What is the difference between an iPad and a phone? What is the difference between an iPhone and an iPod? Technical differences between iPhone and iPod

The rapid leap forward in the field of new technologies has led to the fact that sometimes confusion arises among the many. For example, iPad and iPod. iPad is a fundamentally new device from Apple, better known as the Apple Tablet. This gadget is considered a hybrid of an Apple laptop and an iPod Touch. Therefore, more and more often, many users are asking the question: what is the difference between an iPad and an iPod?

iPad and iPod - registered trademarks products, . All products produced under this brand receive consonant names, that is, iPad, iPod, iPhone. This is done in order to make Apple products recognizable among the mass of competing manufacturers.

At the same time, due to the constant expansion of the company’s product line, new brands are becoming too frequent guests on the shelves of company stores, so many customers are beginning to get confused about what an iPad and an iPod are. This is due to the fact that their names differ in only one letter. However, in reality, the difference between them is the same as, for example, between a sports bike and a car.

So what are iPads and iPods?

The iPad is a tablet, the production of which was launched quite recently. At the time of its first appearance, it made a splash among devices for working on the Internet, because it was one of the world's first tablet computers. All devices included in the iPad line have an exclusive .

In turn, the iPod is an invention from Apple, intended primarily for music lovers. In short, this is a portable media player with a whole bunch of different functions, created just for listening to music. The difference between the iPad and the iPod is that the iPad also allows you to enjoy music, just like the iPad, but, for example, it cannot be placed in your breast pocket.

What are the main differences between iPod and iPad?

As we have already found out, the iPod is a portable player whose main function is to play music. Accumulation and storage of music content is carried out not only on the memory card, but also on the built-in HDD.

The iPad has much wider functionality because it is still a portable computer, that is, a tablet. Of course, in terms of its parameters it cannot be compared with a full-fledged computer, but despite this it is quite suitable for Internet surfing, watching videos, listening to music, video calling and messaging.

Dimensions and memory capacity

Let's take a closer look at what are the main differences between an iPod and an iPad?

First of all, it is weight and size. Thus, the iPad can be up to 24.28 cm in height, 18.97 cm in width and 0.134 cm in thickness. Its weight ranges from 0.68 to 0.73 kg. In turn, the iPod “Classic” has a height of 10.35 cm, a width of 6.18 cm and a thickness of 0.1 cm. Weight - 140 g. Other devices, for example, Nano, weigh even less.


Naturally, a player differs from a tablet not only in purpose, but also in the amount of memory for storing various information. Thus, the amount of permanent memory on the iPad can be 16.32 or 64 GB, while at the same time, a classic iPod can have a hard drive with a capacity of up to 160 GB. In some models, the differences may be minor (from 2 to 4 GB). Output and Input iPad has a 30-pin dock connector, a headphone output, a built-in speaker, a microphone, and on some models a SIM card slot. Therefore, when talking about the difference between an iPad and an iPod, it is worth pointing out that the classic model only has headphone jacks and a docking station.

Display, operating time and device capabilities

Let's turn our attention to the display of these two devices. On the iPad it can reach a size of 9.7 inches, have LED backlight and widescreen glossy. The iPod, in contrast, has more simple option– color LCD display with LED backlight.

Regarding power supply, it turned out that the iPad is equipped with an internal lithium-polymer battery that can work for about 10 hours on one charge, while the players have a lithium-ion battery with a battery life of approximately 30 hours. The time spent on charging can vary between 3–4 hours.


Now about the availability of wireless communication. The iPad can be supplied with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and EDR technology, which allows you to connect to wireless headphones and headphones, or in the Wi-Fi + 3G modification with faster access to the World Wide Web or GPS. The difference between these options is only in the wireless connection to the Network.

So, the difference between an iPad and an iPod is as follows:

  • iPad is and iPod is a media player.
  • The word iPod translated from English means “capsule”, and iPad is an Internet tablet.
  • The function of the iPod is to play music, while the iPad has a slightly broader function - reading texts, books, watching videos, playing music and browsing the web.

Nowadays, many different applications are being created that allow you to turn your iPad or iPod into a phone. Among them there are both paid ones and those that provide the opportunity to make a call via the Internet not only in audio, but also in video format.


iPad - tablet, iPod - player!

After reading the above information, you will no longer ask yourself the question: “Which is better – an iPod or an iPad?”

These two are perfect different devices both in purpose and functionality.

How often do you think about the differences between telephone devices and how many differences can you list between them in order to boldly say that I’m holding an iPhone or a smartphone, or maybe an iPad? If you are not sure about the answer and want to know more about how these communication devices are different, then this article will give you the answer. To do this, we will fix in detail: what is the difference between an iPhone and a smartphone and iPad.

Finally, we will help you decide on the purchase of a device, finding out what will be best for you: a smartphone, an iPhone or an iPad. So, first things first.

What is a smartphone? Smartphone is the most common mobile phone in the world, based on operating system Android developed by Google. The mobile range of smartphones has different manufacturers, providing completely different production quality.

What is an iPhone? iPhone is a smartphone manufactured by Apple, based on the advanced and high-tech iOS and widely used due to the reliable quality of its manufacturer.

What is an iPad? iPad is a smaller tablet version of a computer device with built-in telephone communication, produced by Apple based on iOS, which is in demand due to its advanced technology and quality. An iPad needs to be distinguished from an iPod.

Android smartphones are produced by dozens of different companies from different countries. Among them, the most reputable is Samsung, as well as Lenovo, HTC, Sony, Nokia, Motorola, LG and many other manufacturers.

It's no secret that the Android system is constantly competing with Apple's iOS. But in truth, the latter is in many ways superior in quality and more advanced, it does not have to be configured, and the firmware is installed directly from the manufacturer.

The Android system requires personal configuration by the user; it has received many different forms and is captivating with its low cost. After all, an inexpensive smartphone is sold for only 3-4 thousand rubles. Perhaps it will not last long, it will not have those functions and advanced technologies, high speed, but it will suit that part of the population that cannot afford to buy an expensive flagship Apple product.

Of course, not all Android smartphones are of poor quality. An equally expensive and strong competitor for Apple are Samsung smartphones, which are sometimes ahead of iPhones in many respects, so Apple, although it strives for excellence in quality, is forced to adhere to competitive prices for smartphones.

There are other operating systems, but such globalists as Apple and Android practically forced them out of the operating system market, thanks to their technology and quality. Today, the share of Android smartphones accounts for 65% of the global device market, of course, thanks to technology and quality. Apple's iPad and iPhone account for 24% of the device market share, and handsets account for Windows system occupy a very small share of mobile devices.

What to choose: iPhone or smartphone?

No matter how much we argue about the merits of smartphones and iPhones, there are things that you can hardly argue with - these are facts, so let’s dwell on them in more detail. Of course, when using the concept of smartphones, we will mean only top competitors, and not a cheap range of mobile devices.

If we talk about the internal filling of the devices, then, of course, the top models of smartphones are in no way inferior to the iPhone, although before, let’s be honest, the iPhone occupied only leadership positions. Now, thanks to the improvement in the quality of smartphones from top competitors, their chances have become equal, but in some ways smartphones are hopelessly ahead.

If we talk about battery capacity, today preference is most likely given to top-end smartphones that have achieved visible results in battery capacity, its service life, and the duration of charge retention.

As for the sensor and buttons, there is rather equality between smartphones and iPhones, since both provide the same display quality and clarity of button responses, although, as they say, there is a black mark in the family: lags occur in many models. In addition, following the development of competitors regarding display sizes, Apple had to abandon the 3.5 diagonal in favor of larger iPhones, so today the iPhone 7 Plus model has a difference - a 5.5-inch diagonal.

If we evaluate software, here Android gives way to the iPad in its leadership position, since Apple makes sure that the applications installed are proven and of high quality, but does not allow everyone into its system and not always for free.

What is the difference between iPad and iPhone

We will talk about two Apple flagships, which are not competitors, since they were produced by the same manufacturer and have different purposes. After all, an iPhone is more of a telephone device, its main meaning and purpose is to perform the functions of a telephone and mobile communications, compactness and convenience, so the company’s task is to make it as light, high-tech, competitive as possible, but at the same time put all the additional computer capabilities into it . Agree, the task is not easy.

Unlike the iPhone, when developing the iPad, the company relied on a different purpose - creating a smaller copy of a computer that will be at hand, does not depend on wires and easily moves with you. Its difference from a laptop is that the iPad is lighter and simpler, does not work with complex technical programs that require huge resources, and is created more for entertainment and communication in life.

Over time, the overall dimensions of the largest iPhone have become significantly closer to the size of mini-iPads. For example, the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 released in 2014 came close to the 7.85-inch iPad Mini released in 2012. However, the largest iPhone weighs comparatively less at 188 grams, while the smallest iPad weighs 298.8 grams. It is clear that now any iPhone is much lighter than an iPad.

In any case, it’s inconvenient to constantly make calls from a mini-iPad - you can’t put it in your pocket, and the battery charge won’t be enough, because the larger the screen, the more resources are spent on maintaining it.

Otherwise, today these two devices will be practically no different. iPads and iPhones have the same functions and applications, however, the amount of memory is usually larger on iPads, but recently iPhones have equalized this indicator. The iPhone 7 Plus now has 256GB of storage, the same as the iPad Pro.

An even bigger difference between iPads and iPhones is screen resolution. As a rule, iPhone models have lower resolution quality than the latest iPad models. For example, the screen resolution of the iPhone 7 Plus is 1334 x 750 pixels, while the screen resolution of the iPad Pro 12.9 is 2732 x 2048 pixels. The difference, as they say, is obvious. Therefore, watching videos or playing toys will be more enjoyable on an iPad, and the sound quality, thanks to the built-in powerful speakers, is much higher.



As for the operating system, the latest models of iPad and iPhone have the same one - high-performance iOS 10. Therefore, the characteristics of these devices are approximately the same.

  1. The display is a rectangle with rounded corners. The diagonal of this rectangle, excluding roundings, is 12.9 inches (for iPad Pro 12.9 inches) and 11 inches (for iPad Pro 11 inches).
  2. The amount of available space is less than stated and depends on various factors. The standard configuration (including iOS 12 and pre-installed apps) takes approximately 10 to 12 GB depending on the device model and settings. Pre-installed applications take up about 4 GB; they can be deleted and downloaded again. The amount of available space may vary depending on the device and software version.
  3. Size and weight vary depending on device configuration and manufacturing process.
  4. Battery life varies depending on device settings and usage. More details on the page.
  5. To use FaceTime, all users must have a FaceTime-enabled device and a Wi-Fi connection. Availability of FaceTime over cellular networks varies by carrier; Data charges may apply.
  6. Data plan required. Gigabit Class LTE, 4G LTE Advanced, 4G LTE and Wi-Fi calling are not available in all regions or with all carriers. Speeds are based on theoretical throughput and may vary depending on local conditions. Detailed information For LTE support, contact your carrier or visit .
  7. Cellular plan must be purchased separately. The model you purchase is configured to work with a specific cellular network technology. Contact your carrier for information about your device support and cellular plan availability.
  8. Not all carriers support Apple SIM and eSIM cards. Check with your carrier for details. Not available in mainland China. eSIM is supported on the 11-inch iPad Pro, 12.9-inch iPad Pro (3rd generation), iPad Air (3rd generation), iPad (7th generation), and iPad mini (5th generation). Apple SIM technology is supported on iPad Pro 9.7-inch, iPad Pro 10.5-inch, iPad (5th and 6th generation), iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3, and iPad mini 4.

Articles and Lifehacks

The variety of modern gadgets and PDAs is so great that it can be very difficult for a potential buyer to decide what he actually needs.

In particular, many are interested in the difference between an iPad and a smartphone. Of course, in this case, a comparison with an Apple smartphone is appropriate.

All these devices run the same operating system – iOS. However, they can perform different functions, and differences still exist between them.

What is the difference between an iOS smartphone and a tablet?

A smartphone is a mobile device that combines the functionality of a telephone and a portable communicator at the same time. Apple's famous creation is the smart phone known as the iPhone.

Accordingly, the iPad is a tablet from a similar manufacturer. Both devices run the same iOS operating system.

However, the tablet cannot be used as a smartphone even if it has a cellular module.

What are the main differences between these two devices?

  • The very first thing that catches your eye is the difference in the diagonal displays of a tablet and a smartphone. Accordingly, the dimensions of the two gadgets are completely different, and they will also have to be controlled differently.
  • iPad is better adapted for multimedia purposes.
  • The second significant difference is communication. The iPad does not have a SIM card slot, although it may have a 3G or 4G LTE module used only for mobile Internet.
  • The cameras of the latest models of Apple smartphones and tablets are not too different. However, it is worth noting that the first one is more convenient to shoot, while the second one is more convenient for photo processing.
  • As for surfing the World Wide Web, watching movies, communicating, reading, and so on, everything is individual, although most users will still prefer an iPad for these tasks.

Which device is better to choose?


It is impossible to give a definite answer to the question of which of the two devices is better. Each device has its own advantages, and here everything depends on personal requests.

If the user is most interested in compactness and cellular connectivity, he is better off choosing the iPhone. However, if image quality, a large screen and multimedia tasks come first, you should take a closer look at the iOS tablet.

The latter is much more convenient in terms of viewing news, photos and videos, and games. It all depends on what the gadget is needed for and how exactly it is going to be used.