Early tablets[edit]

Apple Newton MessagePad, Apple's first produced tablet, released in 1993.

Following earlier tablet computer products such as the Pencept PenPad,[28][29] and the CIC Handwriter,
[30]
in September 1989, GRiD Systems released the first commercially successful tablet computer,
the GRiDPad.[31][32] All three products were based on extended versions of the MS-DOS operating
system. In 1992, IBM announced (in April) and shipped to developers (in October) the 2521
ThinkPad, which ran the GO Corporation's PenPoint OS. Also based on PenPoint was AT&T's EO
Personal Communicator from 1993, which ran on AT&T's own hardware, including their own AT&T
Hobbit CPU. Apple Computer launched the Apple Newton personal digital assistant in 1993. It
utilised Apple's own new Newton OS, initially running on hardware manufactured by Motorola and
incorporating an ARM CPU, that Apple had specifically co-developed with Acorn Computers. The
operating system and platform design were later licensed to Sharp and Digital Ocean, who went on
to manufacture their own variants.
In 1996, Palm, Inc. released the first of the Palm OS based PalmPilot touch and stylus based PDA,
the touch based devices initially incorporating a Motorola Dragonball (68000) CPU. Also in 1996
Fujitsu released the Stylistic 1000 tablet format PC, running Microsoft Windows 95, on a 100 MHz
AMD486 DX4 CPU, with 8 MB RAM offering stylus input, with the option of connecting a
conventional Keyboard and mouse. Intel announced a StrongARM[33] processor-based touchscreen
tablet computer in 1999, under the name WebPAD. It was later re-branded as the "Intel Web Tablet".
[34]
In 2000, Norwegian company Screen Media AS and the German company Dosch & Amand Gmbh
released the " FreePad".[35] It was based on Linux and used the Opera browser. Internet access was
provided by DECT DMAP, only available in Europe and provided up to 10Mbit/s. The device had 16
MB storage, 32 MB of RAM and x86 compatible 166 MHz "Geode"-Microcontroller by National
Semiconductor.[36] The screen was 10.4" or 12.1" and was touch sensitive. It had slots for SIM cards
to enable support of television set-up box. FreePad were sold in Norway and the Middle East; but
the company was dissolved in 2003.
A Fujitsu Siemens Lifebook tablet running Windows XP, released in 2003

In April 2000, Microsoft launched the Pocket PC 2000, utilizing their touch capable Windows CE
3.0 operating system.[37]The devices were manufactured by several manufacturers, based on a mix
of: x86, MIPS, ARM, and SuperH hardware. In 2002, Microsoft attempted to define the Microsoft
Tablet PC[38] as a mobile computer for field work in business,[39] though their devices failed, mainly due
to pricing and usability decisions that limited them to their original purpose - such as the existing
devices being too heavy to be held with one hand for extended periods, and having legacy
applications created for desktop interfaces and not well adapted to the slate format. [40]
Nokia had plans for an Internet tablet since before 2000. An early model was test manufactured in
2001, the Nokia M510, which was running on EPOC and featuring an Opera browser, speakers and
a 10-inch 800×600 screen, but it was not released because of fears that the market was not ready
for it.[41] In 2005, Nokia finally released the first of its Internet Tablet range, the Nokia 770. These
tablets now ran a Debian based Linux OS called Maemo. Nokia used the term internet tablet to refer
to a portable information appliance that focused on Internet use and media consumption, in the
range between a personal digital assistant (PDA) and an Ultra-Mobile PC (UMPC). They made two
mobile phones, the N900 that runs Maemo, and N9 that run Meego. [42] Before the release of iPad,
Axiotron introduced[43] an aftermarket, heavily modified Apple MacBook called Modbook, a Mac OS
X-based tablet computer. The Modbook uses Apple's Inkwell for handwriting and gesture recognition,
and uses digitization hardware from Wacom. To get Mac OS X to talk to the digitizer on the
integrated tablet, the Modbook was supplied with a third-party driver. [44]
Android was the first of the 2000s-era dominating platforms for tablet computers to reach the market.
In 2008, the first plans for Android-based tablets appeared. The first products were released in 2009.
Among them was the Archos 5, a pocket-sized model with a 5-inch touchscreen, that was first
released with a proprietary operating system and later (in 2009) released with Android 1.4. The
Camangi WebStation was released in Q2 2009. The first LTE Android tablet appeared late 2009 and
was made by ICD for Verizon. This unit was called the Ultra, but a version called Vega was released
around the same time. Ultra had a 7-inch display while Vega's was 15 inches. Many more products
followed in 2010. Several manufacturers waited for Android Honeycomb, specifically adapted for use
with tablets, which debuted in February 2011.

Modern tablets[edit]
Apple is often credited for defining a new class of consumer device with the iPad,[45] which shaped
the commercial market for tablets in the following years,[46] and was the most successful tablet at the
time of its release. iPads and competing devices were tested by the US military in 2011 [47] and
cleared for secure use in 2013.[48] Its debut in 2010 pushed tablets into the mainstream. [49]
[50]
Samsung's Galaxy Tab and others followed, continuing the trends towards the features listed
above. In March 2012, PC Magazine reported that 31% of U.S. Internet users owned a tablet, used
mainly for viewing published content such as video and news. [51] The top-selling line of devices was
Apple's iPad with 100 million sold between its release in April 2010 and mid-October 2012, [52] but
iPad market share (number of units) dropped to 36% in 2013 with Android tablets climbing to 62%.
Android tablet sales volume was 121 million devices, plus 52 million, between 2012 and 2013
respectively.[53] Individual brands of Android operating system devices or compatibles follow iPad with
Amazon's Kindle Fire with 7 million, and Barnes & Noble's Nook with 5 million.[54][55][56]
As of February 2014, 83% of mobile app developers were targeting tablets, [57] but 93% of developers
were targeting smartphones. By 2014 around 23% of B2B companies were said to have deployed
tablets for sales-related activities, according to a survey report by Corporate Visions. [58] The iPad
holds majority use in North America, Western Europe, Japan, Australia, and most of the Americas.
Android tablets are more popular in most of Asia (China and Russia an exception), Africa and
Eastern Europe. In 2015 tablet sales did not increase. Apple remained the largest seller but its
market share declined below 25%. [59] Samsung vice president Gary Riding said early in 2016 that
tablets were only doing well among those using them for work. Newer models were more expensive
and designed for a keyboard and stylus, which reflected the changing uses. [60] As of early 2016,
Android reigns over the market with 65%. Apple takes the number 2 spot with 26%, and Windows
take a distant third with the remaining 9%.[61]
In late 2017, the iPad Pro received the iOS 11 update, adding the ability to run multiple windows,
drag and drop from one app to another, and browse a user's files. [62]

Types[edit]

Crossover tablet device types from 2014: Microsoft Surface Pro 3 laplet and Sony Xperia Z Ultra phablet, next
to a generic blue lighter to indicate their sizes.

Comparison of several mini tablet computers: Amazon Kindle Fire (left), iPad Mini (center), and Google Nexus
7 (right)
Samsung's Galaxy Note series were the first commercially successful phablets

Microsoft Surface Pro 3, a prominent 2-in-1 detachable tablet

Lenovo Yoga, a 2-in-1 convertible tablet, with a physical keyboard that can be folded at any angle

Asus Transformer Pad, a 2-in-1 detachable tablet, powered by the Android operating system
Nvidia Shield Tablet, notable gaming tablet

Tablets can be loosely grouped into several categories by physical size, kind of operating system
installed, input and output technology, and uses.[63]

Slate[edit]
The size of a slate varies, but slates begin at 6 inches (approximately 15 cm). [64] Some models in the
larger than 10-inch (25 cm) category include the Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 12.2 at 12.2 inches (31
cm), the Toshiba Excite at 13.3 inches (33 cm)[65] and the Dell XPS 18 at 18.4 inches (47 cm).[66] As of
March 2013, the thinnest tablet on the market was the Sony Xperia Tablet Z at only 0.27 inches (6.9
mm) thick.[67] On September 9, 2015, Apple released the iPad Pro with a 12.9 inches (33 cm) screen
size, larger than the regular iPad.[68]

Mini tablet[edit]
Mini tablets are smaller and weigh less than slates, with typical screen sizes between 7–8 inches
(18–20 cm). The first commercially successful mini tablets were introduced by Amazon.com (Kindle
Fire), Barnes & Noble (Nook Tablet), and Samsung (Galaxy Tab) in 2011; and by Google (Nexus 7)
in 2012. They operate identically to ordinary tablets but have lower specifications compared to them.
On September 14, 2012, Amazon, Inc. released an upgraded version of the Kindle Fire, the Kindle
Fire HD, with higher screen resolution and more features compared to its predecessor, yet remaining
only 7 inches.[69] In October 2012, Apple released the iPad Mini with a 7.9 inch screen size, about 2
inches smaller than the regular iPad, but less powerful than the then current iPad 3.[70] On July 24,
2013, Google released an upgraded version of the Nexus 7, with FHD display, dual cameras, stereo
speakers, more color accuracy, performance improvement, built-in wireless charging, and a variant
with 4G LTE support for AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. In September 2013, Amazon further updated
the Fire tablet with the Kindle Fire HDX. In November 2013, Apple released the iPad Mini 2, which
remained at 7.9 inches and nearly matched the hardware of the iPad Air.

Phablet[edit]
Main article: Phablet
Smartphones and tablets are similar devices, differentiated by the former typically having smaller
screens and most tablets lacking cellular network capability. Since 2010, crossover
touchscreen smartphones with screens larger than 5 inches have been released. That size is
generally considered larger than a traditional smartphone, creating the hybrid category of
the phablet by Forbes[71] and other publications. "Phablet" is a portmanteau of "phone" and "tablet".
At the time of the introduction of the first phablets, they had screens of 5.3 to 5.5 inches, but as of
2017 screen sizes up to 5.5 inches are considered typical. Examples of phablets from 2017 and
onward are the Samsung Galaxy Note series (newer models of 5.7 inches), the LG V10/V20 (5.7
inches), the Sony Xperia XA Ultra [6 inches], the Huawei Mate 9 (5.9 inches), and the Huawei Honor
(MediaPad) X2 (7 inches).