It's five years to the day since Apple unveiled the original iPad.

Although tablets were around before Apple’s 9.7-inch device was released back in 2010, the tech giant is credited with revolutionising the market.

But, with iPad sales losing ground to Android, and tablet sales in general set to suffer this year, what lies ahead for the gadget?

It is five years to the day since Apple's former boss Steve Jobs (pictured) unveiled the iPad at an event in California. At the event, Mr Jobs described it as the ‘most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price.’

Rumours about an Apple tablet began even before the first iPhone was released in 2007.

When questioned about the rumours at an All Things D conference in 2003, Apple’s former chief executive Steve Jobs said: ‘There are no plans to make a tablet. It turns out people want keyboards.

‘Tablets appeal to rich guys with plenty of other PCs and devices already.

'What people really seem to want to do with these is get the data out. We believe cell phones are going to carry this information.’

Seven years on, he unveiled the firm’s first 9.7-inch tablet on 27 January.

Three months later, Apple sold 300,000 iPads in the first day of release. And by the end of the year, Apple said it had shifted 18 million units. Apple followed up the original iPad a year later, with the release of its second-generation iPad with similar specifications, but with the addition of camera and smart cover (pictured)

HOW THE IPADS COMPARE Feature iPad iPad 2 iPad 3 iPad 4 iPad Mini iPad Mini 2 iPad Mini 3 iPad Air iPad Air 2 Touch ID No No No No No No Yes No Yes Display 9.7-inch 9.7-inch 9.7-inch 9.7-inch 7.9-inch 7.9-inch 7.9-inch 9.7-inch 9.7-inch Memory 16- 64 GB 16-64 GB 16-64 GB 16-128 GB 16-64 GB 16-64 GB 16-128 GB 16-128 GB 16-128 GB Rear Camera None 720p 5 MP 5 MP 5 MP 5 MP 5 MP 5 MP 8 MP Front Camera None VGA 720p 720p 720p 720p 720p 720p 720p Thickness 13.4mm 9mm 9mm 9mm 7mm 7mm 7mm 7.5mm 6.1mm Weight 730g 601g 650g 650g 310g 330g 330g 469g 440g Announced Jan 2010 March 2011 March 2012 Oct 2012 Oct 2012 Oct 2013 Oct 2014 Oct 2013 Oct 2014 Released April 2010 March 2011 March 2012 Nov 2012 Nov 2012 Nov 2013 Oct 2014 Nov 2013 Oct 2014 Discontinued March 2011 March 2012 Oct 2012 Oct 2013 Oct 2013 Oct 2014 N/A N/A N/A

At the event, Mr Jobs described the iPad as the ‘most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price.’

He continued: ‘iPad creates and defines an entirely new category of devices that will connect users with their apps and content in a much more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before.’

Opinion was mixed, PC Pro forum member said at the time: ‘I really don’t see this as a game-changer.

'It’s more a niche product (dare I say ‘toy’) for Apple fanatics and those with a lot of spare cash in their pockets.

‘A netbook and smartphone combo would still be my first choice for commutes.’

Each iteration of the iPad since has boosted the display resolution, improved the camera or made the overall device thinner - albeit marginally. In 2012, in response to a rising number of smaller tablets including the Nexus 7 from Google, Apple unveiled the iPad mini. A year later it announced the iPad mini 2 (right) and iPad Air (left)

Analyst Gene Munster from Piper Jaffray said he believed the iPad would appeal to ‘some iPod touch buyers, but consumers looking for an affordable portable computer [would] likely stick with the MacBook.’

While Craig Moffett from Bernstein Research was more complimentary when he correctly predicted: ‘The iPad offers the potential to redefine the boundaries between print and video, turning formerly passive media into active ones.’

He said the tablet could lead to a trend of multimedia sites embedding videos.

Three months later, Apple sold 300,000 iPads in the first day of release. And by the end of the year, Apple said it had shifted 18 million units.

Apple followed up the original iPad a year later, with the release of its second-generation iPad with almost identical specifications, but with the addition of a front and rear camera.

APPLE'S NEXT 'SUPER' IPAD COULD HAVE A STYLUS Rumours about an upcoming Apple 'super' tablet have been gaining traction recently after at least two images were leaked that appeared to show the device. One photo of a mould was reportedly taken at Apple manufacturer Foxconn's factory in China and is said to measure approximately 12 inches high by 8.7 inches wide. It follows a leaked sketch from earlier in the month that claimed to show one corner of the so-called megapad, iPad Pro or iPad Air Plus. The latest image was posted on Chinese social network Weibo. If the rumours are true, the iPad Pro would be significantly larger than the current iPad Air 2. Experts have estimated that the mould would produce a tablet that measures 12 inches in height, 8.7 inches wide and 0.27 inches deep (305.3mm x 220.8 mm x 7mm). An analyst believes that following a wave of Apple patents (example pictured) over the past five years, which each referenced a stylus-style device, the firm could finally launch the pen, alongside the iPad Pro, by the second quarter of this year. The claims were made by Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities to Apple Insider By comparison, the iPad Air 2 is 9.4 inches by 6.7 inches by 0.24 inches (240mm x 169.5mm x 6.1mm). The iPad Air 2 has a 9.7-inch display, while the iPad Pro is rumoured to have a 12.2-inch screen. This would put the Pro on par with Samsung's 12.2-inch Galaxy Note Pro, which launched in February. Ming-Chi Kuo from KGI Securities believes that, following a wave of Apple patents hinting at a smart pen, the firm could also launch a stylus with its super tablet, by the second quarter of this year. Recent patents include 'Input Device Having Extendable Nib', awarded in March 2014, and 'Stylus Adapted For Low Resolution Touch Sensor Panels' in January 2010. In fact, Apple has filed more than 22 separate patents for a smart pen, dubbed iPen. Last February, one patent in particular featured detachable modules including a camera, audio recorder, laser pointer, power source and more. Other functions detailed in the patent include a communication circuit, gyroscope and accelerometer. However, Mr Kuo said he doesn't expect Apple's debut stylus to have these features. Instead, the company will add them gradually over the coming years, or users could choose which features they wanted. And he expects 3D handwriting to be featured on later models, too. Advertisement

Each iteration since has boosted the display resolution, improved the camera or made the overall device thinner - albeit marginally.

In 2012, in response to a rising number of smaller tablets including the Nexus 7 from Google, Apple unveiled the iPad mini.

iPAD PRO/AIR PLUS RUMOURS Name: Popular suggestions for the name of the supersized tablet include the iPad Air Plus - taking its lead from Apple's iPhone 6 Plus smartphone, and the iPad Pro. Size: The tablet is rumoured to have a 12.2 inch screen, although other dimensions have also been suggested. Rumours suggest it will be just 7mm thick. Design: The leaked 'sketch' suggests that the iPad Air Plus will be similar in design to the iPad Air 2, with its rounded corners and also share the same placement of buttons on its edges. USP: The image differs from the smaller tablet however, because of grilles on the top of the shell, which suggest the device will include stereo speakers, as rumoured. Launch: Sources have suggested different launch times, but there is some consensus that the tablet may make its debut before the summer. Advertisement

Needham & Co analyst Charlie Wolf said at the time the mini would ‘greatly expand the market for iPads’ but conceded it would likely impact sales of the larger iPad and iPod touch.

Apple is now on its sixth-generation iPad, although the last two models have been called iPad Air and iPad Air 2, and is selling its third-generation iPad mini.

The most recent models added a TouchID sensor, as seen originally on the iPhone 5S, to differentiate them from previous versions.

And, over the past four years, Apple boss Tim Cook said the firm has sold more than 225 million iPads globally.

However, interest has been slowing for the iPad, and tablets in general.

Following its earnings call in October, Apple said iPad sales slumped by 13 per cent compared to the same period in 2013.

This had followed a dip of 16 per cent the quarter before.

‘Apple has three main buckets of revenue - iPhone, iPad and everything else,’ explained analyst Benedict Evans.

‘If you split these out, you can see that the really dramatic slowdown is actually in the iPad business, not iPhone.

‘This is something of a change - a year ago the general narrative was around the rather obvious ceiling on iPhone sales and the possibly huge but unknowable potential of the iPad.

‘Now things have turned around.’

He said the rising popularity of smartphones, which have since narrowed the gap between tablets since the advent of the phablet, means people don’t need to walk across a room to get a tablet.

Apple is now on its sixth-generation iPad, although the last two models have been called iPad Air and iPad Air 2 (pictured with boss Tim Cook), and it is selling its third-generation iPad mini. The most recent models added a TouchID sensor, as seen originally on the iPhone 5S, to differentiate them from previous versions

Apple's boss Tim Cook said last year that more than 225 million iPads have been sold in the past four years (sales figures pictured). Following its earnings call in October, the firm announced, however, that its iPad sales had slumped by 13% compared to the same period in 2013. This had followed a dip of 16% the quarter before

Instead, users can just access the web and apps from their pocket wherever they are.

Apple's iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are, themselves, among the phablets stealing attention away from tablets.

Apple iPad sales have also suffered due to the increasing popularity of cheaper Android tablets.

In March last year, Gartner said customers bought nearly 121 million tablets running Google's Android operating system, which accounted for 61.9 per cent of the market.

The rising popularity of smartphones, and phablets including Apple's own iPhone 6 Plus (pictured), are blamed for the drop in tablet sales in general

Apple reportedly dropped from a 53-per cent share of the market to 36 per cent with 70.4 million sales.

But, as Apple Insider pointed out, Gartner's figures look at shipments, and Apple's number cover sales to end users, so these results can vary.

However, even with a margin of error, Gartner's figures still place Android at the top.

But, tablets in general are waning in popularity.

During the last three months of 2014, sales of tablets fell 9.2 per cent year on year, according to Context, compared with an increase of 40 per cent the year before.

Gartner predicts that tablet sales will grow eight per cent this year to 233 million units, compared to 216 million in 2014.

But this will be significantly lower than the previous two years of double digit growth.

Research director Ranjit Atwal said: ‘The collapse of the tablet market in 2014 was alarming.

'The steep drop can be explained by several factors.

‘One is that the lifetime of tablets is being extended - they are shared out among family members and software upgrades, especially for iOS devices - keeping the tablets current.