Which iPad have I got? It was just called 'iPad' in the shop.
This might seem like an odd question, but Apple has almost always played down the 'version number' side of things with its iPad line of tablets; only the iPad 2, iPad mini 3 and 4 and the iPad Air 2 have widely advertised numbers - the others have tended to be called just iPad, or 'iPad with Retina display'.
There have been a total of 11 iPad models altogether - the iPad, iPad 2, iPad 3, iPad 4, iPad Air, iPad Air 2, and the iPad mini and iPad mini 2 with Retina display, iPad mini 3 and iPad mini 4, as well as the all new iPad Pro - and in this article we'll help you work out which one you've got.
This can be useful information when trying to work out if an app is compatible with your tablet, or if you'll be able to run the next version of iOS, among other things. (It will also be handy if you want to know how much faster the next iPad will be compared to your current experience.)
You might also like: iPad Air 3 release date rumours | iPad mini 5 release date rumours
Which iPad do I have: Model numbers
You can easily tell which iPad you've got by reading the model number on the back and checking it against the following table, which uses information from Apple's support website.

The number you're looking for is labelled 'Model' - on the iPad above it's A1490, which makes it an iPad mini 2
|
iPad model |
Version number |
Other clues |
|
A1219 (Wi-Fi version) A1337 (Wi-Fi + cellular version) |
Old 30-pin port at the bottom; no camera apertures |
|
|
A1395 (Wi-Fi version) A1397 or A1396 (Wi-Fi + cellular versions) |
Old 30-pin port |
|
|
A1416 (Wi-Fi version) A1430 or A1403 (Wi-Fi + cellular versions) |
Old 30-pin port |
|
|
A1458 (Wi-Fi version) A1459 or A1460 (Wi-Fi + cellular versions) |
Lightning port at the bottom |
|
|
A1474 (Wi-Fi version) A1475 (Wi-Fi + cellular version) |
Lightning port |
|
|
A1566 (Wi-Fi version) A1567 (Wi-Fi + cellular versions) |
Lightning port; Touch ID fingerprint sensor on Home button, Gold model available |
|
|
A1432 (Wi-Fi version) A1454 or A1455 (Wi-Fi + cellular versions) |
Lightning port; iPad minis are smaller – about the size of a paperback |
|
|
A1489 (Wi-Fi version) A1490 (Wi-Fi + cellular version) |
Lightning port |
|
|
A1599 (Wi-Fi version) A1600 (Wi-Fi + cellular version) |
Lightning port, Gold model available, Touch ID fingerprint sensor on Home button. |
|
|
A1538 (Wi-Fi version) A1550 (Wi-Fi + cellular version) |
Lightning port, Gold model available, Touch ID fingerprint sensor on Home button. |
|
|
A1584 (Wi-Fi version) A1652 (Wi-Fi + cellular version) |
A much bigger screen - 12.9in, Gold model available, there's a smart connector for the Smart Keyboard on the left side. |
Which iPad do I have: Lightning and 30-pin docks
A simple way of telling apart certain iPads - particularly the iPad 3 and iPad 4, which are otherwise pretty much identical - is whether they have a Lightning or old 30-pin dock connector at the bottom. Here's what the Lightning port looks like:

And here's the 30-pin dock, which is noticeably wider:

For more information about Apple's range of iPad tablets, try the following articles:
You can watch our video on which iPad to buy below to help you make your decision.