hardware each iPad model contains, check Apple’s iPad model documentation.
How Much Storage Do You Have?
Like iPhones, Apple sells different iPads with different amounts of physical storage. The model number won’t tell you how much storage you have in your iPad, but you can view your iPad’s total storage capacity on the same page in the Settings screen.
Head to Settings > General > About to find this information. Look for the number to the right of “Capacity.”
Image Credit: Denys Prykhodov/Shutterstock.com.
