Just as the iPhone did for smartphones, Apple’s iPad has become synonymous with tablet PCs. The iPad and its flagship brands share many similarities with the various tablets produced by Samsung, Google, Microsoft and other companies, but also some key differences that set them apart.
iPad vs Samsung Tablet in 2023! (Which One Should You Buy?)
Every iPad is a tablet, but not every tablet is an iPad.
Like other tablet PCs, the iPad is a mobile computing device with a touchscreen display. A good way to think about it is that an iPad is a specific type of tablet designed and manufactured by Apple. iPads run a proprietary operating system called iPadOS. The latest models support accessories like a keyboard and mouse, so you can use them like you would a laptop.
Most non-Apple tablets run Google’s Android operating system. Amazon and Microsoft produce their own popular tablet lines that run Fire OS and Windows, respectively. These include models such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab, Microsoft Surface, Amazon Fire HD, and Google Pixel Tablet.