The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones designed and marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was introduced on January 9, 2007.
An iPhone functions as a video camera, camera phone with text messaging and visual voicemail, a portable media player, and an Internet client with e-mail, web browsing, and both Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity. The user interface is built around the device’s multi-touch screen, including a virtual keyboard rather than a physical one. Third-party as well as Apple applications are available from the App Store, which launched in mid-2008 and now has well over 300,000 “apps” approved by Apple. These apps have diverse functionalities, including games, reference, GPS navigation, social networking, security and advertising for television shows, films, and celebrities.
The iPad is a tablet computer designed, developed and marketed by Apple primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. Apple released the iPad in April 2010, and sold 3 million of the devices in 80 days.
According to a report released by Strategy Analytics, the Apple iPad had gained a 95 percent share of Tablet PC sales at the end of second quarter 2010. During the second quarter 2010, Apple had sold 4.19 million iPads around the world.
The iPad runs the same operating system as the iPod Touch and iPhone—and can run its own applications as well as iPhone applications. Without modification, it will only run programs approved by Apple and distributed via its online store.
Like iPhone and iPod Touch, the iPad is controlled by a multitouch display—a departure from most previous tablet computers, which used a pressure-triggered stylus—as well as a virtual onscreen keyboard in lieu of a physical keyboard. The iPad uses a Wi-Fi data connection to browse the Internet, load and stream media, and install software. Some models also have a 3G wireless data connection which can connect to HSPA data networks. The device is managed and synced by iTunes on a personal computer via USB cable.
