How Much Did the Original iPad Cost in 2010?
By the Price Time Machine team · Updated
The original iPad price was $499 for the 16 GB Wi-Fi model when Apple’s first iPad went on sale in the United States on April 3, 2010. Adjusted for inflation, that is about $771.22 in September 2026 money, roughly 1.5 times the original price.
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Apple iPad at a glance
- US launch price
- $499
- In today’s money
- ≈ $771.22April 2010 to September 2026 (CPI-U, BLS)
- US release date
- April 3, 2010
- Where it was designed
- Cupertino, United StatesDesigned by Apple in Cupertino, California. It was assembled in China.
- Category
- Gaming & tech
- Price source
- apple.com
Today’s price is the US launch price adjusted for US inflation with the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, comparing the launch month with the latest published month. It updates automatically as new figures come out.
The $999 surprise
Before the launch, many experts guessed the iPad would cost about $1,000. When Steve Jobs revealed it in San Francisco on January 27, 2010, he put $999 up on the screen, then cut it to $499 in front of the audience.
That was the cheapest model, with 16 GB of storage and Wi-Fi only. The 32 GB and 64 GB versions cost $599 and $699. Models with 3G mobile data cost $130 more and arrived at the end of April.
The original iPad price in today’s money
Inflation means a dollar buys less today than it did in 2010. Using the US Consumer Price Index, the original iPad price of $499 works out at about $771.22 in September 2026 money, around 1.5 times the original figure. That is what the same amount of spending power would cost now, not what a first-generation iPad sells for second-hand.
When was the iPad released?
- Announced: January 27, 2010, in San Francisco
- Wi-Fi models in the US: April 3, 2010
- 3G models in the US: April 30, 2010
- UK, Australia, Canada, Japan and five more countries: May 28, 2010
Where was the iPad designed?
Apple designed it at its headquarters in Cupertino, California. Steve Jobs later said that the idea of a tablet came first, and that Apple put it aside to build the iPhone with the same touchscreen technology.
iPad facts you might not know
- Apple sold more than 300,000 iPads on the first day, including pre-orders.
- It reached one million sales in 28 days, less than half the 74 days the first iPhone had taken.
- Buyers downloaded more than one million apps and 250,000 e-books on the first day.
Frequently asked questions
How much was the first iPad?
The first iPad cost $499 for the 16 GB Wi-Fi model when it went on sale in the US on April 3, 2010. The most expensive model, with 64 GB and 3G, cost $829.
How much is $499 from 2010 worth today?
Adjusted for US inflation, the original iPad’s $499 price is about $771.22 in September 2026 money.
How many iPads sold on the first day?
Apple said it sold more than 300,000 iPads on April 3, 2010, including pre-orders delivered that day.
When did the iPad come out in the UK?
The first iPad went on sale in the UK on May 28, 2010.
Want to compare the original iPad price with similar launches? See what the iPhone, the iPod, the Amazon Kindle and the Apple Newton cost, browse more famous launch prices, or play the iPad question in Price Time Machine.
Sources
Launch prices and dates are checked against the sources below. Today’s price is calculated from official US inflation data and updates automatically when new figures are published.
- Apple Newsroom: iPad Available in US on April 3 (March 5, 2010)
- Apple Newsroom: Apple Sells Over 300,000 iPads First Day (April 5, 2010)
- Apple Newsroom: Apple Sells One Million iPads (May 3, 2010)
- Wikipedia: iPad (1st generation)
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)